With an unprecedented intake of 13 foreign dancers in one season, Royal Danish Ballet took on the quest of getting the group, representing nine different countries, and integrated them into company life and the Danish style.
Judging by the production of “Swan Lake” in April the synthesis has happened. The new crop are seamlessly integrated in the company and several of the new dancers are taking on featured roles. I met with Canadian Liam Redhead to learn how the process looked from the incoming dancer’s point of view. Another reason for speaking with Liam Redhead is that the 19 year old dancer has been the most prolific of the new crop and has danced several soloists’ roles in his first season.
Liam Redhead is a student from Canada’s National Ballet School, a school that for many years has been an associate with RDB. Danish instructors have been guest teachers there, and there are several dancers in the company with a background from the Canadian school, including James Clark and Bryant Steenstra.
It was from one of the guest teachers, famed RDB ballerina and Super mime Sorella Englund that Liam Redhead learned about the openings in RDB:
“Sorella is a guest teacher at the ballet school in Canada, so I worked with her a couple times a year as a student there. On one of her visits last year she let us know that the Royal Danish Ballet was holding an audition, and recommended some of the students to go. I wasn’t planning on auditioning in Europe that year, but I figured it would be a good opportunity to get an idea of what was happening in the dance world overseas.”
It was not because Liam Redhead was dissatisfied at the school. In fact, he had been offered an apprenticeship in the National Ballet of Canada:
“There aren't too many big ballet companies in Canada, so sometimes the dance world in Toronto could feel a bit isolated. Auditioning here was a good chance for me to get exposed to the European dance scene.”
The auditions took place in December, so Liam Redhead had half a year to prepare for his move to Denmark. When he arrived, he discovered a company very much defined by its history and the Bournonville tradition, but also a company that in spite of a hierarchic structure had an open and friendly environment:
“Growing up in a ballet school, you are always hearing little horror stories about what it’s like to first join a professional company, so I was very intimidated at first and very conscious to not step on anyones toes. When I actually arrived I was surprised at how inviting and kind everyone was to the new dancers. Everyone is really friendly and inclusive regardless of the hierarchy, which I think is pretty rare in a big classical company.”
Another Home for Christmas
Liam Redhead experienced the Danish kindness in a very special way: “Unfortunately I was not able to make it home for Christmas this year, but I was invited by two of the dancers in the company to join their family celebration. Of course it was hard to spend the holidays away from home, but it was so nice to experience a traditional Danish style Christmas with such great friends.”
Fitting in socially was one thing. However, An even bigger charge was fitting in the Danish dance style. During the fall season, RDB did class on stage as part of a reach out activity called “Brunch & Ballet”. The classes, taught by company director Nikolaj Hübbe, showed that integrating to the Danish style was not easy at all for the mixed bunch of newcomers. Special areas like jumping in particular needed many adjustments:
“At the beginning of the season, the new dancers were lucky enough to get weekly classes with Nikolaj to help us adapt quicker to the Danish style. We come from very different schools, so getting extra help with integrating into the style of the company was really beneficial.”
Getting on Stage
However, the challenge was on stage. Liam Redhead was cast in a walking role as the auctioneer’s assistant in the run of the successful production of John Neumeier’s “Lady of the Camellias”:
“I was only on stage for short moments at a time, which was a bit of a blessing because it gave me the chance to watch the performance from the wings every night. It was very inspiring to see the strong dramatic skills everyone in the company brought to the performances night after night.”
Liam Redhead has come well prepared to a dramatic ballet company. As a kid, he held the title role in the musical version of “Billy Elliot”. Actually, the RDB School has recently accepted one of the boys who played Billy in a current Copenhagen run of the musical to the ballet school.
Following the Neumeier ballet, Liam Redhead was an understudy for “Etudes”, but injury to one of the Danish dancers put him on the line for most of the run:
“It’s a very demanding ballet technically, which is what makes it so exciting. Although being put in was very intimidating, Im so glad I got the chance to perform it because it really gives you a sense of accomplishment.”
Getting and Taking Chances
Liam Redhead has been lucky enough to have several of the roles he’s understudied at RDB turn into real chances. His biggest role so far has been the Jester in “Swan Lake,” which also started out as an understudy position.
By signing up for one of the Pop Ups, where dancers create their own short performances shown for a small audience, Liam Redhead managed to show the Copenhagen audience how strong a classical dancer he is. In the Pas de Deux from “The Talisman”, chosen by Pop Up hosts Eliabe D ́Abadia and James Clark, he made a strong case showing his virtuoso skills.
Following a role in Alexander Ekman’s “Cacti”, Liam Redhead was picked for two roles in the “Take Four” program of modern works. Liam Scarlett’s “Viscera” was made for Miami State Ballet and has a definitive Balanchine feel. Liam Scarlett came over for the last week of rehersals:
“It was fantastic working with Liam Scarlett. He was very demanding, but positive, and he really managed to make the piece come alive in the short time that he was in Copenhagen.”
His other role was in “Strangers” choreographed by RDB dancer Sebastian Kloborg:
“I was a part of a couple creations in my time at school, but working with Sebastian was different than what I had experienced in the past. The process felt more like a collaboration than just having someone standing at the front of the room giving the dancers steps. At the beginning it was difficult for me to contribute, but by the end I found it to be much more rewarding.”
As next season includes a number of creations for the company, Liam Redhead may get more opportunities with fresh choreography. Next season will also include a revival of company favorite, John Neumeier’s “Romeo & Juliet” which includes a substantial amount of roles for young men.
Liam Redhead is enjoying this phase of his career and take care of the possibilities available. His family has been able to come over for a few visits. He shares a flat with two Danes not involved in ballet.
“My roommates taught me a lot about Danish culture, and have been a huge help with learning the language. There are also Danish classes at the theatre offered to the new dancers, so my understanding is getting better, but I still have a long way to go.”
It would have been a tall order to expect perfect Danish in less than a year. However, it’s the positive attitude and the willingness to work hard and learn that can make Liam Redhead into a success far from home.
Photos by Henrik Stenberg( Copyright(c) Royal Danish Ballet"
1. Liam Redhead
2. Liam Redhead with Alexander Bozinoff and Alba Nadal
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