Copenhagen Summer Dance 15
August 10, 2015
Copenhagen Police Headquarters
For the 11th season, Danish Dance Theatre is hosting the annual summer festival in one of the most remarkable pieces of architecture in Denmark, Copenhagen Police Headquarters’ marvelous circular courtyard. Fans of Danish crime series “The Killing” and “The Bridge” may know the stunning location. Its scale and beauty make it a perfect and magical place for dance on a summer night.
However, a perfect surrounding also demands high quality dancing to match. Although both the Police director and the Mayor for Cultural Matters in Copenhagen both used and overused the term: "High International Level”, the works presented more or less all struggled to match that specific expectation.
Lookalike Concepts
With three works on the rooster, Tim Rushton, the director of Danish Dance Theatre was the dominant choreographer. His outtake from last season’s “Black Diamond” struggled by being very close to two other items: Edhem Jesenkovic’s “TABU” for Uppercut Dance Theatre and Lotte Sigh’s “Dancing with Anger” choreographed for and danced by two dancers from the Royal Danish Ballet. All three ballets was characterized by the dancers wearing net masks, which, even when giving credit to the works general quality levels, seemed too much of a trend.
The strongest impact supported by a stunning piece of scenography was an outtake from Rushton’s “The Firebird”. A large chunck of the outtake was danced vertically by the leading lady supported by sticks on the vertical illuminated scenography.
Rushton hasis currently creating a work for the Pantomime Theatre in TIVOLI. Two of the dancers presented a charming pas de deux. The TIVOLI dancers are this season enjoying some well-deserved perks. Earlier this summer RDB dancers Sebastian Kloborg and Tim Matiakis created a modern style pantomime, albeit with little dancing, but plenty of gags.
Flamenco in a Telephone Box
A large chunk of the program was given to Selene Munoz who presented her mix of Flamenco and modern dance. Her impact was not as strong as it could have been, as she only used a fragment of the stage. Selene Munoz have been successful in building her own niche and has managed to break down the barriers between modern art and entertainment, a barrier not often crossed. As well as participating in modern dance events, she can be seen as a guest performer in “Dancing with the Stars” and at Royal celebrations. She is on the verge of being a household name. On this program, she is performing with percussionist and composer Stephan Jarl, who also involves himself in the dancing. The latter being not to bright an idea. If Munoz needs a partner, it should be a dancer on her own level.
Danish Dance Theater also premiered a work by Israeli choreographer Idan Sharabi “Rak Tamid Again” where the dancers from the two respective companies danced together to a piece by Chopin. Frankly, it was too short to make and impact and justify such a big cast.
Anger Management
Not only did Jesenkovic’s and Lotte Sigh’s pieces share a prop they also shared the subject of anger and the format of a pas de deux. Both also stayed safely within the mainstream movement patterns. Lotte Sigh’s work were created for Sebastian Kloborg and Eliabe Viera D´Abadia. Since then Jonathan Chmelensky and Tobias Praetorius have performed the pas de deuxt on the RDB summer tour.
The difference between the two casts is mainly a shift in which role is more aggressive. Sebastian Kloborg was so aggressive that it almost looked like abuse of Viera D’Abadia, whereas Tobias Praetorius managed to be much more aggressive in the part of the anger against Chmelensky as the owner of the feeling. Combining Viera D’Abadia and Jonathan Chmelensky loses a lot of the actual raw feeling in the pas the deux and makes it more complacent and more mainstream.
However, complacent and mainstream unfortunately described the evening´s program. There was not one item on the menu that really tried to break the mold or showed real ambition and dare. It stayed safe and conservative.
It all made a nice summer evening entertainment, but it being safe really, the best the modern dance scene can offer?
Photos by Henrik Stenberg (Copyright (c))
1. PR photo
2. "The Firebird" with Danish Dance Theatre
3. Selene Munoz
4 Eliabe Viera D'Abadia and Jonathan Chmelensky in "Dancing with Anger"
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