"Friends of Danish Ballet" presented their annual Honour Award to former RDB star Arne Villumsen at a ceremony last month. Arne Villumsen was the leading male star of the Royal Danish Ballet for almost 20 years and covered a broad repertoire from Bournonville and Petipa to Balanchine, Cranko and Neumeier.
In 2005, I interviewed him for DanceView Magazine and is pleased to use this oppotunity to post the interview with the dancer who defined Danish male dancing for my generation.
A Conversation with Arne Villumsen
2005
To American audiences, Arne Villumsen is the elusive star of the Royal Danish Ballet. He received international attention for his performances during the 1979 Bournonville Festival and the company’s tours in the 1980s and 1990s, and many expected that he, like the other great Danish dancer of his generation, Ib Andersen and (predecessors such as Erik Bruhn, Flemming Flindt, Peter Martins and Peter Schaufuss) would make his career abroad.
Instead, Villumsen chose to serve his home company for more than 20 years. Groomed by Henning Kronstam and Vera Volkova, his large repertoire included the leading roles in national treasures, such as James in “La Sylphide” Gennaro in “Napoli”, Junker Ove in “A Folk Tale” and “Etudes”; international classics such as “Onegin”, Albrect in “Giselle”, Romeo in “Romeo & Juliet” and Basil in “Don Quixote as well as many roles in the neo-classical and modern repertoire. As a dancer, Villumsen was noted for his strong technique, especially his high jumps, musicality and commanding dramatic presence. When I interviewed him for DanceView this winter, I met a man with few regrets and lot of gratitude for a life well spent in the ballet.
A Late Entry
Compared to most Royal Danish Ballet students, you were a late entry to ballet school?
“I was accepted into the school when I was twelve and had no previous dance training. I was one of four boys taken that year. The others – Ib Jeppesen, Stig Olsen and Elo Sjøgren – were all younger than I was, but as first year students, we all had to wear the customary blue tights, bought at one particular store in Copenhagen. So any child in blue tights was easily identified as a rookie. It was an enormous change for me, as one who came from a totally non-dancing background, to enter the school and the theatre. It was a truly fascinating world to be part of. Even though mine was a late entry, I took part in many performances and had my debut on the stage in an opera. As I remember, we were constantly on stage in “Napoli” and other works. After my first year in Vive Thornburg’s class, I was transferred to my own age Group, where many of them had been at ballet school from the age of six or seven.
In my class were dancers like Ib Andersen, Frank Andersen and Michael Bastian. Our teachers included Kirsten Ralov and Flemming Ryberg. I enjoyed the training and realized that although I had danced fewer years than the others, some steps were easier for me than for them. That built my confidence and my sense of belonging to the group. We greatly admired the grown up dancers like Niels Kehlet and Flemming Ryberg. They were wonderful dancers and we tried to be as strong jumpers as they were.
I think it is important to have strong role models as students. It helped us to recognize excellence, to raise the barre, I do not remember us as a competitive group. We worked well together.
Taking part in the performances meant that our academic achievements lacked. I cannot remember having many math lessons. I think that is something that has been greatly improved during the last years . In my time the school was only concentrating on the percentage they kept and not on the larger group who did not become dancers.”
Singled out
As an aspirant you worked with the late Henning Kronstam & Vera Volkova?
“I wish that we had a teacher of Vera Volkova’s caliber today. That would make all the difference in the world. I am afraid that I took teachers of hers and Henning Kronstam’s caliber for granted, because they were the standard I was used to. I have become much wiser since! They nurtured me and gradually prepared me for the future. I did not feel special. Yes, I could do most step with ease, but there was plenty of room for improvement. For a lanky guy like me, spinning does not come as naturally as for short and sturdy guys like Baryshnikov and Niels Kehlet. I did certainly not consider myself a future star, but I was not totally without ambition. I decided that unless I could achieve more than average and be a featured dancer, I would not have continued.
Henning Kronstam was a wonderful inspiration. He was so pure in everything he did. The Royal Theatre is like any other big cultural institution, a nest of politics and intrigues. But he kept himself free of all that. The theatre was his life, to which he gave everything.”
What did you dance for your Aspirant Exams (Entrance Exam for the company)?
“The first year I danced a solo from “Swan Lake” and the next year James’ solo from “La Sylphide”. When I were accepted into the company, I started getting featured roles and suddenly found myself preparing for my debut as one of the soloists in “Etudes”. I was nervous, as it is a difficult role. You start in the dark and it is difficult to place the virtuoso steps under the lightning conditions. However, later I made my peace with the part. I remember after Ib Andersen, Linda Hindberg and I had danced “Etudes” during a tour to the States and nailed it, I wondered why I had been so afraid of this piece. I also often danced the pas de deux as well, which meant that I have practically no rest in the performance.”
After "Etudes," major parts like "Apollo”, Gennaro in “Napoli” and Romeo in John Neumeier’s “Romeo and Juliet” followed.
“I did not realize until later that I was being targeted as a future principal dancer. In all these parts I had Henning Kronstam as my coach and director, and could build on his inspiration and advice. In “Romeo & Juliet”, we worked first with John Neumeier, and after the premiere, continued with Henning Kronstam. It was a beautiful piece with a great scenography, but Neumeier had drawn immensely on John Cranko’s version. Ib and Mette-Ida Kirk were first cast and I followed with Annemarie Dybdal.”
Were you and Ib colleagues or rivals?
“We were colleagues –and rivals, but mostly colleagues. Although we shared a great number of roles, we were essentially different types and dancers and we respected each other’s strengths.
When we shared Albrect in Erik Bruhn’s production of “Giselle”, - he made us do the Nureyev version with the 32 entrechats. And we hated it. Erik Bruhn had done it himself once for a film, which was post edited. When Erik Bruhn left Copenhagen, we agreed to scale down. Yes, we could do them, but we would put ourselves at risk. I remember Nureyev once said that if he was not applauded after the first eight, he simply stopped.
Were you never tempted to follow Ib’s example and go abroad?
“No never. I have had very attractive offers and although I love dancing Balanchine, I did not want to do it on a full time basis. I was simply too fond of the dramatic ballets to leave them for a mere classical or neo-classical repertoire. I have enjoyed dancing roles like “Serenade”, “Divertimento no. 15” and “Symphony in C”, but I could not leave my dramatic roles for a full Balanchine menu.”
Army Days
In 1977, you were appointed principal dancer and the future looked bright. However shortly after that you were drafted to serve nine month in the Danish army. How did that effect you and your career?
“The minister for Culture, Niels Matthiasen, who was well known for his love of ballet, tried to intervene on my behalf, but although understanding the situation, the Minister of Defense dared not make an exception. He was afraid that the press would haunt him if he changed the decision. On one hand, the Danish state had given me one of the most expensive and most specialized educations in the country. On the other hand, they came close to finishing my career just at it got going.
I could easily have gotten an injury that would force me to leave the ballet and it was difficult to keep my training at the level needed for principal roles, especially during the first three months. where I was posted on the Island Bornholm, far away from any training facilities. When I was posted in North Sealand it was a bit easier. I could travel each night to the Royal Theatre and train on my own. I also managed to fit in a guest appearance in Malmö, Sweden. In the Army, I did not reveal myself as a ballet dancer, but when I was to dance at a special performance for a group of NATO generals visiting the Royal Theatre, my cover was blown and my secret was out.
The nine useless months also cost me roles, like the prince in “Swan Lake” and in Flindt’s remake of Bournonville’s “The Toreador”. However, it helped me realize how much the ballet meant to me.
I think my case at least stopped the practice of drafting ballet dancers to the army. I believe I was the last one to serve.”
Moving Centre Stage
When you returned to the theatre, changes were on their way. Flemming Flindt, who had been the Artistic Director from 1966, retired to form his own company and your mentor Henning Kronstam had taken over as Artistic Director with unanimous support from the company.
“Flindt had favored a more modern repertoire built on his own work. There was one aspect of ballet mastering he did very well. He was good at creating many opportunities for all groups of dancers, character dancers and younger dancers. He could really keep a company busy. Look at his “Nutcracker”! There is something for everyone and lots of featured roles. You can argue with his steps, but he was good at giving us opportunities. In his “Four Seasons” all the young dancers was on stage. He once asked me mid-week: Arne, could you dance Swan Lake” on Saturday?” And pleased I accepted. For other reasons the performance was cancelled, but that was how he led.
With Henning Kronstam at the helm, there was a clear change of artistic policy. The repertoire got classic and more dramatic. This was definitely a move that suited me and Henning was supportive. Kirsten Ralov was Vice Ballet Master and took care of meetings and administration, which Kronstam loathed.
His work was in the studios and on stage. He was so respected by everyone and it was a very happy period for the company. A Ballet Master must earn respect from all dancers. You cannot lead if you are not respected.
The repertoire the first year included Bournonville, Balanchine, classics and a modern programme by Glen Tetley, and I danced leading roles in them all. It was a trilling and demanding period. As we were planning the first Bournonville Festival and Bournonville had not been featured frequently during the Flindt era, there was a lot to learn. In the Festival I danced all major roles – Gennaro in “Napoli”, Junker Ove in “A Folk’s Tale” and James in “La Sylphide” – as well as various minor ballets and pas de deux.”
The first Bournonville festival was an international success and the RDB was invited to tour all the major ballet capitals. By the end of Kronstam’s second season Ib Andersen left to join NYCB and you were now the sole male classical male star of RDB. Your repertoire grew and for several of the most demanding ballets you were the only cast, often dancing in all three ballets for a program or doing two major ballet in one day – one matinee and one evening performance. That is a demanding position to be in. But other dancers would most likely say that Arne Villumsen was considered lazy. Why is that?
“From childhood I realized not only that I could do certain steps easier than other, but I also very early understood what my body needed. When it was better to rest than to push. So I took a very individual approach to training and I think it had a vast importance for my career. I have had few injuries and no operations. I could take you to a class and tell you exactly which dancers are training themselves into injury. You can call my approach lazy but it has proven a wise strategy and assured me a long career.
Partners
Who were your favorite partners?
“I consider myself very lucky regarding partners. I got to dance with all our leading ballerinas. I was tall enough to dance with the big girls and not too tall to dance with the smaller ones. I definitely preferred to dance with the dramatic ballerinas. The more your partner gives the more you give yourself. Mette Hønningen was a wonderful dancer with enormous stage presence and a wide repertoire. She was not necessarily the easiest partner to work with, but who is counting when you get so much on stage?
I loved to dance “La Sylphide” with Lis Jeppesen as the Sylph and Sorella Englund as the witch. Having two so expressive and dramatic dancers as partners in “La Sylphide” was a great privilege, which I truly treasure. We were lucky to keep the trio over a number of years and performances. Mette-Ida Kirk was also a dancer with the ability to really express her part and I enjoyed dancing “La Sylphide” with Anne Adair.
Linda Hindberg is probably the partner I have danced with most. We were often paired in the more abstract and technically challenging ballets and worked together as a very good team. The more tricky the choreography, the stronger the partnership needs to be. Together we conquered some of the biggest challenges out there.
There are other dancers whom I have had good working relationship with, where we pulled together and made a joint performance, but the dramatically gifted ballerina is the most awarding to partner for me.
Making a Character live
Even though you have danced more than 50 roles, there are some key parts I would like to discus with you: Gennaro, James and Onegin. Firstly, how do you build a character?
“I sort of let the character take over. Yes, you do become the character and live his life for the span of the performance. You also takes cues from your partner, their approach. The more you get, the more you give. You feed of each other. As a young dancer I felt each part deeply, but I turned it inwards. It was not visible to the audience. I could not understand why people said I did not act, because I was so into the character... Then I realized I had to turn it outwards and show the emotions, not just feel it.”
How did you build your Gennaro?
“I would say that my Gennaro is one third myself and two thirds inspiration from other Gennaros.“
I remember you actually once tuned the silent guitar in Act 1
“I might have had that idea. In the particular scene, you have to fill time, you work with what props, and ideas are available. You find out hove the character will react and do what he would have done.
And James?
“James is probably my favorite role. It can be interpreted in so many ways and one is not necessarily better than the other. I danced James for a long period in many performances and with several Sylphs. The role matures with you and changes with each partner. I was lucky to have Sorella Englund as Madge from the beginning and we could develop the relationship over time.”
Regarding Onegin, a dancer told me that on the first rehearsal you simply stood up and was Onegin immediately.
“Reid Andersen who staged Onegin, gave me a free reign of the character. Save for the pas de deux’s I could do my own thing and build the character as I pleased. Onegin is really a bastard. First, you make the audience hate him, and then you make them love and forgive him in the final act. That is a challenging task to fulfill and a very rewarding process. You get to use all your skills. There are few traditional solos in the part but the pas de deux are tricky and there is much drama to work with. I was very pleased to get Onegin for the last part of my career. It was a Godsend – even though it was pure luck that we got the ballet. “
It is easy to focus on your classical parts, but you have also danced a large number of modern works?
“I have, but I have not enjoyed them as much as the dramatic ballets. Glen Tetley’s “Voluntaries” was an interesting challenge. It was very difficult, not only because of the many and difficult lifts, but because of the solo Tetley had choreographed on Richard Cragun and his excellent spinning abilities. I enjoyed “Voluntaries” much more than Tetley’s “Greenings” which we danced on the same program to a very modern score by Arne Nordheim. I swear than on more than one occasion the firefighter almost entered the stage because of the alarm bells used in the partitur.
With a score like that and later Flindt’s “Caroline Mathilde”, you need to count the music and that kills the spontaneity and musicality that you can explore in a more traditional score. The music is important to me and the musical timing as well. This is something I have had issues about with certain directors and conductors over the years, but I usually won them over or changed the timing to my needs once they left.
I enjoyed dancing Basil in “Don Quixote”, especially when I was on top of my game. It was fun to work with the Russian team coming from the Bolshoi. Their approach were different from ours, but they were as devoted to their tradition as we are to ours. A strange but rewarding process.”
Were there ballets you disliked?
“I was not keen on “Caroline Mathilde” but my least favorite ballet was Alvin Ailey’s “Memoria”. There were scores of dancers in the piece and my part was neither significant nor crucial. I tried hard to get out of the production (I had leading part in the other ballets that played the same nights) but I never managed to get out of “Memoria”. It was a popular ballet and had many performances. Usually you can find something to like in a part but this was my Waterloo in that respect. I suppose we all have routine tasks and “Memoria" was certainly mine.
Coaching and the RDB today
You started on the path of character and mime as well as directing and coaching, but you did not remain long at either, even though your work in both fields was considered outstanding. Why is that?
“I never really wanted to be a character dancer. It is not for me to stand on stage as the father or the king. It was not a line I wanted to pursue. I enjoyed coaching and directing, but with the internationalization of the RDB, It became harder and harder.
I remember working with on “La Sylphide" with one of our foreign principals who was cast in the pivotal role of Gurn. He did not understand why he should dance the part. I can understand where he is coming from. For a renowned dancer in an international company, Gurn is not a substantial part – one solo and a few mime scenes – but for us Danes it is a key part. I do not think that any dancer born and bred in the company would have reacted that way. Any young Danish dancer would have been proud to be Gurn and would appreciate the part and working with it. I remember when I was a very young dancer, I was asked to dance Gurn’s solo in a performance in London. I was so proud and it meant so much to me. I was eager and prepared.
This is one of the main challenges for RDB, to keep the heritage alive and relevant also for the foreign dancers. The way ballets had been passed from generation to generation has been the mainstay of the company. When I danced Gennaro, I could build on Gennaros I had seen as a child standing on the bridge. My James was created from having seen different dancers’ interpretations of the role and through my passage from child dancer through Gurn to my first James. Later as I matured, James matured with me. That important line is only possible with a long stay in the company. I am sorry that today you can join and have a career at RDB with no interest and understanding of the tradition. It is important that the dancers recruited from outside the school learn about the tradition and buy into it, when they enter the company. Luckily there a still dancers who care and who are willing to invest their talent and time as coaches. I may choose to return later but not under the present management”.
Since Frank Andersen returned as Ballet Master, You have resigned as director and coach at RDB?
“My Relationship with Frank Andersen is two-sided. On the personal level, he is a childhood friend whom I have known for 40 years. We still meet with a group of the other boys and have a traditional Christmas lunch and that works fine on that level. I was not surprised when Frank went for the post as artistic director. As a ten-year old, he already had a telephone book with important numbers including Danny Kay. So he was already preparing himself for a management post. On the professional side I have simply decided that I can spend my time better than being a part of his team.”
Nikolaj Hübbe once stated that if Arne Villumsen wanted to take the reins at RDB, he could probably have done so.
“I have never wanted to be the Artistic director. It has never been my ambition. I only wanted to be as good a dancer and dance actor as I could become. I never wanted to hang on after my time. I think dancers are like boxers. They should not outstay their time. It is better to quit while you are ahead and not end like a caricature of yourself. I actually wanted to leave a year before I did. I am pleased with my achievements and have few regrets. I have had a wonderful career.”
Nikolaj Hübbe once said that you and Ib Andersen were like gods for his generation. How does it feel to be a God?
“We felt that the generation before us were the true gods. They were outstanding dancers who deserved much more accolades. My generation was lucky to come along in a period with much international focus on Bournonville and RDB and received the attention and recognition.”
What are you doing today?
“I still teach a couple of days each week to keep up my skills. Otherwise I have enjoyed spending time with my children.”
How would you sum up your achievements?
“I was very lucky to have had great teachers, who helped me grow as an artist. I have had wonderful roles and great partners. I truly have no regrets and look back on my career with joy.”
The interview was published in Danceview vol 22 No 1 winter 2005
Photo (Copyright(c)) Ballettens Venner)
Arne Villumsen (far left) with Anne Middelboe Christensen (Ballet Reviewer), Ole Nørlyng (Ballet Historian) and Her Royal Highness Princess Benedikte, the patron for the Friends of Danish Ballet.
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