Interview with Thomas Lund, Head of Eoyal Danish Ballet School
December 16, 2015
When Thomas Lund entered the Royal Danish Ballet School he fast became a household name through a series of children’s parts in ballets by August Bournonville, John Neumeier and Constantin Patsales. To the outsider it looked like a ballet child’s dream and Thomas Lund grew to be a star in the company, based on his unique combination of classic and dramatic talents. He also created and directed several works for the company and abroad including Harald Lander’s “Etudes” and the ever-popular children’s ballet “Teddy goes Ballet”.
In 2012, he retired a few years younger than the standard retirement age to take over the post as Head of the RDB School. He faced the challenges of attracting children to the ballet school and make the school a positive and relevant education, both for the children who would later join the company and those who would leave earlier:
“It had been an issue for parents that the school only offered first and second level in the academic system. As it had become the norm in Denmark that 80% of children got a level three education, we clearly lost potential students due to parent’s hesitating in taking the chance that the company might not sign them on”, Thomas Lund explains.
The RDB School has therefore launched a number of changes that will strengthen the education for all students. RDB School has teamed up with the highly respected Zahle’s School, which is now responsible for the academic program for the two lower levels. The RDB School has two satellite schools in Holstebro and Odense. The school is working in collaboration with a number of talent centers and private ballet schools. A boarding facility is also available for pupils from the provinces. Most of these changes ware implemented over the last decade. However, it does not stop there.
Stretching the talents
Two new initiatives, one aimed at the youngest students, the other at the apprentices’ class has been implemented during the last few years:
“One could say that we are expanding in both ends of the scale. For the youngest kids we have detected a hesitance from parents of letting their children join the school. Their worry is that the children, if they fail their exams, may find it difficult to fit into a new school. We have therefore decided that the children from the age of six to eight will not have a deciding dance exam before the end of second class (in Denmark we start with class Zero). This school year will be the first year where they will meet the jury for real.”
The ballet school has also changed the practice for the exams.
“The children and their parents will meet with their teacher, a pedagogue and a ballet teacher and based on an evaluation report discuss the child’s future. The evaluation report will state not only the status but also point out areas where improvements are needed. This will give the parents a much better insight into how the child is progressing. When I was a boy, the parents only got the final results: staying or going, by letter during the summer break.”
The ballet school has also signed a performance coach who assists the children in learning to manage expectations and their own ambitions.
Back to School
In the other end of the scale the appetencies’’ class has seen even bigger changes. It is now expanded from two to three years to accommodate a high school degree. The price of this change is that the appetencies no longer work as a part of the company. The Ballet School now handles their education whereas before the Artistic Director managed the program.
Asked if that means they will lack important experience in performance, Thomas Lund says:
“Actually they have more dance lessons now than in the old program. In addition, these classes focus on their needs. Being an apprentice in the former model meant that you were the stand-in for the last row. You could actually go through your apprenticeship without getting much stage exposure.
We also have a solid performance module in their education. They are doing several special performances each year where they are the main dancers. With the help of a choreographer, they even try their hand at choreography themselves. We try to get an annual study tour to a big international school. Moreover, they do still work with the company in some performances and attend a weekly morning school. In top of that they get their High School degree.”
He does admit that the fact that there are no boys in the three apprentices’ classes is somewhat of a trial.
“Ideally we would have liked to have some boys. However, the RDB has a comparatively little catchment area compared to other big international schools. We cannot always get the perfect mix we want to. We borrow some of the young corps dancers to pas de deux lessons. However having so many girls in the program gave me the possibility to work with the ensemble lines. So every cloud does have a silver lining.”
Conquering New Challenges
It has been mentioned that this change also was about pleasing the parents:
“Historically the RDB tended to focus more on ballet qualification than academic education. Some may say that the new system favors the apprentices that will not move on to the company. However, my view is that by giving all our students the best possible education, we not only help those who may not move on to a professional dance career, but also the ones who will stay. They will be much better prepared to face the challenges as performers, and they will have a better platform should their career be cut short or should they change to another artistic or non-artistic trade.” Thomas Lund continues:
“With the performance modules practically in every stage in our education, the children not only get to dance in a performance, they also learn about the other elements -choreography, lighting, music, costumes, planning etc. They participate in production meetings. Getting an education at the RDB School is an elitist education. With the changes we have made, it is my hope and plan that we have made the foundation for the complete elite human being, who can use his or her skillset in various trades and projects”.
Visiting the Ballet School, you see a well-oiled machine with clear lines and defined processes. The majority of the staff are former RDB dancers who fill out teaching and administrative roles. Everybody knows the purpose and the strategy. We are long gone from the days where the children had to fit in at the theatre and do as best they could.
Still Thomas Lund cannot call the battle won:
“Although we try as hard as we can, we cannot totally predict which children will turn out to be professional dancers and stars. Children develop also physically in unexpected directions. But by building a structure where the academic education and the artistic education work together and where we communicate much more with the parents, we can clearly better the odds for both the children who stay and those who have to find another career.”
Unfortunately, the current budget cuts will also hurt the Ballet School. It has been decided that the children now will have to pay a monthly fee to attend the school and Zahle’s. It has for some years been the practice at the satellite schools that also work in tandem with a private school. There will be some free and reduced rates for children from low-income families, but still it might lead to lower attendance rates at the yearly entrance exam.
One of the strategies to counteract lower attendance rates is to seek out a bigger catchment area. An obvious choice could be to look for talents or find a talent center in Skåne, the southern part of Sweden, which is few miles and a bridge away from Copenhagen.
“I have considered the idea earlier, and it might be something we will look into. We do hope that our focus and strategy of a double education will appeal to a larger group. We can guarantee that RDB School is a school that really focuses on the pupils and their personal development as much as turning them into dancers. Luckily, the children love being part of the school and the productions. They really get a well-rounded education and gain qualifications that can be applied across the creative industry or elsewhere,” concludes Thomas Lund.
Foto:
Thomas Lund by Henrik Steenberg (Copyright (c) Royal Danish Ballet)
Ballet Pupils (Copyright (c) Royal Danish Ballet)
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