Eva Kistrup

All the Best Intentions

"Uropa"

A coproduction by Corpus and Sort/Hvid

By Christian Lollike, Esther Lee Wilkinson, Tim Matiakis and the participants

Royal Theatre Asalen

January 29, 2016

The cooperation of dramatist/director Christian Lollike and Corpus two years ago resulted in the very successful “I Føling”, a ballet on the Danish soldiers, scarred by war. It proved that ballet could be a media for current issues.

Ii is therefore understandable that the trio tried to go down the same route again. This time focusing on asylum seekers and, as in “I Føling” bring the people involved on stage. Unfortunately, the miracle did not happen twice.

A Rare Ballerina

Royal Danish Ballerina Anna Lærkesen died on January 14, 2015.

It is a difficult task for a company ballet school to identify the real talent, and in the 1950ties Royal Danish Ballet School totally missed seeing the potential in the tall, willowy Anna Lærkesen. Luckily she had the perseverance to continue her ballet studies as a private pupil of the Estonian born teacher Edite Feifere Frandsen. In 1959 the talented dancer was finally recognized by the RDB and signed as an aspirant. It did not take long before the company discovered what a unique talent, Anna Lærkesen possessed, and her career developed with an impressive pace. During the early 1960ties she amassed the audience dancing all the romantic leads like “La Sylphide”, “Giselle”, “La Sonambule”, Ashton's “Romeo and Juliet” and “Swan Lake”. She also shone in Kenneth MacMillan’s “Solitaire” and in Birgit Cullberg’s “Moon Reindeer” and “The Lady from the Sea”.

Breaking News: Jon Axel Fransson appointed Soloist

Following his outstanding performance in George Balanchine's "Theme & Variations" Jon Axel Fransson was appointed to Soloist at Royal Danish Ballet tonight. Icelandic born Fransson is educated at the RDB School and had his debut as the jester in Peter Martins' "Swan Lake" in his first month as a dancer in 2009. Since then he has impressed in a wide repertoire covering all genres. Jon Axel Fransson is as home in Russian Classics and Balanchine as he is in Bournonville and contemporary choreography. A strong virtuoso and partner and a character actor as well, he is a natural successor to important emploie in the Danish tradition. Last year Silja Schandorf and  Nikolaj Hübbe created the role of Rothbart in "Swan Lake" for him, and the role used his skills and duality to the max.

Modern with Arabesques

 
Sol León & Paul Lightfoot:

“Shoot the Moon”

“Same Difference”

“Stop-Motion”

Nederland’s Dans Theater

The Royal Theatre

Old Stage

January 19, 2016

Over the years there have been a strong link between the Royal Danish Ballet and Nederland’s Dans Theater. The RDB has danced a significant number of works by Hans van Manen and Jiri Kylian. NDT has also guested Denmark on several occasions, but since the Kylian extravaganza “Silk & Knife” in 2007 and until this season, the relationship has been in a light coma to be awaken by León & Lightfoots’ “Short Time Together”, revised for the RDB. As a follow-up, NDT visits Copenhagen with an all León & Lightfoot program.

The program shows how well the duo mixes high driven choreography, audio-visual content and drama and makes a good argument for dance as a dramatic and theatrical contemporary art form.

However, the triple focus almost kill the evening, as all three ballets comes with a complicated décor, demanding extremely long breaks in the program.

The Art of Distillation

August Bournonville/Nikolaj Hübbe:

“La Sylphide”

George Balanchine:

“Theme & Variations”

Royal Danish Ballet

January 6 and 7, 2016

The RDB rings in the new year with a glorious production of Balanchine’s “Theme & Variations”. It is a ballet perfectly suited to the company style and especially to the fine corps de ballet that during Nikolaj Hübbe’s reign has developed into a stellar ensemble.

“Theme & Variations” is the finale of an evening also offering the national treasure. August Bournonville’s “La Sylphide”. However, in Nikolaj Hübbe production from last season it has become a more problematic revival as Hübbe and his designer Bente Lykke Møller, has taken the large broom and cleaned the ballet of many of its stellar qualities.

However, great performances can save even problematic productions. Hübbe´s “La Sylphide” made a much more positive experience with strong interpretations by the second cast, while “Theme and Variations” lost some points by a second cast leading couple, neither perfectly tuned to the ballet or to each other.