“Shaken Mirror”
Royal Danish Ballet
The Drama House
May 28, 2016
For many years, it has looked like combining the international well-known Danish choreographer Kim Brandstrup with the Royal Danish Ballet was a dream never coming through. Not that it has not been tried. Brandstrup has made four ballets on the company over the years and each time the conclusion had been that he did his best work on his own Arc Dance Company or elsewhere. Luckily, the miracle happened at the fifth attempt. “Shaken Mirror” really managed to merge the economical Brandstrup style with the expressionism of the RDB. Bente Lykke Møller and lightning designs by Jean Kalan, which plays tricks with the physical experience, also bless the production with an outstanding design.
Kim Brandstrup has taken the inspiration from a collection of poems by Søren Ulrik Thomsen, named “Shaken Mirror”. The two artists has been friends since school and has for a long time wished to collaborate. The big question was how. Thomsen’s “Shaken Mirror” from 2011 became the inspiration for Kim Brandstrup’s commission for the Royal Danish Ballet. It is not so that each scene illustrates a specific poem, it is more like Brandstrup´s choreography puts a context on the verses and forms a coherency and a sort of narrative.
The 16 performers covers an age group from 11 to 68. The four character dancers Mette Bødtcher, Lis Jeppesen, Mogens Boesen and Poul Erik Hesselkilde seems to be the parents or grandparents of the younger cast. Two children, Clara la Cour Bødtcher-Jensen and Hector Gad are probably the child versions of the cast. However, you cannot tell by certainty. The remaining 10 dancers pairs up as five none too happy couples.
Tobias Praetorius is the key character, whose suicide form the frame of the ballet. He is literally hanging in wires for a significant part of the evening. However, it does not limits his ability to express his character. It is a strong and mature performance from the young dancer. In spite of Praetorius´ strong classical technic, he has proved himself an outstanding modern performer. I believe this is the sixth modern ballet created on him. The expressive Christina Michanek partners him, and their final pas de deux is heart breaking.
They are surrounded by five couples, almost all in some kind of relationship trouble. It is not clear whether they are aspects of the same couple or individuals. Astrid Elbo is the crazy in love girl with Sebastian Haynes as her very sleepy partner. Ida Praetorius is the girl trying to leave the aggressive Sebastian Kloborg. Ji Min Hong and Eliabe d´Abadia perhaps thee youngest couple. Susanne Grinder and Ulrik Birkkjær the neurotic mature couple. Only Holly Jean Dorger and Marcin Kupinski seems without a storyline. Instead, they do a classical styled pas de deux with her in pointe shoes. It is not a ballet that gives you the answers. What it does give is atmosphere and emotions.
The ballet also managed to changes the traditional physical frames of a performance. Set on the revolving stage with big ever-changing walls and rooms, creating a claustrophobic 1960ties feeling and with a lighting design and screens highlighting quotes from the poems, you are not always certain whether you see a performance or a film.
Kim Brandstrup has always been inspired by movies but now the technology has reached a level, where he can get the perfect match he has sought for many years. This time around, he managed to use the RBD dancers and their sublime dramatic skillsets to create a ballet and a unique audience experience.
Unfortunately, it will play only seven performances and it is not scheduled for next season. It will also be a difficult ballet to tour. Nevertheless, the miracle has happened. A great and original contemporary work has been created on the Royal Danish Ballet. May it be the beginning of a trend.
Photos by Per Morten Abrahamsen (copyright(c) Royal Danish Ballet)
- Tobias Praetorius and Christina Michanek
- Sebastian Kloborg, Ida Praetorius, Lis Jeppesen and Sebastian Haynes
- Susanne Grinder & Ulrik Birkkjær
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