Eva Kistrup

Entering a New Stage

 

Interview with Signe Roderik

 

August 21, 2018

 

Signe Roderik has documented the Royal Danish Ballet for many years as a photographer and recently as a filmmaker. Her series of three films about the Bournonville tradition, the character dancers and the ballet children have received many accolades.

For myself and many in the Danish ballet environment, Signe Roderik´s film is as an outstanding witness account proving the value of Bournonville and the Danish tradition for strong character dancing. As the current artistic director has gone rather cold on Bournonville, the character dancers is reduced to free-lance employment and the ballet school struggling to bring out the quality and the quantities of homegrown stars. Signe Roderik´s film´s offers the proof we need.

However, Signe Roderik is not the one to rest on the laurels. The success as  winner 'best director' at Fine Arts Film Festival, Los Angeles for "The Art of Silence" and winner "best short film" at Berlin Short Film Festival and the cooperation with the dancers is now pulling her in a new direction. Signe Roderik is currently working on several ideas that involves both staging ballet productions a swell as more filmmaking.

 

BREAKING NEWS Alban Lendorf no longer tied to The Royal Danish Ballet

 

August 21, 2018

 

Royal Danish Ballet confirms that Alban Lendorf has decided not to renew his part time contract with Royal Danish Ballet.  

Over the last month, the rumor mills have claimed that Alban Lendorf has giving his notice of his part time assignment with Royal Danish Ballet. Taken a routine check at the RDB homepage, his picture is missing along with those of fellow principals Susanne Grinder and Ulrik Birkkjær. However, in their cases we already knew that they have severed their ties with their maternal company. Susanne Grinder have retired a few year before pension age and Ulrik Birkkjær has decided to focus on his international assignments.

Alban Lendorf have had his two last seasons spoiled by injuries and operations. However, he did fulfill his engagement of dancing a Pas de Deux from “Manon” at the Danish Dance Theatre´s annual outdoor gala a few weeks ago. ´

 

 

New Deal

 

 

 

NYCB in Tivoli, Copenhagen

 

All Balanchine:

George Balanchine:

Serenade, The Four Temperaments & Symphony in C.

 

Classic New York City Ballet:

George Balanchine: Square Dance, Tarantella & Symphony in Three Movement.

Peter Martins: Ash,

Jerome Robbins: In the Night

 

August 18, 2018

 

All Contemporary:

Peter Martins: Hallelujah Junction,  

Christopher Wheeldon: After the Rain Pas de Deux,

Alexei Ratmansky: Pictures at an Exhibition

Justin Peck: The Times are Racing

 

August 19, 2018

 

After a tumultuous year, New York City Ballet is back in Copenhagen for their 10^th season in TIVOLI. The tradition started in 1978, and had continued since. Three years ago, NYCB also visited Copenhagen. However, that visit what organized with the Royal Danish Ballet and procured the new large opera stage for the company.  The larger and top modern opera stage gave the company the space needed for larger ballets by Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon and Alexei Ratmansky.

Back in TIVOLI in a concert hall, not build for big scale ballets, several of the big cast ballet are squished in and the contributions this time by Wheeldon and Ratmansky is on a smaller scale than seen in last visit.

NYCB landed in Copenhagen almost at the same time, the press announced the job request for the next leader of NYCB following our fellow Dane Peter Martins´ standing down after accusations of harassment of female company members. The company we met have now spent almost a year being run by a committee. It must have been a challenge for them. However, it is not the only issue, the company is facing.

Small Frame - Big Impact

 

 

The Chamber Ballet

 

Adam Lüders:

”Prokofievs Visions Fugetives”

 

Kristian Lever:

”Unravel”

& ”Coping”

 

Tobias Praetorius:

”Bach Solo Duet”

 

Alessandro Sousa Pereia

“After Kingdom”

 

Takkeloftet

The Opera

August 15 & 16 2018

 

Most small dance events relay heavily on recorded music. Even a pianist is a seldom part of the equation. The Chamber Ballet chose the different road and built two evening performances of new ballet creations with a live music, supplied by Trio Vitruvi, a classic ensemble and a fine selection of top Royal Danish Ballets stars and dancers. Yes, it is a small-scale production, never the less the quality of music and dance was high, and somehow the format strengthened the quality of choreography created for the event.   

Coordinating the dance elements, starring in most of them and choreographing one, upcoming RDB star Tobias Praetorius managed to impress in all categories. Since his outstanding performance in Liam Scarlett´s “Queen of Spades”, he has kept developing at a high rate and found the confidence to put all of his talent out there.

Missing the Boat

 Danish Dance Theatre:

Summer Ballet

 

09-08-2018

 

For a significant number of years, the Danish Dance Theatre has hosted an almost free for all short summer season. For many years, the event took place in one of Copenhagen’s most beautiful architecture: The courtyard at the Police headquarters formed as a classical rotunda. However, two years ago, the venue could no longer host the event for security reasons.

Now the summer event is back at another beautiful space. The Ofelia Pier, outside the RDT drama house overlooking the harbor and some of the most beautiful buildings in Copenhagen. However, open space is not necessarily as good a frame around a dance production as a physical back wall, and especially not one as beautiful as the police rotunda.