Eva Kistrup

Killing Carmen

 

 

Marcos Morau:

”Carmen”

Royal Danish Ballet

September 28, 2018

The Old Stage

 

 

Three years ago, Nikolaj Hübbe asked upcoming Spanish choreographer Marcos Macau to create a ballet based on “Carmen” for the Royal Danish Ballet. The obligate interview with Macau in the official program shows an ambivalence regarding “Carmen”. Morau states, he is fully aware that he were asked because he is Spanish. In addition, he saw “Carmen” as overexposed and over interpreted. He decided to make his Carmen a story more about Spain and the country´s arts and symbols, using the story of “Carmen” as a frame on the Spanish identity and development.

That is probably the reason why neither Carmen, Jose nor the bullfighter are central in his work. Instead of making Carmen the focal point, the roles is shared by a number of dancers, with Ida Praetorius and Kizzy Matiakis getting the biggest pieces of a rather small cake.

We also get practically to the end of the performance before Principal Andreas Kaas leaves the collective of male and female dancers to go into the character of Jose. Jon Axel Fransson is funny and sharp as the Toreador, but he hardly leaves his dressing room, where he jokes and flirts with Oliver Starpov as one of a bunch of Josés.

The imaginative and real challenges of the Royal Danish Ballet

 

Silja Schandorff & Nikolaj Hübbe:

”Giselle”

Royal Danish Ballet

August 31, 2018

The Old Stage

 

“The ballerina, who is the lucky one to interpret Giselle, must have a range not unlike what is needed for Odette/Odile in “Swan Lake”. Giselle demands not just a dancer on the highest technical level, but also the largest possible dramatic talent. She must be able to express Giselle´s development from an innocent country girl, through a mental breakdown and madness to unearthly spiritualism. She is the day and the night moving from the hopeful, sunny and quivering young girl in love to the elegic dark, strong and delicate ghost women”

This quote by Nikolaj Hübbe in the program for Giselle, say a lot both about the role of “Giselle” and about the self-image of the Royal Danish Ballet. This is what we want and this is what we expect from every performance of a dramatic ballet. The expectations is as high for “Swan Lake” as for “La Sylphide” and “Giselle”.