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”.

Going the Romantic Route

When Silja Schandorff and Nikolaj Hübbe first presented their “Giselle” in October 20116 in a short run of only seven performances, it combined the century old choreography with a very modern take on décor and costumes. As reviewer Alexander Meinertz pointed out, it was not accidental that Albrecht wore the same costume as the wanderer in Caspar David Friedrich´s romantic painting.  It was a production definitely focusing on the romantic area.

The run featured three casts. As Giselle, we saw Ida Praetorius, J´aime Crandall and surprisingly Holly Jean Dorger.

The male wing had strong performances by Andreas Kaas, Gregory Dean and Ulrik Birkkjær as Albrecht with Sebastian Haynes, Magnus Christoffersen and Jonathan Chmelensky as Hilarion. Jon Axel Fransson and Alban Lendorf was out due to respectively an injury and obligations to ABT.

Since then Birkkjær, Lendorf, Haynes and Christoffersen have cut ties with RDB, and is now dancing with international companies. It is a major blow to RDB, especially as the numbers of boys coming up from the school is dwindling. Luckily, Andreas Kaas and Jon Axel Fransson have reached the highest level and Tobias Praetorius has demonstrated his leading man potential as Herman in Liam Scarlett´s “Queen of Spades”. In addition, several RDB dancers has chosen to leave the company prematurely.  

 

Using the Dancers Right

Jonathan Chmelensky is probably the dancer who has benefited most from the stars leaving the company. Getting both Siegfried and Albrecht, as well as Gennaro in the full production during the festival, should put a smile on every ambitious dancers face.  Still Chmelensky comes out very bland as both Siegfried and Albrecht. His dancing in both roles are impeccable, however he has very little to offer acting wise.

In contrast, his partner in Giselle, Holly Jean Dorger is making every effort to impress.  She tries to maximize every kick and turn. There is but little reverence for the classic romantic style. She works hard and dedicated for the role; however, this is a stretch too far. She could have been an outstanding, authoritative Myrtha, where all her qualities were in play. In general, I often feel that she is getting the wrong roles. I would love to see her as Kitri instead of the combo she got of the Dryad and Spanish dance she was left with. I would also like to see her in “Stars & Stripes”, which was shown at the festival gala, but then with an American partner to Ulrik Birkkjær.

Strong Support

 As Myrtha, second year dancer Emma Riis-Kofoed got her chance at a significant role. Her dancing was strong. She even managed to create a character. However, why did the two tallest girls in the company: her lieutenants, Soloist Astrid Elbo and Elinor Morris, flank her?  Both danced very well and Elbo should be on the Myrtha list. The corps did also very well.

Jon Axel Fransson made his debut as Hilarion and showed his strong dramatic talent as well as dancing skills. It did make one wonder, whether he was on the list of upcoming Albrecht’s.  His Rothbart became the dominant factor in “Swan Lake”. However, he has still not danced Siegfried. He is both a better actor and dancer than Chmelensky. Still Chmelensky gets the meatier roles.

This year’s potion of “Giselle” will be shared by a handful of performances at the Copenhagen stage and a run in the provinces.

 

A Global Challenge

This production, especially when counting on the performances of Ida Praetorius and Andreas Kaas, which was televised in 2017 shows the company at its best.

The reality, probably like other big companies - NYCB comes to mind after seeing their tour in Copenhagen – is challenging. Both RDB and NYCB is both blessed and cursed with a big heritage of outstanding and important works. NYCB is advertising for a Balanchine/Robbins oriented Artistic Director, In Copenhagen; Nikolaj Hübbe is clearly gone off Bournonville. However, it is the Bournonville tradition and knowledge of 19^th century ballet styles that makes “Giselle” such a natural item in the company´s collection. Holly Jean Dorger and Jonathan Chmelensky has been in the company practically from when Nikolaj Hübbe took over. Still, they are struggling with the 19^th century style. They have had the benefit of teachers and coaches like Sorella Englund, but they are still not there yet.

 

For companies like NYCB, Royal Ballet and RDB, heritage is important. It is also important to develop new works that favors the companies DNA´s. Royal Ballet forces their in-house choreographers to make three act dramatic ballets as part of their contracts. In Denmark, we have not yet managed a second run for Alexei Rátmansky’s “Anna Karenina” nor Kim Brandstrup´s “Shaken Mirror”. Instead of securing the best creations for the repertoire, too many half-baked small concepts like “Ballet & Bobbles,” “The Hübbery” etc. fills the stage instead of the worthwhile heritage and creations.

For the large group of foreign dancers, who has joined the company the last decade, and thankful for them, for without them the RDB could not fill the stage, it will ease their way into the company if there were more focus on the Danish classics and works which incorporate the heritage qualities.            

 A handful of “Giselle” or “La Sylphide” every third year is not enough to keep in-house educated dancers nor the foreign intake sharp enough. A fine creation like “Queen of Spades” that uses the company qualities to such a high degree is sitting this season out, as “Giselle” did last season.  However, as RDB uses so many evening on the small-scale formats and even adding to their numbers, the company runs the risk of not being able to develop neither their dwindling homemade dancers or the foreign outtake.

 

Photos by Costin Radu ( Copyright(c)  Royal Danish Ballet

 

1. Ulrik Birkkjær & HollyJean Dorger as Albrecht & Giselle (2016)
2. Jonathan Chmelensky . Pas de Deux (2016)
3. Ida Praetorius & Andreas Kaas (2016)