Eva Kistrup

Sharing the Goods

 

August Bournonville:

”La Sylphide”

Directed by Nikolaj Hübbe

 

August Bournonville:

”Napoli

”Directed by Nikolaj Hübbe

 

Gregory Dean:

”Cinderella”

Available on the RDB web side.

 

 

 

 

When the corona19 hit Copenhagen early spring 2020, the Royal Danish Ballet, RDB saw no other alternative than to close down for the near future. However, as the times moved, RDB found the ways to perform live again. The Old Stage was opened again, let in a smaller audience, and found different ways to offer a safe performance.

The RDB also made film and tv-producions available on the internet, including several big hits. Now the RDB is able to perform again on the big scene. Nevertheless, the RDB continues to share their production on the Internet. These productions includes Gregory Dean´s “Cinderella”, Nikolaj Hübbe´s version of “Napoli” and his resent production of “La Sylphide” starring principals Ida Praetorius and Jón Axel Fransson in the leading roles.

Bowing Out

November 14, 2020

 

Tonight, Principal Kizzy Matiakis will retire from Royal Danish Ballet. Her last performance will be as Madge in “La Sylphide”. Thereby ending an extraordinary career from the young British dancer, who against all odds developed to a leading dramatic ballerina at the Royal Danish Ballet.

As told in a live interview with Erik Aschengren now available on the RDB internet, Kizzy Matiakis share her story from a ballet pupil in a local dance school to joining the Royal Danish Ballet, where her sister is already dancing in the corps. Somehow, it proves to be the right company for Kizzy Matiakis and she started a development that over the years brings her to the front of the company. In a few years Kizzy Matiakis develops her skills as a dramatic dancer. Her great break through was as Odette/Odile in Nikolaj Hübbe´s “Swan Lake “ in 2016.

The Next Generation

 

Dans2Go

Royal Danish Ballet

The Old Stage

November 11^th

2020

“Already Night”
by Sebastian Kloborg

”Persistent Persuasion”
by John Neumeier

”Zakouski”
by Peter Martins
 

“Uprising”

By Hofesh Shechter

 

These last seasons have seen several talented dancers leave the Royal Danish Ballet, looking either for new opportunities or as in many cases choosing academic studies in steed of ballet. Unfortunately, the wave is taking place at a time where the RDB School do not provide as many appretencies for the company as usual.

Nikolaj Hübbe has therefore signed a larger intake from abroad to keep the ensemble intacts. It will be interesting to see how well the new intake will integrate and perform. Nikolaj Hübbe is also facing another challenge, as principal dancers Amy Watson and Kizzy Matiakis will retire this season.

The two ballerinas have been a mainstay in the company. They are both dramatically gifted, and therefore have been very well suited for the core repertoire of classical and modern dramatic productions. Looking at the current female line, they will leave only three female principals Ida Praetorius, Holly Dorger and Caroline Baldwin. There are at present nine female soloists. Looking at the current team, so far only Emma Riis-Kofoed and Wilma Giglio have been casted for highest level leading roles.  

Promising dancers Stephanie Chen Gundorph and Astrid Elbo do significant roles and have dramatic skills; However, they are seldom trusted with the bigger challenges. For the upcoming Christmas run of “The Nutcracker”, Nikolaj Hübbe is presenting no less than eight Sugar Plum Faries, not including Ida Praetorius, who will only dance two performances as Dew Drop.

It looks like Nikolaj Hübbe is very well aware that he needs to develop and trust the candidates for upcoming ballerinas.

That it is not only the front female line he is testing is proved by his current casting for “Dans2Go”.

We are still Dancing

Dans2GO

Royal Danish Ballet

The Old Stage

November 7^th

November 9th

2020

 

“Already Night”
by Sebastian Kloborg

"Persistent Persuasion" 

By John Neumeier 

”Zakouski”
by Peter Martins
 

“Uprising”

By Hofesh Shechter

“La Sylphide”

By August Bournonville

One of the first ideas, Nikolaj Hübbe put on stage when taking over, as Artistic Director of Royal Danish Ballet was the “Dans2Go” concept aiming to bring in new audiences to the art form.

The original concept combined outtakes from a classical ballet and a modern ballet. Nikolaj Hübbe also included a classical Pas de Deux from the repertoire. The ticket price was affordable even on a student’s budget.

It became a success and Dans2GO became a mainstay in the RDB repertoire. However, for this season Nikolaj Hübbe presents a significantly broader program, including a new creation “Already Night” by Sebastian Kloborg and “Uprising” by Hofesh Shecter from2006.

Next on the Line

August Bournonville:

”La Sylphide”

Interpreted by Nikolaj Hübbe

Royal Danish Ballet

“The Old Stage”

 

October 25 2020

It is unusual for Royal Danish Ballet to present three or bigger casts of most productions. However, it does happen with big blockbusters like “Swan Lake” “The Nutcracker” and “Sleeping Beauty”, otherwise two cast appears to be the norm.

Breaking the rule and putting three casts on “La Sylphide” is a novelty. However, it does signify that RDB has grown to a bigger size where more dancers can handle the most difficult and pivotal roles.  

Actually, Nikolaj Hübbe´s new production of “La Sylphide” has “big” written all about it. Every detail in this production has grown bigger.  The staircase has grown to the high of a palace. The Sylph spends almost as much time swinging high in the air as she performs on the stage floor. She has grown from an 18^th century standard to superwomen. A big challenge for every contender.

Third Time Lucky

 

 

August Bournonville:

”La Sylphide”

Interpreted by Nikolaj Hübbe

Royal Danish Ballet

“The Old Stage”

October 24 2020

 

Last night Nikolaj Hübbe presented his third interpretation of August Bournonville’ s “La Sylphide”.

The audience liked his first production and reviewers for it clear representation of our national treasure.

On the other hand, his second production, now as Artistic Director, Nikolaj Hübbe took “La Sylphide” to where it has never been. The witch Madge had now changed gender and had a relationship with James. There were hardly a tree on stage, so the Sylphs performed on a cold and bare stage. There were strong interpretations by the dancers. However, it was not “La Sylphide” as the Copenhagen audience expected.

Revisiting Cinderella

Gregory Dean:

”Cinderella”

Royal Danish Ballet

October 19, 2020

The Old Stage

 

 

 

When Gregory Dean presented his first full-length ballet, “Cinderella” in 2019, it was an almost hit.

Like any production of “Cinderella”, it has to conquer not only a beautiful - but also a very difficult score, as well as finding a way to avoid being a weaker competitor of “Sleeping Beauty”.  

Jon Morell, who also created costumes and décor for RDB´s productions of Liam Scarlett´s “Queen of Spades”, luckily blessed Gregory Dean with an outstanding décor and set of costumes.

 Although Gregory Dean stayed on the cautious road, he took several chances. For instance, instead of casting established character dancers as the evil stepsisters, he decided that his Cinderella´s also should also should take on the roles of the ugly stepsisters.

It must be said, that it was not every Cinderella that could nail this other challenge. For this second run, he cast more experienced character dancers like Soloists Camilla Ruelykke Holst and Wilma Giglio. The pivotal role of the ugly stepmother was likewise performed very well by Christina Michanek.

 

Tobias Praetorius promoted to Soloist

 

September 5th, 2020

Today the RDB is starting a new season with the Ballet & Brunch programme. However, there was a significantly better piece of news available. During the school on stage, Nikolaj Hübbe used the opportunity to promote 24 year old Tobias Praetorius to soloist.

Nikolaj Hübbe motivated the promotion as follows:

“When coreographers are in the process of creating, they dream about a dancer like Tobias Praetorius. He always commit himself 150% and that is why Tobias Praetorius gets the promotion today.”

Most ballet fans and reviewers had looked forward for several years to this promotion.  Tobias Praetorius is probably the male dancer with the widest range in the company. Following a strong streak of character roles as the troll Viderik in August Bournonville´s “A Folks Tale”, Benvolio in “Romeo & Juliet”, etc, he has  moved on to many demanding roles, several of these uses his humor and skills. Others his qualities as classic dancer, modern dancer or dance actor.

 

Come Fly Again

 

T wyla Tharp:

“Come Fly Away”

Royal Danish Ballet,

The Old Stage

September 5^th, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

When Twyla Tharp´s ”Come Fly Away” had its first run with Royal Danish Ballet in 2013, it was not a hit with the ballet reviewers. It was primary viewed as a commercial enterprise rather than a work of art.

However, “Come Fly Away” had one very strong point on its side. It became a giant hit with Frank Sinatra fans, an audiences who historically did not attend ballet. It thereby helped Nikolaj Hübbe is reaching one of his set goals, which was to bring in a broader audience to ballet.

Another Opening - Another Show

September 4, 2020

Royal Danish Ballet will open the 2020-21 season in the upcoming week. Looking at the play list, RDB will present some of their best loved productions, including a new production of “La Sylphide”, the Balanchine “Nutcracker” , the Neumeier “Romeo & Juliet”, Twyla Tharp´s "Come Fly Away" a triple evening of “Serenade”, “Etudes” and Jotme Elo’s “Sibelius Furth Symphony.”

There will also be reruns of Gregory Dean´s “Cinderella and “Blixen” and several other ballets including the Neumeier “Mahler 3. Symphony” that was cancelled last season when the Covid19 hit Denmark few days before the Copenhagen premiere.

Now RDB is lining up for the new season, which will make significant changes for the ballet company and their followers. To keep Covid-19 out, the house will only allow 50% of the normal attenders, who must arrive early and follow the strict rules. I am pleased to tell that the ticket office has already sold a significant number of tickets. However if Covid-19 makes a second visit, we will all have to go home, put on our DVDs and wait patiently for the next season.