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Estreiiita
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Estreiiita

Estreiiita

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For those interested in visiting Copenhagen, the weekend of the 3d-4th June could be especially attractive as it's possible to see both "Napoli" of RDB ( https://kglteater.dk/en/whats-on/season-20222023/ballet/napoli?section=top )

and Gala of the POB dancers:

https://kbhdanser.dk/en/paris-opera/ 

  This Gala is a part of Ulrik Birkkjær's baby, the festival " København danser".

   Copenhagen is extremely easy to visit as there are no strikes, good transport possibilities (you can find your way around using this site: https://rejseplanen.dk/webapp/?language=en_EN#!P|TP!histId|0!histKey|H978069 ) and everybody speaks English.

So - please come!

 

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Jan McNulty

Jan McNulty

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13 minutes ago, Estreiiita said:

Well, I'm not sure how proper it is, maybe you can find some information here: https://kglteater.dk/en/whats-on/season-20222023/ballet/napoli

 

This sounds like the production we saw RDB perform in Paris in 2012.  Act 1 was OK (although I remember Thomas Lund in drag!) and I liked Act 2, which was all new.  Act 3 was very traditional and worth the entrance money on its own.

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Jan McNulty

Jan McNulty

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1 minute ago, annamk said:

Unusual for a company to have to cancel a run of performances due to the number of injuries ...... 

 

https://kglteater.dk/en/whats-on/season-20222023/ballet/jewels

 

Gosh, I've not heard of anything like that since things were very fluid when the companies started to perform again after the worst of the Covid spikes.

 

Given that the company has about 80 dancers...

 

Can any of our Danish members shed any light?

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Estreiiita

Estreiiita

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I can't unfortunately shed a light on this decision, but I'm very disappointed by it, as I had a ticket to see " Jewels" on the 19th of April, and as I live far away from Copenhagen, I also bought the train tickets to be able to come to the theatre and all in vain as we know now.

   To say the truth, RDB offered instead  a  pre-run meeting with Gregory Dean, whose new work, "Gotta dance", will hopefully have a premiere on the 22nd of April. But - storytelling by Gregory Dean or ballet by Balanchine - I'm not sure it's an adequate offer.

    In general, I am quite dissapointed with Nikolaj Hubbe as a leader of the ballet company during the last 3 years. I wonder if the coming season will go on as it soon will be announced or if there again will be any changes?

  In 2021 RDB wanted to stage " Frankenstein" , but some dancers objected it and the idea was declined, in 2022 "Othello" was planned and our three not-white dancers (Ryan Tomash, Sebastian Pico Haynes and Liam Readhead ) were supposed to dance the leading part, and I myself doubt very much they willingly refused to dance it, but again somebody withstood the project - I actually would like to know exactly, who was it, as in the documentary of Danish television on this subject the only representative of the dancers who expressed the thoughts about the situation was Astrid Elbo, a white female. What was a problem for those directly involved in the discussion to express openly their arguments, I wonder? Nikolaj Hubbe also was filmed in this documentary but he just seemed to be very upset and insecure about the whole sad situation with the conflict between him and John Neumeier.

  For about 2 months ago there was an article on danish website " Kulturmonitor" (https://kulturmonitor.dk/scene/art9224171/Nikolaj-Hübbe-løj-over-for-stjernekoreograf-og-kaldte-sine-dansere-ømskindede - sorry, it's in Danish) saying that Nikolaj Hubbe wasn't honest to John Neumeier saying that it was a theatre committee that decided against staging "Othello" - there's no such committee in the theatre. At the same time it was said that in some emails and other messages Nikolaj Hubbe called the dancers of his theatre "soft skinned".

   By the way, in the above mentioned documentary he made clear  that he intends to leave his position in three years and to say the truth, it would probably be for the best.

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Jane S

Jane S

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The RDB has just announced next season's programme:

 

Cinderella (Christopher Wheeldon)

La Bayadère (Hubbe's production)

The Dante Project (Wayne McGregor

Swan Lake

Nutcracker (Balanchine)

Raymonda

Scotch Symphony (Balanchine) + La Sylphide

Serenade + Sibelius 4th Symphony (Jorma Elo, new work for the company's men) + Etudes

Programme of new works by company members

 

Hubbe has also promoted Mayo Arii, Eukaner Sagues and Tara Schaufuss to  Soloist. and 5 aspirants (Apprentices) are being taken into the company.

 

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Guest oncnp

Guest oncnp

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7 minutes ago, FionaE said:

I am surprised to see The Dante Project being syndicated more widely so soon.   

Income for the ROH?

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Emeralds

Emeralds

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1 hour ago, FionaE said:

I am surprised to see The Dante Project being syndicated more widely so soon.   

I too am surprised. Would have thought it was quite a niche ballet. Wonder if they have a Dante in mind.....both RB’s Dantes retired after performing it! Could be a coincidence, but does RDB have a few male principals about to retire? (Hope Alban Lendorf isn’t one. PS high time for Alban to visit us and dance in London again. 😊 He was a brilliant Siegfried at ENB.)

 

Congratulations to their three new soloists! 

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Estreiiita

Estreiiita

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Cinderella of the next season is choreographed by Gregory Dean (he's one of the male principals soon to be retired and has created several ballets for RDB, this Saturday his last ballet, Gotta dance, has premiere). 

  Alban Lendorf practically doean't appear on the scene as ballet dancer, but it's possible to see him in musicals and drama performances. I saw him as Jean in Strindberg's " Mademoiselle Julie" and he was superb.

  I wonder if there wiill be some problems again with staging of, for example, La Bayadere or Raymonda - though Hubbe has already changed or "modernized" some of the characters and plot twists.

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Benjamin

Benjamin

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On 18/04/2023 at 23:05, FionaE said:

I am surprised to see The Dante Project being syndicated more widely so soon.   

I am quite surprised too, I wonder if ROH and Paris Opera spent too much on it, or it didn’t sell well (Maybe just for Paris, McGregor is a big name in the uk) and need to get some cash back. Interesting!

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Emeralds

Emeralds

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Oh no ☹️ re: Lendorf’s injury. 😢

 

Gregory Dean is certainly forging quite a choreography career in Copenhagen with his Cinderella (Askepot), Blixen, Gotta Dance etc while dancing. Well done Gregory! 

 

Hope Nikolaj doesn’t modernise any more classics. I don’t mind the    reworking of Raymonda and La Bayadere that much, but the company used to have beautiful, iconic traditional productions of Napoli, La Sylphide, and A Folk Tale, and lovely productions of Giselle and Swan Lake, but his “modern” reboots are all a bit odd. Interesting for maybe one season or two, but then you feel like asking him, “Ok that was fun for a short while, but now can we have the real production back.” 

 

McGregor’s style is the sort of contemporary style of ballet that the Paris Opera leadership, critics  and audiences seem to like- I’d say that he is often more appreciated there than in Britain, where critics and many audience members are still hankering for a replacement Frederick Ashton! 

 

I’d be interested to see what the Paris audiences (admittedly they might include British fans who have travelled over to Paris!) think of Dante Project.....and if they use the trousers or the long tunic for Dante’s costume!

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Estreiiita

Estreiiita

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Evidently there came some problems with " La Bayadere" as though it was announced as one of the revivals for the next season, one week later it was announced that it's off the coming season and will be substituted by Scotch Symphony + La Sylphide.

Not funny, herr Hubbe.

 

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joe blitz

joe blitz

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On 04/03/2015 at 19:37, BristolBillyBob said:

Well, as it’s been nearly a week since I saw the fantastic Sylphiden and Études double bill at the Royal Danish Theatre, my memory is a little hazier than I like it to be when I'm reviewing so I'll just go into the highlights of what I remember. 

 

First things first, the Royal Danish Theatre (Gamle Scene) is a beautiful venue. It's a classically European grand, multi-tiered, horseshoe opera house. Its opulence gives it a wonderful sense of occasion, but the relatively small size means that I don't think there's a poor seat in the house. Even the very top tier, where my surprise ballet buddy (whom I met on a walking tour during the day) found a seat, seemed close enough to the stage to feel a part of the action. The seating doesn’t curve right up to the side of the arch either like it does at the Royal Opera House, so if you’re paying a visit, don’t feel like you’re getting short-changed in the cheap seats.

 

It was my first time seeing La Sylphide, but I very much enjoyed it. It's a lean ballet in terms of running time, but has two very distinct acts, much like Giselle, at least in this version. The stage at the Royal Danish Theatre is pretty compact for a ballet stage, and so it was surprising that the fairly simple first act set took up easily a third of the floor space. Oddly, though, while it seemed to hem in the solo performers in places, the corps sections filled the stage effortlessly without coming across as cramped.

 

I’ve frequently said that Birmingham Royal Ballet’s men are the equals of the women in the company. From what I saw last Friday, the men at Royal Danish Ballet even have the edge. Gregory Dean, Sebastian Haynes and Andreas Kaas were all superb. If you knew nothing about ballet and had to describe what you imagined a Scandinavian style would be like, you’d probably come up with all the adjectives to describe this trio of fantastic dancers. They were all powerful, but with a control and a... neatness to their dancing that could've been an exhibit in Designmuseum Danmark.  Gregory Dean, flying the flag for us Brits, is a sensational dancer, and one of the finest male performers I’ve seen. He has as clean lines as I’ve seen, and dances with a measured, restrained grace during the first act. During the second act, this restraint makes way for a growing emotionality, culminating in a devastating finale for his character. It’s a note-perfect performance. He is a massive credit to the company and we should be proud to have such a fine dancer flying the flag overseas. Haynes and Kaas, who I’m staggered to see are both still in the corps were excellent too, with Haynes in particular a fierce Madge, with swagger, malevolence and arrogance in droves.

 

The style (as I saw it) of Royal Danish Ballet is abundantly apparent in the ballerinas of the company. The feather lightness and grace results in a startling silence to the dancing. Even during the corps scenes, it’s as if the cast are suspended in the air. Amy Watson, as Sylphide, was a sublime dancer. While I felt like it took her a little while to fully inhabit the character (or at least convince me), her PDDs with Dean in the second act fully took off with a genuine chemistry between them. This lift in her characterisation means that by the time of La Sylphide’s Dying Swan tribute, the tragedy really hits home. 

 

The costumes in act one were all in multiple shades of grey (note to self: have a word with the RDB marketing department about how to capitalise on prevailing cultural trends), tending towards the charcoal end, and reminded me of some of the cooler, simpler costume designs of BRB. The muted style of the costumes is mirrored in the set, which is a deep, almost black, shade. While this might seem drab, it acts at the perfect counterpoint to the second act. As the curtain goes up after the interval, the brilliant, blank whiteness of the stage floods the auditorium and garnered a bit of a gasp. This is ballet blanc writ large. The solid white cube of the stage lends an otherworldly quality to the dances of the sylphs. It’s like ballet meets 2001: A Space Odyssey. :) It’s a simple approach to staging a performance, but incredibly powerful, particularly during James’s collapse. As he crouches, devastated, on the stage, the brilliant whiteness ever-so-gradually faded to black, and the contrast was heartbreakingly dramatic. Part of me wished the ballet could’ve ended on that vision.

 

La Sylphide would have left me plenty satisfied, but the ever-generous Danes were still to treat us to the balletic feast that is Études. It’s a love letter to ballet and to ballet dancers. In this regard, it reminded me a little of Serenade. However, I took a while to warm to Études. It starts off quite slowly, but builds to some quite remarkable scenes towards the end. J’aime Crandall was a superb dancer, and her partnerships towards the end had me and my charming Danish next door neighbour exchanging looks and “wow”s (or, in her case, “wøw”s). Overall, though, this is a piece for showing off with. It involves almost the entire company, and every dancer delivered. What a depth of talent the RDB has! The Danes are incredibly lucky. I did find myself, though, wondering how the self-assuredness of the Royal Ballet or New York City Ballet would power through the piece. I bet it would be quite something. As a demonstration piece, I guess Études is fairly peerless. However, as an homage to the joy of ballet, I found myself pining for Serenade’s gentle subtext and emotional power. 

 

Anyway, I’ve waffled on long enough. Great show, great company, and I’ll be first in line for tickets if they ever come to the UK again! :)

 

PS. As an aside from my trip, the Danish people are some of the loveliest, kindest, friendliest people I’ve ever met, and Copenhagen is an intriguing city. Even the Little Mermaid, which everyone meanly describes as ‘Europe’s Most Underwhelming Attraction’, was a charming lass. Nice work, Denmark. :)

 

 

What a wonderful combination: La Sylphide and Etudes. 

Which version of Napoli is being presented: the traditional Bournonville one or the Hubbe/Fellini one? Or maybe audience have a choice as to which one they want to see.

Same goes for Folk Tale. I think the Hubbe one is terrible.    

I've tried seeing the mime showing the fact that the Sylph has been watching over James since he was born  but can't see it. I read that Hubbe cut that out.

 

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joe blitz

joe blitz

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I wonder what Hubbe's Baydere will look like.  

He's ruined Folk Tale and for some, Napoli.   They've become ugly ballet, if i'm allowed to say so.

 

I do wish, though, that RDB would release films of their repertoire. 

Far From Denmark. Kermesse en Bruges. I have the latter from YouTube but it's so fuzzy.

I didn't like their Giselle. Hubbe again.   

The costumes are really inappropriate. But that's just my opinion.

Anyone agree with me? 

Doesn't he know the expression: "if it works don't fix it"? also  seen it as "don't touch" . 

I think that's even more appropriate.

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Estreiiita

Estreiiita

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I just had a look at the web page of RDB and found out that the planned premiere of " Napoli" on the 20th of May is cancelled! Now "Napoli" run should start on May 26th but I won't be surprised if there will appear more unpleasant news.

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Jane S

Jane S

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On 18/04/2023 at 15:51, Jane S said:

Lendorf has more or less abandoned his dancing career after struggling against an injury for several years.

 

Rarely more happy to eat my words...

 

Lendorf is dancing Roland Petit's Le Jeune Homme et la Mort in Copenhagen in August, with Cassandra Trenary from ABT

 

Details, and some video, here

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Jane S

Jane S

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Some reviews - all in Danish, but you can get the general idea from the closing lines of one of them:

 

"But it was ... Alban Lendorf's night, and the audience immediately responded with a standing ovation after 17 minutes of passionate and soulful dancing."

 

https://pov.international/alban-lendorf-i-skaebnedrama-paa-bellevueteatret/

 

https://www.sn.dk/gentofte-kommune/anmeldelse-alban-kom-dansede-og-sejrede/

 

https://cphculture.dk/sommerballet-2023/

 

And some photos of the curtain calls:

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=688810469958368&set=pcb.688810513291697

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Estreiiita

Estreiiita

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I was one of the lucky spectators in Bellevue theatre, conveniently located at the coast of Baltic sea close to Klampenborg railway station ( 20 min ride from central Copenhagen) to see "Le Jeune Homme et la Mort" last Saturday.
It was my first "Le Jeune Homme et la Mort" ( actually they said, it was the premiere of this ballet in Denmark) and I absolutely loved it! Alban Lendorf is one of the few artists that captures public's attention from the first moment, even if he's just lying on the bed with a cigarette.
I think, he's in a great form and I hope he'll continue to perform as a ballet dancer even if it will be only the short ballets.
Every detail on the scene played a role, every movement had meaning. Was the date with a beautiful lady ( I don't want to say "girl" as Cassandra Trenary from ABT made her entrance indeed like a lady) just his dream, caused by some narcotical fumes? Did he expect a visit from his girlfriend who failed him?

   He was clearly in despair to start with, but the chasing game with a stranger somehow put his mind at peace, or at least showed him the only possible solution to the situation. Great dancing, great performance, and my only wish is to have it recorded!
Of course, I would also loved to mention the wonderful dancing and artistic skills of Cassandra Trenary, Alban's partner. She was utmostly self confident and masterly led the young guy towards the End, reminding us all that playing with death is extremely dangerous.
So I can only say: "More performances like this, please, Alban!" - by the way, there'll be a dance spectacle in november-december, "Dance, ballerina, dance!" with the performances in Copenhagen and other danish cities, with the participation of Holly Dorger, the solo dancer from RDB, Ask La Cour, former principal of the NYCB and Alban Lendorf (as Santa, no less)!

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Jane S

Jane S

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The RDB has just announced the casting for a run of Swan Lake starting next week (entirely sold out) and I noticed a couple of familiar names: Joseph Aumeer, who dances Benno in one of the casts, and Lazaro Corrales (RBS, brother of Cesar) who dances the Fool (Jester) in the other one. Good to see them both progressing! (But note that this is  a Hubbe ( and Schandorff)  production so the roles (particularly Benno) are very different from what you are probably used to.)

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Jane S

Jane S

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Agreed - but if you can look at this Swan Lake for what it is rather than what it isn't. it has some interesting ideas and it frequently looks stunning.

 

Astrid Elbo is the first night Odette/Odile and it would be really good to see her promoted to Principal - well overdue, if you ask me.

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Jane S

Jane S

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On 12/09/2023 at 17:33, Jane S said:

 

 

Astrid Elbo is the first night Odette/Odile and it would be really good to see her promoted to Principal - well overdue, if you ask me.

 

And it was so! Astrid Elbo was promoted to Solodanser - the company's highest rank - after last night's Swan Lake.

 

Would so love to see her...!

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Jane S

Jane S

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The RDB's triple bill Giant Steps. which opens at the end of next week. consists of  3 - THREE! - plotless works : Serenade, Etudes and a new piece by Jorma Elo, Sibelius' 4th Symphony ( described as being for the company's men).

 

Some interesting casting, especially for the  the second male principal in Etudes  - Alban Lendorf in the first cast and very junior corps de ballet dancer Afonso Coelho in the second!

 

 

 

 

 

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