Jump to content

Recommended Posts

On 24/04/2023 at 00:13, Emeralds said:

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.” 

I heartedly agree with you, My thoughts exactly.

On 24/04/2023 at 00:13, Emeralds said:

 

 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

hi Emeralds,

I completely agree with yu about the ballets you mentioned. At least give audiences the chance to choose which of the Napolis,Sylphides, and Folk Tales they would like to see.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Thanks for this news

 

I suggest a husband and wife team … Cojocaru/Kobborg.  He’s Danish and a former principal with AD experience , she’s danced there frequently as a guest and with Hamburg Ballet, who tour there again this month.  She’ll be 45 by then.  Though of course I’ve no idea if either are interested in such a role.

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted (edited)

I understand Johan Kobborg was quoted  over 10 years ago as saying that he wasn't keen on applying for the artistic director post at RDB, but he may have changed his mind now, of course. He'd be a good candidate if he would like to do it. 

 

There could well be a lot of other good  candidates as the RDB system retains a lot of former principal dancers as character artists and coaches who get to know the administrative, mentoring and leadership aspects of the company well. Hope the next AD, whoever it turns out to be in 2026, will reinstate international tours/visits.  🙂

Edited by Emeralds
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read that it was Nicolaj's decision and if so, I'glad both for him and the audience. 

   In my opinion the next ballet director could be Ulrik Birkkjær (former principal of RDB and San Francisco ballet and now one of the directors of the entreprise "Copenhagen dances" which brought to us the stars from Paris Opera, San Francisco ballet, Pina Bausch company and others.

  Or maybe Sebastian Klobborg, who creates quite an interesting choreography and is a partner of Maria Kochetkova and has a history of having ballet directors in the family.

 But I won't say "no" to Kenneth Greve or other current ballet directors from other companies. 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 19/02/2024 at 19:29, Estreiiita said:

I hope you'll write about the performance as I'm going to see it on the 20th of March.

…and I never did, and hang my head in shame. All I’ll say is: Serenade and Etudes were both triumphs. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, MAB said:

I would like someone respectful of the Bournonville heritage.

I thorougly agree with you.    Can you imagine if some director of the RB were to

"revisit-rethink-revise" Ashton classics?    

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

29 minutes ago, joe blitz said:

I thorougly agree with you.    Can you imagine if some director of the RB were to

"revisit-rethink-revise" Ashton classics?    

🤣I’d like Arthur Pita to have a go at/with Two Pigeons 😉😉😉

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The ballet season for RDB will be over in June ("Raymonda" being the last performance), but some dancers will go on summer tour around Denmark from the 7th to  20th of June (free concerts in different locations, approximately of 1 hour duration, cancelled in case of bad weather). Then there'll be an opportunity to see Verdensballetten from the 10th to 14th of July and 2nd to 6th of August, also in different places around Denmark (they dance or at least imitate dancing as good as they can even under the rain, I myself witnessed it last year). The Bellevue theater in the suburb of Copenhagen will have Summer ballet programme (https://www.bellevueteatret.dk/forestillinger/sommerballet ) from 9th to 13th of August with participation of Alban Lendorf and solo dancers from RDB and also New York City Ballet will give several performances in Tivoli concert hall in Copenhagen from 14th to 18th of August (https://www.tivoli.dk/en/kultur-og-program/teater/2024/new-york-city-ballet-2024) .

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Here's the programme of Verdensballetten's 2024 concerts:

1) The Nutcracker : Grand pdd and adagio, chor. Marius Petipa - Astrid Elbo (RDB) and Lukas Brændsrød (RB).

2) "Caro nome", Gilda's aria fra "Rigoletto" Verdi - soprano Lina Johnson, piano - Caroline Jaya-Ratnam.

3) Ballet 102, chor. Eric Gauthier (2016) - Iana Salenko (Staatsballet Berlin) and Marian Walter.

4) Prelude and Allegro, music Fritz Kreisler (1910), violin Charlie Siem, piano Caroline Jaya-Ratnam.

5) Somewhere over the rainbow, chor. Arlene Philips (2024), music Harold Arlen (1939) - Anna Rose O'Sullivan (RB) and Xander Parish (Norwegian ballet).

6) "Sempre Libera", Violetta's aria from "La Traviata" - soprano Lina Johnson, piano - Caroline Jaya-Ratnam.

7) Fortitudine, chor. Steven McRae, music "The drummers" , John Mason - Steven McRae (RB).

😎 Libertango, chor. Steven McRae, music Astor Piazzolla (1974) - Xander Parish and Lukas Brændsrød.

😎 9) Sonata nr.2, opus 13, Edward Grieg (1867) - violin Charlie Siem, piano Caroline Jaya-Ratnam.

10) Summer, opus 33, nr.2, Edward Grieg - soprano Lina Johnson, piano Caroline Jaya-Ratnam.

11) Resonance, chor. Joshua Junker, music Steve Reich - Astrid Elbo, Anna Rose O'Sullivan and Lukas Brændsrød.

12) Hallelujah, music Leonard Cohen, chor. Marian Walter and Steven McRae - Marian Walter.

13) From the operette " The land of smiles", Franz Lehar (1929), "Were hat die liebe uns ins herz gesenkt" - soprano Lina Johnson, piano Caroline Jaya-Ratnam.

14) Bolero, music Maurice Ravel, chor. Iana Salenko and Steven McRae - Iana Salenko and Steven McRae.

15) The final - Radetzky March - all participants.

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Quite unexpectedly, the director of The Royal Theater Kasper Holten has appointed the former solo dancer and ballet mistress Amy Watson as director of The Royal Ballet because of the absence of Nikolaj Hübbe due to the illness.

   It happens at the same time that the position of artistic director of the company has been advertised: the application deadline is the end of this month with a start in the summer 2026.

   Amy Watson is a graduate of the School of American Ballet in New York, and first met The Royal Ballet and Bournonville when she was used as an extra in 3rd act of "A Folkesagn" at the RDB's USA tour in 1995. 

   She means, it was her destiny to dance Bournonville. In 2000 she was employed as a corps dancer at the Royal Ballet, in 2003 she was promoted to soloist and in 2007 to solo dancer.

   In one of her interviews she says: "My relationship with Mr. Bournonville is a great love story. He brought me to Denmark, and I think he is the reason why I has become  solo dancer."

   Amy Watson indeed was beautiful as Teresina in "Napoli" and wonderful Sylfide. The future will show if she beholds this post.

I myself would have preferred somebody having more international connections and experience (Ulrik Birkkjær) and/or choreography abilities (Sebastian Kloborg) as permanent ballet director of RDB, but for time being this solution seems quite suitable both for Amy, ballet dancers and spectators.

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Estreiiita said:

I myself would have preferred somebody having more international connections and experience (Ulrik Birkkjær) and/or choreography abilities (Sebastian Kloborg) as permanent ballet director of RDB

 

Me too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There have been a lot of allegations of abuse at the school. The articles are all in Danish and I’m struggling to find a version I can translate to post.

https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/kultur/tidligere-elev-kongelig-balletskole-sked-eleverne-et-langt-stykke-og-gav-dem

https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/seneste/undersoegelse-af-det-kongelige-teaters-balletskole-viser-uacceptabelt-haardt

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...