Jane Simpson Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 The RDB has just announced that Thomas Lund will dance a farewell performance on September 29th and will then retire to take over as head of the RDB School. There are details on the RDB site, and Eva Kistrup has a piece about Lund on her blog. For his last performance he will dance both the Teacher in The Lesson and James in La Sylphide; before then he will do the first 5 performances of Ratmansky's new Golden Cockerel. Link to comment
Anne Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 I just got that very same message in my mailbox today, and it immediately made me terribly sad! I had hoped to have the opportunity to see Thomas Lund on stage for another couple of years, as he is only 38. He hasn't performed that often during the last couple of years, but when you were so lucky to catch one of his rare performances, it has always been simply exquisite! It seems that he has spent a lot of his time and energy on other things than dancing lately: teaching, staging, arranging and, last not least, creating special performances for the students of the ballet school. In that way his choice seems logical enough, and I wish him good luck from my very heart! I think his great qualities both as a dancer and as a person can only be of hugh benefit to the school, and that means, in the end, benefit to the company as well. But, seen with eyes of the audience it is almost unbearable to loose him "before time". Link to comment
Natalia Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Oh, no! Now I feel really, really old. I've seen Lund teach master classes and have no doubt that he will be an amazing head of the RDB School. He will not let the Bournonville Heritage die, that's for sure. I so wish him well. Link to comment
Jane Simpson Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share Posted May 31, 2012 Anne, I agree with everything you say. At least he says that he may still do things like Viderik in A Folk Tale and we can hope that Ratmansky will make a wonderful role for him for his last creation! Link to comment
ksk04 Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 This must be hard on RDB, to lose Lund and Massot so closely together and so young (are there age rules about them retiring that they are following?). I am even more glad to have seen both of them on the RDB tour here last year. Link to comment
Jane Simpson Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share Posted May 31, 2012 The official retirement age is 40 - Massot had reached that age but Lund has apparently chosen to go although he could have had two more seasons. Link to comment
Helene Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 This is the news I've dreaded, but he will be a great head of the School. Link to comment
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