Kronstram Video

[atm711]

I recently saw a video (Firestone series, early 1960's) of Henning Kronstram and Kirsten Simone performing the PDD from 'Sleeping Beauty'. Never having seen him perform I was delighted to see such a beautifully schooled dancer---clean triple tours, and a pleasure to see such pointed feet in his extrechat-six--all this coupled with a long lithe line. It was also so good to see a male dancer who could be unselfish in his partnering of the adagio. It was all about the ballerina. (while watching this I could not help but contrast his partnering with Nureyev---particularly when N. would plant his feet firmly in 5th position with his back-side fully towards the audience and imperiously extend his right arm to his partner--)

Are there any more videos of him? I am looking forward to Alexandra's book!

[Alexandra]

Thank you! I'm glad you appreciated it. I must say that when I first saw the video, I was well into the book and used to Danish schooling, but I thought, "If I had watched this five years ago, I wouldn't have gotten it." I've never seen anyone dance that variation with as fluid arm positions -- the counterpoint of the arms and the legs. (I interviewed Simone about this and she said the space was tiny and the floor freshly waxed, so they were being very, very careful.)

Unfortunately, there aren't any videos of Kronstam, except for a few, made at the end of his career, from Danish television, and mostly in modern roles -- Aureole (the Taylor role), The Moor's Friend in The Moor's Pavane -- or classical roles, like the Prince in Nutcracker and Ove in Folk Tale when he is past his prime and much injured. There was a lot more on British TV -- one I would love to see is excerpts from "La Sylphide" with Simone that was danced to the original score. The revised score was unavalable, and the Theatre gave them the old one, lying in a desk drawer. Kronstam said that when the conductor saw it he could hardly contain his excitement and enjoyed working with it, and the score did sound different. That's a story that didn't fit in the book, so I post it here There's also an odd video -- it won prizes at European film festivals, but is not to American tastes, I've found -- of Kronstam in 1990, as a coach, working on "Giselle" that shows a lot about his abilities as a coach, as well as the Danish tradition. Considering what happened to that tradition shortly after the film was made, it's a very valuable historical record. It's called "Of Dreams and Discipline" by Anne Wivel. It may be commercially available in Denmark; it's not over here.

Again, thank you, atm, for noticing it. Although there are no videos, there are 155 photos in the book as a consolation

[Mme. Hermine]

and there is a tiny bit in that flm "ballerina" from disney was it?, where he has lines, etc. if one can find it. handsome he was!

[Alexandra]

The "Ballerina" film has some treasures -- including a bit of Niels Bjorn Larsen's Dr. Coppelius. Kronstam dances some made up ballet -- never had a name; Spanish flavored; two solos that were never in Coppelia (and he never danced Franz), and White Swan pas de deux. (The corps is all Danish dancers, btw. That's often doubted.) Unfortunately, in the bit of "La Sylphide" someone no one I know can identity is dancing James for a few seconds in the reel, but you can spot Peter Martins and Flemming Ryberg in the corps. Jenny Agutter plays the overly excitable little girl, and you can catch a split second of Michael Bastian and Lis Jeppesen in the children's class.

[Mary J]

The video/DVD called "Black Tights" includes a performance by Henning Kronstam as the Toreador in Roland Petit's Carmen. The part is tiny and funny and there are some lovely jumps and tours (the kind stop action on a DVD was invented for). The bad news is that the original print recorded onto the DVD/tape was very poor with streaks and drop outs, and the camera only captures HK briefly in close up. But it is still neat to see a part he made his own.

[Alexandra]

Welcome, Mary J. I'm still surprised to find people who know who Kronstam is!

Fredbjorn Bjornsson is on that tape, too - - the red-haired thief -- and Hans Van Manen is visible for about a second; he's the thief in the light blue jacket, with the sideburns.

[Mme. Hermine]

and the library has this:

Excerpt from Bell Telephone Hour, telecast on December 24, 1963, on NBC-TV.

Choreography: Harald Lander after Lev Ivanov. Music: P. I. Tchaikowsky. Scenery: Peter Dohanos. Performed by Kirsten Simone and Henning Kronstam

[Alexandra]

Now THAT one, I don't have

Thank you for posting that, Mme. Hermine. I knew they'd danced Nutcracker on TV, but I didn't know that they'd credited it to Lander. (I'm assuming, from the date, that this is Nuts.)

[Mel Johnson]

Yes, it was the Act II pas de deux of the Sugar Plum Fairy and Prince Coqueluche (although next to nobody knew that was his name then;) ) I remember watching it! Wonderful!