Syrene Hvid

Initial main casting has come up on the website, very early for the RDB, as far as I've experienced the previous seasons, but all the more lovely for it. The premiere will once again be Lendorf as Siegfried and Crandall as Odette/Odile. Sebastian Haynes will debut as Rothbart, a role that I think will be immensely fitting for him! Second cast will be Marcin Kupinski as Siegfried opposite Ida Praetorius' Odette/Odile with Jonathan Chmelensky returning to Rothbart. Third cast is, so far, the same as the first. No other casts have been added, but I expect they'll tick in little by little. As I'm seeing the performance on the 24th of September and the 8th of October, I am very excited to see if I might be catching some of the casts I didn't get to see last time around. I'd particularly love to see Andreas Kaas and Caroline Baldwin as Siegfried and Odette/Odile. At the same time, I'm also a bit surprised that Praetorius didn't get the premiere this time around, with how they've been promoting her as the face of the production, I'd hoped she'd get first cast...

I don't know how relevant this is to the majority of BA users, since my blog isn't in English, but since I know there is/must be a few people on board who's from the motherland and can read it, I'll link to it anyway. If this isn't allowed, feel free to delete. My blog has two purposes. I write reviews of performances by the RDB that I've attended (and in the future, there might be ballet DVD reviews as well), mostly these are just the Danish and a bit more polished versions of what I write in here. However, the main purpose of my website is to write short, autobiographical, philosophical musings about my "history" with ballet and how it's been an integral part of my ongoing healing process (I have bipolar disorder). It's proven a very effective method. A few times I've also posted Danish ballet-inspired fiction that I've written, a short story based on Swan Lake and the first chapters of a novel that takes its inspiration from La Sylphide, so far. Link is here: http://svane-sange.dk

Saturday, the RDB danced their final summer tour performance this year at Ofelia Beach next to the Playhouse. This marked their first performance of the new season which will officially begin with Swan Lake in September. I'd never been to an event at Ofelia Beach before, although I was introduced to the Playhouse when I saw Shaken Mirror there last season. Due to some unforseen circumstances, we arrived very late and had to make do with standing, although we did get ourselves located relatively close to the stage and with a good view of everything. The program included a PDD from Coppélia (Holly Dorger and Sebastian Haynes), a PDD from Romeo and Juliet (originally Andreas Kaas and Ida Praetorius, but Kaas was out sick, so Gregory Dean danced in his place), a duet from Cacti (originally Kizzy Matiakis and Jón Axel Fransson, but Fransson was out due to injury, I was very sad to hear that he'd broken his foot and really hope he makes a speedy recovery, Swan Lake just won't be the same without him - as it was, Haynes danced in his place), the grande PDD from Don Quixote and the bridesmaid variations (J'aime Crandall and Jonathan Chmelensky, Ida Praetorius and Wilma Giglio), PDD from Swan Lake (Holly Dorger and Ulrik Birkkjær), duet from Come Fly Away (Wilma Giglio and Gregory Dean) and finally the pas de six/tarantel from Napoli (everybody). Usually there's also a duet called Minus 7 on the programme (with Matiakis and Fransson), but due to Fransson's injury, it was omitted. Very sad about that, because I absolutely love it. Ah well. I really enjoyed the program this time around as well. I saw it when they were on tour in Sønderborg in start June, but standing up was more comfortable (despite my sore legs, at least I wasn't in pointe shoes) and seeing it a second time, I was able to notice things I hadn't the first time around. Some parts were better Saturday than in Sønderborg and some parts had been better in Sønderborg, so it was an altogether different experience, also with the many switch-arounds for the various segments. Coppélia has some ridiculously cute music and Dorger and Haynes were also ridiculously cute while dancing it, especially Dorger. Her variation (I think it was from Act 3, I'm not overly familiar with Coppélia and the programme doesn't say, but when I look it up, I think that's the one) was really great. If she was given more time to rehearse and maybe dance the role in its entirety, it would be a sight for sore eyes. I especially enjoyed the way she used her legs in the first half of the variation and then everything from the middle and to the finish was just gold. Pure gold. This girl has such a sweet demeanour and it just fits this choreography so well. She'd be a natural choice, if Coppélia lies in the cards for future seasons. Haynes was also quite phenomenal, though. He's one of my absolute favourite, go-to male dancers with the RDB right now (make him a soloist already!) and the solos from Coppélia really fit all his strengths, underlined his amazing jumps, his long, beautiful lines and this very charming expression he can have where he just seems to connect with the audience directly, you feel touched when standing as an audience member, like he's specifically targeting you with all his umph. I first noticed this when he danced one of the demi-soloist men in Theme and Variations and the bigger a role he's in, the more obvious it becomes. Haynes is just such a natural talent. Their partnering was good from the beginning, but became truly great by the end, the finale was just jaw-dropping and it did earn them this huge applause, too. Dorger and him were really good at not making their smiles seem empty, they exchanged glances and they were meaningful glances, little details that I think can sometimes be lost with more bravura-like choreography, yet are extremely important, at least for me to truly appreciate it. I also realised that I really wouldn't mind seeing Dorger and Haynes dance something full-length together, I really enjoy the way Birkkjær and Dorger seem to be partnered a lot and wouldn't have it differently, but maybe in more modern/contemporary things, Haynes could do wonderful things with Dorger and the other way around. After the Coppélia PDD, Dean and Praetorius danced the bedroom PDD from Neumeier's Romeo and Juliet. You could tell that Dean was a last-minute replacement, but they got through it all safe and sound, it was mostly in terms of chemistry that it didn't work all the way. Personally I think the bedroom PDD always loses some when taken out of context, it just doesn't work as well outside of the full ballet and it showed Saturday, too. Although Dean and Praetorius have danced Romeo and Juliet together before, it's a while ago and they were both spoiled last season with partners that really fit their portrayals, Dean with J'aime Crandall and Praetorius with Kaas. Praetorius has a very youthful, innocent, young Juliet where Dean's Romeo is darker and more mature (something that made his bedroom PDD with Crandall really feel like a piece of art) and whereas this worked when they danced opposite Kaas and Crandall, opposite each other their characters just weren't on wavelength, which was a shame, because they're individually so amazing at these roles. However, there were actually little moments where this sort of inbalance added to the choreography and created something bittersweet and fitting. In the beginning of the PDD when Dean walks towards the door to leave, Praetorius gets up after him and runs up, draping herself over his back and pushing him forward into a beautiful pose, something about this particular moment just rang very true and when Dean dropped his cape, it seemed like a natural consequence of their interaction, not just a choreographic necessity. Cacti was also very different from usual, with Haynes stepping in. I really love this duet, it's funny and sharp in its dancing, but I did miss Fransson a bit. Matiakis' very vivid mimicry didn't seem quite as in tune with Haynes' more dark and edgy interpretation of the male role. It wasn't by any means a bad performance, it was just different. Different things worked than between Matiakis and Fransson where the humour and absurdity dominated. Between Haynes and Matiakis what seemed to really work was the sense of gender differences and sex politics. Haynes was very much the man in the relationship, Matiakis very much the woman and they stood opposite each other, battling it out. Suddenly the running joke of "I've got you - not" took a darker turn and felt more like a reflection of the relationship between the sexes than a simple joke. It was really interesting to watch. The highlight of the day was the Don Q segment that followed with Chmelensky as Basilio and Crandall as Kitri. Individually these two are my favourite interpreters of the role that we saw of the three casts last season and it was such a joy to see the together on stage, even in just an excerpt. Especially Saturday, they were just phenomenal, they'd really brought their A-game. Chemelensky's Basilio was on fire and full of that Spanish attitude with sharp head-throws backwards and dancing that just sparkled in the sun. His jumps are amazing, very high and very powerful. His lines are to die for. After his solo, I could tell, I really wasn't the only one who thought he was amazing. Likewise, Crandall is really one of the best Kitris out there. She has the nuances, the attitude, the technique to really master the role and she does. Her fan solo was full of detailed musicality, those little movements with her feet, the tempo at the finish where she turns faster and faster across the floor. Wow. And with Kitri, Crandall really shows off her inner actress. She defines the character with a red, smiling, slightly sharp lip and heavy-lidded looks. She is such a sight to behold. The two of them together was almost (almost) too much of a good thing, their finale was amazing with movements that both matched and yet underlined the differences between them, I can't really describe it any better. It was magical. Giglio and Praetorius were the bridesmaids where especially Praetorius stood out. Wow, she danced with so much confidence and heat in that variation. As a dancer, Praetorius is really light and fast and these qualities really came out. She was stunning. Whenever she dances like this, she's really a star. She emits a sort of light that makes it impossible to look away and when I looked at her, I couldn't find a single reason to want to do so. Such speed, such precision, such enthusiasm, it was raw talent and raw in the best of senses. Giglio, on the other hand, didn't have the best day and danced very cautiously. I've seen her on fire, when she danced Kate in Come Fly Away in Sønderborg and this was very different. The Spanish look really does wonders for her, though, and she's such a beautiful dancer, but this didn't show it off as well as I'd have hoped. I actually don't remember what came after this, because the omittion of Minus 7 made everything a jumble. I think it was the White Swan PDD and I'll talk about that one first in any case, because I remember it best. Usually I feel the same way about the White Swan PDD that I do about the bedroom PDD from Romeo and Juliet. It loses something in being taken out of its story. It easily feels hollow as a stand-alone piece. However, with Dorger as Odette and Birkkjær as the Prince, I'm willing to forget this opinion of mine for the good ten minutes the PDD lasts, because they make it an absolutely wonderful statement, like a trailer to the ballet. Odette is one of those iconic ballet heroines that so many ballerinas have tried their talents on. I personally think that she is often danced as too much wing and too little person, but Dorger has really found a way to portray the Swan Queen as a woman also and opposite Birkkjær's Prince, it becomes a beautiful testimony to hope and love. I enjoy it equally every time I see them. Saturday they really won with their interaction, there were so many beautiful moments of contact, where they locked eyes and didn't look away throughout entire sequences of motion. Birkkjær spun her around with both softness and sharpness and she snapped back to look him right in the eyes every time. It was extremely powerful and poignant. Dorger herself just has a way of moving that's so musical, soft and thoughtful, but always with intent. She doesn't just dance, she paints a character with every movement. I'll be a bit biased here and say that out of every single Odette I've seen (granted, I've not seen all and not even that many, but I have seen a fair share), Dorger is my favourite and I find her a world-class interpreter of the role. She's amazing, even more amazing in the arms of Birkkjær. In "That's Life" from Come Fly Away, which they'd danced amazingly well at Sønderborg, Giglio and Dean didn't manage to capture quite the same zest. If they ever stage this ballet again, I'd love to see these two dance the entire ballet together, because Giglio has everything that would make Kate pop and Dean is such a swag Hank, I'd love to see what their Sønderborg performance could look like full-length. Finally the programme finished with the pas de six/tarantel from Napoli. I've seen this excerpt from Napoli a dozen times by now (though, never the full ballet live) and I can honestly say that I've never seen it danced as beautifully as it was here. It was so full of life, spontaneous joy, so soaked in happiness that it just saved my day. All the ladies danced in perfect sync throughout and all the dancers interacted with such unpretentious friendliness toward each other that it truly felt like a party that we'd all been invited to. Of the variations, once again Praetorius just stood out and danced with a sunny, easy, breezy air about her that was just so lovely. Among the men especially Chmelensky just kicked the air with his leaps. Birkkjær had some amazingly fast turns and Marcin Kupinski performed his variation with a lovely blend of his soft James-ness and his fiery Basilio-ness, both shows just how far he's come as a dancer. Everyone did great, however, and we walked away from Ofelia Beach afterwards with the Napoli tunes stuck in our heads.

I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Josette!

Sorry to revive this old thread, but I found a beautiful clip of Alban Lendorf and Susanne Grinder in the first act purple PDD from the 2012 production of this ballet and really thought it was something people should have a look at, if they hadn't already stumbled upon it themselves. I'm not completely sure of the rules about sharing youtube videos, but since I've seen it done in other company threads, I thought I would try. If it's against the rules, please feel free to delete! However, here it is: I was so absolutely thrilled to find this clip, since these two have my favourite version of this particular PDD. I saw them dance a couple of shows in 2012 and later all three casts in 2014 and although both Praetorius and Bojesen were wonderful in the black PDD and Bojesen just so technically striking all over, it will probably take me a long time to encounter a ballerina who I personally feel embodies Marguerite Gautier as perfectly as Susanne Grinder does, especially here. Also, this costume is my all-time favourite. So beautiful.

I hope his new career in Munich will grant him all the opportunities for roles and creativity that he could want, he's a versatile and talented dancer and will be missed. I'm glad I got to experience him as Madge before he left. Also. Does anyone know what he was doing the season(s) he was on leave? 2013/2014. According to my programs he was demoted to corps dancer after his return to the company, from season 2014/2015 and until now.

It's the mom - His comeback was a variation from the third act in Napoli, not the lead, so I think it has more to do with the RDB China Tour being a good opportunity for him to return to the stage slowly and safely. He might either not be fully recovered yet or not in perfect shape... I'm sure Hübbe would have cast him as Gennaro in a heart beat instead of teaching the role to a soloist, had they thought he was ready.

About Lendorf, I think I recall him saying in an interview about his engagement with the ABT that he had no plans of leaving the RDB completely in the future either, but I may be wrong or it was a matter of company politics at the time.

None of this is confirmed officially, but looking around pictures on FB and Insta, it seems Amy Watson MAY have danced Teresina with both Birkkjær and Chmelensky, instead of Alexandra Lo Sardo. I still can't find out who danced the Sylph in the Dean/Haynes cast, but China Ballet Magazine has put up a picture of the final kiss between Dean's James and Haynes' Madge on their Insta account, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they may put up more pictures from the performance, so I can see if it's J'aime Crandall who filled the spot. Picture of Dean and Haynes: https://instagram.com/p/BG32CyJEoVI/ Also, I had my doubts whether they'd include the kiss between Madge and James while in China, considering the current political situation, and maybe make the relationship between the two characters more ambiguous as was the case with Kloborg's Madge and Kupinski's James in the first cast, but it certainly seems that they kept it as originally envisioned. IMO, Haynes and Dean really brought magic to these two characters and I do hope for more pictures! Especially if Crandall was the Sylph - this combination was a masterpiece when they danced in Holstebro in February... One of those magical performances.

Oh, Jane, that's good to know. I thought it was her debut because a couple of her rehearsal videos were tagged with #debut, but it might have been about Jonathan whom she was rehearsing with.

And for those who haven't seen it, here is the official "trailer" video for the China tour, with comments (in English) by Hübbe, Birkkjær and Grinder and some nice footage from all three ballets. http://video.kglteater.dk/the-royal-danish-ballet-china-tour-2016

I've been following the Chinese tour online and so far, the shows (Hübbe's Napoli and a mixed bill of La Sylphide/Balanchine's Theme and Variations) have been tremendously well received. Very lovely to see. As far as casting goes, there seems to be two casts for each performance. Napoli was danced by Amy Watson (debut as Teresina, I really would have liked to see her in this role) with Ulrik Birkkjær as Gennaro and almost the same third act variation dancers as on the DVD, with a few exceptions. Caroline Baldwin, Holly Dorger, Susanne Grinder and Ida Praetorius dancing Watson's variation. The male variations were danced by Gregory Dean, Marcin Kupinski and, most excitingly, Alban Lendorf, on stage for the first time in ten months! I couldn't see who the fourth man was, unfortunately. It might have been Jonathan Chmelensky. He debuted as Gennaro in Napoli in the second cast, I think, dancing with Alexandra Lo Sardo as his Teresina. I've seen her on the released DVD and she's a joy - and after having seen Chmelensky as Basilio, I believe he'd make a wonderful Gennaro. Hopefully he'll be cast again, next time they're staging it here, now that he's been taught the role! La Sylphide first cast was Susanne Grinder, Marcin Kupinski and Sebastian Kloborg as James. Very solid group and I was particularly pleased to hear the amazing reception Grinder received as the Sylph from the videos from curtain call. She so deserves this recognition also internationally - she danced the role in a traditional production with the National Ballet back in November, with Birkkjær as her James and the Chinese really seem to have been smitten by these two. They have been used as figureheads for the tour, have been interviewed for China Ballet Magazine and Grinder was brought along by Hübbe for the official press conference, too. Opening night the supporting cast were Kizzy Matiakis as Effy (lucky Chinese!) and I think, Alexander Bozinoff as Gurn? It was hard to tell. First Sylph was definitely Stephanie Chen and I'm happy to see her back in her old roles again, hopefully they'll either use her as second cast Effy or bring her back to the role next time they stage La Sylphide in Denmark. Second main cast of La Sylphide, I'm not as sure about, but I believe I read somewhere that it would be J'aime Crandall, Gregory Dean and Sebastian Haynes as Madge. Amazing cast, one of my absolute favourite combinations, so I hope they are well received as well! Theme and Variations was danced by Holly Dorger and Ulrik Birkkjær on opening night. Second cast will be Ida Praetorius (dancing the ballet on stage only for the second time! She stepped in as an understudy on the Jutland tour once, but hasn't danced it otherwise, very exciting that she's given this opportunity - although I do wonder why she wasn't taught any of the Bournonville leads, she'd have made a lovely Teresina and since they did let Watson debut, I am a bit perplexed as to why they couldn't have done the same with Prateorius) with Jon Axel Fransson. I'm very sorry I won't get to see them, I believe Fransson could be a good partner for Praetorius, maybe even as good for her as Andreas Kaas has been in the Neumeier repertory. She needs a very strong technician for support in these more virtuoso ballets and Fransson fits her in build. The reception of Dorger and Birkkjær on opening night was also very heart-warming, Dorger herself mentions this in her most recent update on Instagram. Some links: Official Facebook page with pictures and updates, plus some Chinese reactions: https://www.facebook.com/events/501976466679592/ China Ballet Magazine Facebook, the latest four updates about the RDB, mostly press conference and Napoli coverage, but also a nice photo set from backstage: https://www.facebook.com/chinaballetmagazine/ Some videos from Instagram (curtain calls): NAPOLI: https://instagram.com/p/BGuCbUrK4DR/ https://instagram.com/p/BGt90GjD1XM/ https://instagram.com/BGuNdUVJVWt/ LA SYLPHIDE: https://instagram.com/p/BGzGuBDq4Pm/ https://instagram.com/p/BGzK9MuD1S8/ THEME AND VARIATIONS: https://instagram.com/p/BGzLzBfj1Ve/ All in all, it seems to be going really well for them and it makes me so happy on their behalf. Always nice to be recognised for their immense talent and to show off Hübbe's genius outside Denmark, too.

I saw both the premiere performance and the performance earlier today and I'll post a more in-depth review tomorrow, but for now I need to say that this ballet is so much more than a ballet, it is art like in a modern exhibition, poetry in motion, literally. I loved it. All the dancers were well-cast and filled out their parts beautifully, individually and in connection with everyone else on stage. Perfect use of technology and film-like scenography. Beautiful sets and costumes. It was a whole performance. One that must be seen with the heart more than with the logical mind. This is by far the best modern piece the RDB has presented in all the time I've followed them and it is probably one of the best dance performances I've ever seen, full stop.

COME FLY AWAY - 28.05.2016 Come Fly Away was a very enjoyable and easily accessible show. They performed for a full house at the Opera which was nice to see. I had very good seats on the parquet, close to the nightclub lights and the live orchestra. The sound was amazing and the musicians played to Sinatra's voice like he was performing then and there. I saw the second cast and it featured some of my favourites. Alexandra Lo Sardo dominated as Kate. She played her with a very dark, seductive air that was absolutely irresistible. Her dancing was beautiful, commanding and strong. Her duet with Tim Matiakis' Hank was the moment of the night. He was amazing, strong technician, strong actor. He, too, portrayed a very commanding character and his face read vividly as both smouldering and unstoppable. I ansolute loved him. I loved them both, individually and together. They created a dynamic of give and take, power and struggle. Another strong presence was Lena-Maria Gruber as Slim. This character is more underplayed and has less solo work than the other female characters, but she passes between the men (and the women) a lot and dances with the ensemble, in the beginning always synched with Kate. Not to mention that her lead in the dance where she tells Betsy that cooking and cleaning isn't for her was so funny and character-defining. I also loved her dance opposite... Right now I can't remember if it was Chanos or Hank, but she dances to a song that is about how being loved and kissed by a girl makes you feel good. I loved that they didn't shy away from this aspect of Kate and Slim's relation. That they are to and from each other as romantic and sexual partners. Even if they both end up with men in the end (same old bisexual trope), the LGBT spectre is included as something else than stock gimmicks. And the fact that it's between two women made me so happy, I can't really think of any other ballets I've seen that does it. Lena-Maria Gruber played Slim very cleverly with humour and charm, she was beautiful, even in the less than attractive costumes. The first one was the best and even then... Benjamin Buza played Sid and danced wonderfully throughout. I thought he warmed up to the role over the course of the performance and before the end of act one, he was in the zone. The solos didn't quite work for him at any point, but his partnering of Camilla Ruelykke as Babe was great. He had a lot expressions and added some FUN to the cool Sid. Camilla Ruelykke was a lovely Babe. I've wanted to see her in this role since they first staged the ballet and she didn't disappoint. Like Buza, she needed to warm up to the character gradually, but by the end of act one and her big numbers with Sid and the rest of the cast came, she portrayed a very playful, warm Babe. Considering that neither Babe nor Sid are the most interesting characters in the show, Ruelykke showed great skill in her acting, managing to portray both development and deeper emotion. Nicolai Hansen was Chanos who used to be in love with Babe and whose character arc is realising they won't be an item, so he turns his eyes on Slim instead. It was wonderful seeing Hansen in something more substantial again and he aced the role. His solo in the first act, showing his pain over Babe's rejection was heartfelt and beautifully danced. Alexander Bozinoff danced an absolutely outstanding Marty with amazing partnering and lifts. He was funny and charismatic and presented some great faces at his Betsy, Benita Bünger. Bünger was a cute Betsy who danced the role with heart and skill, lots of energy and smiles. Especially after they have their first falling out and she starts stepping out of the sweet girl-box, she really shone, when she up till that point sometimes let her sweetness get marred by something a bit affected. Otherwise, this was a great role for her and she danced with lots of pondus. Looking at her and Bozinoff in their partnering was a constant thrill, wow. The ensemble was equally strong. Viktoria Falck-Schmidt danced the solo role Wave as well and was very alluring and beautiful in the low lights. Amongst the men, I especially noticed Ariel Merkuri who managed some outstanding lifts of the girls, but really - all ensemble dancers were outstanding and fit right into the excellence of the main cast. Overall, I enjoyed Come Fly Away. I thought it was a nicely told story, like a string of short stories, fates bound together by the jazz and the night lights. Glimpses of love in a jazz age. Lo Sardo's drunk scene with Matiakis was touching and one of the final strong moments of the ballet. Because although the finale to My Way was beautifully danced and left me breathless with all the in and out between each other, truly "Dancing With the Stars" done right, I thought the way it slapped all the couples together felt a bit rushed in the narrative, like we'd overlooked a few steps on the way there. However, it didn't ruin anything that came before either and the show was a light-heart affair to begin with, so I won't complain about it beyond that note. All in all, I loved it. Would see it again anyday. It suits the RDB like a glove!

About casting and people in the photos. After doing a little digging and comparing Come Fly Away casting with Rystet Spejl casting, I realise that the dancer coupled with T. Praetorius isn't Chen Gundorph, but soloist Christina Michanek. Very beautiful dancer whom I haven't seen enough of by far, she was an amazing Gypsy Queen in Don Q. Looking forward to this very much. Character dancers Lis Jeppesen and Poul-Erik Hesselkilde could also be spotted in the photos, so we have a very strong cast of older character dancers, too!

Snatched tickets for the premiere tomorrow. I get the feeling that it's definitely not the type of performance that loses anything upon multiple viewings.

I just realised that my mother-in-law took pictures of this article and sent to me, but only good enough that I can translate part of it. However, if no one else has the article, I'd be willing to translate what I can, abatt.

Corps dancer Tobias Praetorius has just won one of the Reumert's Talent Awards for his performance in Short Time Together earlier this season. His older sister, Ida Praetorius, principal, has been nominated to a Reumert for best female lead in a performance (this is, outside the dance category as well, she's up against some big names) for her Juliet. The jury's motivation in my translation: "Tobias Praetorius has drama within his body. He finished his training with the Royal Danish Ballet School in 2014. He jumps fast and spins many pirouettes. But first and foremost, he has the ability to tell stories with his dance. In Short Time Together he danced with the shoulders of a god. He has talent enough to be able to tell stories to the entire world." Very big praise and I couldn't agree more. I remember him in "Dancing With Anger" with Jonathan Chmelensky at last year's summer tour and although it was a modern piece and I suspect many people from Jutland were really there for Napoli and Swan Lake, he and Chmelensky still had the entire audience, old as young, in complete awe with their intensity and their interaction. They received a very loud applause. I'm so glad he isn't forgotten in all the focus on his sister, because T. Praetorius has it all and I can't wait to see where he goes from here. He can dance both modern and the big classics with equal skill, so the world is his playground. The world is his stage!

Casting hasn't yet been officially announced on their website, but pictures from the performance have gone up! Beautiful, very atmospheric photos! www.kglteater.dk/det-sker/sason-2015-2016/ballet/rystet-spejl/#galleri Judging from the photos, I recognise principals Susanne Grinder (very happy to see her featured so prominently!), Ulrik Birkkjær, Marcin Kupinski, Holly Dorger and Ida Praetorius. I also recognise corps dancers Astrid Elbo, Sebastian Haynes, Sebastian Kloborg and Ji Min Hong (also very happy to see her featured!). Character dancers Mette Bødtcher and Morten Eggert are also featured in the photos! It looks amazing, to be honest. If done well, this could be a highlight of the season and a perfect way to wrap it up before their brief Denmark tour and their big China tour over the summer months! There are two dancers featured on the photos of the hanging/floating man and I'm not completely sure who they are, but my best guess would be Tobias Praetorius and Stephanie Chen Gundorph. One of those pictures has been used as header for the entire performance on the website! So excited for this performance and glad I will get to see it on Sunday!

I would be willing to translate, if someone has access to the full article. I read it some time ago, but don't remember how I got hold of the newspaper, since it's not one I subscribe to.

Come Fly Away repremiered on the 21st in the Opera and has two casts. I'm seeing it this Saturday (28th, second cast) and look forward to it very much. It's been running the past two (three?) seasons, but I never prioritised it before now, so it'll be my first time seeing it. Looking forward to the jazz mood. CASTING: 1. / 2. casts Babe: Amy Watson / Camilla Ruelykke Holst Sid: Jonathan Chmelensky / Benjamin Buza Kate: Wilma Giglio / Alexandra Lo Sardo Hank: Gregory Dean / Tim Matiakis Betsy: Caroline Baldwin / Benita Bünger Marty: Charles Andersen / Alexander Bozinoff Slim: Maria Bernholdt / Lena-Maria Gruber Wave: Birgitta Lawrence / Viktoria Falck-Schmidt Chanos: Alexander Stæger / Nicolai Hansen ​Ensemble gentlemen: ​Bryant Steenstra, Cédric Lambrette, Andreas Kaas / Ariel Merkuri, James Clark, Matteo di Loreto ​Ensemble ladies: ​Stephanie Chen, Birgitta Lawrence, Josephine Berggreen / Viktoria Falck-Schmidt, Emma Håkansson, Kaledora Fontana I personally think both casts are very strong, though first cast obviously features the principals, whereas second cast runs on soloists and many corps dancers. However, this is a good thing! I don't get to see these guys in enough big roles, so I'm really excited. For the cast I'm seeing on Saturday, a special shout-out to Camilla Ruelykke who's a favourite of mine and almost made me buy a ticket for Come Fly when they first staged it, because she was dancing Babe. I'm so excited that I'm getting to see her! Also shout-out to Tim Matiakis, Alexandra Lo Sardo and Benjamin Buza! Of the others, I'm especially glad to see Lena-Maria Gruber on the list... All in all, I'm really glad I caught the cast I did. From the first cast, I'm sad I'll be missing out on Watson's Babe, though, I get the feeling that it could be a defining role for her. Also, I'd love to see Chmelensky as Sid and Dean as Hank. So glad to see Baldwin got Betsy, too! I will miss Chen's face in the ensemble, that's for sure, but just glad to see her on stage again... I'll write my report on it over the weekend. Anyone else has seen it or will be seeing it this time around?

I saw J'aime Crandall as Kitri and Cuban guest dancer Osiel Gouneo. What an experience, what a power duo! J'aime has grown so much as an actress on stage and seeing er wonderful mime combined with true bravura dance... She defined this role for me in the same way that Marianela Nunez did in the Acosta version. It was an absolute bliss and will definitely go down in my personal ballet history book. As Kitri, J'aime mastered the choreography completely and made it look like an absolute breeze. On top of that, her portrayal was warm and funny and very consistent, too. You definitely couldn't tell Gouneo wasn't her usual partner, their chemistry was palpable. Her castagnet solo was a sight to behold with a lot of castagnette tricks, the same went for her fan solo and her fouettes. What power she holds in her execution. All the partnering was smooth and soft as butter. Gouneo was such a treat and what a turner! I could definitely see the Cuban training and I saw the same energy in him that I'd first seen in Chmelensky Thursday. Chmelensky had more pronounced lines, very pleasing to look at, but Gouneo's turns seriously weren't of this world. I'm so glad I had the chance to see this particular cast! They brought the entire house down. All in all, this cast was so very solid. Ulrik Birkkjær really brought the Spanish flair and lots of macho strength as Espada. Minus a few mishaps, his partnering of Amy Watson's Mercedes was also very nice. Character shoes really fitted Watson well and I found her especially engaging in the second and third acts. All three Mercedes'es this run are strong dancers with different approaches to the role, from the classical playfulness of Susanne Grinder to Watson's more flamenco-inspired portrayal to Holly's mix of both, with strong classical technique throughout, paired with a very Spanish, passionate attack. All three were very lovely to watch. Kizzy Matiakis had a brilliant night as one of Kitri's friends with lots of energy and charisma - likewise Ida Praetorius, who was also in a noticeably fine shape. Sebastian Kloborg was back as a hilarious Gamache. Mogens Boesen was as wonderful as ever as Don Quixote and Hesselkilde had his best night ever as Sancha, flawless, touching and funny, both of them. In the second act, I missed some of the very easy humour both Chmelensky and Kupinski added to Basilio's faked suicide, but it was still entertaining and well performed, but some of the familiarity that can sometimes translate on stage with everybody in the company knowing each other so well was missing. The same goes for the PDD right before the gypsy dance. It was perhaps the weakest scene for J'aime and Gouneo that night, "weak" being written in the most relative sense. I just missed the sensitivity, sweetness and love that Lena-Maria and Chmelensky had expressed so beautifully Thursday and which wasn't brought to fruition as effortlessly neither Friday nor yesterday. On the other hand, the following gypsy dance was a revelation. The entire group was so energetic and wild to look at. The orchestra did amazingly well with the music and Josephine Berggreen owned the role of Gypsy Queen from start to finish. So much emotion came over her face as she danced, she was pained, she was wild and untamed, she was frightening, but most of all, she was beautiful. She brought me to tears. In the Dryad act, we had a dream team of Silvia Selvini, light as a cloud, in the role of Cupid, a beautifully fluid Holly Dorger as Queen of the Dryads and J'aime giving us a soft, dreamy Dulcinea. So although the corps wasn't quite as sharp here as they were throughout the rest of the ballet, it was still so striking, how it faded into existence and then faded out. Third act was a pure joy of technique, bravura, real show-off and charisma. Both J'aime and Gouneo really brought their acts to completion, but the most wonderful thing was seeing how J'aime's Kitri remained in character even in a gold tutu and celebrating her wedding at a castle. Everything finished on such a strong note and the entire night felt like a dream. One of the best ballet experiences I've ever had.

On Ida Praetorius' and Marcin Kupinski's cast last night, again, very briefly until I can sit down by a computer... Ida was generally very solid in her technique and had a few real stand-out pieces - her castagnet solo in act one was great, likewise her fan solo in act three. However, their chemistry didn't quite live up to Thursday between Chmelensky and Gruber, most vivid in their PDD in act two, but really - my biggest beef with her performance was her constant tendency to overact. I could sense that I was definitely in the minority in the audience here, so I do recognise my own tastes in charisma playing in, but I personally found her Kitri a bit forced often and definitely very immature. I understand the character is supposed to be childish and playful, but for me Ida's portrayal felt more unpleasant than childish and somehow lacking in a likeable charm. This is a subjective view that has nothing to do with her dancing, it just made it less engaging for me personally to watch her. Marcin, on the other hand, was amazing and Basilio really cemented for me how much he's grown over the past seasons. His partnering was rock solid, his solo work was impressive and he showed a really understated, warm sense of humour on stage. Very nice acting skills. All his one-armed lifts especially were just spot-on perfect. I can't wait to see what lies ahead of him in the future! Susanne Grinder was a true joy as Mercedes. Looked absolutely stunning in all her costumes and danced the role with so much sass and sexiness. I especially really enjoyed her in the entire first act. Wow. She was so fluid and elegant in her movements, a true femme fatale with great chemistry with her Espada and the entire corps. For me she was the real highlight of the evening! Gregory Dean was striking as Espada, but like Andreas, it took until act two and that black costume for me to warm up to his portrayal. He and Susanne had smouldering chemistry even from opposite parts of the stage, though, and the entire second act partnering was great. They had some problems with the lifts in act three, but recovered from it well by the end and finished on a real bravura note. I adored both Alexandra Lo Sardo and Lena-Maria as the friends and they danced in perfect sync most of the time, fit each other well and brought a lot of great flair to the stage. Alba Nadal was a wonder as the Gypsy Queen, very intense, just a little crazy and really scary. Kizzy Matiakis was a very regal, almost pained Queen of the Dryads with an adorably sweet Katarina Placha (?) for contrast as Cupid. The Dryad act is still nothing short of genius in my opinion. Our Don Q was even more vulnerable, fun with Sancha and just altogether touching than Thursday and I really love Mogens Boesen in this role. He's amazing. The corps also had a really good day with some amazing group numbers, just so much warmth and life. Bravo.

Saw Jonathan Chmelensky and Lena-Maria Gruber's debut last night in Don Q. Can't write a long review now, since I'm not home at my computer, but will make some short shout-outs now and return with something more complete later. Jonathan Chmelensky was absolute amazing as Basilio. He ooozed of charmth and warmth and for the most part his technique was breath-taking. Unfortunately the two first one arm lifts in the first act didn't work out, but he got defiant by the third and let Lena-Maria hang up there for a second or two longer, just to show us HE COULD. The lifts in the third act worked like a charm. All in all, this was the Chmelensky I know and love with an unparallelled energy in his partnering and a newfound UMPH in his solos. Wow. I was sad there was no promotion for him, he deserved it and he's literally been carrying every major male lead this season, minus Romeo. Hope to catch him in Come Fly Away next. Lena-Maria Gruber's Kitri was a dream come true for me. She is a strong technician, but some of her solos bore marks of concentration and didn't really project the power that I know she has. I'm sure in a couple of performances, it'll find a more natural expression. Most of her solos were very safely executed, though and seemed to have no major mishaps. Her partnership with Chmelensky filled the entire stage, the entire room and she looked stunningly beautiful from start to finish. In act three, she fell out of her fouettes briefly, but managed to get back on pointe and complete the count in the same pace. That was an impressive comeback and she received very eager cheering for it, too. All in all, technically the third act was extremely strong all-over. Holly Dorger as the streetdancer Mercedes was really the most complete show of technical bravur the entire night and I was so impressed with how effortlessly she stepped into the sultry, mature sexuality (as compared to Kitri's adolescent one) and how she just owned that stage whenever she was on it. She received some of the biggest applauses all performance and looked smashing in all three of her costumes. Wow. Especially in act two, she took my breath away with her solo. I could hear, by the audience's response, that I was probably not the only one. Andreas Kaas as Espada. I was not too sure about this casting when I first saw it, because I really think of Andreas in the young, sensitive roles like Romeo and Armand, but he grew into it, so to speak. In the first act, his entry seemed very nervous, but as soon as he started interacting with Holly, his characterisation made perfect sense and by end of act one, I was ready to buy it. In act two and three, I didn't need to even try. Changing into the black costume helped so much (the white one from act one didn't make him look his best) and his partnering of Holly was smouldering. They had such good chemistry and their dancing together just kept developing, reaching a beautiful crescendo in act three. In act two, I personally loved the Dryad part and didn't find it a weak link at all. The mininalist set was so pretty. Especial shoutout to Silvia Selvini as the cutest, lightest Amor ever and to the entire gypsy group, wow! Also shoutout to Mogens Boesen as a dreamy and sensitive Don Q. All in all, everyone really carried their parts and I will write more about it later.

Eva Kistrup's thoughts on the second cast, led by Praetorius and Kupinski: www.danceviewtimes.typepad.com/eva_kistrup/2016/05/the-charge-of-the-light-haire-brigade.html Much less lukewarm review, I must say.