Syrene Hvid

Just saw that the RDB have put up their trailer for Theme and Variations on their website. I hope everyone interested is able to find it. It's introduced by Jonathan Chmelensky who dances the solo part with Caroline Baldwin and features of the both of them, along with the corps - all of it quite lovely footage that also shows the new costumes created for the RDB version. video.kglteater.dk/tema-og-variationer

bingham, yes, Denmark is a small country and the longest travel time (between my home in Aarhus and Copenhagen) is no longer than four hours by bus/train. I'm so fortunate that I have a friend in Esbjerg who wanted to come with me, so that gave me an excuse to attend there. My parents live in Holstebro, so we can stay with them for free and they're attending the performance with us, as well. Aalborg is only an hour away by car from where I live. All in all, it was just about grabbing as many tickets as possible, because travelling was not the issue at all!

My favourite ending to Swan Lake will forever remain Hübbe & Schandorff's new version (for RDB) where (after Odette has disappeared off-stage, forever cursed to be a swan) Siegfried is forced by Rothbart to marry Odile. The entire political intrigue of it is wonderful, not to mention that there's something haunting about having to live with the consequences of your mistakes in life, rather than those mistakes necessarily leading to your demise. However, I also really liked the ending to Wright's production for Swedish Royal Ballet. It felt genuine and fittingly dark for the production.

sandik and JMcN - I'm actually watching it another five times, but looking over my reply I can see that I confused the numebers. I'm seeing the performance six times in all, four times on tour and two times in Copenhagen. So, ahead awaits Esbjerg Friday, Holstebro Sunday, Aalborg Tuesday the week after and then Copenhagen on the 13th and 27th of February. I'm really excited about this tour of my own and will keep the forum updated on my impressions. However, for now I am looking forward to hopefully catching J'aime Crandall and Jon Axel Fransson in T&V a couple of times and, if Holly Dorger recovers from her injury in time, her and Ulrik Birkkjær in Copenhagen. I am really hoping that she will be able to dance again soon, because Holly is just the kind of ballerina who I believe would be able to engage me in this choreography. The rehearsal footage I saw of her and Birkkjær in the PDD was absolutely divine.

I'll be seeing La Sylphide/T&V five times, so there should be ample of opportunity to get acquainted with the Balanchine workings, Ashton Fan. Or so I hope, at least. Since La Sylphide is my favourite ballet of all time and I like sitting close to the stage to get a good view of facial expressions and mimic details, all my tickets are (unfortanately) not anywhere near an upstairs view. When putting two so different styles together in a program, it's a matter of priority, I suppose, and here Hübbe's La Sylphide that I don't suspect will stay on the repertory beyond this season tipped the scales for parquet seating all six times I'm going. However, I will note that when I saw Serenade in 2009, I was also on the parquet, front row and the beauty of that piece didn't escape me even so, so maybe it's just a combination of the music for T&V not really speaking to me and the mostly halfway execution Friday that gave me a bad first impression. I am completely open for it to change throughout the run.

I just finished watching the version of T&V that you recommended, sandik and a few things occurred to me while watching. A ballet like T&V would probably have made a lot more sense to me if I'd watched it from a balcony seat or somewhere with a view from above. The patterns of the corps dancers are easily lost from a parquet seat, especially if the corps is already struggling with cohesiveness. I actually quite liked the first half of the ballet in Kirkland's and Baryshnikov's version. The corps women were wonderful, the four soloist women were wonderful and Baryshnikov was (as always) a delight to watch for me. I was surprised to find that I actually liked Baldwin's presence in the solo role better than Kirkland, even if Kirkland was technically more proficient. Especially the feeling of Chmelensky's and Baldwin's PDD struck me deeper. That said, Kirkland is still such an incredible dancer, wow. However, by the second half, once the corps men join in, I lost focus once more. Although the stage here didn't seem as crowded as the one in Aarhus Musikhus Friday, it still looked a mess to me. Perhaps that was really the part that bothered me most Friday, too. I look forward to next Friday's re-watch, to see if it'll all come together as a whole then. Thanks so much for the recommendation. I really did enjoy (most of) it!

sandik, I'm optimistic that the piece might grow on me as I see it a few more times and maybe eventually catch it on a night when everything comes together for the dancers, too. However, besides Serenade, none of the Balanchine pieces I've seen have ever struck a nerve with me, so it might simply be his style and aesthetic that don't translate to mine very well.

Part 2 of 2. Theme and Variations. Aarhus. I can express my opinion of last night’s Theme and Variations very briefly: I look forward to seeing it again, hopefully the corps will manage to paint a more cohesive picture once they’ve performed it on a few unfamiliar stages. Yesterday was my first introduction to the piece and I didn’t really like it overly much. When I think of the RDB and Balanchine, I immediately think of my first introduction to the company which was in their performance of Serenade in 2009. I still remember the feeling of my breath escaping me at the sheer beauty of it. Theme and Variations didn’t cause anything close to such a reaction. The main issue was the corps (and to some extend the soloist couples, though I think it was mainly one of the four who kept falling behind) that was clearly struggling to stay in sync. I had noticed that the corps girls had struggled similarly with the ensemble parts of La Sylphide’s second act, too, but the rest of the performance was so stellar that I didn’t really pay it any mind. In Theme and Variations it became very obvious that the corps (which has otherwise been groomed into such sublime quality over the past seasons) had an off night and it turned every potential that Balanchine’s work might have held into mere confusion. When the curtain went up, the sparse decoration and intended spaciousness of the stage instantly made me think of Etudes, but somehow the complete ensemble still looked crammed – more so when the dancing began and everyone struck their differing exercises. The final diagonal at the end of the piece also looked horribly overcrowded on a stage that – to my understanding – is actually bigger than Old Stage, so I don’t know if that’s simply the Balanchine aesthetic or if something else created this visual result. A second and third viewing might clear this up for me, I suspect. However, it didn’t help that I found the music very dull, especially at the beginning. My interest was piqued by Caroline Baldwin’s interaction with the other female dancers where she was very secure and stable in her balances and parts of her pas de deux with Jonathan Chmelensky were lovely, but never particularly striking. I don’t agree that Baldwin didn’t manage to create a connection to Chmelensky, there were indeed moments where the relationship between the two was well-conveyed, but it was also obvious how much concentration it required especially for her to master the difficult technique. I personally found her a very pleasant focus in a choreography that otherwise often overwhelmed me with too many impressions at once and I liked her, although this wasn’t the best I’ve seen her in. My girlfriend didn’t. Tastes differ. Hopefully Baldwin will grow into the part as the tour continues onwards. Jonathan Chmelensky is such a lovely dancer, but I must say that I found the male solo in Theme and Variations rather tame. Not technically, of course and Chmelensky did well from what I could see, but after the fireworks of La Sylphide, it just felt like a show of steps and nothing more. That was perhaps really my issue with Theme and Variations through and through. It felt like technique on display and unlike Etudes, it never ignited a flame in me. Maybe it will on a night when the corps can dance in sync, when the four soloist couples come through a bit more strongly and a different or longer-into-the-run leading couple might just add what it’ll take to make me find the ballet engaging. I’ll hopefully be seeing J’aime Crandall and Jon Axel Fransson (now a soloist, yes! he was promoted after yesterday’s performance) on Friday in Esbjerg. And hopefully, hopefully, I’ll get to see Holly Dorger and Ulrik Birkkjær in Copenhagen. Watching Baldwin yesterday, it struck me that Dorger would be just the perfect blend of dreamy softness and technical perfection to master these steps so they’d translate even to me. And now there's an entire week until my next Sylphide adventure!

Part 1 of 2. La Sylphide. Aarhus. Having crept into my pyjamas and stocked up on popcorn in front of the computer, I am ready to reflect on the absolute gift of an experience that the RDB granted me tonight when they visited Aarhus as the first stop on their Jutland tour. My girlfriend had bought us amazing tickets on the third row, dead centre. The view was amazing enough that I could even (for the most part) ignore the very inconsiderate, elderly man seated on my left who refused to applaud the dancers and made loud, rude comments throughout both performances, though La Sylphide definitely received the brunt of it. I do suppose that if you attend a performance expecting tartan and forests (and identify as a puritan in other aspects as well), Hübbe’s new version can only disappoint, no matter the scale of the storytelling and the quality of the dancing. I, on my part, have never felt further from disappointed than I did at the first intermission tonight. Hübbe himself went on stage before the overture to inform us that the performance of La Sylphide that we were about to see was in honour and memory of Anna Lærkesen (former principal at the RDB and particularly famous for her Sylph) who, we were told, passed away yesterday. I could not think of a more beautiful tribute. As the Symphonic Orchestra of Aalborg embarked on the overture, conducted by Geoffrey Styles, Løvenskiold’s music came alive in a way I have never heard before. Perhaps the liveliness and intensity of it felt all the more vivid, because I still remember how poorly Tchaikovsky was handled when we went to Copenhagen for The Nutcracker in December. The two musical performances were worlds apart and this one, all by itself, transported me right into James’ great tragedy. As the curtain rose, it felt like coming home. I adored Hübbe’s reinterpretation of the ballet when it premiered last season, where I saw two of the three casts – including first cast on opening night, but time has a tendency of stealing details and washing out impressions until mostly biases are left. Thus, I’ll admit, I had been a bit apprehensive to revisit the production, especially when I saw that the first time doing so wouldn’t be to my favourite Sylph, Susanne Grinder (who has stayed behind in Copenhagen), but rather to the only dancer of the three cast in the role who is a completely unknown factor to me. Besides Susanne, the only veteran from last season is Amy Watson (who is being used extensively for the tour) and I did see her as the Sylph last spring. In contrast, J’aime Crandall was a completely unknown factor. I only knew she danced the role in Hübbe’s previous production some years back and got very mixed reviews on her portrayal. Personally, I am a dedicated J’aime fan through and through (especially after tonight), but I am nonetheless guilty of associating her mostly with the grandiose Russian style of the classics and other pieces demanding pyrotechnics, such as Etudes where I found her a very lovely fit. I didn’t know what to expect from her in La Sylphide. I wasn’t certain if I could even imagine her in the role. … But, the curtain rose. The curtain rose and as soon as I focused my attention on her petite figure kneeling next to Ulrik Birkkjær’s James, her features projecting more clearly than I’d ever seen before, even more clearly than her Odile (whom I adore), I instantly knew that I was about to witness a true wonder. And, did I ever. Down to the most practical aspects of costume-aesthetics and wing-shedding, J’aime was the definition of perfection. I think Lykke Møller’s design for the Sylph costume complimented J’aime’s body very well and it’s very likely one of the most flattering costumes I’ve ever seen her in. The floating feel of the romantic skirts that fortunately don’t pool around the waist as is the case in some other designs softened her lines wonderfully and added a dreaminess to her technique that was no less sharp and on point than it usually is. No, J’aime isn’t a classic Bournonville dancer, if really a Bournonville dancer at all. Bearing a Sylph in mind such as Susanne Grinder’s, she doesn’t dance the role with the same inborn lightness and ease, but she made the role her own. She owned it. I can honestly say that of all the Sylphs I’ve ever seen, on stage and in recordings, J’aime’s Sylph is right up there with my Danish-born and Danish-raised number one. I was blown away. The sharpness and security of her technique I might have expected, though – what I hadn’t expected was how alive her features became as the Sylph. Let it be said immediately, there’s something dark about J’aime’s Sylph. There were certain moments, especially throughout act one, where she reminded me a bit of her Odile, although less clear-cut evil. She portrayed the same playful assertiveness. The same selfish want that really reflected Birkkjær’s James amazingly well. They were perfectly matched, the two. He was desperate with a surging mental instability luring beneath the surface and she was every force of his imagination, igniting it. It might not sound like an interpretation that would ever work (I think I’ve heard something about Schaufuss’ dark La Sylphide from a time long gone), but for me at least… It did. Not only did it work, it made sense. It made more sense than any traditional production I’ve seen. For me it was never a love story between the Sylph and James anyway. The attraction, on his part, has always been for something else and she has always just been the manifestation of that. Hübbe’s new La Sylphide toyed with this concept last season, but didn’t quite manage to cross the finishing line, I realise now, having seen this performance. Tonight they took it all the way and made quite the masterpiece of it, too. However much that I loved Susanne Grinder’s Sylph when the production opened last season and however much Birkkjær opened my eyes to James as a character, seeing him tonight with a new Madge finally tied together this new production into a whole. Last time, however admirable I found Hübbe as Madge and the entire concept behind his creation, I found Hübbe himself somewhat uneasy to watch. Larger than life, but also just slightly uncomfortable – a feeling I didn’t have at all when I later saw Sebastian Haynes in the role. Tonight, I saw Sebastian Kloborg in the role for the first time and all my great, great expectations were met and more. He was the glue that made everything fall into place. As his Madge skilfully manipulated the sense out of James’ head, he made certain not to let it go to waste. He led the audience through the story from start to finish. Because of him, La Sylphide turned into a universal tragedy. When the metaphorical rocks had fallen and left James as well as his Sylph dead, Kloborg’s Madge alone was standing, left behind to stare at his own hands and wonder how it came to this. It was masterly. Another dancer that I simply must mention is Kizzy Matiakis as Effy. Effy has always been perhaps my most favourite character in the ballet – ever since I saw Ann-Kristin Hauge in the role in my old DVD recording, but rarely have I found other Effys as engaging and nuanced. Not even when I last saw her in the role last season, did Matiakis strike the same nerve that she did tonight. She didn’t only strike it once, she repeatedly punched me in the guts with her emotional, believable and touching portrayal of this girl who looks as if she might have forgiven James everything, “unnatural” inclinations included, if he would just promise not to leave. Her mime was splendid, her features clear and her dancing very lively. The reel tonight was everything I’ve ever dreamed of seeing on stage, but never have. Sharp, fast and fluid. The end of the first act left me positively sobbing, as Matiakis adopted an air of mindless grief and threw herself at the window with true abandon. When she crumbled at Anna’s feet, it wasn’t a pretty kneel with her head in the other woman’s lap, she allowed herself to be just a ruined wreck of limbs on the floor. It was amazing. Other honourable mentions in the first act must go to Alexander Bozinoff as Gurn, a soft-spoken and genuine man who seems to only have Effy’s best interests at heart. His solo was also very nice, though it did get overshadowed (as it should, I suppose) by the breath-taking energy Birkkjær put on display right after, in his. Camilla Ruelykke Holst, too, excelled in the small role of Nancy – balancing the strict attitude of the time period with an underlying care and concern for Effy. Ruelykke Holst was actually the first Effy I saw on stage back in 2011 and I found that her Nancy actually came across as a rounded character more clearly. The cauldron scene that had seemed so awkward when I first saw it was spectacular tonight. Very different from Haynes’, too, although I liked his as well. Kloborg’s Madge is more mature and more consciously manipulative and the way he used his companions felt less erotic (though still decidedly gay) and more obsessively controlling, my girlfriend even used the word “sadistic” about him which I think fits rather well. Kloborg is a master of the subtle gestures and constantly directed his companions with small waves of his hands. He looked so gaunt and bitter and as the cauldron disappeared off stage, the background turning white, he simply stood there. Rubbing the veil against his face. It established a very clear connection not only to the plot, but to both the Sylph and James. As if they were both a part of his past, in some way. In this version, it might not make sense to literally assume that Madge was once a sylph, but the chase on which he sends James to capture her felt too close to home. Perhaps Madge, in this version, once chased a sylph of his own and lost her, the pattern cursed to repeat itself over and over. Maybe, if James were to open his eyes again after curtain fall, he’d wake up to become someone else’s Madge. One of the details that time had erased from my memory is the use of shading in the white background of the second act. I had forgotten how, whenever James’ mental sphere is entered by Gurn or the others from the real world, it turns greyer and less “pure”. I loved this use of the light and darkness symbolism. How James’ otherwise pure mental world is disturbed by the reality from which he fled, if not penetrated by Madge and the urges he represents. And, honestly, it is in the second act that Birkkjær’s James truly takes flight. The way the freedom of the room and the liberation of having gone there actually seems to give him wings… It was thrilling to watch. His interaction with J’aime’s Sylph was sweet, without muddling the sense that she’s still simply an ideal he’s chasing. Poignant. Ideals aren’t things you can touch, after all. The way the Sylph keeps emphasising that he can’t touch her and he doesn’t understand why, too lost in his own euphoria to consider the consequences… Birkkjær danced so you were left with no doubts that he’d been blinded by the light of his own dreams. The entire divertissement was a joy, the best I’ve ever seen. J’aime’s Sylph was the epitome of this joy. His joy. Beautiful, just beautiful. If I must choose just one highlight of the La Sylphide performance tonight, though, it must be the death scene. Although Lis Jeppesen wasn’t my favourite Sylph, her death scene has always been a defining one in my mind. Yet, J’aime defined it all over. It was only fitting that her wings should come off just right. She looked truly heartbroken. As she lost her senses, as she searched for James, as her blood froze in her veins, it was portrayed with a sort of desperation that was the very opposite of the selfish playfulness she’d shown in act one. She was not heartbroken for her own sake, she was heartbroken for him. She seemed to know what would likely follow. I was getting all teary-eyed at this point, so I couldn’t tell, but my girlfriend said that J’aime was crying on stage. Even if I couldn’t see her tears, I definitely felt them. After this, Birkkjær’s James broke into pieces. At the front of the stage, Gurn and Effy received Anna’s blessing and Birkkjær would walk over to Mette Bødtcher and lean his forehead against her shoulder, soundlessly sobbing. As she left without acknowledging him, her expression was still one of regret and pain. They had both lost everything. I remember this particular interaction from last season’s opening night and it was one that had moved me quite a lot; its impact was only bigger tonight. Falling to his knees as the edge of the stage, Birkkjær’s James dissolved into pure madness, half-crying, half-smiling, in utter disbelief. Kloborg’s Madge came up behind him and the ending scene was amazingly elegant in its execution. Not a hitch. As James ran towards Madge to attack him, Madge grabbed his face and made as if to lean in and kiss him, but before they could repeat the kiss of death that Hübbe performed on Birkkjær last season, Birkkjær’s James seemed suddenly overwhelmed by the reality of it all, the consequences and the costs. He falls to the ground, lifeless. The last visual – absolutely haunting – is of Kloborg’s Madge staring first at James’ body, then at his own hands as if asking them what they’ve done. In conclusion, La Sylphide as I saw it tonight may not just be the best performance of La Sylphide I’ve ever seen, it may actually be the best ballet performance I’ve ever seen, full stop. It's late and I should be sleeping. I will get around to writing about my thoughts on T&V tomorrow, hopefully.

Via the RDB's official Instagram, it has been announced that Jon Axel Fransson has been promoted to soloist tonight after the Aarhus premiere of the La Sylphide/Theme and Variations tour. A huge congrats to Mr. Fransson who, in my mind, has been standing in line for this step up far too long. An amazing dancer who doesn't only master all technique thrown at him, but is a larger than life actor on stage as well. I've consistently enjoyed him in everything I've seen. So these are the happiest news all day.

Wow, what an amazingly expressive dancer! I was really impressed with his mime in the La Sylphide excerpts I found. Seems like he could definitely find a home at the RDB. Not to derail from Mr. Moose, but I really loved the girl dancing Sylph with him and looked her up. Dutch National Ballet sure know how to pick them, huh? Deprince first and such a bright talent as Sakamoto next. Some day I need to buy a plane ticket and see one of their productions, it seems.

I'm so happy to hear this! Congratulations to her!!

Some changes have been posted for the tour casting of La Sylphide. Stephanie Chen has been replaced with Femke Mølbach Slot as Effy on the 22nd, meaning that she'll dance the role only once. She's still cast as 1st Sylph. J'aime Crandall has been confirmed to dance the Sylph on the 26th. Still no casting for the last two dates in Copenhagen. The entire casting process for this really comes off as rather desperate to me, but then again... Lendorf who should undoubtedly have danced T&A seems to be injured still? He might have been cast as James, too, meaning that with Alexandra Lo Sardo (who I wouldn't be surprised might have been originally scheduled to dance the Sylph), they're suddenly "three" dancers short. Good thing Fransson is accustomed to being used side by side with Lendorf and I really do hope that J'aime has time to get a feel for the role of the Sylph again before the tour, especially being cast in T&A as well. Argh, that girl - she really is their work horse.

Thank you, NandiFlame, for putting into words (and so beautifully as well) what I have been thinking ever since seeing the general "consensus" about Joy on BA. Joy isn't artistically a favourite of mine, but then again - as you say - I haven't seen a full performance with her. There are glimpses of elements that I could definitely enjoy in her rehearsals, but it often drowns in all the rest. I admire Joy for keeping on fighting, for working so hard and for being willing to show all sides of herself at whatever cost. I only hope that she'll learn to walk the tightrope succesfully and not fall at the end. Yes, she is young. The same age as one of the rising stars at the company I'm most dedicated to and artistically (if not technically, Joy wins), they're about at the same level, too. I, personally, have no problem with waiting, with hoping and with wishing them the best. Countering negativity with negativity was never a very helpful approach, in my mind. If others feel differently, I really don't understand why they'd still be watching her vlogs.

Cast lists up for the tour. A fair few surprises there, I must say. I am shocked that they're not bringing Susanne Grinder on tour, but instead bringing on J'aime to dance the Sylph alternately with her solo lady part in T&V. She won't be dancing the role at all in Copenhagen and (so far) only two times during the tour, but one performance (26th) is still not covered with a Sylph and my guess would be that it's bearing her name. Watson will be continuing her Sylph run throughout the tour with four performances. Her main cast remains largely unchanged with only some slight rotations in the roles of Madge (shifting between the two Sebastians), Effy (rotating between primarily Kizzy Matiakis and Stephanie Chen Gundorph, though Femke Mølbach Slot will join as Effy on the 26th) and Gurn (between Alexander Boxinoff and Andreas Kaas). T&V will be alternately danced by Caroline Baldwin/Jonathan Chmelensky (I'm so excited for these two!) and by J'aime Crandall/Jon Axel Fransson (J'aime is really their little work horse this run) most of the nights, except for one performance with Holly Dorger/Ulrik Birkkjær in the leads. All in all, I'm halfway expecting this cast announcement to be VERY preliminary and could see some changes before the 22nd. That said, a lot of cast choices are making me a very happy fan. Although completely unexpected, I could actually easily picture J'aime in Hübbe's La Sylphide and look forward to seeing how she handles returning to the role in this form. I'm scheduled to see all three main combinations in La Sylphide, with Susanne Grinder/Marcin Kupinski in Copenhagen, J'aime Crandall/Ulrik Birkkjær and Amy Watson/Gregory Dean on tour, as well as Crandall/Dean on the 31st. Looking forward to experiencing Sebastian Kloborg as Madge and equally so to return to Sebastian Haynes' Madge as well. My beloved Stephanie Chen Gundorph as Effy on tour, as well as in the role of 1st Sylph on alternate nights. Also excited about Kizzy Matiakis getting her hands on the role again... Caroline Baldwin as 1st Sylph will be adorable and amazing, I have no doubts and the same goes for Femke Mølbach Slot as Effy, although I won't get to see either as things are looking right now. The tour casting really looks like a big jigsaw puzzle of lacking funds, to be honest, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the very best, because I love this ballet and these dancers so much. I'm also fortunate enough that I'll get to see all three casts in T&V. Caroline B./Jonathan Ch. and J'aime C./Jon Axel F. twice and Holly Dorger with Ulrik Birkkjær once with the casting announcements made this far. I am very excited! We have also just purchased tickets for closing night on the 27th of February, but casting hastn't come up for that date yet, so here's to hoping! Additionally, I HAVE to say that seeing Camilla Ruelykke Holst announced as Nancy for the tour makes me extremely happy. I've had a special attachment to her since I first noticed her, also in La Sylphide although as Effy.

Wow, what a job they'd done in the editing process. The camera work was very good, less all over the place as in Napoli and with many beautiful distanced views of the stage to really show the amazing aesthetic of it. Especially the first act was cut very well, I think. The second act suffered a bit from a lack of close-ups of J'aime's Odile in the PDD, but all in all? This better make it on DVD.

Hübbe's new interpretation of Swan Lake that was livestreamed this spring will be sent on DR K tonight at 20.00 (8 pm). I'm going to guess and say that this might mean the recording will be available on DR's website, but I haven't checked. I'm just still hoping that this means a future DVD release as was the case with Napoli.

I was so fortunate as to receive this gem of a photo collection for Christmas and despite a few shortcomings, I'll warmly recommend it to anyone interested in the RDB of current and really, anyone with an interest in ballet photography. I read Eva Kistrup's thoughts on the release and I'll agree with her on a few issues. The paper quality isn't the best. The pages are very thin which doesn't help the fact that some of the photos have been rendered in a subpar quality. However, the grainy quality runs throughout, so I'm not sure if it's not part of the aesthetic. Even so, the thin pages and the low resolution of certain images make some photos look worse for it. Overall, it's a completely decent book and the pictures... My God, the pictures. Raw, gritty, stand-alone testimonies to the moods and magic happening behind as well as on stage. I've found ten of my immediate favourite pictures: - A tender snapshot of a very young Sebastian Haynes as he observes something out of view. Really makes you realise how much he's grown, how full of a dancer he's become. - A two page spread of Silja Schandorff in Balanchine's La Sonnambula. Makes me wish I'd been following the RDB when she was their star. - A two page spread of Hübbe coaching J'aime Crandall which is a really good testimony to Hübbe's style of interaction, always touching and leading. - A picture of Gudrun Bojesen resting backstage in her costume for Tatiana from Neumeier's A Midsummer Night's Dream, I'm oddly fascinated by this one. - A wonderful picture of Cecilie Lassen laughing in her dressing room. - A picture of the reflection of an unidentifiable ballerina halfway hidden behind a black fan, the colours are amazing. - A smiling Holly Dorger in costume for Etudes (the original Lund staging, not the one where she danced the lead). - A backstage photo of three male dancers in their dressing room. One is Alban Lendorf, the other (I think) is Jonathan Chmelensky and the third, I can't identify. - A beautiful black and white photo of Amy Watson in her dressing room, getting help with a tutu. - A black and white full frontal shot of a ballerina I don't recognise in costume for La Sylphide, this one in particular is thrilling...

She is my favourite aspect of the Hübbe/Jeppesen performance that I have on DVD. Definite, indeed! Happy birthday to her. May she stay with the RDB for a long time to come.

I've been following Joy in her latest vlogs and taken a special interest in the role she's currently learning, the first wife in 1001 Nights. She says herself that she's really enjoying it and it shows in rehearsals. The style and the steps seem to fit her very well. I look forward to seeing how it progresses.

It's an amazing interview. Ida has such a straight-forward, honest and yet warm approach to her craft.

Also. I really love the (mostly) new pictures of the dancers!! Very nice.

Looks like I'll be catching at least two of the - so far - three main casts! Grinder/Kupinski/Kloborg in Copenhagen and Watson/Dean/Haynes in Aalborg (if their casting announcement is correct). Of the minor roles, I'm super excited to get to see Femke Mølbach-Slot as Effy and my beloved Stephanie Chen in the role in Aalborg. There's still a chance I might catch Kizzy Matiakis as well! For T&V, so far I'm seeing J'aime Crandall, Holly Dorger, Ulrik Birkkjær and Jon Axel Fransson, but there seems to be more than two casts (Caroline Baldwin and Jonathan Chmelensky have been cast as well), so there's a good chance I'm catching more combis along the way!

Videos and pictures from rehearsals of La Sylphide have begun to show up on Instagram. A few videos and pictures from Theme & Variations have been shared here and there as well, though mostly before The Nutcracker run began... The Royal Theatre just sent out a new subscription email with an intro to La Sylphide, mentioning Gregory Dean and Amy Watson specifically as cast in the roles of James and the Sylph, respectively. Otherwise, no official cast lists have been posted yet and with the rate the RDB have done this the first half of the season, we probably shouldn't expect any until New Year. Nevertheless, from Instagram I could piece together at least two four-member casts, but I know BA has a policy about using official sources, so I won't start the guessing game here. Is anyone planning on going? La Sylphide/T&A is going on tour in Jutland throughout January, after two initial performances in Copenhagen. Being the fannish nerd that I am, I've procured tickets for four of the Jutland performances and for a final performance in Copenhagen mid-February, too, so I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I'll be writing reviews of each performance, if anyone's interested.

Full review of the 1 o'clock performance Saturday. Fair warning, it's loooooong. I’ll be frank, before I get this review started. I am not a Nut-fan. My first exposure to it was Peter Wright’s choreography for the Royal Ballet, the DVD with Miyako Yoshida as Sugar Plum and the first time I watched it, I wasn’t impressed at all, the following times only slightly more so. However, I do prefer the RB production to Balanchine’s. I think having an adult dancing Clara makes the two acts come together and make the entire thing much more watchable than with a child in the role. I watched Balanchine’s Nutcracker when it was on the playbill with the RDB a couple of seasons back and was severely disappointed. The dancers did what they could at the time with the choreography, but I just thought that (aside from a few very singular highlights), it was a dull and dreary affair. This was the knowledge with which I sat down in my amazing front row seat Saturday. I was smack in the middle, seated between a complete family (complete as in mom, dad, two children and grandparents on either side) on their annual Christmas culture expedition and a lonely girl who seemed more interested in her phone throughout. I was in the theatre with my girlfriend, but because we’d come rather late to the ticket party, all good seats next to each other were unavailable, so we opted for a first and chose separate seats – and because I have an amazing girlfriend, she let me take the front row seat on the floor, while she herself got a front row seat on the balcony which she insisted that she preferred anyway. The RDB has been horrible about announcing casting this season, though (at least) for The Nutcracker, they listed the main roles more than a week in advance. However, Alexandra Lo Sardo seems to have been injured before her first Sugar Plum, leaving J’aime Crandall to cover for her and this has apparently messed up the casting dates without the changes being noted on the official site. Thus, I was expecting to see J’aime Crandall and Jon Axel Fransson as Sugar Plum and her Cavalier (a combination that I had truly looked forward to), only to read in my hand-out cast list that Amy Watson and Jonathan Chmelensky would be dancing the parts. Ah, well, I was hopeful. Although Amy Watson and I have enjoyed a dispassionate audience-artist relation over the past many years, I could easily imagine that Sugar Plum of all roles might be exactly the part for her, not to mention that Chmelensky is a favourite of mine. So I curbed my disappointment and instead decided to let myself be pleasantly surprised, if everything turned out for the best. And almost everything did! Although as soon as the overture started playing, I could hear that the orchestra was off by miles (I swear, the musical performance of The Nutcracker that I heard this weekend was one of the worst performances I’ve yet had to sit through from Det Kongelige Kapel) and it must be said that there were parts of the dance performance that suffered under the lack of musical coherency, the RDB presented a wholly enjoyable and very, very successfully The Nutcracker this time around. I wasn’t the only one who enjoyed it. When it was time for curtain call, the entire house was soon on its feet and this was a sold out house, so there were many people standing as they applauded. I remember from my first encounter with Balanchine’s The Nutcracker that I found the first act jaw-crackingly boring, right up until the Waltz of the Snowflakes. But Saturday blessed me with Sebastian Kloborg as Drosselmeier and he not only managed to run like a red thread through the Stahlbaum party, but he truly defined the role for me. He wasn’t old and scary, rather he was the eccentric, odd uncle I guess most families sport at least one, if not several of. The kind you know will never marry for whatever reason and who serves an entirely different purpose within the family dynamics at every party he graces with his presence. I absolutely adored him and he reaped a much-deserved, thunderous applause at first act’s curtain call. I also think that the RDB character dancers and corps really brought something out in the setting of Balanchine’s first act. Both Mr. and Mrs. Stahlbaum were lovingly portrayed by Cedric Lambrette and Eva Kloborg respectively, while the other guests and the maids were given individual storylines that you could follow as they unfolded on stage. The one I noticed most and kept returning to when I got tired of watching the children was a young housewife type in a very faint blue dress whose sleeves she kept tugging further and further down her arms to expose her shoulders in the general direction of her disinterested husband who was much more interested in the maid who was serving drinks. Eventually the housewife got so fed up with his disregard that she walked up to the maid herself and just snatched a champagne flute, drowning it all in one go from sheer frustration. It was marvellous acting which I really thought brought life and entertainment to a scene that can otherwise grow very long and dull. As for the children of the production… I think especially our Marie (is she always called Marie in Balanchine’s Nutcracker or is that only here?) was quite spectacular. Mathilde Cohn – she was incredibly expressive and already a fabulous actress even while dancing. I look forward to seeing if she has a future in the RDB one day. Lukas Helt who danced Fritz was quite amusing to watch, too. Phillip Katsnelson who portrayed the Nutcracker Prince did best in the beginning, but really did have great interaction with Cohn’s Marie at the party, in a manner that made you very much buy their childhood sweetheart romance. The first solos were with Julien Roman as Harlequin and Silvia Selvini as Columbine. I think their dances really suffered under the botched musical accompaniment. Silvia Selvini managed to hold on to the doll-like movements almost throughout and was a joy to look at in her costume, but Roman seemed to struggle following a tempo that was close to impossible to distinguish. However, as the Soldier Doll, Andreas Kaas who came after was nothing short of amazing and despite the music still not being up to par, he upheld the wow effect that this solo must have not to fall flat. He was completely on point at all times and there was a boy seated behind me who had shown no interest in the production at all until then, but who muttered to his mom: Wow, look at that! I am really sold on Kaas. I loved him as Armand, even if I didn’t necessarily think that particular La Dame aux Camélias performance was a great success and I’ve loved him in everything I’ve seen him in since, particularly in an absolutely lovely Flower Festival PDD with Kizzy Matiakis at the RDB’s summer tour this year. Hopefully, he’ll soon be named soloist. God knows, the company could need more male soloists in their ranks. The battle against the mice was what it was. I will never really enjoy that part. I think the children were adorable and Bryant Steenstra was very good at improvising when Cohn missed her mark and had her shoe soar right over his head, instead of at him. Other than that, I was basically just sitting tight, waiting for the Waltz of the Snow Flakes – my absolute favourite part of Balanchine’s Nutcracker, especially in the RDB’s magnificent sets. It didn’t disappoint whatsoever. First off, the music picked up and finally settled at a quality not too far from the usual. Our corps girls were spectacular and like previously noted, it was so lovely to see that our company at this point has broadened in its range of accepted body types. None of these girls are an ounce overweight (although, I’ve had the displeasure of sitting next to two elderly ladies who were rather crudely discussing whether Ji Min Hong wasn’t a bit too fat to dance), but you now see curves that there were none of when I started attending the RDB’s performances just five year ago. It makes me so incredibly happy. They were all perfectly in sync and added a great pace and that particular feeling of “flutter” to their dancing, so it really felt like a small blizzard. I know the hand-held snowball contraptions aren’t to everyone’s liking, but I personally really enjoy the sense of flight and fall that they add to the dancers port de bra. At the end of this scene, I was left with a fair few tears at the corner of my eye. It was very, very moving to see. The funny thing is that after having written this first half of my review, I realise that I was going to say that the second act of Balanchine’s Nutcracker is my favourite aspect of the production, but now I’m not so sure anymore. Perhaps because both acts have their strong points and less strong points and if they had been paired with another act that the one they each precede/follow, I think they would each have made much more sense, too. Because no matter how much I think first act lacks true dancing qualities, second act just isn’t the answer to that shortcoming. The second act doesn’t seem to throw any ties back to the world of the first act whatsoever and once the Sugar Plum Fairy has been introduced, it all waters down to an endless display of variations with no real connection or story. Dancing for the sake of dancing alone and it seems a tad bit misplaced in a story ballet. If only Marie had been the red thread throughout like the character is in Peter Wright’s version, for example, I think it would have faired better… That said, the dancing we saw in the second act was for the most part mesmerizing, though still not consistently helped along by the music. Amy Watson’s entry as the Sugar Plum Fairy was one of the most enchanting things I ever saw. She was charming, warm, engaged and with a very sweet expression, all attributes I don’t normally associate with Watson at all, but she made an instant fan of me. Up first was the Chocolate dance. I was pleased to see Camilla Ruelykke Holst listed as the leading woman – I don’t think I saw her in any parts worth of note all last season and she’s a nostalgic favourite of mine. She was lovely and contagiously good-humoured to watch, but the true star of the Chocolate dance was Sebastian Haynes as the lead man. The Spanish theme suited him perfectly, the brown costume which might otherwise have easily washed him out only made him pop and he was so alive, so full of energy and invited a thrilling chemistry with Ruelykke that I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He was gorgeous. I have loved him since I first saw him in a role where I could look up his name, but this was truly a powerful performance from him. I hope that he, much like Kaas, will soon be promoted to soloist. He deserves it so much. Next was my other corps favourite, Stephanie Chen Gundorph. For a solo that relies so much on the music, her Arabian Coffee was amazing. Chen Gundorph has the most incredibly intense features and she knows how to use them, too – while, at the same time, her dancing carries the same intensity. Recently I saw someone describing her as a work of art on Instagram and I honestly couldn’t agree more. She looked great in the Arabian costume, although I think the headgear was awful and didn’t do her any favours. Nevertheless, the skirt billowed just perfectly around her long, lean legs and the two-part garment only helped elongating her already tall figure. She was a sight to behold and her perfect use of the timbers gave me goosebumps. The dad who was sitting next to me and who had otherwise been sleeping a major percentage of the performance away suddenly woke up and came to life. Seductive and mesmerizing, those were the perfect words to describe her with. Then followed the Chinese dance and I must say that not only was I disappointed to see that the RDB hadn’t done away with the awful pointing fingers, but I really disliked the costumes for (especially the two female) dancers. Such stereotypical colour choices and motifs, teacups for hats and the teapot Julien Roman who danced the lead had to climb out of. I just didn’t like it one bit, although Roman had very impressive split jumps and he should be rightfully praised for those. Another favourite of mine, Liam Redhead, danced the Candy Cane dance with the hoop and I remember being distinctively impressed by this one the first time around – and since I absolutely love Liam Redhead and think him capable of pretty much anything and everything, I had high hopes. It wasn’t that I was disappointed as such, but the music wasn’t helping him and he just did everything so nonchalantly that it seemed almost too easy which I know this choreography is anything but. It wasn’t the best I’d seen him during the solo itself, but later when the various sweets enter the stage again during the finale, his hoop-jumping looked much more impressive, despite how there really wasn’t a great difference in his execution aside from the music which really (finally) nailed it at the end. Next cue was for the Marzipan Shepherdesses led by Ida Praetorius. I will get two things off my chest right away. I hate, hate, hate the Marzipan costumes that RDB has stuck those poor ballerinas in. They are absolutely hideous. Secondly, either Saturday’s noon performance wasn’t Ida Praetorius’ moment to shine or she simply disliked the costume as much as I did. She looked very out of her element, often somewhat strained in her smile and less on point dancing-wise than I know that she’s capable of. Or maybe she was bored. The Marzipan dance isn’t very exciting and I’ve noticed a general tendency with Praetorius that she needs choreography/roles that she can really connect with for her amazing charisma to burn through in full. Lolita was perfect for her, the young self in The Death That Best Preserves likewise, whereas the Marzipan Shepherdess…? Not so much. Cedric Lambrette was back in act two as Mother Ginger and he was amazing. Very amusing to watch. He drew tons of laughter, especially from the children. One of the dancers I’d looked most forward to seeing was Lena-Maria Gruber as Dewdrop. I’m a big fan of Gruber and have plenty of fond memories of her dazzling smile from other roles – and could easily imagine that she’d be perfect as Dewdrop with her strong technique. Not to mention that Eva Kistrup had spoken very warmly of her take on the role in her latest review. So, maybe I had sat myself up for disappointment, especially with how the orchestra completely butchered the entire Flower Waltz, from start to finish. Gruber wasn’t the only one who suffered under it. All the ballerinas struggled to make the choreography the cohesive, beautiful whole it’s supposed to be and for the most part, they failed. Gruber, for her part, didn’t quite achieve the lightness and finesse that Dewdrop requires to hold the Waltz as a whole together. She held her positions beautifully and several of her leaps were very nice, but none of it made me go wow like I might have expected and remember from seeing Ida Praetorius dance the role in 2013. However, I think it was most obvious from the Flowers that the choreography just generally didn’t come together as it should, because it looked rather messy. As solo flowers we had Alba Nadal and Kizzy Matiakis, two very strong dancers under normal circumstances and Nadal also managed to soldier through largely unscathed, but Matiakis appeared to hurt herself very early on in the dance, badly enough that she had difficulties stretching and lifting one of her legs fully. Matiakis is usually one of those dancers who makes everything look easy, breezy, always with an air of lightness about her, so the change was noticeable and I couldn’t help also notice that the only times she could smile was when Nadal and she locked eyes. A thin smile that did make Nadal look somewhat alarmed. Nevertheless, she got through the entire dance and appeared back on stage for all the other segments where the flowers dance, so it mustn’t have been bad enough to warrant that she pull out, just bad enough that it looked extremely hurtful even to my untrained eye. Finally, Amy Watson and Jonathan Chmelensky entered the stage again and embarked on one of the most beautiful renditions of the Sugar Plum PDD that I have seen. As partners, they suited each other very well, with Watson’s sweet demeanour absorbing a bit of Chmelensky’s regality as her Cavalier, while she added the necessary frosting to his character in return. Chmelensky is undoubtedly one of the best dancers in the company when it comes to partnering skills and he really showed just how reliable a force he is while dancing with Watson. There were no disasters in their PDD, but there were a couple of times where Watson would wobble, look strained or otherwise seem to need the extra support and he supported her effortlessly, making the entire thing look rather perfect. Their chemistry was very intimate and they reminded me a bit of wedding cake figures, in the best of ways. I remember reading in a review of the last Nutcracker run that Watson had struggled with the shoulder landing last time she danced the role, but there were no such issues this time around. She landed beautifully on Chmelensky’s shoulder both times and he lifted her with ease. Really, it was an incredible PDD. Watson struggled a bit more obviously in the Sugar Plum variations, but made no blunders and had some great moments here and there, too. Mostly she just seemed to suffer from sore feet with her expression stiffening every now and then, rather than making any real choreographic mistakes. It didn’t distract from her overall success in the role, I think. On the other hand, there was no strain or stumble with Jonathan Chmelensky in his Cavalier solos. I know that Chmelensky is Cuban-trained and his jumping especially still shows it. Once more, the boy behind me woke up from his slumber and was loudly impressed. Several of his finishes and leaps reaped completely spontaneous applause from an audience that obviously, mostly consisted of non-ballet goers. I thought THAT was impressive, but fully deserved. This is really a role that Chmelensky has defined for me and I don’t even normally find it that interesting a role, so it’s well-meant praise. The finale was lovely, especially as the music picked up and caught up to par with the dancing. Once more, as the curtain fell, I was left behind with a few stay tears that dried on my cheeks while an entire Old Stage was on its feet, applauding the dancers. I also (happily) noticed that besides Watson and Chmelensky, Stephenie Chen Gundorph was the one to receive the loudest praise. All in all, my revisit with Balanchine’s Nutcracker was successful, because the RDB was able to make it so. Their dancers have come a long way over the past couple of years and I am proud of everything that Hübbe has been able to coax out of his company when he can make even a sceptic like me love a rather flat production like Balanchine’s Nutcracker, despite all her stubborn reservations.