Syrene Hvid

I'm so glad you enjoyed Know, Anne! It was definitely my fav of the night, too.

Through Alban Lendorf's Instagram, I just found out that the RDB (through Opus Art) has released Hübbe's revision of Napoli on DVD. It features Alban Lendorf as Gennaro, Alexandra Lo Sardo as Teresina and Benjamin Buza as Golfo. You can also purchase it over Amazon! I'm so excited about this for two reasons. One, I missed Napoli when it originally ran and never caught it on TV either, so this is a great chance to own it. But more importantly, it makes me dare hope that the RDB's new Swan Lake might make it onto DVD before too long as well. Maybe they're going for an Alban Lendorf collection in the vein of La Scala's Bolle releases... Even more wildly, dare I hope that Hübbe's La Sylphide is next? Anyway, this is great news!

Short Time Together was a three-piece look at modern lifes experience of time passing. After the curtain went down on the last ballet of the evening (the title choreography), I was left with a feeling that each separate performance had shed light on a different aspect of this overall theme. The Death That Best Preserves was death in dancing. The story showed how life is ultimately a race towards the end, but how the end embraces everything that came before rather than erasing it. Know was a close inspection of the present, of the here and now and how we tend to bury ourselves in it, because too much lies ahead, too much lies around us to comprehend and take in. Lastly, Short Time Together itself toyed with life in terms of human relations in its various forms and all its absurdity. I loved it. I loved it so much that I cant even pick a favourite ballet out of the three, I thought they were all perfect at conveying the issue that was theirs to portray. They all left me in deep thought, inspired to some degree and definitely, definitely touched. The casting I saw was the first, opening night cast. In the Death That Best Preserves that meant some of the main figures were portrayed by Kizzy Matiakis (the old woman), Ida Praetorius (her younger self), Marcin Kupinski (Death), Alba Nadal and Sebastian Kloborg (the parents) with Oliver Starpov as the wasp. Everyone were nothing short of perfect in their roles and you could definitely tell that the ballet had been created on them, they owned it. I was particularly impressed with Kizzy Matiakis whom Ive otherwise had an ambivalent opinion on (after having seen her in roles such as Prudence, Effie, Birthe and various minor parts in Swan Lake last season). This is the absolute finest performance Ive seen from her, hands down, and I couldnt disagree more that this should be considered a lying down/sitting role. There was lying and sitting, yes, but she was so fully present and so completely engrossed in the part that it was interesting to watch not to mention, that there was still plenty of dancing for her to do. And what amazing dancing, even Death couldnt follow! Similarly, Marcin Kupinski took me by complete surprise as Death Hes always been my least favourite of the current male principal line-up, but in Death he seems to finally have found a role where his acting and dancing can come together successfully, with a cold breeze of sensitivity and yet, a shimmer of empathy. It was such a joy to watch and I was utterly impressed, especially in the part where the Old Woman puts on her floral gown and dances her final dance. He tries to steer it in the direction he knows it needs to go and yet allows her to part with life in the manner that suits her best. It was touching. Actually, the entire ballet was so touching that I cried during it and I could tell that I wasnt the only one. Ida Praetorius had been given the role of the younger self and I cant help wondering if someone saw her in Lolita over the summer, because it was basically a boiled down, abuse-stripped version of that character which means: Everything Ida Praetorius does best. Fiery and feisty and a true wild child. She was an absolute joy to watch and has grown much more secure in her partnering, too. It made me very happy to see. Alba Nadal and Sebastian Kloborg were both good in their parenting parts, but the parts themselves were not memorable and probably the least intense aspect of the ballet. I much preferred Nadal in Know and Kloborg in Short Time Together. Finally, the wasp Oh, the laughs that he drew in his over-dimensional costume and his orgasmic glee over the flowers. Oliver Starpov was splendid and did the parts humoristic nature great justice without it becoming just antics and no meaning. I loved the way the gigantic wings on the costume would flap around his body wildly when he moved. All in all, I really loved The Death That Best Preserves it was a gentle, sympathetic rendition of a woman leaving life behind and felt very personal. However, I must also say that out of the three choreographies that evening, The Death That Best Preserves was the one that was most forgettable to me, except forgettable is the wrong word because I still remember it, it just didnt leave as vivid an impression as the two ballets that followed. Know, on the other hand Wow, Know. Know felt like a piece of installation art in a museum. A moving, breathing one. Amidst this wave of dancers on stage at once, its difficult picking out distinct people because as the ballet progressed, they all gained personality and uniqueness, but I have to mention Astrid Elbo, Alba Nadal, Tim Matiakis and Liam Redhead in particular. Amazing presences in the seeming chaos. It began with Astrid Elbo coming on stage and introducing herself, engaging the audience, continuously asking random people how they were feeling and responding to their answers in accordance. Lots of smiles, goods and thumb-ups. The atmosphere she created was warm and buzzing with a certain excitement. Then came a bunch of other dancers out into the audience rows, Alba Nadal and Tim Matiakis on first row a few rows ahead of me and I spotted Liam Redhead somewhere in the back, behind me. They shook hands, had little conversations with the audience. It was an amazing experience, feeling the atmosphere in that room just get electric with the interaction. Slowly, the dancers migrated up onto the stage. Found their positions and waited for their cue in silence. The dancing looked chaotic to the eye, but so chaotic that you knew it was intentional. That you just had to give yourself up to the randomness and the unforgiving pace and be swept away anyway, trusting the dancers to lead you where you were supposed to go. Unlike in The Death That Best Preserves the story wasnt spelled out and no one held your hand throughout with immediately recognisable imagery. You had to think for yourself and I loved that. The dancing was mixed with sounds, laughter and cries. Astrid Elbo moved in and out between the others, some followed her, some fell into their own rhythms, fell into their own choreographic worlds. Liam Redhead got to show off some amazing jumps. You forgot time, watching it. There was only the now. Suddenly, Astrid Elbo stopped during what felt like a climax. Stopped off to the side, just staring at the fourth wall. Staring at us and looking lost. In the blink of an eye, she seemed to make up her mind and started taking off all her clothes. All of it, except her panties. Naked, she started telling us about what she didnt know. I dont know if theres enough food in the world for everyone. I, on my part, didnt know how to feel, honestly. I couldnt look away, but at the same time it was as if I was looking at myself, my own mind. Then, she started putting on her clothes again quickly, the entire choreography that had led up to that point was reversed and danced backwards, words spoked backwards, backwards walking, shadows spinning backwards. All of it backwards. As such, you sort of got to see Know twice. Once moving forward and once moving back to the starting point, a bit like time sometimes throws us into loops. At the end, there was Astrid again. Hello, my name is Astrid. And with everything youd just seen, you suddenly knew. You suddenly knew who Astrid was. I was blown away. However, I can understand why certain people wouldnt like Know at all. It was clearly experimental in nature and raw in its expression. Except the use of shadows and the static crackling of a microphone, it was sort of bare. It felt less like a ballet performance and more like an experience, dance theatre maybe. If you dont want that, if you want the pointes and the highly recognisable body language, Know isnt for you. I thought Know was bold, though, and I thought Know was genuine. If Susanne Grinder hadnt been dancing in Short Time Together, I wouldnt hesitate to call Know my favourite ballet of the night. Yes, Im guilty. Short Time Together, the only choreography of the night that wasnt created on the Danish dancers (though, the segments with Susanne Grinder, Sebastian Kloborg and Sebastian Haynes had been revised for them specifically) and the title piece of the night, was like a streamlined and smooth-operating version of Jiri Kylians aesthetic. You could definitely see where the inspiration came from. The ballet was sort of split in two with the fast-paced, red hue part danced by Gregory Dean, Stephanie Sahlgren, Alexander Bozinoff and Andreas Kaas. The leading male role was a perfect fit for Gregory Dean and he seemed to be having tons of fun opposite Sahlgreens very Greek statuesque female lead with her quirky moments. Of the two male supports, Andreas Kaas really stood out. The more I see of him, the more I like him and I cant wait to see what waits in store for him further ahead in his career. Im already predicting another great male profile that we could easily lose to international companies The other part of the ballet was all slow-motion and endless balances. This trio was lead by Susanne Grinder and Sebastian Haynes who seem to be paired up more and more frequently lately, something that I completely approve of. Haynes may be young, but his build is perfect for Susanne and the partnering that I saw in Short Time Together was already a hundred times more secure than what I saw in Swan Lake. Grinders character was the constant impact on Sebastian Kloborgs character, her serene figure clad in beautiful costumes with white being the common thread. Her long, loose hair was absolute gorgeous to look at as she forced her body through the agonizingly slow movements. Solo, Grinder has really come far. Looking at her balance Friday and remembering her Nikiya from a few seasons ago She has grown so much stronger and more secure. Her partnering has always been amazing, but it seemed completely fluent opposite Haynes and Kloborg. I hope its a partnering option the management will keep in mind for her in the future, too. Haynes, like Kaas, has grown immensely over summer. When he ascended the stage at the beginning, he was a man where hed looked more like a teenage boy in Swan Lake. He was assertive, calm, controlled and very serious. His mimicry is to die for. Dear God, let this be the one male dancer that wont get away from us. Please. I thought Short Time Together overall bore the obvious marks of having been tried out on another cast first and worked there. It was a beautiful, effective ballet and earned the biggest applause at the end from the audience, but personally I didnt care too much for the middle, fast-paced part and could easily have enjoyed another, additional segment of Grinder-Haynes-Kloborg, but what I got was lovely and had moments of true ballet bliss. Conclusion? I think this mixed bill was exactly that, a mixed bill. I was lucky that I liked all the bonbons in the bag, but I know not everybody shares my broad tastes. I can understand why some would feel this is the RDB treading water desperately and not always being able to keep their head above, but what I see is the will and the courage to put new shoes on their dancers and see how best to shape a distinctive style for them, in the modern department as well. I think these clothes are promising, full of potential, if not yet perfect. Give them another few seasons to work on the fitting and the style and well soon have something distinctive and altogether ours at the RDB when it comes to contemporary and modern ballet, too. Im confident. Friday night made me confident.

What a lovely interview, BalletPerfection1! I have written a full review of the performance, but can't seem to paste it into the box. Help?

Saw Short Time Together yesterday and it was absolutely incredible. It definitely deserves a longer, more in-depth review, but I've basically just got back home to Aarhus and severely need sleep to put into words the experience, so it'll have to wait till tomorrow. Until then, rest assured that just because it's a bill that will inevitably divide the audience (the audience response yesterday was indeed very mixed), I don't think it was lacking true quality dancing or didn't show great potential for development. Whether you like it or not, I think, basically comes down to tastes. I was lucky, Short Time Together was right up my alley.

Danish newspaper Politiken reviewed Short Time Together and gave it a solid four out of six stars. They particularly praised its use of sound and its attempt at bringing the RDB into a future beyond tutus and Bournonville.

The Danish newspaper Berlingske has reviewed Short Time Together and gave it five out of six stars! The original, Danish review can be found here: http://m.b.dk/?redirect=www.b.dk/scene/doeden-som-livsledsager&

Eva Kistrup has reviewed yesterday's performance on her website and was very unimpressed with the two new choreographies, but seemed relatively pleased with the title piece.

Last season, I generally thought they were pretty good at announcing their casting in advance, I think they usually said at least two weeks before opening night and stuck to it until Swan Lake seemed to disturb that trend with its many injuries... The new website has such potential, it's such a pretty and simple design, but like you said - they've also cut the dancer bios in the process which is such a shame, because sometimes you want to look into a particular that you weren't familiar with beforehand... Sigh. Well. I just hope that they'll start the season out strong with Short Time Together - so far the ticket sales don't seem to be doing too well even as early as October 2nd when I'm going. I didn't expect sold out houses like with classics such as Swan Lake, but still... I had hoped the ballet interest would stick over summer, at least, and make more people give other productions a try.

Yesterday was the premiere of the modern mixed bill, Short Time Together. Did anyone go? Besides from the dancers themselves and one of the choreographers that I also follow who all seem practically enamoured with this production, there hasn't been much of a buzz about this performance on Instagram which is how I keep myself updated on the comings and goings of the RDB these days (they're crap at updating their new website - pretty layout, horrible functionality - casting wasn't even up until yesterday morning! I hope this won't be a trend this season)... The promo pictures that have been released on the website look amazing, likewise with both the backstage video and the trailer. I'm really excited for this production, because I've been dying to see the RDB in modern works forever, I really think they of all companies have the range of expression and emotional intensity in their dancing not just to render it void movements to music. I'll be seeing it on the 2nd of October, so I'll definitely review it myself there, but until then - there's a performance tonight and on Tuesday as well, if anyone goes to see it, please share your experience!

Nothing wrong with disagreeing. However, I'll have to add that I purposedly didn't use the word joy, because I - like you - noticed the evident lack of outward happiness. It just so happens that I am a firm believer in struggle and hardship being able to create just as much beauty as joy, albeit of a different kind and it was this sort of beauty that I saw portrayed in the film and commented on.

Now that I've watched a couple of the dance-related videos, I must admit that I think it's an absolutely fantastic idea and a perfect platform to boost the awareness of ballet as an art form to audiences who wouldn't otherwise access it, whether due to a lack of interest or exposure. Not to mention, a real treat for anyone interested in ballet already... I particularly loved the videos Nephtali and Laura, though Ascension was breathtakingly beautiful, too, and Etoiles, I See You was very entertaining and fascinating to watch. About Laura... I actually loved this video so much, I can't even say. I think it did everything right that Black Swan got wrong - the intense absorbation into an art form that demands the impossible and the perfect from its artists every single day. Where Black Swan was just a look into the disturbed mind of a crazy girl who happened to dance ballet and thus, managed to portray the ballet world as a whole as unhealthy in general, Laura rather seemed to embrace the ballet setting and showed - with a sort of fond awareness - that ballet IS indeed a demanding profession and the people who become professionals in the field will have to give themselves fully, in every way. But at the same time, it showed this reality in the light of the beauty that we as an audience experience every time we attend a performance and the light I hope and trust that the dancers themselves see their labour basked in. Yeah, I really loved it. It woved me. I'm looking forward to more of the same caliber.

I know that the Bournonville school has raised some renowned male dancers over time and that it's often the male dancers that make it to the top of this field on the international scene, Alban Lendorf being the most recent proof. However, I'm much more interested in hearing about who ranks among your favourite current dancers when it comes to the RDB ballerinas! Personally, I am a Susanne Grinder fan through and through. She was the face that originally made me take an interest in ballet as a whole and the RDB in particular and over the past five years, I've consistently enjoyed everything I've seen her in - with Marguerite from Lady of the Camellias and the Sylph from La Sylphide being the parts that she's truly defined for me. Other than that, she's the sweetest and most sympathetic person. I love her strong acting and sensitivity especially and would love to see her as Tatiana in Onegin and maybe, finally, get the chance to see her as Odette/Odile. Stephanie Chen Gundorph is still only a corps member, but I've seen her in several supporting roles, my favourite being Olympia from Lady of the Camellias and the Russian Princess in the new Swan Lake, although her Effie was also great. I've really taken a shine to this girl. She has such a strong stage presence and has so far embodied all her roles equally well, despite how different they were which makes me think that she might just be able to do everything! I really hope she'll be promoted to soloist soon, so I can get to see her in larger and main roles. I'd love to see her dance something more classical, like Emma from Hübbe's La Bayadere, if not Nikiya... Actually, on second thought - I'd love to see her as Nikiya. But really, she's one of the few dancers in the RDB that I can really imagine in any role. Additional shout-outs to Holly Jean Dorger who I'm hoping will make principal now that both Gitte Lindstrøm and Gudrun Bojesen are (one officially and the other unofficially) off the board. She is so technically secure and has a wonderful, warm presence on stage. Of the three Odiles I saw this spring (one of whom was J'aime Crandall who's also a technically strong dancer), Dorger was definitely the one who had the best fouettes. She killed them! It looked like no effort at all. She was a charming Prudence in Lady of the Camellias. I think I'd love to see her in the "really" classical roles like Aurora and Sugar Plum, princess-types. Last but not least, I need to mention both J'aime Crandall and Ida Praetorius who are both delightful, although it's taken me some time to really warm up to them for different reasons. Crandall is such a strong technician, but always left me somewhat cold emotionally (her Manon from Lady of the Camellias being the one exception), until I saw her as Odette/Odile where she completely discarded her shell. Her Odile remains my favourite interpretation of the role I've seen. Now I regret not seeing her as Aurora and Nikiya, roles where her strong technique can shine and her gentle demeanour fit the mould of the character. Ida Praetorius sort of represented the opposite problem for me. She had so much stage presence that I really wanted to like her, but after The Lesson where I loved her as the Student, her roles always seemed to fall through for me. And in Swan Lake, her technique simply didn't measure up either. However, seeing her in Lolita made me realise that maybe, like J'aime, Praetorius needs specific kind of roles to truly shine. Something a bit different and more quirky than the average Russian princess Prima. I think she would have done better as Prudence in Lady of the Camellias than as Marguerite. With her spirit, I'd love to see her as Teresina in Napoli or any of the three female leads in Neumeier's A Midsummer Night's Dream (maybe particularly Hermia or Helena) and in due time, I know she'll make the perfect Sylph. Other than that, I really think Praetorius should do more contemporary and modern ballets, I'd love to see her in anything by Jiri Kylian. (Sorry about early post, my fingers slipped...)

Oh, congratulations to her!

And by Helene, I meant Anne. It's too late here...

Helene. To my understanding, Watson suffered a severe injury during the US tour last winter and it's taken her a long time to recover. When I saw her in La Sylphide in March, she was clearly not at the top of her game and Eva Kistrup, as far as I recall, mentioned in her review that she couldn't do Odile's fouettes in Swan Lake, the choreography having been completely redone for her - so it seemed that she has struggled a lot. What I saw Friday was definitely the best I've seen her in a long time, especially in the Dean piece... Which makes me wonder. You may have seen her in more parts than I - do you have a favourite role for her? Everything I've seen her in (mainly Hermia in Midsummer Night's Dream, Prudence in Lady of the Camellias, Spanish princesse in Swan Lake and the Sylph) has fallen flat for me personally, but considering the life she brought to On the Feeling of Light, it's making me think I should either try see her in more contemporary choreography or instead try catching her in the big classics like La Bayadere and Swan Lake. With Don Quixote coming up this season, it might be worth a try!

A couple of weeks ago, I saw Praetorius in Lolita, but never got around to write about it. I'll rectify that now! Lolita was a very enjoyable ballet with a perfect, albeit very small cast, Ida Praetorius as the title character of Lolita. All the female dancers dance in slippers, except Lolita's mother (brilliantly danced) on pointe. You could tell that this role had been created for Praetorius, because it really catered to all her strengths and her youthfulness. Her acting was amazing and it was what struck me the most, because it's something I've kind of missed from her a little bit. Mimicry, yes, but mostly she let her body talk for her and it was absolutely wonderful to watch - if any of you have watched the recording of the RDB Swan Lake on youtube, her interpretation of Lolita was a bit like her Neapolitan princess, but on drugs. It did something to her dancing, not being confined to pointe shoes. I read in an interview that after a growth spurt in her teens, she struggled to regain her balance point and I've sometimes had a feeling that being on pointe limits her freedom in terms of movement. Not that she isn't brilliant on pointe, but she just seemed... so much more at ease and much more natural in her range dancing Lolita in slippers than when she's on pointe. I completely fell in love with her and honestly appreciate her amazing body mechanics. She was like a perfectly strung instrument. When I left the theatre, I even felt kind of sad that I don't live in Copenhagen, so I would be able to catch another performance of the show. I'd like to see how it would develop throughout the run. Ah well. At least, I've seen the light when it comes to Praetorius now!

Oh. I forgot to mention that the general theme of the festival is "light" and Hübbe said that it was the tie between the segments. I can see it for La Sylphide which was a rehearsal of the window scene where Hübbe emphasised the notion of the Sylph floating into the room on a beam of light. Fløe also had some mention of light in her last poem and Laid Back performed "Sunshine Reggae", not to mention that Dean's work was directly inspired by this theme. Other than that... Maybe a bit of a stretch, but it was definitely a good evening.

The RDB was invited to open Aarhus Festival tonight (last night, I suppose, seeing as we're past midnight) and I attended their performance at our local music theatre. It was a very mixed bill in the style of (and also called) Hübberiet - the usual outreach performances that Hübbe stages a couple of times a season. The programme called it a gala - I'm not sure I'd take it that far, but it was very interesting and I had an amazing view. Hübbe himself was the host throughout the one and a half hour long performance. The evening started out with him singing (yes, singing) a well-known revue tune about Aarhus, accompanied by the pianist which really lifted the atmosphere amongst the audience. If you were wondering... No, Nikolaj Hübbe isn't the next pop star, but his voice wasn't horrible either and he certainly gave it his all and showed lots of humor about it, too. The programme (dance-wise) was dominated by the women of the RDB, the cast including 9 of them (most notably Amy Watson and Holly Dorger who both had PDDs) and only one gent, Jonathan Chlemensky who, according to the programme that hadn't been updated, seemed to be filling in for Alban Lendorf in tree different segments. After Hübbe's lovely opening, the first segment was with Jonathan Chlemensky dancing a solo from Come Fly Away. He is a brilliant dancer, e really is, but paled a bit in this choreography. September of My Years. Maybe it was the lack of scenography or live orchestra or he simply hadn't had the time to develop the dance (as far as I know, this is the first time he dances that particular role, correct me if I'm mistaken), but it wasn't the best of introductions, unfortunately. Then followed a segmenent featuring Carmen Linares, a world-renowned flamenco dancer and singer. Linares herself was beyond her dancing years and sung throughout their performance. First alone, accompanied by a pianist who would then sing, too. Honestly, I found her voice horribly grating and would rather have listened to his - but then the flamenco dancer entered and suddenly Linares' voice made sense. It was intense and captivating and I had goosebumps a couple of times. Flamenco is raw girl power embodiment, I tell you! Afterwards followed a sort of mime demonstration/rehearsal situation of La Sylphide - the scene where James is left alone and the Sylph enters through the window and the entire PDD that comes after. Amy Watson danced the Sylph (like she did last season) with Jonathan Chlemensky dancing James, another role that was new to him, although it worked in this segment because it gave Hübbe more opportunities to instruct him. First they went through the first part of the PDD with Hübbe kind of translating the mime word for word "I you love", "I for you have shed tears", etc. to show people the true drama of the dialogue. It was interesting and fun and people obviously liked it. After that, they danced the entire scene. I kind of missed Bournonville school-trained Danes in this, bit everything considered - Watson and Chlemensky did very well. They were appealing and seemed really nice. I noticed that although Watson's technique has improved since February (recovering from her injury finally?), she still seems quite earth-bound and not light like a dancer such as Susanne Grinder, for example. However, she had an amazing interpretation of the character, adding something quite dark and demonic to it. My gf straight out called her "scary". Chlemensky was a very demure James, but he was wonderfully musical in his movements and emphasised even the littlest gestures. I'd like to see him dance the full ballet some day. After this, we heard two poems performed by performance poet, Bianca Fløe. She was young and came in on bare feet, with her long and blonde hair hanging loose around her shoulders. Everything about her screamed: Rebel! It was really something and her poetry was so inspiring. I was impressed, usually I don't like contemporary, Danish poetry at all. Then, the White Swan PDD danced by Holly Dorger and Chlemensky. I noticed certain, subtle changes to the choreography - probably to accommodate that Chlemensky didn't have that long to take over from Lendorf who's danced the part before. For example, at the trust falls when Dorger releasea Chlemensky's grip and falls backwards on one foot, he steps around her and catches her with two hands around her waist rather than one supporting arm. The first time, I thought it was simply a mistake, but when he did it the second time as well, I guessed it was intentional. Dorger gets better and better for each time I see her as Odette. This time, she not only expressed deep feelings for Siegfried, but had also added a very nice fluidity to the lines of her arms and legs that showed true despair and pain. I really hope this girl is promoted to principal once Bojesen retires... Chlemensky was a good support for Dorger and they looked extremely good together. I think they's make a good pair in the future. Then there was a mini concert (three songs) with 80s band Laid Back who became world famous for Sunshine Reggea. It was fun, but also loud. Several peope actually left during this. Finally came one of the things I'd been waiting for most! The world premiere of Gregory Dean's "On The Feeling Of Light" set to a rearranges version of Vivaldi's 4 Seasons. It is a piece created for ladies only, Amy Watson being the leading figure, but the ensemble including Dorger, Alexandra Lo Sardo, Femke Slot, Lena-Maria Gruber, Caroline Baldwin, Hilary Guswiler, Emma Håkansson and Louise Østergaard. It was absolutely amazing. I love Dean's style and here... There was a lot of synch dancing, very rapid travelling across the floor and a wonderful play with light. At times, pirouetting around the stage so fast that the eye could barely follow, the dancers looked like leaves on a gust of wind. Perfect for the music and a clear testament to the strength of the RDB. I hope it stays in the repertory. The dancers got a roaring applause and came forward six or so times before the lights went up. I think Hübbe definitely won over some "jyder" with this.

I actually think this sounds really interesting! I follow the POB's Instagram and they've been posting about it the past couple of days...

Glad to see that Watson is getting to perform in the US! She was made artistic advisor for Avery Ballet earlier this summer (I think she's an alumni?) and now this... Judging by the videos on her instagram, she's in fine shape and will do the Bournonville style proud. OBT got lucky!

Seeing that Praetorius debuted in the title role of the world premiere of Lolita at the Bellevue Theatre yesterday, I thought it was about time that this heavily promoted soloist at the RDB got her own thread. I've pretty much "travelled" with Praetorius the entire way. One of my first stage experiences was her debut as the student in The Lesson, opposite of Thomas Lund in 2011 when she was still only an apprentice. To this date, I don't think I've seen her dance as ravishing and intensely as that night. She almost outshone the performance of La Sylphide that followed. Since then, I've seen her in various leading roles, like Emma in Hübbe's La Bayadere and Dewdrop in Balanchine's Nutcracker - and last season, as Marguerite in Lady of the Camellias and Odette/Odile in Swan Lake. Like I said, of all the roles I've seen her in, I was definitely most impressed by her student in The Lesson. It was raw and intense and very, very well executed, just the fact that I still remember it clearly now, four years later, speaks to its caliber. Emma in La Bayadère was a very fitting role for Praetorius and the technical execution was quite impressive (though, I think I remember a review mentioning that the tempo had been lowered in the wedding solo), but acting-wise it felt flat and two-dimensional. She was extremely cute as Dewdrop in The Nutcracker and danced very well, but again - it felt a bit empty. Devoid of any real connection. These are not necessarily the most interesting roles in terms of acting, I know, but I've seen other dancers do it, so my hope and belief is that it should be possible for Praetorius, too. That it will be, in the future. Finally, last season, Hübbe really turned up the Praetorius Promotion Volume to max. First, she debuted as Marguerite in Lady of the Camellias and although her cast had quite a few issues, I think the main issue was her. Her Marguerite, to me, seemed immature throughout the entire first act, completely unengaging - not until the black PDD did she stir anything in me as a character. I will give her this, though. I have never seen anyone perform the black PDD as well as she and Andreas Kaas did. No one. My heart was in my throat the entire time, for all the right reasons. Lastly, she also debuted as Odette/Odile in Hübbe's new production of Swan Lake (even lent her face to the large posters all over Copenhagen). I saw her dance with Sebastian Haynes and there were parts of the white act where she was flawless. The first pas de deux between Odette and Siegfried had a couple of hiccups, but the emotion was overwhelming. I literally started crying, seeing it. Not to mention how Praetorius danced the coda so feathers actually tore off her costume, so much passion and desperation. I'm not sure I'll ever see a coda as moving as hers. Nevertheless, she failed her fouettes as Odile - which in itself isn't a dealbreaker to me, but it seemed like she mentally couldn't push past the hurdle of her mishap and throughout the entirety of the ballroom scene, she couldn't really slip back into character, looking quite upset the entire time. All of this indicates to me that she needs to mature in the acting-department especially before being able to hold a stage like the principal ballerinas of the RDB can, like no other. If I'm completely honest, my feelings on Ida Praetorius are, thus, quite mixed. I definitely think she deserved her promotion to soloist last year, but I get the distinct feeling tha Hübbe is pushing her (very quickly) up the ranks, perhaps hoping to have her fill out the shoes of Gudrun Bojesen who is retiring next year. However, judging from what I've seen from her, I'd hate to see her being promoted to principal next season, not because I don't see potential in her (you'd have to be blind not to see that this girl is a rising star!), but because I feel that she - and us, as the audience who will be paying to come see her dance - could benefit from a little time. With all her technical skill and her very frank, very raw acting, trying her hands on big parts (not necessarily leading roles all of them) would hopefully polish off the edges and eventually present us with a dancer who has both the technical skill that I (everything else aside) admire in a dancer like Gudrun Bojesen along with the amazing expressiveness of a dancer like my beloved Susanne Grinder. The best of the RDB ballerina, boiled down into one tiny body. But only time can do that, time and some invested, patient coaching. I want Ida Praetorius to become a principal. I really do. I think she is exactly what the RDB needs... Eventually. However, I don't think her time is yet and I definitely think she needs to grow more before I'll feel comfortable paying for front row seats to a performance led by her. Tomorrow, I'll be seeing her in Lolita and I hope to see this new ballet unveil new and exciting aspects of her dancing. Perhaps the role will fit her just right (like I heard Juliet did, I've only seen a pas de deux from it this summer and it didn't quite convince me, but an outdoor stage without sets and lighting does take from the experience) and I'll finally fall completely in love with this dancer who I can objectively tell is absolutely wonderful. Have any of you seen Praetorius in anything? If yes, what? What was your experience of her?

Principal Ulrik Birkkjær and soloist Alexandra Lo Sardo performed at the town hall square (Pride Square) in Copenhagen yesterday evening as part of the city's week-long gay pride celebrations. They danced excerpts from Manon and Scarlett's Viscera, both pas de deux they've danced together before. I'm really bummed I couldn't see it, especially Manon! Someone has uploaded a short clip of it (Viscera) to Instagram, though... It's a fun combination of the familiar costumes and RAINBOW DISCO LIGHTS!!! The music was live and provided by pianist Allison Smith who does most of the piano work for the RDB to my understanding. She played the entirety of Lady of the Camellias by herself last season, every night I attended.

Fortunately we don't all see the world through Eva Kistrup's eyes. Two new (Danish) reviews have ticked in now, at magasinetkbh.dk and kultunaut.dk, giving the performance five and six out of six stars respectively!

I went Saturday. Ulrik Birkkjær as Siegfried and Holly Dorger as Odette/Odile. The Queen attended again! I loved this new, fresh interpretation of the story and especially the pacing spoke to me. I love Swan Lake, but usually the three/four acts do drag on and leave me a bit bored in places, but not this time! Not at all. Two acts, generally very clean and minimalistic. The costume porn didn't clash with the simiplicity of the set, but rather the two really complimented and enhanced each other. This was the first time I watched Swan Lake live and I must say, this has - by far - been my favourite production. I forgive the first castle scene for being a little messy and including too many Royal Ballet pupils (don't get me wrong, I love the tradition the RDB has of including its ballet children, but this time they went a bit overboard and crowded the stage). There was a brief prologue where the King is buried and Siegfried told to find a wife, so he can take his place as regent. Then, the first castle scene. Jonathan Chmelensky as Rothbart was marvelous and I am glad to see they made a virtuoso role of the villain, rather than the usual approach... It reminded me a lot of the Zurich version by Spoerli which is a very good thing. Actually, a lot in this version reminded me of Spoerli's version. Jón Axel Fransson as Benno really took the stage in the pas de trois along with Alexandra Lo Sardo and Silvia Selvini where especially Alexandra Lo Sardo took my breath away. The pas de trois was definitely the best part of the first castle scene. Then, the prince is sent to the forest to hunt swans where he meets Odette. I hadn't really seen Holly Dorger in anything significant before, so I didn't know what to expect. In Odette's entrance and her first encounter with Siegfried, her nerves were very visible and I remember thinking to myself: This is going to be a bumpy ride. However, after she excited the stage and made room for the corps of swans (that were the living proof that the RDB corps ranks way up there amongst the very best, OMG it was a sight for gods) and then re-entered for her pas de deux and solo... Something had changed. It was like Holly Dorger had left her nerves in the wings and just given herself over to the role. Her Odette was so vulnerable and all eyes. Big, fearful eyes. I was completely smitten and it definitely also helped that she and UIrik Birkkjær had chemistry that could electrocute you. I don't think I have ever seen the role of Siegfried come as much alive as it did in the hands and by the feet of Ulrik Birkkjær and I bought and rooted for his romance with Odette from the very beginning. All in all, the last part of the first act really made me realise that I was watching Swan Lake live for the first time and the light and shadow play along with the dancing... I shed a tear or two, I admit it. The dance of the cygnets was amazing and precise. I think the dance of the big swans holds a lot of potential, but the four dancers had little hiccups that kind of made it feel a bit understated in the wake of the cygnets' dance and Siegfried's solo. Second act, the second castle scene. Susanne Grinder danced the Hungarian dance and although she had an unfortunate fall (it looked like the floor was slippery or something, because Stephanie Chen in the Russian dance almost slipped in the exact same place), she completely slayed and owned that choreography. I just hope she didn't get hurt, because she's set up to dance as Odette/Odile tomorrow... I have had my eyes on Stephanie Chen for a while now. I thoroughly enjoyed her as Effy in La Sylphide and she was just wonderful in the Russian dance. So charming, so confident. Not to mention that she looked flawless in that smashing costume. After the Hungarian and Russian dances followed the Spanish and Neopolitan. Amy Watson danced the Spanish dance and I liked the choreography well enough, but Amy Watson is just not my kind of ballerina. I think I would have enjoyed it more in Alexandra Lo Sardo's interpretation. Ida Praetorius danced the Neopolitan dance and I really loved her attitude and as always, her dancing itself was flawless, but the choreography bored me somewhat. However, enter Odile from stage right! I had really looked forward to Holly Dorger's Odile, because it was the "role" she had been featured in in the promotional trailer. She didn't disappoint. Her Odile was mocking and bitchy and so confident, very prom queen like which I enjoyed. It was lovely seeing her Odette and Odile being two so distinct personas and that she executed so well. I will also say this: Holly Dorger is, hands down, the first ballerina I have seen perform an Odette and an Odile that I liked equally. Usually, when I see Swan Lake, the ballerina wins me over either as the white or the black swan, but Holly Dorger did both so well that I couldn't pick one, even if I was asked. To me, this is a major feat. She also did the 32 fouettes very well. You could tell that she had to concentrate and she travelled over the floor a bit (forward, so it didn't really ruin the clean lines), but they kept up the pace, they followed the music and she looked strong, exactly as I want my Odile to look. I... actually don't remember much about how this part of the second act ended, not until Siegfried breaks his vow to Odette and rather than showing Odette outside a window, the guests kind of disappear into the background and Odile is bathed in a glorious white light, so that the contrast between black and white really shows - like this, she exists the stage, leaving Siegfried to race back to the lake. It was a magnificent, thrilling moment and it gave me goosebumps. I can't wait to see it again, although it'll be on the big screen, not in the theatre. Here follows my absolute favourite part of the entire ballet. The final act has always been my favourite, it has always moved me to no end for personal reasons and the RDB version certainly didn't disappoint. First we got the dance of the 8 black swans. I have only heard (and seen) this part in the Mariinsky version and never cared much for it, but I actually think - in the RDB version, this little (black) pearl ranks amongst my favourite moments. A special shout-out to Ida Praetorius' amazing expressions and to Ji Min Hong's swan arms that were unequalled by anyone, even Holly Dorger herself. Then, Odette enters again and Holly Dorger breaks my heart, I tell you. She was so hurt, so frantic, so unable to contain her grief... And the way she shied away from Siegfried when he came to beg her forgiveness. The interaction here, between Ulrik Birkkjær and Holly Dorger was so sincere, so heartfelt - I have never felt the romance between Siegfried and Odette so vividly before, never have I believed in it like this. It was so amazingly well done of them both. I hope to see them dance together again in the future, not only in this ballet. The last scene at the lakeside was just everything I wanted it to be. Odette didn't swear to commit suicide, but was rather transformed (eternally, I suppose) into a swan by Rothbart who then - in the epilogue - arranged for his daughter, Odile, to marry Siegfried and himself gain more power. Thumbs up to the entire RDB for the mastery they have pulled off in this new production, kudos to Nikolaj Hübbe and Silja Schandorff for thinking outside the box and (mostly) making it work and thank you, sincerely, to a beautiful soloist who took on the role of Odette/Odile and made me feel both characters like I have never felt them before. Thank you, Holly Dorger. Thank you, Royal Danish Ballet. I hope this piece will stay in your repetory for many years to come!