The Bournonville School DVDs

[AgnesY]

I am not sure whether anybody has raised this topic before. But I would like to ask something about the Bournonville School DVDs (including the text and piano score). I notice that this product can be purchased from the online shop of Dance Books. I also find that the merchandise can be ordered directly from the online shop of the Royal Danish Theatre. However, the website of the shop is in Danish only and I do not understand the language. It stated that international credit cards and shipping are accepted. I have sent e-mails to the staff asking how I can make my purchase. However, I did not get a satisfactory reply and the way to order the Bournonville School DVDs is still like a mystery…Has anyone ever purchased this item from the online shop of the Royal Danish Theatre? And are there other online shops selling this item apart from the two shops I have mentioned?

I’ll be very grateful for your help!

[Mel Johnson]

This is only a guess, but I'd almost lay out money that your problem has something to do with DVD region codes. The US and Canada are NTSC regions, while Denmark is in the PAL region. Unless you have a universal player, with a tuner in it to read the 6 different region codes that are found worldwide, I think you would be unable to view a PAL disc on an NTSC player. Add to the difficulty the possibility of a "scrambler" in the DVD to prevent unauthorized copying, and you could end up with a disc permanently ruined after only one playing.

[Helene]

The Bournonville School DVD is region-free; however, it is in PAL format. I'm able to watch the DVD on my computer without setting a region, but I'm unable to watch it on the (sadly lacking) DVD player that came with my TiVo.

Here is the link to the DVD on the DanceBooks site,** which notes that it is region-free. I've had great service from this site, although since prices are in British Pounds, they are usually more expensive than a Euros version.

I've searched for Det Kongelige Teater online website, but came up with no results. Perhaps, AgnesY, if you would leave a link to the site, someone would be able to figure it out for you.

**Edited to add: the original link I posted was for a different disk (Gad/Kobborg demonstrating "Fifty Enchainements" and my experience was with this disk).

[rg]

i can't be of much help here but can relate the following:

when the DVDs were released, or at least offered, during the bournonville festivities attended by any number of US and/or NTSC-identified visitors etc. there were versions of this set in both PAL and in NTSC. (i have no idea if the NTSC was prepared only for the NTSC-foreign visitors or if it was prepared for foreign sale all along.)

i have no idea if any of the DVDs still for sale are in PAL and NTSC or only in PAL. it would make sense, i suppose that dancebooks would carry PAL, being a UK seller, etc.

maybe someone in denmark who reads and posts here can find out more and say something more definitive.

[doug]

I bought mine from Dance Books and it plays fine on my DVD player here in Seattle.

[Jane Simpson]

Both Dance Books and the RDB offer both PAL and NTSC versions: the RDB asks you to choose, Dance Books will send you the one appropriate for your address.

The snag in either case is that with the two books, it makes a very heavy parcel - but get it, anyway! It's wonderful, I watch it all the time just for the pleasure of the dancing.

[Helene]

Both Dance Books and the RDB offer both PAL and NTSC versions: the RDB asks you to choose, Dance Books will send you the one appropriate for your address.

I'll have to go back and try it again -- the screen wouldn't resolve the first time I tried to watch it on my DVD player.

[canbelto]

I mentioned this on another thread but Nero allows you to change the format from PAL to NTSC.

[AgnesY]

Thanks for your replies!

The relevant website of the Royal Danish Theatre: http://www.kglteater.dk/Service/Netbutik.aspx

[Helene]

The relevant website of the Royal Danish Theatre: http://www.kglteater.dk/Service/Netbutik.aspx

According to the link here, the price on the RDT site is 499,00 DKK, which is ~ 85 USD, 66 EUR, and 45 GBP. The DanceBooks price is 55 GBP.

http://www.kglteater-shop.dk/shop/readmore...vnr=22151539002

http://www.dancebooks.co.uk/titles/4522.asp

The Dance Book link I posted above is for a different disk.

[Helene]

I just tried to tinker with Det Kongelige Teater online site, using college German from 30 years ago. There was no way to designate shipping country, except by hijacking the address line, and it appears that total cost is 544 DDK (~91 USD), shipping via Danish Post, but I can't imagine that this includes shipping outside the country.

Total with shipping to the US for DanceBooks is 83 GBP, or about half the cost of the DVD's and books, which are the real shipping cost driver. DanceBooks says explicitly that the DVD's cannot be purchased separately from the books, which they warn are heavy; I don't see an option on the DKT site for DVD's only.

[EvilNinjaX]

This is only a guess, but I'd almost lay out money that your problem has something to do with DVD region codes. The US and Canada are NTSC regions, while Denmark is in the PAL region. Unless you have a universal player, with a tuner in it to read the 6 different region codes that are found worldwide, I think you would be unable to view a PAL disc on an NTSC player. Add to the difficulty the possibility of a "scrambler" in the DVD to prevent unauthorized copying, and you could end up with a disc permanently ruined after only one playing.

There have beensome excellent replies and so i'll just add a few things to the thread.

(1) There are quite a few DVD players that will to PAL<->NTSC conversion and are remote-hackable (region free using teh remote) for <$70 (and perhaps even as low as $45).

(2) There is an EXCELLENT DVD player called the oppo (http://oppodigital.com) that does region free, pal<->ntsc, 720p upconversion, and also plays xvids/divx. It is a bit pricier at $200 but imho it is worth it.

(3) If you have a region coded NTSC dvd, it is trivial to burn a region free NTSC copy of it (DVDDecrypter + DVDShrink)

(4) You will NEVER get a dvd that is ruined afer only one playing (nor will your DVD player). What willhappen is one of two error messages: (1) Region coding doesn't match (or similar) and (2) Content not viewable (or somesuch). The player and disc willbe fine.

-goro-

[Dr. Coppelius]

I speak danish, just ask me if there is something you don't understand.

Maybe somebody can help me find a shop were I can buy the documentary about the Royal Danish Ballet "Bournonville & Monkey business"

[Phaedra392]

Can someone please describe the content of these DVDs? Thanks!

[Dr. Coppelius]

Bournonville & Monkey business is a documentary about The Royal Danish Ballet's tour in Brazil.

"To this journey the choreographer Tim Rushton created the ballet "Monkey business", and the film follows the first meeting between the dancer Rose Gad and Tim Rushton to the staging of the ballet at Teatro Amazonas".

Bournonville School DVDs:

"The complete six Bournonville daily classes, based on the originals created by Hans Beck, performed on two DVDs by members of the Royal Danish Ballet, and accompanied by two hardback books containing the written classes and piano scores. (Please note that it is not possible to purchase the DVDs without the books, but only the complete package).

The first DVD, which plays for approximately 4 hours, contains a series of short interviews with those involved in making the DVD, the complete Monday to Saturday classes demonstrated by members of the Royal Danish Ballet Thomas Lund, Caroline Cavallo, Gudrun Bojesen, Mads Blangstrup, Fernando Mora, and Kristoffer Sakurai, and an illustrated demonstration of the characteristics of the Bournonville style.

The second DVD contains three complete barres for the classes, and a lecture on Bournonville by Erik Aschengreen, delivered in Danish but with English subtitles."

[Phaedra392]

Thank you, Dr. Coppelius. Are there any excerpts from Bournonville ballets (even extended floor work) in addition to the barre exercises? Thanks!