Royal Danish Ballet at the David H. Koch Theater

In my second semester at school (early winter, late spring) we had a Bournonville specialist, Karina Elver, (from Denmark) teaching both class and enchainments.  She also taught us some of the Bournonville repertory including mime scenes from Le Sylphide.  It was challenging, but a lot of fun!  Unfortunately, I was unable to see the Royal Danish Ballet perform in New York, but from what I hear, it was good.  The Bournonville style of technique is really crucial to attain the quick, airy movements that are a must in a dancer. 

                               Susanne Grinder and Ulrik Birkkjaer in Napoli           Photo by Costin Radu, courtesy RDB  

The Royal Danish Ballet's recent performances in New York provided a rare, intriguing glimpse at the world's third oldest ballet company. The repertoire presented a snapshot of the current artistic direction under ex-NYCB principal Nikolaj Hübbe. Like other companies, RDB necessarily combines cherished older works with newer, risk-taking choreography, revealing both strengths and weaknesses. The highlights were La Sylphide and Act III from Napoli (the entirety was too big to stage in New York), an exhilarating display of why August Bournonville, born over two centuries ago, remains a titan of ballet.

Bournonville's style is known for its elegant lines—low-held, gently curved arms, and high leading legs in arcing grand jetés, for example. But the complex patterns, darting chassées with rapid direction shifts, and elaborate, crystalline footwork were an epiphany in the celebratory Napoli, modernized with some Fellini-esque characters and a Vespa. There was nothing revolutionary about the vocabulary, though in variation after variation, it conjured a profound dimensionality and fluency, particularly when danced by Alban Lendorf, whose plush muscularity befits the style. 

Read the rest of this review at Dance Magazine online