The Royal Danish Ballet Rocks!

We are back from Copenhagen with a suitcase full of ballet goodies. We went there especially to catch The Royal Danish Ballet’s Bournonville & Balanchine Programme which had  gorgeous La Sylphide paired with glorious Symphony in C. During our stay we were granted access to The Royal Danish Ballet’s headquarters. Needless to say we were ecstatic and had to keep pinching ourselves, not least when we briefly shook hands with their charming Artistic Director Nikolaj Hübbe.

We visited their costume and hat making departments as well as the administration, chatted to some of the leading dancers, saw photographer Paul Wesolek‘s beautiful installation La Sylphide Still Life and even had a sneak peek at rehearsals for John Neumeier’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream (which premieres on February 26). In this special photolog we document our fab tour:

This is the August Bournonville passage. The entrance to RDB’s headquarters is at the far end of the street, after the arch.

This is the inside of the building which has been completely refurbished and fitted with the latest technology (we were very impressed with the computerised daily schedules for the dancers).

Here the fitness centre

The dancers’ relaxation area (with Bag Lady E. and the RDB’s Ballet PR manager on the background)

Literally in tutu heaven at the Costume Department

Costumes for Peter Martins’ production of Swan Lake

A detail of Odile’s tutu designed by Danish artist Per Kirkeby

Costumes for Bournonville’s A Folk Tale. Bag Lady E. has a thing for embroidery so she wanted to spend hours admiring the detail in this one.

More costumes. These are ready to go for the evening’s performance of La Sylphide

A wide shot of the Costume Department, which employs a staff of 12

These headpieces for A Midsummer’s Night Dream took 2 weeks to make 

Applying beads to a tiara

Boxes and more boxes of treasures. Bag Lady L. wanted to open them all! This is where they keep all the beads

Materials are also classified by production. We love the box for Swan Lake

The Royal Danish Ballet in rehearsal for A Midsummer’s Night Dream. We wish we could have stayed a bit longer to see this production too

Here Principal dancer Gudrun Bojesen rehearses with members of the company. There are 90 dancers in total. The ballet season runs August to May, so dancers are fully booked for most of the year. The daily schedule has them at the theatre every day but Sunday.

The legendary Royal Danish Theatre from the outside (and yes, it was snowing).

The lovely Christina Michanek (a prima in the making) on the poster for our programme

Inside the theatre, amazing chandeliers and a view of the Orchestra pit from the upper circle

Details from outer and inner ceilings, with Apollo’s muses sending good vibes from the heavens

Peek-a-Boo!

The Bag Ladies (L & E) ready for an evening of balletic fun

With many thanks to Ballet PR Manager Signe Skovgaard for the tour and for making it all happen.

Further Information:

The Royal Danish Ballet Official Website

RDB on Facebook

RDB on Twitter

Our Danish Ballet Special Edition continues over the coming days with interviews and plenty more features, so stay tuned!