Ballet Chicago and Kompagni B invite you to A Sunday of Bournonville
SUNDAY, JUNE 16, 2019
August Bournonville, founder of Royal Danish Ballet style, created over 50 ballets for the company between 1830 and 1877. His legacy also includes
The Bournonville School. The Royal Danish Ballet works to conserve these traditions as well as explore new radical ways of teaching and researching its foundations. Kompagni B is the Royal Danish Ballet School's unique youth company with award winning choreographer, Ann Crosset, as artistic director.
Here young dancers take responsibility for designing, performing, and directing ballets in order to develop performing skills. Their process includes experimenting with the Bournonville repertoires as well as teaching this style.
The directors of Ballet Chicago, Daniel Duell and Patricia Blair, and The Royal Danish Ballet under the direction of Nikolaj Hübbe have enjoyed a strong connection over many years and now work together to bring a wonderful Sunday of Bournonville to you.
All classes are on a "first come first serve" basis. Sign up fee and registration required.
11:00-12:15 PM - Kompagni B's Bournonville's ABCs
Taught by dancers, ages 14-15, from the Royal Danish Ballet School's Youth Company. This unique class is open to all dancers in Chicago in intermediate to advanced ballet levels and will focus on Basic Bournonville Barre/Center and an excerpt from Bournonville's Le Conservatoire.
12:30-1:15 PM - Balanchine & Bournonville Lecture
Join in as two renowned dancers and choreographers discuss their experiences with Balanchine and Bournonville. Daniel Duell, repetiteur for The George Balanchine Trust, founder and artistic director of Ballet Chicago, was brought up in the Balanchine tradition but performed Bournonville repertoire as a young dancer. Henriette Muus, former soloist for The Royal Danish Ballet and coach for Kompagni B, was brought up in the Bournonville tradition yet performed Balanchine repertoire throughout her career. Hear what they have to share about the connection between these traditions, the revelations, and challenges they were confronted with in learning and perfecting each of these styles.
1:30-2:45 PM - Open Bournonville Master Class for Chicago-area Teachers + 2:45-3:00 PM Q & A
This master class taught by Henriette Muus focuses on the specific characteristics of Bournonville style in relation to musical phrasing, arm gestures, and épaulement. Henriette Muus is a former soloist of The Royal Danish Ballet known for her flair of the emotional dimension of dancing. Muus' grace and musical phrasings made her and exemplary Bournonville dancer and she has worked to bring on the tradition of August Bournonville to new generations since 1998, when she became a coach at The Royal Danish Ballet School. IN 2010, Henriette Muus became head ballet coach for Kompagni B.
This day is made possible by generous support from private sponsors, Ballet Chicago, The Royal Danish Ballet Theater, The Royal Danish Ballet School, and Denmark in the Arts, a Danish government platform working to bring Danish and American artists together to develop and create platforms for partnerships and networks.