Royal Swedish Ballet
Encyclopedia
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, King Gustav III
Gustav III of Sweden
Gustav III was King of Sweden from 1771 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Adolph Frederick and Queen Louise Ulrica of Sweden, she a sister of Frederick the Great of Prussia....
founded the ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
in 1773 as a part of his national cultural project in response to the French and Italian dominance in this field; he also founded the Royal Swedish Opera
Royal Swedish Opera
Kungliga Operan is Sweden's national stage for opera and ballet.-Location and Environment:...
and the Royal Dramatic Theatre
Royal Dramatic Theatre
The Royal Dramatic Theatre is Sweden's national stage for "spoken drama", founded in 1788. Around one thousand shows are put on annually on the theatre's eight running stages....
. All of these were initially located in the old theatre of Bollhuset
Bollhuset
Bollhuset, also called ', ', and ' at various times, was the name of the first theater in Stockholm, Sweden; it was the first Swedish theater and the first real theater building in the whole of Scandinavia. The name "" means "The Ball House", and it was built in 1627 for ball sports and used in...
. The troupe was founded with the opening of the Royal Swedish Opera, which has served as its home since that time.
History
In 1773, the cultural professions of acting, opera-singing and ballet-dancing in Sweden were all performed by foreign troupes. The first ballet performance was performed at the Swedish court when the French ballet troupe of Antoine de BeaulieuAntoine de Beaulieu
Antoine de Beaulieu was a French noble, dancer, and ballet master of the Swedish court from 1637 to 1663 and is considered to have introduced ballet in Sweden....
was hired at the court of Queen Christina in 1638, and the first Public ballet performance were performed by the foreign theatre troupes at the theatre of Bollhuset later the same century. The only exception had been the period of 1737-1753, when the first professional Swedish troupe of actors had performed at Bollhuset; during this period, ballets were performed by the first Swedish dancers in this troupe. The perhaps first ballet performed by professional native Swedish dancers was in the play Den afvundsiuke ("The Envious") by Olof von Dahlin in August 1738. However, no names are known about these first dancers. They were probably educated by Jean Marquard as dancing-master, and one of the dancers were also French, Gabriel Senac. In 1753, however, the first Swedish ballet, theatre and opera at Bollhuset were dissolved.
Gustav III wanted to create and educate native talents in these professions. To accomplish this, he used the same method in the ballet as he was to use with the theatre; by having the first generation of native dancers educated by foreign professionals. When he fired the French theatre-company to create his national-stage in 1773, he kept many of the French dancers of this troupe. Dancers from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, such as Antoine Bournonville
Antoine Bournonville
Antoine Bournonville was a French ballet dancer, actor, singer and a choreographer, active in the Royal Swedish Ballet and the Royal Danish Ballet and eventually ballet master in the latter. He is considered to have played a great role in the development of the ballet in Scandinavia...
, Louis Gallodier
Louis Gallodier
Louis Gallodier was a French ballet dancer and choreographer who spent the majority of his career in Sweden, were he was to have a great importance for the development of the ballet in Sweden as the ballet master of the Royal Swedish Ballet.- Biography and career:Louis Gallodier was born in France...
, Giovanna Bassi
Giovanna Bassi
Giovanna Bassi was an Italian ballerina who spent the majority of her career in Sweden. She was regarded as the prima donna of the Swedish Ballet during the Gustavian age.- Biography :...
and Julie Alix de la Fay
Julie Alix de la Fay
Léonne-Julie Alix de la Fay, also known as Julianne Bournonville and Madame Alix , was a Belgian ballet dancer and dance pedagogue, who was to play an important part in the development of the Royal Swedish Ballet...
were hired to perform and to educate Swedish students. Most of the first students to the troupe were taken among children to the staff at the royal court and to professional musicians, as were the first students to the theatre and the opera. In the first ballet-troupe in the national stage of 1773, they were very few native talents with former professional experience; one of them was Charlotte Slottsberg
Charlotte Slottsberg
Charlotte Slottsberg , was a Swedish ballerina-dancer, one of the first native dancers in the Royal Swedish Ballet at the Royal Swedish Opera and one of the most successful ones...
, who could be counted as the first native Swedish ballerina known by name. The greatest triumph of the Swedish ballet during the 18th century is considered to be the Ballet performed by Gallodier to the Opera Gustav Adolf och Ebba Brahe (Gustav Adolf and Ebba Brahe) (1786); also the Ballet Fiskarna (The Fishes) by Antoine Bournonville (1789) became a great success.
The Ballet was from the beginning closely linked to the Opera; ballets were a part of the performances of the Opera, and the dancers were also active on the Royal Dramatic Theatre. When the Royal Swedish Opera were closed down between 1806 and 1809–1812, the Ballet was not closed, only moved over to the theatre.
During the 19th century, new ballets were made all the time, and older ones seldom performed; En komisk balett (A comic Ballet) by Louis Deland
Louis Deland
Louis Joseph Marie Deland was a Swedish ballet dancer, singer, actor, choreographer and ballet master in the Royal Swedish Ballet...
was given 127 times between 1796 and 1809, followed by La Fille Mal Gardée
La Fille Mal Gardée
La Fille mal gardée is a comic ballet presented in two acts, inspired by Pierre-Antoine Baudouin's 1789 painting, La réprimande/Une jeune fille querellée par sa mère...
, given 54 times in 1812-1842. August Bournonville
August Bournonville
August Bournonville was a Danish ballet master and choreographer. August was the son of Antoine Bournonville, a dancer and choreographer trained under the French choreographer, Jean Georges Noverre, and the nephew of Julie Alix de la Fay, née Bournonville, of the Royal Swedish Ballet.August was...
was active as a guest Ballet master 1839, 1847, 1857, 1858 and 1861–1864, and his favorite Swedish ballerinas Charlotta Norberg
Charlotta Norberg
Maria Charlotta Norberg, as married Törner, , Swedish Ballerina and ballet teacher. She was counted as one of the greatest stars of the Swedish Ballet in the 19th century....
and Johanna Sundberg educated students in his techniques. The Ballet is considered to have been in a state of decay during the end of the 19th century; after the dismissal of Anders Selinder
Anders Selinder
Anders Selinder , , was a Swedish dancer, Ballet master, choreographer and director. He was master of the Royal Swedish Ballet in 1833-1856....
and Sophie Daguin
Sophie Daguin
Sophie Marguerite Daguin was a French ballet dancer and choreographer who spent her career in Sweden, where she became a star and the ballet mistress of the Royal Swedish Ballet and principal of the ballet school.- Biography :...
in 1856, the Ballet was used more as a supplement to the opera and not as an independent artform, and Sigurd Lund, a student of Bournonville, was not independent enough to prevent this. It was not until 1913, that the Ballet returned to a more independent form.
The Kungliga Hovkapellet
Kungliga Hovkapellet
Kungliga Hovkapellet , is a Swedish orchestra and was located at the Royal Court in Sweden's capital Stockholm. It was first recorded in 1526. Since 1773 it is part of the Royal Swedish Opera's company....
(Royal Swedish Orchestra), the orchestra of the Royal Swedish Opera, is the performing partner for the Royal Swedish Ballet.
Marc Rimbaud is the current artistic director of the Royal Swedish Ballet.
Birgitta Svendén
Birgitta Svendén
Birgitta Svendén , is a Swedish operatic .Svendén, who was born in Porjus and raised in Vuollerim, studied at the Opera in Stockholm. She has made an international career in the first place as a Wagner singer, especially at the Bayreuth Festival.Birgitta Svendén has been a hovsångerska since 1995...
is the general director of the Royal Swedish Opera.
Ballet Masters
- 1773-1803 : Louis GallodierLouis GallodierLouis Gallodier was a French ballet dancer and choreographer who spent the majority of his career in Sweden, were he was to have a great importance for the development of the ballet in Sweden as the ballet master of the Royal Swedish Ballet.- Biography and career:Louis Gallodier was born in France...
- 1803-1804 : Filippo TaglioniFilippo TaglioniFilippo Taglioni was an Italian dancer and choreographer and personal teacher to his own daughter, the famous Romantic ballerina Marie Taglioni. He is the son of Carlo and father of both Marie and Paul...
- 1804-1806 : Federico Nadi Terrade
- 1806-1816 : Louis DelandLouis DelandLouis Joseph Marie Deland was a Swedish ballet dancer, singer, actor, choreographer and ballet master in the Royal Swedish Ballet...
- 1817-1818 : Filippo TaglioniFilippo TaglioniFilippo Taglioni was an Italian dancer and choreographer and personal teacher to his own daughter, the famous Romantic ballerina Marie Taglioni. He is the son of Carlo and father of both Marie and Paul...
- 1818-1820 : Louis DelandLouis DelandLouis Joseph Marie Deland was a Swedish ballet dancer, singer, actor, choreographer and ballet master in the Royal Swedish Ballet...
(second time) - 1820-1823 : André Isidore CareyAndré Isidore CareyAndré Isidore Carey was a French ballet dancer. A student of Auguste Vestris, she arrived in Stockholm in 1815 as premier danseur in the Royal Swedish Ballet until 1823...
- 1823-1827 : Giovanni Battista AmbrosianiGiovanni Battista AmbrosianiGiovanni Battista Ambrosiani was an Italian ballet dancer. He arrived in Stockholm in 1795 and was taken on by the Royal Swedish Ballet as its premier danseur, then as its ballet master from 1823 to 1827. He was also dance master and gymnastics master at the Military Academy Karlberg until 1834...
- 1827-1830 : Sophie DaguinSophie DaguinSophie Marguerite Daguin was a French ballet dancer and choreographer who spent her career in Sweden, where she became a star and the ballet mistress of the Royal Swedish Ballet and principal of the ballet school.- Biography :...
(jointly with Wallqvist) - 1827-1833 : Per Erik WallqvistPer Erik WallqvistPer Erik Wallqvist Per Erik Wallqvist Per Erik Wallqvist (7 September 1797 in Stockholm, - 16 February 1855, was a Swedish ballet dancer and ballet master. Wallqvist was the ballet master of the Royal Swedish Ballet at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm between 1827 and 1833.- References :...
- 1833-1856 : Anders SelinderAnders SelinderAnders Selinder , , was a Swedish dancer, Ballet master, choreographer and director. He was master of the Royal Swedish Ballet in 1833-1856....
- 1856-1862 : Sigurd Harald Lund
- 1862-1870 : Théodore Martin
- 1870-1886 : Theodore Marckl
- 1887-1890 : Robert Sjöblom
- 1890-1894 : Sigurd Harald Lund
- 1894-1901 : Max Glasemann
- 1901-1905 : Otto Zöbisch
- 1905-1908 : Robert Köller
- 1911-1913 : Otto Zöbisch
- 1918-1920 : Michel FokineMichel FokineMichel Fokine was a groundbreaking Russian choreographer and dancer.-Biography:...
- 1922-1926 : Gunhild RosénGunhild RosénGunhild Rosén , was a Swedish ballerina, choreographer and a ballet master of the Royal Swedish Ballet in Stockholm.Gunhild Rosén was a student of Anders Selinder...
- 1926-1927 : Lise Steier
- 1927-1931 : Jan Cieplinsky
- 1931-1951 : Julian Algo
- 1949-1951 : Antony TudorAntony TudorAntony Tudor was an English ballet choreographer, teacher and dancer.-Biography:Tudor, born William Cook, discovered dance accidentally. He began dancing professionally with Marie Rambert in 1928, becoming general assistant for her Ballet Club the next year...
- 1953-1962 : Mary SkeapingMary SkeapingMary Skeaping was a British ballerina and choreographer. She was the ballet master of the Royal Swedish Ballet of the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm in 1953-1962.Mary Skeaping was a part of the ballet of Anna Pavlova in 1925...
- 1962-1963 : Antony TudorAntony TudorAntony Tudor was an English ballet choreographer, teacher and dancer.-Biography:Tudor, born William Cook, discovered dance accidentally. He began dancing professionally with Marie Rambert in 1928, becoming general assistant for her Ballet Club the next year...
- 1964-1966 : Brian MacdonaldBrian MacdonaldBrian Macdonald, CC is a Canadian dancer, choreographer, director of opera, theatre and musical theatre.Born in Montreal, Macdonald was an original member of the National Ballet of Canada...
- 1967-1971 : Erik BruhnErik BruhnErik Belton Evers Bruhn was a Danish ballet dancer, choreographer, company director, actor, and author.- Biography :...
- 1971-1980 : Ivo Cramér
- 1980-1984 : Gunilla Roempke
- 1986-1993 : Nils Ake-Häggbom
- 1993-1995 : Simon Mottram
- 1995-1999 : Frank AndersenFrank AndersenFrank Andersen is a former Danish ballet dancer who was twice artistic director of the Royal Danish Ballet. He has been an influential supporter of the Danish choreographer August Bournonville.-Biography:...
- 1999-2001 : Petter Jacobsson
- 2002-2007 : Madeleine Onne
- since 2008: Marc Ribaud
Principal dancers
- Brendan Collins
- Marie Lindqvist
- Dragos MihalceaDragos MihalceaDragos Mihalcea - Principal Dancer with The Royal Swedish BalletBorn on December 17, 1977 in Bucharest, Romania and began his dancing career at the Bucharest School of Choreography...
- Jenny Nilson
- Nathalie Nordquist (on leave)
- Anders Nordström
- Christian Rambe
- Nadja Sellrup
- Judith Simon
- Anna Valev
- Olof Westring
- Jan-Erik Wikström
Soloists
- Katja Björner
- Ann Brattselius
- Jurgita Dronina
- Karin Forslind
- Nikolaus Fotiadis
- Magdalena Irigoyen
- Pascal Jansson
- Eunsun Jun
- Irina Laurenova
- Andrey Leonovitch
- Nathalie Perriraz
- Nicole Rhodes
- Andy Rietschel
- Jens Rosén
- Oscar Salomonsson
- Joakim Stephenson
- Hugo Therkelson
- Gina Tse
- Jenny Westring
- Johannes Öhman (on leave)
Stockholm/59° North
Stockholm/59° North is a chamber company of dancers from the Royal Swedish Ballet; members are:- Jeannette Diazboza
- Nicolaus Fotiadis
- Erik Johansson
- Marie Lindqvist
- Kristina Oom
- Jens Rosén
- Oscar Salomonsson
- Nadja Sellrup
- Gina Tse
- Anna Valev
- Jan-Erik Wikström
See also
- Royal Swedish OperaRoyal Swedish OperaKungliga Operan is Sweden's national stage for opera and ballet.-Location and Environment:...
- Drottningholm Palace TheatreDrottningholm Palace TheatreThe Drottningholm Palace Theatre is an opera house located at Drottningholm Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, which has been described by Per-Erik Öhrn, the theatre’s former artistic director, as "the Swedish jewel in our European cultural heritage crown of centuries-old theatres".Currently the...
- Confidencen - Ulriksdal Palace TheatreConfidencenConfidencen, or Ulriksdals slottsteater ; is a Swedish opera stage.Confidencen is Sweden's oldest rococo theatre situated in the National City Park, on the ground of the Ulriksdal Palace outside Stockholm. The building's original structure was built in 1671...
- Charlotte SlottsbergCharlotte SlottsbergCharlotte Slottsberg , was a Swedish ballerina-dancer, one of the first native dancers in the Royal Swedish Ballet at the Royal Swedish Opera and one of the most successful ones...
- Hedda HjortsbergHedda HjortsbergHedda Hjortsberg was a Swedish ballerina who starred for the Royal Swedish Ballet. She was the sister of the Swedish actor Lars Hjortsberg.- Biography :...
- Ulrika ÅbergUlrika ÅbergUlrika Åberg was a Swedish ballerina, one of the first native ballet dancers in the Royal Swedish Ballet, which was in the beginning dominated by foreign dancers....
External links
- Royal Swedish Ballet homepage on Operan.se
- Archival footage of Stockholm/59 North performing Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven in 1997 at Jacob's Pillow
- http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/05/arts/dance/05pill.html?n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/People/A/Anderson,%20JackNY Times review of Stockholm/59° North at Jacob's PillowJacob's PillowJacob’s Pillow Dance is a dance center, school and performance space located in Becket, Massachusetts, in the Berkshires. The organization is known for the oldest internationally acclaimed summer dance festival in the United States. The facility also includes a professional school and extensive...
August 5, 2005]