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A Pension Benefit and a Farewell

Gala for RDB Private Pension Fund
Kirsten Simone retires
Royal Danish Ballet
The Royal Theatre
Copenhagen, Denmark
February 2006

By Eva Kistrup
copyright 2006 by Eva Kistrup

During the last couple of years, Royal Danish Ballet has given a benefit performance for the Private Pension Fund for the dancers. The fund was started by August Bournonville (who else) in 1869 to assist ailing and aging dancers. The Fund is still in existence, even though the dancers now receive a state pension from the age of forty. The Pension Fund Benefits has become a popular venture for dancers and audience, especially as the casts and programmes includes old favourites. This year's programmes included company stalwarts like the Menuet from "Elverhøj," "Coppelia," "Far From Denmark" and a full production of "The Whims of Cupid and The Ballet Masters," the world's oldest ballet still in performance. Neither of these works has been produced by RDB in more than a decade, which is far too long especially for "Whims." Whether "Coppelia" deserves a place on the repertoire is questionable, but at least the gala showed that the ideal lead couple is in place when Thomas Lund and Diana Cuni danced the 3rd act pas de deux.

"Whims" got a lively and caring performance, enjoyed by dancers and audience alike. The young dancers like Martin Stauning, Alexander Stæger and Ulrik Birkjær beamed in the solos of Steisk (Tyrolean) dance, Greek dance and Norwegian dance. And the old and retired dancers shown in the characters roles, no one more than Niels Kehlet, retired for probably 10 years, as one of the burlesque negro dancers. I cannot recall Kehlet ever doing this part before, and yet he had created a full character and a wonderful look for the part, making one realise the craft of this wonderful dancer and mime. The quality of mimes in the company has been dwindling lately and it was an important lesson to see, how much could be achieved with so tiny a part by a true master.

The most interesting aspects of these benefit galas, arranged by the dancers themselves, is the fact that it allows you to see how the dancers perceive their company history and which ballets they deem important. The previous gala for instance focused on Roland Pettit's "Carmen," which has not been performed since 1976, a signature work in the company's glorious period in the fifties and a key role in the career of Kirsten Simone, who officially retired at the age of 71 earlier this month.

With Simone gone, the last active dancer trained by Harald Lander is no longer in the company. Simone was also the first ballerina to be formed by Vera Volkova when she joined the company in 1950 as teacher. Volkova groomed the partnership of Kirsten Simone and Henning Kronstam and thaat partnership and Simone's career was fuelled in the fifties and early sixties with a string of production focusing on her beauty as much as her technique. "Miss Julie," "Carmen" and Roxane in "Cyrano", and "Le Loup" were among her achievement as well as a full set of Bournonville and Russian classics. When Flemming Flindt took over in 1967 the focus shifted to the taller and more modern ballerinas Mette Hønningen, Sorella Englund and Anna Lærkesen. Flindt's wife, Vivi Flindt, was dominant in modern roles but kept largely from the classics. These were hard years for Simone, who soldiered on, but none the less found her career shortened. In 1978 Simone's partner Henning Kronstam was appointed Ballet Master and relaunched the Royal Danish Ballet as primarily a classical company. In 1979 Kirsten Simone got the part which began a new era in her career as the rich widow Fru von Everdingen in the popular Bournonville ballet, "The Kermesse in Bruges." In the last 27 years Simone has been a character mime, giving life to a large array of witches, trolls, nannies and ladies. A real standout was her rendering of the mother in law in "Abdallah," in the production reconstructed by Toni Lander, Bruce Marks and Simone brother, Flemming Ryberg. This part showed her skills at her best. Simone took her formal adieu as the Nurse in Neumeier's "Romeo & Juliet," but was on the stage again one week later for the Benefit dancing and playing the old couple in the "Whims of Cupid and the Ballet Master" with her characteristic charm and energy.

This week also included wider recognition for the talents of Kenneth Greve. Greve partook in a television competition Showtime where famous people sing, and in this case danced, for charities. Backed by a team of RDB youngsters Greve charmed and crooned his way though David Bowie's "Let's Dance," demonstrating excellent singing skills combined with jumps and pirouettes. He won the competition and had a big success, and may now become the household name he should been based on his ballet dancing.

If even a small percentage of his new fans find the way to the Royal Theatre to enjoy his true skills it is worthwhile. But it is a strange world. For Simone's and Kehlet's generation, being a ballet dancer at the RDB was an honour and a lifetime commitment. Today the RDB exist in a parallel universe only to bother the major population at royal events and as a strange crossover act. May the old times and the respect return!

Volume 4, No. 8
February 27, 2006
copyright ©2006 Eva Kistrup
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last updated on February 27, 2006