Next years repetoire will be announced tomorrow. Check www.kgl-teater.dk for the press release

Not in my brightest mood today since reading about next season repetoire. Very little Bournonville (La Ventana Kermesse), practically no classical ballet (Ratmantsky Nutcracker the closest thing), no Etudes, no Balanchine, two Neumeiers The Mermaid and Romeo and Juliets, Manon and four evenings modern and newly choreographs ballets (Tvyla Tharp, Angelin Prejocin and Nils Cristie and a full evening ballet by Tim Rushton) . It is like Frank Andrensens moves in themes, last year Bournonville, this year Modern and Nordic. At the moment we have strong classical dancers and corps. tudes have never been danced better, so why not build on the current strenght instead of vending into to totally new teratory? I agree with his overall vision that RDB should be the leading storytelling ballet company but I am not sur that this years repetoire will confirm the top5 position that he wants so badly?

It is really depressing, I agree. It seems the new ambition is to get into world's top 5 modern ballet companies instead of classical. :-( I think that every season there should be at least be either La Sylphide or Napoli. Let's hope Kermessen turns out to be a good production.

The good news is that the Bolshoi Ballet finally is coming to Copenhagen!

Effy, the next RDB season seems to be depressingly close to the present POB season: a lack of real classical ballet, no interest for the company's heritage (Bournonville for the RDB, Lifar for the POB), lots of modern works... And some Preljocaj again.

I find it really worrying that two of the main ballet companies in the world, with the longest ballet tradition, seem to be so little interested in ballet now.

Thank you Estelle for your compassion. The most annoying fact is that these choices are not artistic but made from the believe that in order to attract new viewers you should present as little ballet as possible.

I am just wondering in how far the POB has a ballet performing traditon. Are there any ballets they have passed on from generation to generation?

the POB has been saved twice in recent history, first by Serge Lifar and later by Nureyev. other than that it has the propably best school in the world and has produced a series of ballarinas and dancers the world has not been able to match in many ways. what is interesting about the POB NYCB and RB is that their schools are true to their styles. Which cannot be said about the RDB. well that is altogether another discussion.

But as ever mr andersens choices are interestingly dull, it seems the dancers and their audience have bigger ambitions than their director. shouldnt it be the other way round?

The Bourneville Gala perfomance 21 August 2005:

http://www.kgl-teater.dk/dkt2002uk/ballet/...ournonville.htm

I read somewhere that Nina has decided to cancel all her performances for the rest of 2005. Is there a possibillity that she will perform at the gala?

If you come to Denmark to see the gala performance, you can also take the opportunity to see this perfomance:

http://www.havfruen.nu/english/om_havfruen.asp

I, too, am curious about Nina performing there. Alessandra Ferri was in fact supposed to be dancing there with Julio Bocca (that's what it said on Bocca's website) but I guess due to her injury, Nina has stepped in?

Will anyone be attending this gala? I'd love to hear about it.