Danish Dance Theatre

Danish Dance Theatre is the largest modern dance company in Denmark. The company was founded in 1981 by Randi Patterson, an English/Norwegian choreographer and innovator of modern dance. Patterson was succeeded by American Warren Spears and the Dane Anette Abildgaard. Tim Rushton, the present Artistic Director and primary choreographer of the company. It is based in Copenhagen.

History

Since 2001, Tim Rushton (MBE) has been the company’s Artistic Director and has successfully continued Danish Dance Theatre’s vision of combining the classical arts with the modern. Today, Danish Dance Theatre is the foremost contemporary dance company in Denmark, as well as the largest. The company is composed of hand-picked dancers from all over the world.

Especially during the early years, stories and literary sources have often been a central role in the inspiration and creation of the company`s performances. The company often collaborates with well-known writers, visual artists and composers and the music often ranges from classical masterpieces to jazz, rock and new compositions.

Danish Dance Theatre receives an annual operating subsidy from the Ministry of Culture. Since the company’s funding represents approximately half the financial support that other comparable Nordic companies receive, it is necessary to have additional financial backing from private companies, foundations and endowments.

Until 2005, Danish Dance Theatre was a tooring company with no permanent stage. In 2005, the company moved to Folketeatret in Copenhagen, where they had both a permanent stage and dance studio. In November 2009, the company moved from Folketeatret to DANSEhallerne and together with Dansescenen and Dansens Hus they are now situated on the former site of Carlsberg Brewery. Between national touring, international touring and stationary performances, the company conducts between 60-80 performances annually. Danish Dance Theatre was founded in 1981 by the English/Norwegian choreographer and pioneer Randi Patterson, in collaboration with Anette Abildgaard, Ingrid Buchholtz, Mikala Barnekow and soon after, Warren Spears. At that time, the company was named ‘New Danish Dance Theatre.’

The repertoire spans from large stage productions at the Royal Danish Theatre, Danish Dance Theatre also does an extensive amount of both national and international touring. Besides touring and several stationary performances in Copenhagen, the company is also famous for two annual open-air events: “Copenhagen Summer Dance”, which takes place in the Copenhagen Police Headquarters and runs for one week in August and the picnic-performances “Spring Dance at Carlsberg”, which takes place during the two first weekends of June.

The company's Artistic Director Tim Rushton has been nominated ten times for Best Dance Performance of the Year at the Danish Theatre Awards, Reumert, receiving the award four times; in 1999 for Busy Being Blue, in 2005 for Chalk, in 2006 for Requiem and in 2009 for Labyrinth. In 2010, Danish Dance Theatre received the Reumert Award for Frost, choreographed by Tina Tarpgaard. Since Rushton came to Danish Dance Theatre in 2001, the company has quadrupled the number of audience members.

In addition, Rushton has received many other awards. In 2006 he received the Teaterkatten (Theatrecat) award as best director, a title awarded by “The Association of Danish Theatre Journalists”. In 2007 he received the “National Arts Foundation Award” for exceptional works of art for the 2006 performance Requiem. In 2008 he received “The Danish Arts Society” award and in 2009 “The Wilhelm Hansen Foundation” award.

In 2011 he was honoured with the British MBE – Member of the Order of the British Empire – for his outstanding work for modern dance. In 2012 Tim Rushton received an Honorary Award at the Danish Theatre Awards, Reumert - this award is given an artist who through the years has made a unique contribution to the positive development of the performing arts in Denmark - and who is still actively performing.

Awards

Won the Danish Reumert Award for Best Danceperformance in:

Nominated for the Reumert Award for Best Danceperformance in:

Important productions

Important international performances

Dancers

Alessandro Sousa Pereira
Brazilian. Born 1983. Educated at Galpão 1 Dance School in Indaiatuba, São Paulo. In 1999 he danced at Companhia de Dança Lina Penteado . In the year 2000 he danced at Balé da Bahia (Balé do Teatro Castro Alves). In the year of 2002 at Tanz Graz in Austria. In the period of 2003–2007 he was engaged at Ballet Theatre Munich under the direction of Philip Taylor. He has been working with choreographers like Carolyn Carlson, Jirí Kylián and Richard Alston. Alessandro Sousa Pereira started as dancer at Dansk Danseteater July 2007.
Luca Marazia
Italian. Born 1979. He is educated at the Rome Opera Dance School under direction of Elisabetta Terabust and at the École-Atelier Rudra Béjart in Lausanne, Switzerland. During his education he danced with the Rome Opera Ballet and with the Béjart Ballet. From 1998 to 2005 he was dancing at the Nürnberg Ballet. He has danced under the choreographic direction of William Forsythe, Jo Stromgren, Stijm Celis, Nicolo Fonte, Daniela Kurz, Jo Kanamati, Rui Horta, Javier de Frutos and Russel Maliphant. Luca Marazia started as a full time dancer at the Danish Dance Theatre in the summer of 2005.
Ana Sendas
Portuguese. Born 1977. Educated at Academia de Dança Contemporânea de Setúbal in Portugal in 1994. Danced at Göteborg’s Opera Ballet, Ballet Gulbenkian in Lisbon, Ballet Theater Augsburg in Tyskland and at Galili Dance Company in The Netherlands. Started as dancer at the Danish Dance Theatre in July 2009.
Maxim-Jo Beck McGosh
Danish. Born 1981. Educated at the Danish National School of Contemporary Dance in Copenhagen. Maxim-Jo Beck McGosh has worked with Recoil Performance Group – Tina Tarpgaard, Granhøj Dance – Palle Granhøj, Marie Brolin-Tani, Virpi Pahkinen, and Helena Franzén. She joined Danish Dance Theatre in 2010.
Milou Nuyens
Born in Amsterdam in 1985. Educated in The Netherlands. Worked with Staatstheater Darmstadt under direction of Mei Hong Lin, Landestheater Linz under direction of Jochen Ulrich, Campany Nanine Linning and Intro Dans under direction of Roel Vorintholt. Milou Nuyens started as dancer at Dansk Danseteater July 2010.
Stefanos Bizas
Born in Greece in 1979. Educated at London Contemporary Dance School at The Place. Worked with The National Dance Company Wales. Works by Itzik Galili, Andonis Foniadakis, Stijn Celis, Stephen Petronio, Joanne Fong, Stephen Shropshire, Viivi Keskinen, Juan Carlos Garcia and Roy Campbell-Moore. Stefanos Bizas started as dancer at Dansk Danseteater July 2010.
Björn Nilsson
Born in Sweden in 1985. Educated at London Studio Center. Worked with Det Unge Dansekompagni under direction of Marie Brolin-Tani. Works by MBT, Mats Ek and Didy Veldman. Björn Nilsson started as dancer at Dansk Danseteater July 2010.
Fabio Liberti
Italian. Born 1981. Educated at Rotterdamse Dansacademie. Fabio Liberti has worked with AIEP – Ariella Vidarch, Theater Saint Gallen, Stadttheater Hildesheim, Conny Janssen Danst, and Balletto Teatro di Torino. He will join Danish Dance Theatre in 2010.
Erik Nyberg
Swedish. Born 1990. Educated at the Royal Swedish Ballet School. He has worked with Det Unge Danskompagni, Tim Rushton, Marie Brolin-Tani, Virpi Pahkinen, Johan Inger and Alexander Ekman. Erik Nyberg joined Danish Dance Theatre in 2010.
Emily Nicolaou
American. Born 1989. Educated at The University of North Carolina School of the Arts, USA. Danced with Hubbard Street II under the direction of Taryn Kaschock. Emily started as a dancer with Danish Dance Theatre in July 2011. She has premiered in: Fallen from Heaven, Rocking, Rhapsody, Monolith.
Joel Fritzon
Swedish. Born in 1989. Educated at Danish School of Contemporary Dance in 2011. Joel started as a dancer with Danish Dance Theatre in July 2011. He has premiered in: Love, Fallen from Heaven, Rocking, Rhapsody, Monolith.
Arina Trostyanetskaya
Russian. Born 1986. Educated at Vaganova Ballet Academy (bachelor), St-Petersburg, Russia; Ecole - Atelier Rudra Bejart, Lausanne, Switzerland. Danced with Netherlands Dance Theater II, Den Haag, Netherlands; Freelance projects, St-Petersburg, Russia. Arina started as a dancer with Danish Dance Theatre in August 2012.
Niya Teodorova
Bulgarian. Born 1990. Educated at the Danish National School of Contemporary Dance and Bulgarian National School of Dance Arts. Performed at Dansescenen, Skuespilhuset and the National Gallery of Denmark and danced as an apprentice with Skånes Dance Theatre, Sweden. Niya has worked with choreographers such as Lotte Sigh, Kim Brandstrup, Rasmus Sørinus Jensen, Angels Margarit and Anne Zacho. Niya started as a dancer with Danish Dance Theatre in June 2012.
Paul James Rooney
British. Born 1984. Educated at the Royal Ballet School, London and Elmhurst School for Dance. Danced with The Pantomime Theatre, Denmark, English National Ballet, New Adventures, England, and Alvin Ailey Dance Company, USA. Paul has worked with choreographers such as Christopher Hampson, Didy Veldman, Marie Brolin-Tani, and Matthew Bourne, and in addition he represented The Royal Opera House in London, at the closing ceremony of the 2008 Olympics. Paul started as a dancer with Danish Dance Theatre in January 2013.
Jàn Spoták
Slovak. Born 1984. Educated at the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in Bratislava, Slovakia. Danced with Slovak Dance Theatre, Slovak National Theatre, Bralen Dance Theatre in Slovakia, and Norrdans in Sweden. Ján has worked with choreographers such as Mats Ek, Felix Landerer, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, Jo Strømgren, Annabelle Bonnery, Martin Forsberg, and Jan Ďurovčik. Ján started as a dancer with Danish Dance Theatre in November 2012.
Jernej Bizjak
Slovenian. Born 1987. Educated at CODARTS, Rotterdam Dance Academy, Netherlands. Danced with IT Dansa, Barcelona and in 2010 with Cross Connection Ballet Company. Jernej has worked with choreographers such as Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Ohad Naharin, Jiri Kylian, Alexander Ekman, Rafael Bonachela and Martin Fosberg. Jernej started as a dancer with Danish Dance Theatre in November 2012.
Maria Pilar Abaurrea
Spanish. Born 1984. Diploma in classical dance at the Spanish Ministry of Education and educated at Escuela Oficial de Navarra, Spain. Danced wit Landerer & Company, Norrdans, Donlon Dance Company, Germany and IT Dansa, Barcelona. Maria has worked with choreographers such as Mats Ek, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, Jo Strømgren, Jiri Kylian, Maguerite Donlon and Martin Forsberg. Maria started as a dancer with Danish Dance Theatre in November 2012.
Reija Heinonen
Finnish. Born 1989. Educated at the Finnish National Ballet School. Danced with The Small Finish Ballet Company, Finnish National Ballet, Centro ProDanza de Cuba and IT Dansa, Barcelona. Reija has worked with choreographers such as Alex Ekman, Toer van Schayk, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Rafael Bonachela and Ohad Naharin. Reija started as a dancer with Danish Dance Theatre in November 2012.

Reviews

External links

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