Royal Danish Ballet photograph album on the premiere of Giselle, 1956

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Summary

Creators:

Abstract:

The collection comprises a photograph album created by the Royal Danish Ballet and presented to visiting Russian choreographer Alexandre Volinine. The album commemorates the company's premiere of Giselle on November 10-11, 1946, staged in Copenhagen by Volinine. Giselle, featuring the company's principle ballerina, Margot Lander, was one of the company's most successful runs of the decade.

Extent:

0.9 Linear Feet (1 box and 1 oversized folder)

Language:

Danish .

Preferred citation:

Royal Danish Ballet photograph album on the premiere of Giselle. MS-P072. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California. Date accessed.

For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection comprises a photograph album created by the Royal Danish Ballet and presented to visiting Russian choreographer, Alexandre Volinine. The album commemorates the company's premiere of Giselle on November 10-11, 1946, which was staged in Copenhagen by Volinine. It is inscribed to Volinine and signed on behalf of the Chief of the Royal Theatre by Hennings Rahde (secretary) and S. Bertholdt (head administrator). The first photograph is a portrait of the company with Volinine, signed by the photographer, [Rigmor] Mydtskov. All other photographs are of the dancers during the performance. Inserted in the album were duplicate photographs and a Kongelige Teatre (Royal Theatre) house program for the 1946-47 season. Also included are two broadsides advertising the 1946 performances of the Royal Danish Ballet, one of them inscribed from the dance master, Harald Lander, to Volinine.

Biographical / historical:

The Royal Danish Ballet evolved from Danish theater and traces its roots to the 1748 opening of Denmark's Royal Theatre in Copenhagen. The ballet company experienced its greatest success and growth under the direction of three noteworthy masters, Vicenzo Galeotti (1775-1816), Auguste Bournonville (1830-1877), and Harald Lander (1932-1951). Galeotti increased the number of dancers in the company, introduced Denmark to an international repertory, developed native dancers and composers, and staged popular ballets. Bournonville's reign is often called the "Golden Age." He was the principle male dancer until 1848 and built a rich and diverse repertory. A century later, Harald Lander revived and modernized the faltering company. During the 1930s and 1940s he nurtured and showcased talented dancers such as Margot Lander and Borge Ralov and brought in internationally acclaimed choreographers such as the Russian Alexandre Volinine.

Giselle, staged by Volinine in 1946, was one of the Royal Danish Ballet's most successful runs of the decade. The ballet featured lead dancers Margot Lander and Borge Ralov. Lander danced the title role and her performance earned her the Teaterpokalen great performance trophy awarded by the dance critics of Copenhagen.

Acquisition information:

Acquired in 2007.

Processing information:

Processed by Cyndi Shein, 2007.

During processing, the duplicate photographs, house program, and broadsides were removed and stored separately for preservation purposes.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged by type of material.

Rules or conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Indexed terms

Subjects:: Giselle (Choreographic work) -- Photographs.
Giselle (Choreographic work) -- Archives.
Ballet dancers.
Broadsides -- 20th century.
Photograph albums -- 20th century.
Photographic prints -- 20th century.
Dance cards
Names:: Kongelige Danske ballet -- Photographs
Kongelige Danske ballet -- Archives
Lander, Margot
Mydtskov, Rigmor
Volinin, Aleksandr Emel'ianovich -- Archives

Access and use

Restrictions:: The collection is open for research.
Terms of access:: Property rights reside with the University of California. Copyrights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please contact the Head of Special Collections and Archives.