Frank Andersen, an Unmelancholy Dane from Denmark

Frank Anderson
© Richard Finkelstein

Frank Andersen assumes his second stint as Artistic Director of The Royal Danish Ballet July 1, 2002. These two weeks in Jackson constitute his second visit, but his first as a juror representing Denmark. His first visit occurred in 1994 when he promised Johan Kobborg that he would come if Johan made it to the final round. When Johann telephoned to say he was slated to dance Round III on a Thursday, Andersen kept his promise. Kobborg was the second male and the last dancer to be awarded Jackson’s Grand Prix.

Sitting across from Andersen, it is hard to believe this fresh-faced individual has ticked off such a wide ranging career and field of credits. Starting at the Royal Danish School aged seven, he was a company apprentice in 1969, became a full-fledged dancer in 1971 and was named principal in 1977. Andersen’s first nine years as the company’s artistic director started in 1985.

After nine years directing the Royal Danes, Andersen commenced the direction of the Royal Swedes in 1995. Leaving Stockholm in 1999, Andersen undertook the free lancing period, about to close, teaching and mounting the Bournonville style internationally. An advisor to the National Ballet of China since 1997, Andersen has visited the People’s Republic of China twenty-five times. "I have staged La Sylphide for the company, taught and toured with them. I also staged it for the Royal Swedish Ballet and have mounted Act III of Napoli for American Ballet Theatre’s repertory comopany."

Andersen feels that competitions are important. "It is important we take our time to come, to see what the talent is, gathering information on the next generation, and what is happening. We have an obligation to give these students our interest and to help them come forward."

Of the various models of Competitions, Andersen singled out Lausanne immediately as important. "It is about scholarships and training, not about cash prizes, to see what mother’s milk is producing , seeing what certain schools are teaching and producing before company directors begin to influence them." Andersen was president of the jury in Lausanne in 1990 and will serve again as president in 2004.

Other jury assignments have included Nagoya, Shanghai, Helsinki and Paris, but not Moscow or Varna. But another summit type gathering Andersen attended in Canada This past May, when he and other artistic directors from major companies spent forty-eight hours together discussing the future of ballet and its artistic direction in the 21st century. "We brought our beliefs and our hopes to the table and discussed many possibilities. We feel it valuable to continue to meet together, making it a priority to discuss three or four topics." The companies involved included The Royal Danish Ballet; The Royal Ballet and The English National Ballet; New York City Ballet; American Ballet Theatre; San Francisco Ballet; Boston Ballet; Stuttgart Ballet. Invited, but not attending were the artistic directors of Paris Opera Ballet; Hamburg and Ben Stevenson in Houston. Also on the Andersen agenda is major planning for the Bi-Centennial of The birth of Auguste Bournonville, whose birthday falls on August 21. "We expect to have six exhibits relating to Bournonville. The first will be in Bournonville’s home in Fasdensborg, which has been restored and will display his personal belongings.

"The Royal Library possesses correspondence between Hans Christian Andersen and Bournonville. Both were born in 1805. It is quite possible that the correspondence will be printed.

"The Court Theatre, where Bournonville actually danced, dates from 1800 and is now The Theatre Museum.

The other exhibits will be the Statens Museum for Art, our national museum, and the Thorvaldsen Museum, which will feature paintings under the title "The Dance in The Painting."

All six of the exhibits are likely to produce some form of bi-lingual catalogue in addition to the souvenir brochure.

The actual dance festival Andersen says will take place, "nine or ten days in June, just before the theatre closes down for the summer. We expect to have all new productions and include ballets not seen in 1992. We also expect to present classes on stage."

A seminar, scheduled around Bournonville’s actual birth date, August 21, is in the planning stages. "We had a tremendous number of writers present in 1992, 140 in 1992. It is important for them to see the repertoire and then to consider what they have seen before convening and discussing the Bournonville style. "There is real interest in the Bournonville style, and it is an important part of ballet as an art form. It needs to be conserved and remain distinct, while not being a museum piece. It’s truly the only such ballet style extant today, for it is hard to imaging what the French or Italian style is. And when it comes to the Russian style, "after Petipa…" what does that mean? Poor Petipa!

"Bournonville was well received here. It is a good chance that it will continue to live as a distinct ballet form. That is why we work to develop further a clear pedagogy and also educate our own instructors to teach it."

This piece is part of Ballet.co's overall Jackson Competition coverage. The competition runs from the 15th to the 30th June 2002 and we plan daily reports to keep you in touch:
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