Etudes Fest Polonaise Flower Festival in Genzano (staged)La Sylphide |
Born in 1905, Harold Lander,
was a Danish dancer and
choreographer who was primarily
responsible for rebuilding the
faltering Royal Danish Ballet into
a superb performing
organization.
Lander studied under the great
ballet master and reformer
Michel Fokine in 1926-27 and
danced in leading roles until
1945. As ballet master of the
Royal Danish Ballet he enriched
its repertoire with productions of
Fokine's masterpieces such as,
Les Sylphides,
Petrushka, and Prince
Igor and revivals of works by
the great 19th-century Danish
choreographer August
Bournonville. His own
compositions include the
frequently performed
Etudes, a one-act ballet
that begins with traditional ballet
exercises at a dance studio's
"barre" and ends with spectacular
displays by advanced
students.
After becoming ballet master of
the Paris Opera in 1953, he
became a French citizen in 1956
and opened a studio in Paris in
1964. He was decorated by the
governments of Denmark,
Belgium, and France for his
contributions to modern ballet.
Lander returned to Copenhagen
shortly before his death in
1971. |
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