August Bournonville

Balletmaster and choreographer (1805-1879)

”If you have genius, then write; if you only have taste and knowledge, then compose and arrange.”
Bournonville – My Life in the Theatre

August Bournonville was the great Danish choreographer and is internationally famous todayfor his sense of both the idyllic and the dramatic qualities of ballet.

However, the Danish ”Bournonville School” is not really all that Danish. Bournonville’s father was French and his mother Swedish, and he found the inspiration for his choreographies partly in  Paris. By the time French ballet tradition disappeared throughout Europe, Bournonville had ensured that this distinguished international style was preserved in Copenhagen.

Bournonville worked as solo dancer, balletmaster and choreographer at  the Royal Theatre from 1830 to 1848. Et folkesagn (A Folk Tale***), Napoli and Sylfiden (The Sylphide) are among his most important works. He created the last of these for his favourite pupil, Lucille Grahn, with whom he was unhappily in love, something that led to violent outbursts of jealousy and a public scandal.

Although Bournonville´s relationship with his ballerinas was sometimes strained, he was able to renew Danish  ballet, and his ardour and energy helped him to train an outstanding corps de ballet.

More about Bournonville 

• Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Biography

• www.bournonville.com Page on Bournonville in progress