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

Warren Spears

Warren Spears was an American dancer and choreographer. Born in Detroit, Michigan, he studied dance as a child, then moved to New York City in 1972 to study at the Juilliard School....

 and the Dane Anette Abildgaard. Tim Rushton

Tim Rushton

Timothy John Rushton MBE is a British choreographer and artistic leader of the Copenhagen-based Danish Dance Theatre, Denmark's largest modern dance company....

, the present Artistic Director and primary choreographer of the company.

History

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 touring 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 6080 performances annually.

Besides touring and several stationary performances in Copenhagen, the company is also famous for two annual open air events. “Copenhagen Summer Dance” takes place i The Copenhagen Police Headquarters and runs for one week in August. The picnic-performances “Spring Dance at Carlsberg” during the two first weekends of June.

The company's Artistic Director Tim Rushton has been nominated nine 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.

Awards

Won the danish Reumert Award for Best Danceperformance in:

• 2010 for Frost Choreography: Tina Tarpgaard
• 2009 for Labyrinth Choreography: Tim Rushton, Tina Tarpgaard, Chris Elam
• 2005 for Kridt (Chalk)

Nominated for the Reumert Award for Best Danceperformance in:

• 2008 for Passion Choreography: Tim Rushton
• 2007 for Confessions Choreography & instruction: Tim Rushton & Martin Tulinius
• 2006 for Silent Steps Choreography: Tim Rushton

Important productions

• 2012
  • MONOLITH: Danish Dance Theatre, at the Royal Theatre. May the 10’Th 2012 Danish premiere of the performance created by Tim Rushton for Rambert Dance Company, Sadlers Wells in 2011

• 2011
  • LOVE SONGS:Danish Dance Theatre, at the Royal Theatre. Premiere 26 May 2011 ,
  • "Spring dance på Carlsberg", outdoor danceevent in the beautiful garden of "J.C. Jacobsens Have" at Carlsberg, Copenhagen
  • Danish Dance Theatre's festival Copenhagen Summer Dance in Copenhagen's Politigård. Performing companies: Danish Dance Theatre and other international comtemporary dance companies.

guestchoreographer Stephen Shropshire

• • UK Tour with Dance Touring Partnership presenting: KRIDT (CHALK), ENIGMA and CADANCE.
  • Danish Tour presenting: LOVE

• 2010
  • "Spring dance på Carlsberg", outdoor danceevent in the beautiful garden of "J.C. Jacobsens Have" at Carlsberg, Copenhagen
  • Danish Dance Theatre's festival Copenhagen Summer Dance in Copenhagen's Politigård. Performing companies: Danish Dance Theatre, BeijingDanceTheatre,

Rambert Dance Company

• 2009
  • CADANCE: Danish Dance Theatre
  • ENIGMA: Danish Dance Theatre
  • Danish Dance Theatre festival Copenhagen Summerdance, Copenhagen's Politigård. Performing companies: Danish Dance Theatre, Marie Brolin-Tani Unga Dans

kompagni, The Finnish National Ballet, Skånes Dansteater.

• 2008
  • LABYRINTH: Danish Dance Theatre
  • Received Danish award for performance arts, Årets Reumert, for Best Dance Production of the Year

• 2007
  • PASSION IN COOPERATION WITH THE PAINTER MICHAEL KVIUM: Danish Dance Theatre – Nominated for Danish award for performance arts, Årets Reumert, for Best Dance Production of the Year
  • Jacob's Pillow
  • Danish Dance Theatre festival Copenhagen Summerdance, Copenhagen's Politigård. Performing companies: Danish Dance Theatre, Marie Brolin-Tani Company

Carte Blanche, Johan Kobborg.

• • Beijing
    Beijing
    Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
    
    

• 2006
  • ANIMAL PARK: Danish Dance Theatre
  • Nominated for Danish award for performance arts, Årets Reumert, for Best Dance Production of the Year
  • Dance Salad, Houston
  • Danish Dance Theatre festival Copenhagen Summerdance, Copenhagen's Politigård. Performing companies: Danish Dance Theatre, The Royal Swedish Ballet,

Carte Blanche.

• 2005
  • SILENT STEPS: Danish Dance Theatre
  • Nominated for Danish award for performance arts, Årets Reumert, for Best Dance Production of the Year
  • KRIDT: Danish Dance Theatre
  • Danish Dance Theatre festival Copenhagen Summerdance, Copenhagen's Politigård. Performing companies: Danish Dance Theatre,Skånes Dansteater,

The Finnish National Ballet.

• • Received Danish award for performance arts, Årets Reumert, for Best Dance Production of the Year

• 2004
  • GRAFFITI: Danish Dance Theatre
  • Jacob's Pillow
    Jacob's Pillow
    Jacob’s Pillow Dance is a dance center, school and performance space located in Becket, Massachusetts, in the Berkshires. The organization is known for the oldest internationally acclaimed summer dance festival in the United States. The facility also includes a professional school and extensive...
    
    
  • Danish Dance Theatre festival Copenhagen Summerdance, Copenhagen's Politigård. Performing companies: Danish Dance Theatre, Gøteborg Operaens Ballet, The

Norwegian National Ballet.

• • Danish Dance Theatre opens the new Copenhagen opera house's Takkeloftet
  • Sidney Opera

• 2003
  • NAPOLI – DEN NYE BY: Danish Dance Theatre
  • SuperDanish at Habourfront, Canada
    Canada
    Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
    
    
  • major tour of the Middle East
    Middle East
    The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
    
    

• 2002
  • WORKING MAN: Danish Dance Theatre

• 2001
  • SHADOWLAND: Danish Dance Theatre

Important international performances

• • 2011 UK Tour with Dance Touring Partnership presenting: KRIDT (CHALK), ENIGMA and CADANCE.

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry. Lighthouse Poole. Corn Exchange, Brighton Dome. The Lowry, Salford. Grand Opera House, Belfast. Macrobert, Sterling.
Nottingham Playhouse. Northern Stage, Newcastle. Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield.
Performing KRIDT (CHALK), ENIGMA and CADANCE at the Finnish National Ballet.

• • 2010 Touring internationally with KRIDT (CHALK), ENIGMA and CADANCE to USA, Poland, Russia, Finland, Norway, Germany and France.
  • 09/10 Performing Kridt(Chalk)& Shadowland at Künstlerhaus Mousonturm, Germany.

Performing Kridt Chalk) & Shadowland at The Biarritz Festival, France.

• • 08/09 Finland
  • 07/08 New York, USA. Chinese Tour. Moscow, Rusland
  • 06/07 Beijing, China

Jacobs Pillow, USA

• • 05/06 Dance Salad, Houston
  • 04/05 Sidney Opera House, Australia

Jacobs Pillow, USA

• • 03/04 Extensive tour in the Middle East

SuperDanish at ’Habourfront’, Canada.

Dancers 2011

Alessandro Sousa Pereira

Brazilian. Born 1983. Educated at Galpao 1 Dance School in Indaiatuba, Saö Paulo. In 1999 he danced at Lina Pentiado Danca Cia. In the year 2000 he danced at Bahia Ballet (Ballet do Teatro CastroAlves). 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.

Nelson Rodriquez-Smith

Born in Colombia in 1972. Educated at Stockholms Ballet Akademi, the School of Contemporary Dance in Copenhagen and at the Dance Academy in Rotterdam. Danced at Skånes Dansteater in Malmö, Nyt Dansk Danseteater (the former Danish Dance Theatre), Ballet Gulbenkian in Lisbon and did projects with Ohad Naharin in Sweden, Kristoffer Pedersen in Denmark and Bruno Listopad in The Netherlands. Nelson Rodriquez-Smith started – again – at Dansk Danseteater in July 2007.

Stina Mårtensson

Swedish. Born 1978. She is educated at Balettakademien, Stockholm 1998 - 2000. Stina Mårtensson has danced at Adekwhat – Philipe Blanchard, Skånes Dansteater, Granhøj Dans and Sofie Christiansen. Stina Mårtensson was engaged at Danish Dance Theatre in the spring of 2003.

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.

Minna Berglund

Swedish. Born 1986. Educated at Skolen for Moderne Dans in June 2009. Has danced for Lilla Baletten and D Company in Stockholm. Started as dancer at the Danish Dance Theatre in July 2009.

Ana Sendas

Portugese. Born 1977. Educated at Academia de Dança Contemporânea de Setúbal in Portugal in 1994. Danced at Göteborg’s Opera Ballet, Ballet Gulbenkian in Lissabon, Ballet Theater Augsburg in Tyskland and at Galili Dance Company in The Netherlands. Started as dancer at the Danish Dance Theatre in July 2009.

Nassim Meki

Swedish. Born 1987 in Syria. Educated at the Royal Swedish Ballet School in Gothenburg and Stockholm. Nassim Meki has worked with Recoil Performance Group – Tina Tarpgaard, Det Unge Danskompagni – Marie Brolin-Tani, Tim Rushton, Virpi Pahkinen, Didy Veldman, and Mats Ek. She joined Danish Dance Theatre in 2010.

Adi Amit

Born in 1983, Israeli. Educated in Rotterdam Dance Academy, Codarts in the Netherlands. Worked with Kamuyot by Ohad Naharin – a collaboration with Bat-Sheva Dance Company and Riksteatern Sweden, Kolben Dance Company, and many other projects in the Netherlands. Adi Amit started as dancer at Dansk Danseteater July 2010.

Tina Møller

Born in Denmark in 1976. Educated at Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Leeds. Worked with Veronika Riz Dance Company, Kim Brandstrup, Yael Asher Yaary, Aletta Collins & Mirjam Gurtner. Tina Møllers started as dancer at Dansk Danseteater July 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.

Owen Ridley-Demonick

English. Born 1988. Educated in the UK. He was part of the associate artist platform at the Bristol Old Vic, and has danced with Darkin Ensemble, Regina Weilingen, Itzak Galili, Darshan Singh Bhuller, Janet Smith, and Ross McKim. Owen Ridley-Demonick will join Danish Dance Theatre in 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.

Reviews

• NY Times review by Gia Kourlas, October 13, 2007

• http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/29/arts/dance/29pill.htmlNY Times review by Jennifer Dunning
  Jennifer Dunning
  Jennifer Dunning is a writer and critic for the New York Times on the subjects of dance and ballet. She is the author of the 1985 But First a School: The First Fifty Years of the School of American Ballet, the 1996 Alvin Ailey, a Life in Dance and the 1997 Great Performances: A...
  
  , July 29, 2006]

• NY Times review by Anna Kisselgoff, July 14, 2004

• http://www.villagevoice.com/dance/0632,jowitt,74097,14.htmlVillage Voice review by Deborah Jowitt
  Deborah Jowitt
  Deborah Jowitt is an American dance critic, author, and choreographer. Her career in dance began as a performer and choreographer. Jowitt has received several awards for her work, including a Bessie for her work in dance criticism.Beginning in 1967, she wrote a weekly dance column for the Village...
  
  , August 4, 2006]

• Ballet-Dance Magazine review by Kate Snedeker, May 5, 2006