Else Højgaard (18 April 1906–11 July 1979) was a Danish

ballerina A ballet dancer is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet. They rely on years of extensive training and proper technique to become a part of a professional ballet company. Ballet dancer ...

and an actress of stage and screen. Noted for a fiery temperament and edgy intensity,Kistrup, Jen
''Else Højgaard''
Dansk Kvindebiografisk Leksikon, 2003Piils, Morte
''Else Højgaard''
Den Danske Filmskuespillere, Gyldendal, (2003) Højgaard premiered as a solo ballerina for

George Balanchine George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze;, Romanization of Georgian, : April 30, 1983) was a Georgian-American ballet choreographer, recognized as one of the most influential choreographers ...

in 1931 and was the primary dancer for

Harald Lander Harald Alfred Bernhardt Stevnsborg Lander (25 February 1905 – 14 September 1971) was a Danish dancer, choreographer and artistic director of the Royal Danish Ballet. Lander was born in Copenhagen. He started as a dancer, studying under ballet ...

until 1942. Højgaard later went on to a long career as a dramatic actress, performing and teaching at the

Royal Danish Theatre The Royal Danish Theatre (RDT, Danish: ') is both the national Danish performing arts institution and a name used to refer to its old purpose-built venue from 1874 located on Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen. The theatre was founded in 1748, first s ...

. She performed in radio and television, and played supporting roles in several films including the dark drama

Café Paradis ''Café Paradis'' (English Title: ''Paradise Cafe'') is a 1950 Danish film, directed by Bodil Ipsen and Lau Lauritzen Jr., and written by . The film received the Bodil Award for Best Danish Film, and Ib Schønberg, for what is regarded his fin ...

(1950). Højgaard was awarded a knighthood in the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog () is a Denmark, Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V of Denmark, Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the Order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single cla ...

in 1961 and promoted to Knight 1st Class in 1971.

Ballet career

Else Højgaard (née Andreasen) was born on 18 April 1906 on

Bornholm Bornholm () is a List of islands of Denmark, Danish island in the Baltic Sea, to the east of the rest of Denmark, south of Sweden, northeast of Germany and north of Poland. Strategically located, Bornholm has been fought over for centuries. I ...

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

, the daughter of a civil attorney. At the age of 12, Højgaard became a student at the

ballet school in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

and graduated in 1929. She debuted in the role of Amelie in the 1928 production of ''Drømmebilleder'' and was chosen to perform the solo of Terpsichore in

's 1931 staging of '' Apollon Musagete''. Following that performance, Højgaard was a solo ballerina for the

Royal Danish Ballet The Royal Danish Ballet ( Danish: ''Den Kongelige Ballet'') is an internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Danish Theatre in Kongens Nytorv, Copenhagen, Denmark. It is one of the oldest ballet companies in the world a ...

until her retirement from ballet performance in 1942. She was the primary dancer for

's revival of the

August Bournonville August Bournonville (21 August 1805 – 30 November 1879) was a Danish ballet master and choreographer. He was the son of Antoine Bournonville, a dancer and choreographer trained under the French choreographer, Jean Georges Noverre, and the ne ...

ballets. Known for a fiery temperament, she was noted for her highly dramatic and lyrical performances, lending a modern, anti-romantic presentation to her roles.

Acting career

While employed as a ballerina, Højgaard also attended the Royal Danish Theatre's drama school from 1932 to 1934 and made her stage debut in Anker Larsen's ''Son of Zeus'' (1935). She later performed as the dancer Arabella in the 1938 film musical ''

Champagnegaloppen ''Champagnegaloppen'' is a 1938 Danish musical film directed by George Schnéevoigt. The film based on a musical by Hans Christian Lumbye and play by Paul Holck-Hofmann and stars Svend Methling and Valdemar Møller. It is named after the light c ...

''. However, it wasn't until she left the ballet in 1942 that Højgaard dedicated herself to acting and demonstrated a dramatic stage presence that was "independent", "indestructible", and "almost defiant." Noted performances included the Karen Blixen-like character of Julia in T.S. Eliot's ''

The Cocktail Party ''The Cocktail Party'' is a verse drama in three acts by T. S. Eliot written in 1948 and performed in 1949 at the Edinburgh Festival. It was published in 1950. It was the most popular of Eliot's seven plays in his lifetime, although his 1935 pl ...

'' and the emotional sister Irene in ''Søskende'' (1952). Højgaard performed in both radio and television, and she was an instructor for 16 years at the Royal Danish Theatre until 1967. In 1971, at the age of 65, Højgaard returned to ballet to perform the role of Old Woman in ''Dødens triumf'' (''The Triumph of Death''). In 1961, Højgaard was awarded knighthood in the

and in 1972, she was promoted to Knight of the First Degree. During a career that spanned four decades, Højgaard performed supporting roles in several films. According to cinema historian Morten Piils, the edgy nervousness and intensity of Højgaard's appearance prevented her from being offered lead roles in films. However, her few roles were often memorable performances, such as that of the judgmental Agnes in the darkly dramatic Danish masterpiece ''

''. Her final performance was in the 1972 children's film '' Mig og Charley''. Højgaard died on 11 July 1979 at the age of 73 during a fire at her summer house on Bornholm.DFDB
''Else Højgaard''
Den Danske Film Database, retrieved on 2008-09-27.

Personal life

Højgaard married the businessman Anders Christian Emil Højgaard on 14 December 1926, however they divorced less than two years later. She married a second time in 1939 with shoe manufacturer Willy Johannes Madsen. Later, she married the violinist and choir director Henrik Reinholdt Sachsenskjold, but that marriage also ended in divorce. Højgaard was the half-sister to Danish stage director Søren Melson and sister-in-law of

Gull-Maj Norin Gull-Maj Norin (20 April 1913 – 27 November 1997) was a Danish actress of stage and film who performed in Denmark and Sweden during the 1930s and 1940s. She is best known for her leading role as the suspected serial murderer in the 1944 f ...

Filmography

References

External links

*
Else Højgaard
in the National Filmography at the Danish Film Institute (in Danish) {{DEFAULTSORT:Hojgaard, Else Danish film actresses Danish ballerinas 1906 births 1979 deaths Knights First Class of the Order of the Dannebrog People from Bornholm Deaths from fire Accidental deaths in Denmark 20th-century Danish actresses 20th-century Danish ballet dancers