Hans Brenaa (b Copenhagen, 9 October 1910, d Copenhagen, 14 April 1988) was a Danish dancer, teacher, and ballet director. He studied at the
Royal Danish Ballet
The Royal Danish 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 and originates from 1748, when the Ro ...
School from 1918 and joined the company in 1928; promoted to principal in 1945. He created roles in
George Balanchine
George Balanchine (;
Various sources:
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* born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze; ka, გიორგი მელიტონის ძე ბალანჩივაძე; January 22, 1904 (O. S. January 9) – April 30, 1983) was ...
Legend of Joseph (1931) and in numerous ballets by Lander, including Études (1948). He produced Aurora's Wedding for the Royal Danish Ballet in 1950. After retiring from the stage in 1955 he became a producer, staging the
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 ...
repertoire in Denmark and elsewhere. He also taught at the Royal Danish Ballet School in Copenhagen from 1942 and was a tireless teacher of the Bournonville style throughout Europe and America. Among the Bournonville productions he staged for the Royal Danish Ballet are The Kermesse in Bruges (1957 and 1978), La Sylphide (1967), Konservatoriet (1968), The King's Volunteers on Amager (1970), Far from Denmark (1973), and La Ventana (1979).
Brenaa made the more straightforward and ingenuous ballets dance across the stage with an infectious vitality. During the periods in which Hans Brenaa was absent from the theatre,
Kirsten Ralov
Kirsten Ralov (26 March 1922 – 30 May 1999) was a Danish ballerina.
She was born to Kai and Kaja Gnatt, née Olsen, a family of dancers living in Baden, Austria. Kirsten's mother encouraged her, and her brother Poul, to train as dancers. She en ...
was the custodian of the Bournonville tradition. In 1979 she committed the Bournonville Schools to paper.
Hans Brenaa said
References
External links
Auguste.vestris.free.frAnswers.com
1910 births
1988 deaths
Ballet teachers
Danish male ballet dancers
People from Copenhagen
Royal Danish Ballet principal dancers
{{Denmark-artist-stub