The Royal Swedish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in Europe. Based in

Stockholm Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropo ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...

King Gustav III Gustav III (29 March 1792), also called ''Gustavus III'', was Monarchy of Sweden, King of Sweden from 1771 until his assassination in 1792. He was the eldest son of Adolf Frederick of Sweden and Queen Louisa Ulrika of Prussia. Gustav was a voca ...

founded the

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form ...

in 1773 as a part of his national cultural project in response to the French and Italian dominance in this field; he also founded the

Royal Swedish Opera Royal Swedish Opera ( sv, Kungliga Operan) is an opera and ballet company based in Stockholm, Sweden. Location and environment The building is located in the center of Sweden's capital Stockholm in the borough of Norrmalm, on the eastern sid ...

and the Royal Dramatic Theatre. All of these were initially located in the old theatre of

Bollhuset Bollhuset, also called (The Big Ball House), (Ball House Theater), and Gamla Bollhuset (Old Ball House) at various times, was the name of the first theater in Stockholm, Sweden; it was the first Swedish theater and the first real theater buildin ...

. The troupe was founded with the opening of the Royal Swedish Opera, which has served as its home since that time.

History

In 1773, the cultural professions of acting, opera-singing and ballet-dancing in Sweden were all performed by foreign troupes. The first ballet performance was performed at the Swedish court when the French ballet troupe of

Antoine de Beaulieu Antoine de Beaulieu (died 1663) was a French noble, dancer, and ballet master of the Swedish court from 1637 to 1663 and is considered to have introduced ballet in Sweden. Antoine de Beaulieu was employed in Sweden after a recommendation to the Q ...

was hired at the court of Queen Christina in 1638, and the first Public ballet performance were performed by the foreign theatre troupes at the theatre of Bollhuset later the same century. The only exception had been the period of 1737–1753, when the first professional Swedish troupe of actors had performed at Bollhuset; during this period, ballets were performed by the first Swedish dancers in this troupe. The perhaps first ballet performed by professional native Swedish dancers was in the play ''Den afvundsiuke'' ("The Envious") by

Olof von Dahlin Olof von Dalin (29 August 1708 – 12 August 1763) was a Swedish nobleman, poet, historian and courtier. He was an influential literary figure of the Swedish Enlightenment. Background Olof Dalin was born in the parish of Vinberg in Hallan ...

in August 1738. However, no names are known about these first dancers. They were probably educated by Jean Marquard as dancing-master, and one of the dancers were also French, Gabriel Senac. In 1753, however, the first Swedish ballet, theatre and opera at Bollhuset were dissolved. Ringaren i Notre-Dame ballet 2009

Gustav III wanted to create and educate native talents in these professions. To accomplish this, he used the same method in the ballet as he was to use with the theatre; by having the first generation of native dancers educated by foreign professionals. When he fired the French theatre-company to create his national-stage in 1773, he kept many of the French dancers of this troupe. Dancers from

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

and

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

, such as

Antoine Bournonville Antoine Bournonville (19 May 1760 – 11 January 1843) was a French ballet dancer a choreographer, active in the Royal Swedish Ballet and the Royal Danish Ballet and eventually ballet master in the latter. He is considered to have played a gre ...

, Louis Gallodier, Giovanna Bassi and Julie Alix de la Fay were hired to perform and to educate Swedish students. Most of the first students to the troupe were taken among children to the staff at the royal court and to professional musicians, as were the first students to the theatre and the opera. In the first ballet-troupe in the national stage of 1773, they were very few native talents with former professional experience; one of them was

Charlotte Slottsberg Charlotte (Gustava Charlotta) Slottsberg (29 May 1760 – 29 May 1800) was a Swedish ballerina. She was one of the first native members of the Royal Swedish Ballet. She was also known as a courtesan and as the controversial mistress of the ...

, who could be counted as the first native Swedish ballerina known by name. The greatest triumph of the Swedish ballet during the 18th century is considered to be the Ballet performed by Gallodier to the Opera ''Gustav Adolf och Ebba Brahe'' (Gustav Adolf and Ebba Brahe) (1786); also the Ballet ''Fiskarna'' (The Fishes) by Antoine Bournonville (1789) became a great success. The Ballet was from the beginning closely linked to the Opera; ballets were a part of the performances of the Opera, and the dancers were also active on the Royal Dramatic Theatre. When the Royal Swedish Opera were closed down between 1806 and 1809–1812, the Ballet was not closed, only moved over to the theatre. During the 19th century, new ballets were made all the time, and older ones seldom performed; ''En komisk balett'' (A comic Ballet) by

Louis Deland Louis Joseph Marie Deland (25 April 1772 – 15 April 1823) was a Swedish ballet dancer, singer, actor, choreographer and ballet master in the Royal Swedish Ballet. He is often considered the first native male star in the Royal Swedish Ballet. ...

was given 127 times between 1796 and 1809, followed by La Fille Mal Gardée, given 54 times in 1812–1842.

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 nep ...

was active as a guest Ballet master 1839, 1847, 1857, 1858 and 1861–1864, and his favorite Swedish ballerinas Charlotta Norberg and Johanna Sundberg educated students in his techniques. The Ballet is considered to have been in a state of decay during the end of the 19th century; after the dismissal of

Anders Selinder Anders Selinder (4 November 1806, Stockholm – 6 November 1874, Stockholm), was a Swedish ballet dancer, choreographer and director. He was Ballet master of the Royal Swedish Ballet in 1833–1856. Life Anders Selinder was the son of the jewe ...

and

Sophie Daguin Sophie Marguerite Daguin (26 March 1801 – 13 March 1881) was a French ballet dancer and choreographer. She spent her career in Sweden, where she became a star ballerina and ballet mistress of the Royal Swedish Ballet, and the principal of ...

in 1856, the Ballet was used more as a supplement to the opera and not as an independent artform, and Sigurd Lund, a student of Bournonville, was not independent enough to prevent this. It was not until 1913, that the Ballet returned to a more independent form. The ''

Kungliga Hovkapellet Kungliga Hovkapellet (, "The Royal Court Orchestra") is a Swedish orchestra, originally part of the Royal Court in Sweden's capital Stockholm. Its existence was first recorded in 1526. Since 1773 it is part of the Royal Swedish Opera's company. K ...

'' (Royal Swedish Orchestra), the orchestra of the Royal Swedish Opera, is the performing partner for the Royal Swedish Ballet. Nicolas LeRiche is the director of the Royal Swedish Ballet. Birgitta Svendén is the general director of the Royal Swedish Opera. The members of Operans BalettklubbOperans Balettklubb
/ref> are supporters of the Royal Swedish Ballet.

Ballet Masters

* 1773–1803 : Louis Gallodier * 1803–1804 :

Filippo Taglioni Filippo Taglioni (aka Philippe Taglioni; 5 November 1777 – 11 February 1871) was an Italian dancer and choreographer and personal teacher to his own daughter, Romantic ballerina Marie Taglioni. (He had another child who also danced ballet, ...

* 1804–1806 : Federico Nadi Terrade * 1806–1816 :

(1st time) * 1817–1818 :

* 1818–1820 :

(second time) * 1820–1823 : André Isidore Carey * 1823–1827 :

Giovanni Battista Ambrosiani Giovanni Battista Ambrosiani (born 2 July 1772, Milan – 19 February 1832, Karlberg Palace) was an Italian ballet dancer. He arrived in Stockholm in 1795 and was taken on by the Royal Swedish Ballet as its premier danseur, then as its ballet maste ...

* 1827–1830 :

(jointly with Wallqvist) * 1827–1833 : Per Erik Wallqvist * 1833–1856 :

* 1856–1862 :

Sigurd Harald Lund Sigurd Harald Lund (1823-1906), was a ballet dancer, choreographer and director. He was Ballet master of the Royal Swedish Ballet in 1856-1862 and 1890-1894. Sigurd Harald Lund was the son of the Danish actor Kristian Lund and Katharine Kristin ...

(1st time) * 1862–1870 : Théodore Martin * 1870–1886 : Theodore Marckl * 1887–1890 : Robert Sjöblom * 1890–1894 :

(second time) * 1894–1901 : Max Glasemann * 1901–1905 : Otto Zöbisch (1st time) * 1905–1908 : Robert Köller * 1911–1913 : Otto Zöbisch (second time) * 1918–1920 :

Michel Fokine Michael Fokine, ''Mikhail Mikhaylovich Fokin'', group=lower-alpha ( – 22 August 1942) was a groundbreaking Imperial Russian choreographer and dancer. Career Early years Fokine was born in Saint Petersburg to a prosperous merchant an ...

* 1922–1926 : Gunhild Rosén * 1926–1927 : Lise Steier * 1927–1931 : Jan Cieplinsky * 1931–1951 : Julian Algo * 1949–1951 :

Antony Tudor Antony Tudor (born William Cook; 4 April 1908 – 19 April 1987) was an English ballet choreographer, teacher and dancer. He founded the London Ballet, and later the Philadelphia Ballet Guild in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., in the mid-195 ...

* 1953–1962 :

Mary Skeaping Mary Emma Skeaping (15 December 19029 February 1984) was an English ballerina who is better known as a ballet teacher, director, choreographer, and producer. She served as director of the Royal Swedish Ballet in Stockholm for nine years (19531 ...

* 1962–1963 :

* 1964–1966 : Brian Macdonald * 1967–1971 :

Erik Bruhn Erik Belton Evers Bruhn (3 October 1928 – 1 April 1986) was a Danish danseur, choreographer, artistic director, actor, and author. Early life Erik Bruhn was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, the fourth child and first son of Ellen (née Evers), ...

* 1971–1980 : Ivo Cramér * 1980–1984 : Gunilla Roempke * 1986–1993 : Nils Ake-Häggbom * 1993–1995 : Simon Mottram * 1995–1999 :

Frank Andersen Frank Andersen (born 15 April 1953 in Copenhagen) is a former Danish ballet dancer who was twice artistic director of the Royal Danish Ballet. He has been an influential supporter of the Danish choreographer August Bournonville. Biography Anders ...

* 1999–2001 : Petter Jacobsson * 2002–2008 : Madeleine Onne * 2008–2011 : Marc Ribaud * 2011–2017 : Johannes Öhman * Since 2017 : Nicolas Le Riche

Principal dancers

* Brendan Collins *

Marie Lindqvist Marie Lindqvist (born 20 November 1970) is a Swedish ballet dancer. She has danced with the Royal Swedish Ballet since 1988, becoming a principal dancer in 1993 and a court danser (''hovdansare'') in 2004. She retired as an active dancer in Febru ...

* Dragoș Mihalcea *

Jenny Nilson Jenny Nilson (born 4 February 1973) is a Swedish ballet dancer and actress. She dances with the Royal Swedish Ballet where she became a soloist in 1999 and a principal dancer in 2001. Biography Nilson attended the Swedish Ballet School, where she ...

Nathalie Nordquist Nathalie Nordquist is a Swedish ballerina, who has performed major roles in many renowned ballet companies, including the Royal Swedish Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, and The Australian Ballet. Biography Nathalie Nor ...

''(on leave)'' * Anders Nordström * Christian Rambe *

Nadja Sellrup Nadja Sellrup (born 1977) is a Swedish ballet dancer. After terms with the Bavarian State Ballet in Munich and the Spanish National Dance Company in Madrid, she returned to Stockholm in 2007 to join the Royal Swedish Ballet where she is a princi ...

* Judith Simon * Anna Valev * Olof Westring * Jan-Erik Wikström * Calum Lowden

Soloists

*Katja Björner * Jenny Brandt *Ann Brattselius * Jurgita Dronina *Karin Forslind *Nikolaus Fotiadis *Tibor Horvath *Magdalena Irigoyen *Pascal Jansson *Calum Lowden *Eunsun Jun * Irina Laurenova *Andrey Leonovitch *

Nathalie Perriraz Nathalie is a female given name. It is a variant of the name Natalie/ Natalia which is found in many languages, and is especially common in French and English speaking countries. Notable people with the name include: * Nathalie, Italian singer * ...

*Nicole Rhodes *Jens Rosén *Oscar Salomonsson *Lykke Håkansson *Joakim Stephenson *Hugo Therkelson *

Gina Tse Gina Tse (born 1979) is an English ballerina of British-Chinese descent, and first soloist of the Royal Swedish Ballet. Beginning in the 2012–2013 season, she was elevated to the principal dancer of the company. Biography Gina Tse was born in 1 ...

*Jenny Westring *Johannes Öhman ''(on leave)''

Stockholm 59° North

Stockholm 59° North is a chamber company of soloist dancers from the Royal Swedish Ballet. Artistic Director is Mia Hjelte.

References

Kennedy Center ''Arts Edge''
* Georg Nordensvan : ''Svensk teater och Svenska skådespelare. Första bandet 1773–1842'' (1917) * Tryggve Byström: ''Svenska Komedien, 1737–1754'' * Klas Ralf, Prisma: ''Operan 200 år. Jubelboken'' * Klas Åke Heed: ''Ny svensk teaterhistoria. Teater före 1800''. Gidlunds förlag (2007)

External links

Royal Swedish Ballet homepage on Operan.se
(click "language" for English translation)
Archival footage of Stockholm/59 North performing Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven in 1997 at Jacob's Pillow
at

Jacob's Pillow Jacob's Pillow is a dance center, school and performance space located in Becket, Massachusetts, in the Berkshires. The organization is known for a Summer dance festival. The facility also includes a professional school and extensive archives a ...

August 5, 2005 {{Authority control 1773 establishments in Sweden Ballet companies in Sweden 1773 in Sweden History of ballet