Bournonville Ambassadors Appointed at Royal Danish Ballet
‘La Ventana’ by August Bournonville with solo dancer Silvia Selvini. © Klaus Vedfelt
A just released Royal Danish Ballet (RDB) press release has given me cause for thoughtful good cheer — Amy Watson appointing Bournonville Ambassadors to advocate for the style and values at the core of the company.
It’s August Bournonville’s ballets and technique that made the company’s name, and, as with any ballet company, there are tensions between protecting the wonders of the past while propelling the art forward. There has been a concern, from some, that the company’s understanding of, and commitment to, Bournonville style has been eroded in recent years.
Amy Watson has been artistic director of the company for a year now, and I really like this initiative and her choice of words in the announcement — it all seems very wise. If you want to know more about Watson, this interview by Alastair Macaulay will prove illuminating.
I give the full press release below, as translated by Google — sadly, no English version is available from the company. Giving a link to the original page on the RDB site proves impossible (rather poor in web design terms, really), but this third-party service they use shows the page.25.8.2025 | The Royal Danish Theatre | Press release
Much more Bournonville
The Royal Danish Ballet has appointed two Bournonville ambassadors who will continue to uphold and develop the legacy of August Bournonville — a cornerstone of Danish ballet tradition. These two ambassadors will strengthen the Royal Danish Ballet’s anchoring in Bournonville’s unique style, technique and storytelling.
The two new Bournonville ambassadors are: former principal dancer Rose Gad and soloist at the Royal Danish Ballet Alexander Stæger.
“I have chosen to have Rose Gad and Alexander Stæger represent the Bournonville legacy because tradition only lives on when experience and renewal meet,” says ballet director Amy Watson. “Rose was a wonderful dancer of her generation and today represents both the memory that is in the body and a deep connection to Bournonville’s spiritual heritage, while Alex, who still dances in the company, also brings curiosity and renewal. They are both wonderful communicators of the Bournonville tradition — both in terms of history and the future.”
Gad and Stæger will make their debut as Bournonville ambassadors with new productions of Bournonville’s ballets La Ventana and Kermessen in Bruges, premiering on 30 September 2025 at the Royal Danish Theatre.
“It is important to carry forward Bournonville’s legacy, because that is the foundation on which we stand,” says Rose Gad. “It is the identity of the company, and people should be able to expect the best version of his works when they go and see The Royal Danish Ballet. It is of course very charming that this legacy has been handed down from person to person over the ages, but that is precisely why it has also been greatly influenced by the people it has passed through. It is a bit like a whispering game, because everyone has had their own perception and left their own mark on the legacy along the way.”
As something very special, Alexander Stæger will add 12 minutes of new choreography to La Ventana — created in Bournonville’s own style and spirit.
“To preserve Bournonville, we must dare to challenge him in our own time,” says Alexander Stæger. ”When dancers are given the opportunity to put their own mark on the legacy, the tradition remains alive and relevant. In ”La Ventana” I have therefore created new scenes. I have done so both to give more dancers the chance to unfold in his steps and to emphasize that Bournonville already knew that love requires consent.”
That Bournonville’s ballets still have great cultural significance was emphasized in early summer 2025, when they were included in Minister of Culture Jakob Engel-Schmidt’s vote on Denmark’s intangible cultural heritage with a view to inclusion on UNESCO’s official list.
About August Bournonville
August Bournonville (1805–1879) was a Danish ballet master, dancer and choreographer. He is particularly known for having created the special Bournonville style that still characterizes the Royal Danish Ballet today. Bournonville was educated in Paris and brought French elegance and technique to Danish ballet. He created over 50 ballets, including classics such as Napoli and La Sylphide. His works are characterized by strong storytelling with ease, musicality and a human warmth.
About Rose Gad
Rose Gad (started) was admitted to the Royal Danish Theatre’s Ballet School in 1978 and (was) employed by the Royal Danish Ballet as a fully trained dancer in 1987. She was appointed as a principal dancer in 1991 and danced from 1997–1999 as a principal dancer in John Neumeier’s company in Hamburg. From 2011 to 2024 she worked as a ballet teacher at the Royal Danish Theatre’s Ballet School, where she simultaneously trained as a Ballet Instructor from 2022-2024. Since January 2025, Rose Gad has been employed as part of the Royal Danish Ballet’s permanent director team
About Alexander Stæger
Alexander Stæger was admitted to the Royal Danish Theatre’s Ballet School in 1993 and employed as an aspirant in the Royal Danish Ballet in 2002. He became a corps de ballet dancer in 2004 and was promoted to soloist in February 2011. Since 2014, he has been the director of the Royal Danish Ballet’s summer school. Since 2020, he has been a member of the Royal Danish Theatre’s board of directors as a representative of the theatre’s artistic staff, and in 2022 he became artistic director of the Royal Danish Ballet’s development project Koreorama.”