| November 20th, 1998 - Report from Lauren Toole |
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| 1998 - Danish Summer Experience |
| The following are excerpts from a journal which I kept during my stay in Denmark this past summer, as the 1998 recipient of the Danish American Society´s D.A.N.C.E. Scholarship. |
| Monday, August 17, 1998 |
| Today was such an exciting day! We finally arrived in Denmark I can´t believe I´m actually here, in Europe! Our flight was very pleasant; our takeoff and landing were punctual, the flight attendants were accommodating, and we even got a good movie, "City of Angels." Our flight got in around 1:00 pm, but after immigration, baggage claim, customs and a call to my parents letting them know that we arrived safely, it was nearly 2:00 before we left Copenhagen Airport. Bent picked us up, and drove us to our apartment which seems to be right in the center of Copenhagen. |
| Our apartment is wonderful! We have two bedrooms, one bathroom, a large kitchen, a living room and a small office. The apartment is up three flights, and we get a lovely view of our building´s courtyard from the kitchen window. |
| After we got into the apartment and put our bags down, Bent took us out and showed us around a bit He walked us to the theater (less than five minutes from the apartment) where we will have class, and showed us where we would go tomorrow. Then he showed us some reputable restaurants on Nyhavn, and pointed out some grocery stores on Strøget, the big pedestrian shopping street, which is just two blocks from our house. Finally, Bent dropped us off at our apartment, and we went about our unpacking. After going out for a bite dinner, we came back to the apartment, and, exhausted from our hectic day of traveling, relaxed for the rest of the evening. |
| Tuesday, Auguest 18 |
| Today was our first day of classes. This morning, Jordan and I met with a woman named Anne Marie Vessel, who I think is the head of the school. She showed us around the theater (which, incidentally, is incredibly complicated!) and pointed out the studios where we would have our classes, and showed us to our dressing rooms. I share a dressing room with four of the apprentices, who seem to be very friendly and very sweet. |
| For company class the men and women are separated. This morning I had Violette Verdy, who is guest teaching here for a few weeks. Violette is wonderful. Whoever likened her to a beam of sunshine is certainly right! |
| Since our afternoon classes don´t start until next week, Jordan and I were free from 12:00 on. So, we had lunch with the apprentices in the theater´s canteen, and then watched their stage rehearsal for Napoli which opens tomorrow night. I was very impressed and intrigued by it, since I have hardly seen any Bournonville choreography. I can´t wait to see the performance tomorrow night. Anne Marie is trying to get passes for us so that we will be able to get in, which I thought was very kind of her. I am struck by how nice and accommodating everyone is! |
| Friday, August 21 |
| We have been here for nearly a week already, and I´m am beginning to get more accustomed to everything. All of my classes have been good so far -I´ve really liked all of the teachers that I´ve had. In addition to Violette I´ve had a man named Johnny Eliasen, and a woman named Heidi Ryom, both of whose classes I thoroughly enjoyed. Johnny teaches in a mixture of Danish and English, so his class is pretty straightforward, but Heidi teaches in only Danish, making all of her corrections difficult to understand. Nevertheless, I loved her class. Her combinations were challenging and difficult while at the same time were dancey and fun. Johnny´s classes are very hard. He gives lots of slow and controlled relevés on one foot, which is something that I think I really need to work on. |
| I have also been beginning to experience Danish daily life. Everything is so much more calm here than in New York. It´s certainly a very pleasant way to live. Everyone walks at a comfortable pace (people even wait for the "walk" sign when crossing the street) and is very polite. New Yorkers should take some lessons from the Danes! |
| One of our greatest adventures this far has been negotiating the supermarkets. We´ve found a very nice one in the bottom of a department store, a few blocks from our apartment. In addition to the regular supermarket, there is also a bakery (which we discovered makes delicious ciabatta bread) a fresh fish counter, and a fresh cheese counter. Though it is often difficult to decipher the labels, for the most part we have been able to figure out what items are what, and have been successful in buying what we need. We have had our share of mishaps, though. One time we thought we were buying orange juice and when we opened the carton and poured it into a glass, we were surprised to find that it was orange yogurt! |
| Dealing with the money here has also been a little difficult. But we are finally getting used to the kroner. (I love the adorable squirrels on the lOOOkr. bills!) It´s becoming more natural to divide everything by approximately seven to estimate its value in American dollars, and I am beginning to be able to tell lOkr. coins from 20 kr. coins and 2kr. coins from 5kr. coins with much less ado. Needless to say, it still often takes a while to get everything figured out at the checkout line in the supermarket! |
| Sunday, August 23 |
| Today was our first day off. At 11:00 this morning, we set off for our first sightseeing venture. Following one of the walking tours in one of my books we walked down past Nyhavn, and over to Amalienborg Palace where the Queen lives. It is a beautiful, four-building complex. From there we continued on down towards the citadel (which is a big park today) where we saw, among other things, Saint Alban´s Church, the Gefion Fountain, and the Little Mermaid statue. My camera ran out of film in the middle though, so I´ll have to go back someday to take some more pictures. |
| When we returned to our apartment we decided to go grocery shopping to get something for dinner (I´ve been cooking most of our meals), but to our dismay we discovered that all of the stores are closed on Sundays. So it was off to a restaurant for dinner. We walked up and down Strøget looking for a place to eat, and in the process discovered Tivoli, the Hans Christian Anderson statue, a big movie theater, and a post office. |
| So far the weather here has been a bit bizarre. It´s been quite cool - I´ve been comfortable in my long sleeves. Also, at one moment it can be bright and sunny, the next a total downpour. People have told me that this is the worst summer that Denmark has had in the past 60 years! |
| Wednesday, August 26 |
| This week, things have been much busier. First of all, we´ve begun to have our afternoon classes, which I am very glad about. For company class this week we are in a different studio.(Apparently the men and women switch studios on a weekly basis.) It´s very far from our dressing room, and you have to complete quite the complicated maze to find it. The studio is unlike the one were in last week, which was newly renovated. This one on the other hand was older and very unusual. The floor was raised up on a platform, like a little stage, and there were no mirrors just big windows which look out over the grassy area in front of the theater and over Nyhavn. Though it´s disconcerting to be without mirrors, I think that it is potentially very beneficial. After all, there are no mirrors onstage! |
| Our afternoon classes are special apprentice classes. We have a woman named Margaret Mercier, who I think danced with the National Ballet of Canada. I like her very much - she emphasizes technique and placement. We also have a Bournonville class once a week with Anne Marie. We had our first one yesterday. It is like nothing else I´ve ever done. The legs are very tricky and quick, and the arms and head are used very differently than in the Balanchine that I am accustomed to. I felt very silly in class because I don´t think I was doing the arms and head quite right. Hopefully over the next few weeks it will become more natural. Nevertheless, I think that exposure to this technique is very beneficial. It´s always good to have a knowledge of many different styles which can be called upon at a moment´s notice. |
| Sunday, August 30 |
| Yesterday was a wonderful day - it was packed full of things to do. First we had class in the morning. On Saturdays the men and women are combined for class, so the class was very big. We had Violette, which of course was wonderful. She has been helping me so much with my turns, giving me very helpful tricks. Unfortunately, today was Violette´s last day here. I wish that she were staying another week. But I have heard that Colleen Neary is coming to teach next week, so that should be good. |
| Jordan´s parents flew in a few days ago, and they are staying for a little over a week. So yesterday afternoon after class we ran to meet them at the train station so that we could all go to see Kronborg Castle. The train ride was only about an hour, and all went smoothly. Kronborg Castle is quite an impressive sight; it is immense and exquisitely designed. I can´t even imagine living in a place like that! |
| Last night we also went to see the ballet. It was the premiere of a new ballet called Catalyst, and the "repremiere" of Ønsket and Béjart´s Gaité Parisienne. I enjoyed all three ballets very much. I loved the music for Catalyst, and found the choreography very innovative and engaging. Caroline Cavallo andjohann Kobborg who danced the principal couple were both incredible. I love the way that Caroline uses her arms. I though Ønsket, a pas de deux, was danced beautifully as well. Gaite Parisienne was so funny! It´s an hour long, but you would never know it. Thomas Lundt was a hysterical "Bim," Evylene Chapays was an adorable "Little Girl" and Silja Schandorff danced one of the pas de deux impeccably. Since it was a premiere, there was a big reception afterwards in the theater, to which Jordan and I went. For the first time I really got to talk to the apprentices and I feel like I got to know them much better. |
| Today I got up early and did my laundry, then met up with Jordan´s parents. We took one of the hydrofoil ferries and went to Sweeden for the day. Nothing was open as it was a Sunday, but we had a nice lunch and spent the afternoon strolling the streets of Malmö. |
| Friday, September 4 |
| This past week has been very enjoyable. Classes have all been excellent. We´re back in the studio with mirrors, so that was a welcome change. Colleen Neary did come to teach, and I think that she will be here up until the time that we leave. Colleen is a wonderful teacher. She is very inspiring, always talking about using the maximum effort, and about doing things as expansively as possible, taking your technique to the next level. I´ve also had Heidi quite a bit this week which has been fun. I´ve been trying to work on my arms in particular during her classes. Her flowing combinations are very
conducive to that. |
| After our afternoon classes we have been meeting up with Jordan´s parents. We´ve frequented many of the restaurants in the vicinity for lunch and dinner (I´ll have to get back to cooking once they leave). One of our favorites we have discovered is on Nyhavn, and is called Skipperkroen. The fish here is wonderful - I´ve been eating it almost everywhere we´ve been. We´ve also been doing some sightseeing and shopping, as we´ve become familiar with the various attractions on Strøget. On Wednesday we went to Rundetarn, and practically ran up the spiral ramp - we didn´t realize quite how long it was. Nevertheless, we made it to the top and got a beautiful view of Copenhagen. I hope my photos come out well! |
| The past few days Jordan and I have been going to the ballet a lot. We´ve seen nearly every performance. I am repeatedly impressed by the strong dancing and beautiful quality of the company. Johann Kobborg is amazing! The other night, as one of the "Copins" in Gaite, he did four pirouettes a la second, pulled into four pirouettes in passe, end ended in a perfect arabesque! Petrusjka Broholm has also been dancing beautifully. I love to watch the way that she uses her feet. |
| Tonight, to top it all off we finally went to Tivoli! It was such fun. The gardens were so beautiful, especially at night when they were all lit up with such brightly colored lights. It was really nice out this evening, and the fireworks were crisp and beautiful against the night sky. I finally broke down and decided to try some Danish ice cream while at Tivoli. It was delicious, and totally different from American ice cream. It was like cold, thick whipped cream - the best I´ve ever had. I wish I could bring some home for my parents to try! |
| Sunday, September 6 |
| Today was such a great day! I got up early to do my laundry but realized that I didn´t have the right change for the washing machine, so I read one of my books for school for a while. Around noon, I went into the kitchen to get started on today´s project - we had invited all of the apprentices over to our apartment for an American style brunch, since they are for the most part unfamiliar with our foods. In the span of about two hours I made bacon, pancakes, French toast and scrambled eggs for everyone (about ten of us) to enjoy. It was so interesting - they all expected breakfast pancakes to be like crepes, and no one had ever had French toast. They said that they rarely eat scrambled eggs either. |
| Once brunch was all cleaned up, our friends took us on one of the harbor tours of Copenhagen, which everyone enjoyed. Our friends pointed out all of the important sights to take pictures of One of the highlights was when the boat operator actually stopped the boat to let Jordan and me take a picture of Amalienborg Palace. The other passengers must have thought that we were crazy - many laughs were had, all told! |
| By the time the harbor tour was over it was dinner time, so after a long debate, we decided to eat at the Chinese restaurant across from the theater. It was so nice going to a restaurant with our friends - they could read the menu for us and help us order! |
| Friday, September 11 |
| The past week has been filled with our usual events - taking class, attending the ballet, seeing the sights, visiting with our friends and a little bit of shopping on Strøget. Classes have all been good - even Bournonville classes. Although it is very difficult, the style is beginning to feel a bit less foreign to my body. We have also started having pas de deux classes on Friday nights which are a lot of fun. Our teacher seems very knowledgeable. |
| After partnering tonight, one of our friends, Julie, came over for dinner, and she helped Jordan and me cook chicken with broccoli and teriyaki sauce. During dinner, she tried to teach Jordan and I a little bit of Danish. It was quite hilarious - Danish is rather impossible for us to pronounce; it seems phonetically quite different from English. Nevertheless, I made a little progress. I can now count to ten, say the days of the week and "right" and "left" and "why". I´ve even begun to learn the names of a few foods, and recognize street signs and advertisements in store windows. My biggest accomplishment is the pronunciation of a Danish tongue-twister "rød grød med fløde" which means red porridge with cream. I am amazed at how well all of our Danish friends can speak English! |
| After dinner we went with Julie to the ballet, which was Napoli tonight. I really enjoy the Bournonville choreography. It is both intricate and difficult while at the same time is delicate and charming. Tina Højlund danced with Johann tonight, and it was wonderful. Tina is such a beautiful dancer. She has such a radiating, and lively presence onstage. I could watch her dance forever! |
| Sunday, September 13 |
| I´ve had quite a nice weekend. Yesterday for combined company class we had Colleen, and she gave such fun combinations. Class was full during barre, but at 11:00 there was a rehearsal for Napoli, and nearly everybody had to leave. For the last twenty minutes there were only about ten people left: all principals and soloists, plus Jordan and me! Very intimidating! At one point, Jordan and I did a jump combination, and nobody else came in our group. Everybody started snapping and chanting, "SAB, SAB." It was a bit embarrassing, yet sort of fun at the same time! |
| This afternoon, Jordan and I went to see Rosenborg Slot in Kongens Have park. I think that this was by far my favorite place that we have visited since we have been here. It´s such a cozy little castle, and decorated exquisitely. I especially liked all of the paintings, as well as the "Knight´s Hall" and the room lined with mirrors. My favorite room, though, had to be the room filled with all of the glassware - china, blown glass flowers, etc. We also got a chance to go down to the cellar and see the crown jewels which were elegant and gorgeous. |
| Tuesday, September 15 |
| Well! Today was quite a day of misadventure! We woke up this morning and much to our dismay discovered that our toilet had become clogged. (Luckily, it did not overflow!) So in between our two classes today, we grabbed a quick lunch and went out on a mission - the hunt for a toilet plunger. This proved to be a &much more difficult task than it appeared. In the pouring rain we were running up and down Strøget looking in vain for a hardware store. When no hardware store was to be found we started inquiring about our much needed item in department stores and pharmacies. It was incredibly difficult to explain to the sales people what we needed, and I don´t think that anybody really understood. Several times we were directed to the nearest bathroom! Finally as a last resort, we decided to look in our tried and true grocery store, not expecting to find one there. But lo and behold, there on a bottom shelf were two last toilet plungers. We immediately bought one and hurried home to the apartment. After a bit of tribulation, and a few calls to Jordan´s parents back in the US (neither of us had ever plunged a toilet before!) we successfully got our toilet back in perfect working order. I am so thankful that we found a plunger -I can only imagine the potential language disaster if we would have had to try to hire a plumber! |
| Sunday, September 20 |
| I can´t believe that the five weeks are over and that we are going home today - we´re all packed up and ready to leave for the airport in a little while. What a wonderful experience this has been. I wouldn´t have traded it for any thing in the world! Our last few days have been so much fun. Yesterday the company had the day off, except for an optional class with Colleen in the morning, which Jordan and I took. There were very few people there, mostly apprentices and a few corps members. As usual, her class was terrific. After class one of our friends Cecilie came back to our apartment and visited while we finished up with our packing. We walked around Strøget for a while and then over to another friend´s apartment for dinner. Since we cooked brunch for all of them, our friends decided that for our last night they would cook a traditional Danish dinner for us. They made meatballs, a broccoli salad, and potato salad, and rød grød med fløde for desert - it was all delicious. I´m glad that we finally got a taste of real Danish cooking! |
| After dinner, our friends decided that we would have to see Christiania before we left. It was practically the only place that we had never been. So, we all walked over there in a big group. Christiania is like no place I have ever seen. At first I was a bit nervous, but soon I was quite comfortable walking around -1 was reassured by our friends that it was perfectly safe. It is such a culturally unique area, and I´m glad I had the chance to see it before we left. |
| Well, its nearing the time we have to leave. The cab should be coming in a few minutes, so I guess that this is it. Good bye from Denmark! |
