Études

Études (original Dan. title Étude).Ballet in one act with choreography by H. Lander, music by Riisager (after Czerny), and design by Erik Nordgren. Premiered 15 Jan. 1948 by Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen with M. Lander, Brenaa, and Jensen. This virtuoso staging of a ballet class has become a showcase for dancers around the world. It opens with the dancers at the barre then progresses through increasingly difficult exercises in adagio, petit and grand allegro. A revised version was created in 1951 with T. Pils (later Lander), Bruhn, and Jensen and a third version for Paris Opera 19 Nov. 1952. Always extremely popular with audiences, the ballet has been revived (with some revisions) by many companies including London Festival Ballet (for whom it has become a signature work, London, 1955), American Ballet Theatre (New York, 1961) and San Francisco Ballet (1998). It was revised for Danish television in 1969.

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