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| Scandinavian Dance Theatre | |
|---|---|
| Name | Scandinavian Dance Theatre |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Founder | Inger Dahl |
| Headquarters | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Genre | Contemporary dance, Ballet, Folk dance fusion |
| Artistic director | Lena Holm (since 2016) |
Scandinavian Dance Theatre Scandinavian Dance Theatre is a professional contemporary dance company based in Copenhagen, Denmark, with a repertoire spanning contemporary ballet, folk-dance fusion, and experimental movement. The company has performed at venues across Scandinavia and internationally, collaborating with choreographers and institutions from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Spain, Italy and Japan. Its activities include productions, education programs, touring, and interdisciplinary projects with museums, festivals and universities.
Founded in 1978 by choreographer Inger Dahl amid the postmodern dance currents in Copenhagen and Stockholm, the company emerged alongside institutions such as the Royal Danish Ballet and the experimental scene at Dansens Hus (Stockholm). Early partnerships linked the company with festivals like the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Helsinki Festival, and the Bergen International Festival. During the 1980s and 1990s it contracted dancers who had trained at The Juilliard School, École de Danse de l'Opéra de Paris, The School of American Ballet, and Palucca Hochschule für Tanz Dresden, and frequently collaborated with choreographers associated with Pina Bausch, Maurice Béjart, William Forsythe, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, and Mats Ek. The 2000s saw residencies at Tate Modern, Staatsballett Berlin, and La Scala, while grant support from bodies such as the Nordic Culture Fund, Danish Arts Foundation, and the European Commission enabled touring projects. Leadership transitions included directors who worked with Mikhail Baryshnikov, Ohad Naharin, and Crystal Pite-affiliated companies before the appointment of Lena Holm in 2016.
The company’s repertoire mixes narrative and abstract works, incorporating commissions from choreographers linked to Russell Maliphant, Jirí Kylián, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Shen Wei, Akram Khan, David Dawson, Angelin Preljocaj, and Tero Saarinen. Signature productions reference composers and institutions such as Carl Nielsen, Jean Sibelius, Arvo Pärt, Igor Stravinsky, Philip Glass, Max Richter, BBC Proms, and the Royal Opera House. Collaborations extend to visual artists and designers associated with Damien Hirst, Olafur Eliasson, Issey Miyake, Alexander McQueen, and lighting designers from William Forsythe-linked collectives and the Prague Quadrennial. The company has premiered site-specific works at locations including Nidaros Cathedral, Vigeland Park, Kiasma, Guggenheim Bilbao, and the Pompidou Centre.
Throughout its history Scandinavian Dance Theatre has employed performers who previously danced with American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Het Nationale Ballet, Ballets Russes, and contemporary troupes tied to Les Ballets C de la B, Compagnie Marie Chouinard, and The Forsythe Company. Choreographers who created for the company include those who collaborated with Mark Morris, Alvin Ailey, Mats Ek, Trisha Brown, Lucinda Childs, Merce Cunningham, Katarina Rydén, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, and Claude Brumachon. Guest artists have included soloists from Mariinsky Theatre, Bolshoi Ballet, Semperoper Dresden, and dancers notable from productions at Lincoln Center, Sadler's Wells, and Sydney Opera House.
The company’s school and outreach programs partner with conservatories and institutions such as Royal Conservatory of The Hague, Stockholm University of the Arts, Trinity Laban Conservatoire, Juilliard, Codarts Rotterdam, University of the Arts Helsinki, and Korea National University of Arts. Community initiatives have been staged in collaboration with museums and public programs at Statens Museum for Kunst, The National Gallery (London), MoMA, and city councils including Oslo Kommune and Copenhagen Municipality. Exchange residencies connect to youth companies like Scapino Ballet Rotterdam, Numero Uno, and festivals such as Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, ImPulsTanz Vienna, and Sadler's Wells outreach projects.
Touring has included seasons at the Royal Albert Hall, Palau de la Música Catalana, Teatro alla Scala, Opéra Bastille, and the Kennedy Center. The company has co-produced works with ensembles and institutions including the Hamburg Ballet, Bayerisches Staatsballett, Teatro Real, Comédie-Française, Nationaltheatret, CND (Centre national de la danse), and the Bolshoi administrative networks. It has participated in cultural exchange programs under frameworks linked to the European Cultural Foundation, UNESCO, and bilateral arts agreements between Denmark and Japan, China, Brazil, and Canada.
Headquartered in a renovated warehouse near Nyhavn and adjacent to studios in the Meatpacking District (Copenhagen), the company operates rehearsal studios outfitted to standards used at Royal Danish Ballet School and similar to facilities at American Ballet Theatre and National Ballet of Canada. Institutional partnerships include technical and production collaborations with National Theatre (Denmark), The Royal Danish Playhouse, and media projects with broadcasters such as DR (Danish Broadcasting Corporation), BBC Arts, and Arte. Administrative structure mirrors models used by Sadler's Wells, Het Nationale Ballet, and Scottish Ballet, with departments for artistic planning, touring, education, and development.
The company and its artists have received awards and nominations from bodies including the Laurence Olivier Awards, Bessie Awards, danish Reumert Awards, Prix Benois de la Danse, Nordic Council Music Prize, Kulturministeriets Kulturpris, and festival awards at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Helsinki Festival, and Jacob’s Pillow. Individual dancers and choreographers have been recognized with honors such as appointments to the Order of Dannebrog, fellowships from the Helsinki Theatre Academy, and grants from the Danish Arts Foundation.
Category:Dance companies in Denmark