August Bournonville

August Bournonville ( born August 21, 1805 in Copenhagen, † November 30, 1879 in Copenhagen) was a Danish dancer, choreographer and ballet master.

Bournonville was the illegitimate son of the French ballet master, Antoine Bournonville and its Swedish housekeeper Lovisa Sundberg. In 1816, he was however recognized by his father when Lovisa Sundberg married. Bournonville entered the age of seven into the Royal Ballet School of Denmark and has been informed by Vincenzo Galeotti, an Italian dancer and founder of the Royal Danish Ballet. At 15, he was the dancers in the meantime, led by his father as successor Galeotti Royal Danish Ballet. At the same time Bournonville engaged as a singer and actor, decided at age 21 but despite a good tenor voice and promising actor's initial success to follow his father's example and to focus on a ballet career.

In 1826 he continued his studies with Auguste Vestris and Pierre Gardel in Paris continued and returned four years later as a soloist, choreographer and ballet director to Copenhagen, where he created numerous ballets, ballet school reorganized and made to dance to one of the most important arts of the country.

Bournonville choreographed 50 ballets, ten of which have been preserved. Among the major works La Sylphide (1836 ), Napoli (1842 ), The fun fair in Bruges ( 1851) and A Folk Tale (1854 ). In his work, thoughts and ideas of his era reflect, as for example where the writer Hans Christian Andersen, with the Bournonville was good friends.

His most famous work is the story of his worldwide played La Sylphide, which is based on a Scottish legend - a work that he wrote his pupil Lucile Grahn on the body. Its unfortunate and enthusiastic love for the 15 year younger dancer caused scandals. So he addressed in 1841, theatrical and directly from the stage to let the Danish royal house because their permission, Lucile Grahn dancing in Paris, which earned him a six-month resignation, which he used at a Europe trip.

Bournonville's life's work was to fill the dance floor with as plump as life on no other: with individually managed people of all social classes and especially of any age. He also brought the dance in a steady flow, with incredibly deft movements, especially of the feet and legs. The key word in Bournonville's works is harmony, both in terms of the view of life as well as the style. Just like the other artists of the Golden Age in Denmark, he advocated a life which was characterized by a belief in a meaningful world.

1830 married Bournonville Sweden's Helena Frederika Håkansson, with whom he had seven children. On November 30, 1879 Bournonville collapsed on his way home in a Copenhagen street and died. His grave is located in Asminderød.

Choreography (selection)

Pictures of August Bournonville

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