Danish Dance Theatre - History

History

Since 2001, Tim Rushton (MBE) has been the company’s Artistic Director and has successfully continued Danish Dance Theatre’s vision of combining the classical arts with the modern. Today, Danish Dance Theatre is the foremost contemporary dance company in Denmark, as well as the largest. The company is composed of hand-picked dancers from all over the world.

Especially during the early years, stories and literary sources have often been a central role in the inspiration and creation of the company`s performances. The company often collaborates with well-known writers, visual artists and composers and the music often ranges from classical masterpieces to jazz, rock and new compositions.

Danish Dance Theatre receives an annual operating subsidy from the Ministry of Culture. Since the company’s funding represents approximately half the financial support that other comparable Nordic companies receive, it is necessary to have additional financial backing from private companies, foundations and endowments.

Until 2005, Danish Dance Theatre was a touring company with no permanent stage. In 2005, the company moved to Folketeatret in Copenhagen, where they had both a permanent stage and dance studio. In November 2009, the company moved from Folketeatret to DANSEhallerne and together with Dansescenen and Dansens Hus they are now situated on the former site of Carlsberg Brewery. Between national touring, international touring and stationary performances, the company conducts between 60-80 performances annually. Danish Dance Theatre was founded in 1981 by the English/Norwegian choreographer and pioneer Randi Patterson, in collaboration with Anette Abildgaard, Ingrid Buchholtz, Mikala Barnekow and soon after, Warren Spears. At that time, the company was named ‘New Danish Dance Theatre.’

The repertoire spans from large stage productions at The Royal Danish Theatre, Danish Dance Theatre also does an extensive amount of both national and international touring. Besides touring and several stationary performances in Copenhagen, the company is also famous for two annual open air events: “Copenhagen Summer Dance”, which takes place i The Copenhagen Police Headquarters and runs for one week in August and the picnic-performances “Spring Dance at Carlsberg”, which takes place during the two first weekends of June.

The company's Artistic Director Tim Rushton has been nominated ten times for Best Dance Performance of the Year at the Danish Theatre Awards, Reumert, receiving the award four times; in 1999 for Busy Being Blue, in 2005 for Chalk, in 2006 for Requiem and in 2009 for Labyrinth. In 2010, Danish Dance Theatre received the Reumert Award for Frost, choreographed by Tina Tarpgaard. Since Rushton came to Danish Dance Theatre in 2001, the company has quadrupled the number of audience members.

In addition, Rushton has received many other awards. In 2006 he received the Teaterkatten (Theatrecat) award as best director, a title awarded by “The Association of Danish Theatre Journalists”. In 2007 he received the “National Arts Foundation Award” for exceptional works of art for the 2006 performance Requiem. In 2008 he received “The Danish Arts Society” award and in 2009 “The Wilhelm Hansen Foundation” award.

In 2011 he was honoured with the British MBE – Member of the Order of the British Empire – for his outstanding work for modern dance. In 2012 Tim Rushton received an Honorary Award at the Danish Theatre Awards, Reumert - this award is given an artist who through the years has made a unique contribution to the positive development of the performing arts in Denmark - and who is still actively performing.