Harald Lander (1905-71) was the most important figure in the history of the Royal Danish Ballet in the 20th century. During his 19 years as Artistic Director (1932-51) he laid the foundations for the world-wide fame which the company gained in the second part of the century. He changed the training system, choreographed a series of ballets and nursed the Bournonville heritage. In 1951, in the infamous 'Ballet Affair', Lander also became the most controversial figure in the Danish ballet world of the time, when he was accused of sexual harassment of female dancers and of wielding absolute and unpleasant power as Artistic Director of the Royal Danish Ballet. The affair split the Danish ballet world between Lander's supporters and detractors, and the repercussions from the rift are still evident today. As a result of the affair, Lander left Denmark to work internationally, becoming maitre de ballet and choreographer at the Paris Opera Ballet for 11 years, where for a time he was also head of the Ballet School. This book, the first biography of Lander to bepublished in English, tells the story of this remarkable man, dispels many of the myths and rumours about him, and chronicles his fall from grace and ultimate rehabilitation.

Author Biography

Erik Aschengreen, born in 1935, has an MA in Danish and French. In 1986 he became the first Danish scholar to receive a doctorate in dance (for his dissertation Jean Cocteau and the Dance). In 1989 he created the first university dance education programme, The Aesthetics and the History of Dance, at the University of Copenhagen. He directed this programme until his retirement in 2000. From 1971-93 Erik Aschengreen was a lecturer in dance history at the Royal Danish Ballet School in Copenhagen. Between 1964 and 2005 he was dance critic at the daily newspaper Berlingske Tidende. He has written and edited a series of books, among others Etudes (1970), The Beautiful Danger (1974), The Poet of the Ballet (1977), Bournonville in Perspective (1980), The Ballet Book (1982, rev. ed. 1992), and The Dance is on: The Royal Danish Ballet 1948-98 (1998). He is the author of numerous articles in international encyclopedias, a correspondent of dance journals and magazines throughout the world, and lecturer at universities in Europe and the US.