one of the oldest major ballet companies, established at the opening of Denmark's Royal Theater in Copenhagen in 1748. The company was developed over the centuries by three great masters. The first, Vincenzo Galeotti (1733–1816), who brought from Italy and France an international repertoire, led the company from 1775 until his death. One of his works, Amors og Balletmastererns Luner [the whims of Cupid and the ballet master] (1786), is the world's oldest ballet retaining its original choreography. The next great leader was Auguste Bournonville, who directed the company for 51 years (1828–79). The more than 50 ballets he created included many parts intended to show off his own brilliant dancing, and these later became vehicles to establish and display the excellence of Danish male dancing in general. After his death the Danish Ballet declined until 1932, when Harald Lander returned from studying dance in the Soviet Union and the United States to become the company's ballet master (1932–51). He trained many fine dancers, including Erik Bruhn. Lander choreographed and adapted many ballets for the company and promoted its tours abroad; since the 1960s it has toured widely.

See studies by S. Kragh-Jacobsen (1955 and 1965).

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright© 2004, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V. All rights reserved.

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