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August Bournonville

August Bournonville
August Bournonville (1828 painting).jpg
Portrait of Bournonville by Louis Aumont (1828)
Born Antoine Auguste Bournonville
(1805-08-21)21 August 1805
Copenhagen, Denmark
Died 30 November 1879(1879-11-30) (aged 74)
Copenhagen, Denmark
Resting place Assistens Cemetery, Copenhagen, Denmark
Residence Fredensborg, Denmark
Nationality Danish
Occupation Ballet Master
Choreographer
Known for Bournonville School
Spouse(s) Helene Frederikke Haakansso
Children Vilhelmine
Mathilde
Edmond
Therese
Charlotte
Augusta
Parent(s) Antoine Bournonville
Lovisa Sundberg

August Bournonville (21 August 1805 – 30 November 1879) was a Danish ballet master and choreographer. He was the son of Antoine Bournonville, a dancer and choreographer trained under the French choreographer, Jean Georges Noverre, and the nephew of Julie Alix de la Fay, née Bournonville, of the Royal Swedish Ballet.

Bournonville was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, where his father had settled. He trained with his father Antoine Bournonville as well he studied under the Italian choreographer Vincenzo Galeotti at the Royal Danish Ballet, Copenhagen, and in Paris, France, under French dancer Auguste Vestris. He initiated a unique style in ballet known as the Bournonville School.

Following studies in Paris as a young man, Bournonville became solo dancer at the Royal Ballet in Copenhagen. From 1830 to 1848 he was choreographer for the Royal Danish Ballet, for which he created more than 50 ballets admired for their exuberance, lightness and beauty. He created a style which, although influenced from the Paris ballet, is entirely his own. As a choreographer, he created a number of ballets with varied settings that range from Denmark to Italy, Russia to South America. A limited number of these works have survived.

Bournonville's work became known outside Denmark only after World War II. Since 1950, The Royal Ballet has several times made prolonged tours abroad, not the least to the United States, where they have performed his ballets.

Bournonville's best-known ballets are La Sylphide (1836), Napoli (1842), Le Conservatoire (1849), The Kermesse in Bruges (1851) and A Folk Tale (1854).


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