Ib Andersen
| Ib Andersen | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 14, 1954 (age 62) Copenhagen |
| Known for | Danish ballet dancer, choreographer, and painter |
| Awards | Royal Danish Ballet (youngest principal dancer in the company's history) |
| Website | http://balletaz.org/people/ib-andersen/ |
Ib Andersen (born 14 December 1954) is a Danish ballet dancer, choreographer, and painter. Admired as both a dancer and a choreographer, he is an artist who is comfortable flirting with both the classical and contemporary aesthetic of modern-day ballet.
Born in Copenhagen, Andersen was first exposed to dance through ballroom dancing. At age 7, he was accepted into the Royal Danish Ballet School, where he studied with Kirsten Ralov, Hans Brenaa, Flemming Ryberg, and Vera Volkova. He also studied in Germany, France, and the United States, where he took classes at the School of American Ballet. At age 18, in 1972, he graduated from the Copenhagen school into the Royal Danish Ballet as an apprentice. He was accepted into the corps de ballet in 1973 and promoted to "solo dancer" (principal) in 1975, when he was 20. At that age, he was the youngest principal dancer in the company's history.
On stage at the Royal Danish Theater in Copenhagen, Andersen proved himself an exemplary dancer in the ballets of August Bournonville, which are at the heart of the repertory of the Royal Danish Ballet. Exhibiting his mastery of brilliant allegro dancing, with sparkling batterie and flying elevation, he appeared in leading roles in Napoli, Flower Festival in Genzano, Far from Denmark, Kermesse in Bruges, and A Folk Tale. His technical precision and brilliance were also displayed in Harald Lander's Études as well as in works by other Danish choreographers. Besides these, he danced in such classic ballets as The Nutcracker, Coppélia, and Giselle and in many modern ballets, creating the role of the Boy in the 1976 revival of Rudi van Dantzig's Monument for a Dead Boy and dancing the demanding part of The Chosen in Glen Tetley's Le Sacre de Printemps in 1978.
In 1980, Andersen joined the New York City Ballet on George Balanchine’s invitation and plunged into the task of learning thirty-five ballets within the first three months of his tenure there, including the intricate choreography of Balanchine's Symphony in C (first movement) and Ballo della Regina. So successful was he at adapting himself to the Balanchine style that the great choreographer created principal roles for him in Ballade (1980), Robert Schumann's Davidsbündlertänze (1980), and Mozartiana (1981). Peter Martins and Jerome Robbins also created roles for him in a number of works. Altogether, Andersen appeared in some sixty ballets during his ten years with the company. In all, his elegant demeanor and technical aplomb were applauded by audiences and critics alike.
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