Bournonville to open the season - every year

Tonight, the Royal Danish Theatre begins its new season at the Old Stage with To Joy - August Bournonville. The production also launches a new annual tradition for the Royal Danish Ballet: from now on, each season will open with works by August Bournonville, the 19th-century choreographer whose ballets and distinctive style helped establish the company’s international reputation and continue to define it today.

This season, audiences can experience four distinct facets of Bournonville's repertoire: the exuberant Jockey Dance; the romantic Wedding Pas de Deux from Abdallah; August 2.0 - Dinna Bjørn and Nikolaj Hübbe's contemporary tribute to Bournonville; and, closing the evening, one of the great treasures of Danish ballet, La Sylphide, which this year celebrates 190 years at the Royal Danish Theatre."

The programme also marks the beginning of the Royal Danish Ballet’s new long-term Bournonville strategy. Already attracting international attention, the initiative will now be brought to life with support from the Aage and Johanne Louis-Hansen Foundation and the Augustinus Foundation.

The Aage and Johanne Louis-Hansen Foundation is contributing DKK 33 million for the period 2026–2031, while the Augustinus Foundation is providing DKK 15 million for 2027–2029.

“Bournonville is at the heart of the Royal Danish Theatre’s artistic DNA, and we have a great responsibility to safeguard his legacy. The substantial support from the Aage and Johanne Louis-Hansen Foundation and the Augustinus Foundation enables us to pursue this undertaking with long-term vision and ambition, for which we are immensely grateful,” states Kasper Holten, Director General of the Royal Danish Theatre.

Amy Watson, Artistic Director of the Royal Danish Ballet, has developed a new strategy to preserve and revitalise Bournonville’s legacy. It will ensure that his ballets continue to be performed to the highest artistic standards, that the distinctive Bournonville style is passed on to new generations of dancers, and that more people have the opportunity to experience this unique part of Denmark’s cultural heritage.

"Bournonville's ballets can only live on if we continue to invest in them artistically. When the company's dancers are given the opportunity to make this legacy their own, the tradition remains alive and relevant. Bournonville's ballets radiate the joy of life and the joy of dance. Perhaps that is precisely what we need to remind one another of today: that life is a wondrous, radiant gift to be enjoyed," states Amy Watson.

“Bournonville is an essential part of the company’s identity, and audiences coming to see the Royal Danish Ballet should be able to expect revitalised interpretations of his works at the highest artistic level. With this support, we can give this important work the care and attention it deserves,” states Amy Watson.

Christine Wiberg-Lyng, Chief Executive of the Aage and Johanne Louis-Hansen Foundation, states: “The Bournonville tradition has been passed down from generation to generation since the 19th century and has played an important role in establishing the Royal Danish Ballet’s outstanding international reputation. We therefore see the Ballet’s decision, under Amy Watson’s leadership, to revitalise this historic legacy over the coming years as both a natural and highly promising step, ensuring that Bournonville remains relevant to new generations of audiences, choreographers and dancers.”

“As a cultural institution of national importance, the Royal Danish Theatre has a significant responsibility to preserve, develop and share the country’s ballet heritage. This long-term commitment to Bournonville will ensure that the tradition is passed on, while also opening up new ways for audiences to discover and engage with his work. It will give even more people the opportunity to experience the artistic quality and cultural heritage embodied in Bournonville’s ballets,” states Frank Rechendorff Møller, Chief Executive of the Augustinus Foundation.

To Joy runs at the Old Stage from 29 August to 17 September 2026.

About August Bournonville
August Bournonville (1805–1879) was a Danish choreographer, dancer and ballet master, and one of the defining figures in the history of the Royal Danish Ballet. He developed the distinctive Bournonville style, which has been passed down through generations of dancers and remains a hallmark of the company today.

Trained in Paris, Bournonville brought the elegance and technical refinement of the French ballet tradition to Denmark, developing them into a distinctive style of his own. He created more than 50 ballets, including enduring classics such as Napoli and La Sylphide. His works are celebrated for their vivid storytelling, musicality and lightness of movement, as well as their characteristic warmth and humanity. His ballets and choreographic style represent a unique cultural heritage that has helped shape the Royal Danish Ballet’s artistic identity and international reputation.