Rachel Hellwig
Aug. 22, 2017 11:48AM EST
Denmark's Queen Is Also a Ballet Costume and Set Designer
HM Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and dancer Fenella Cook. Photo courtesy TIVOLI, Copenhagen.
The realms of fairy tale ballets are filled with imaginary queens.
But in Denmark, the nation's real-life, reigning monarch, Queen Margrethe II, fills the stages of fairy tale ballets with her original costume and decor designs. In fact, she's been the in-house set designer for the Pantomime Theatre of Copenhagen's famed Tivoli Gardens since 2001. Her most recent work can be seen in Yuri Possokhov's Cinderella, which runs through August 27 at the Pantomime Theatre. The production is performed by Tivoli's dance company, Tivoli Ballet Theatre, which features an international roster of 18 classically-trained dancers.
HM Queen Margrethe II of Denmark watching rehearsals of "Cinderella." Photo courtesy TIVOLI, Copenhagen.
The queen is a devoted fan of ballet. She regularly attends performances and has taken lessons as an adult. She's also created artwork for decades and even illustrated the Danish edition of The Lord of the Rings. Her first ballet costume and set designs appeared in the Royal Danish Ballet's 1991 production of Bournonville's A Folk Tale.
Connect with Pointe on Instagram
Get Pointe in your inbox
Check out our videos on YouTube
Connect with Pointe on Twitter
Cover Gallery ›
Get the print edition!
ABT's Baby Boom: Balancing Pregnancy and Parenthood with a High Stakes Ballet Career
Hannah Foster
Michaela DePrince to Star in New "Coppélia" Film, Bringing Together Animation and Ballet
Washington Ballet Trainee Gianna Forte's Journey Back to Ballet After Life-Threatening Health Problems
Gianna Forte As Told To Suzannah Friscia
When Claire Kretzschmar's 97-Year-Old Grandfather Couldn't Travel to See Her Perform, She Brought NYCB Dancers to Him
Cadence Neenan
Watch These Paris Opéra Ballet Dancers Give a Surprise In-Flight Performance
#TBT: Margot Fonteyn in "Cinderella" (1957)
Pointe Shoe Fitting Tips for Getting Over Your Ankles
Red, White and Ballet: Celebrate July 4th With These American-Inspired Ballet Videos
Get Pointe Magazine in your inbox
Win a Pair of Tickets to American Contemporary Ballet's Summer Premieres Program
Win a Pair of Tickets to Boston Ballet's "Giselle"