Choreographer on Two Continents

STOCKHOLM: Commuting to work is common nowadays, but it is less common to commute across the Atlantic. This however, is what choreographer and dancer Pontus Lidberg keeps doing. He and his company Pontus Lidberg Dance has a base both in New York and in Sweden.

He creates choreographies for his own group as well as works for dance companies in Europe and the United States. Every year is different. Som years he spends more time with his own group, other years most of his time is spent creating commissions for other companies.

Pontus spent September this year in Stockholm overseeing the performances of his Raymonda at the Royal Swedish Ballet, where new soloists were taking over the leading roles.

Dansportalen met with Pontus before a performance in order to learn more about his tightly crammed diary.

"This summer, I created a piece for Les Ballets de Monte Carlo called Summer's Winter Shadow" Pontus tells us. "It opened on July 16. The music is from Schubert's Impromptus as well as original music by Swedish composer Stefan Levin. I was very comfortable with the ensemble in Monte Carlo, I felt welcome and it was a joy to work with them."

The ballet is for eleven dancers. It is a playful work full of joy and good feeling but with darker moments. A bright summer's day has shadows too.

After Stockholm, I am going back to New York to continue working with my own group. I have an upcoming residency at the Baryshnikov Arts Center. I am working on a new dance film, which is practically ready for production, pending funding.

Later this year I am going to create for The Martha Graham Dance Company and the BalletBoyz in London. Ballet Austin is presenting a work which I initially created for Oregon Ballet Theater." In addition, I am preparing a new evening for the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève.

Earlier this year, I have been working with the SemperOper Ballett in Dresden as well as with the ABT Studio Company.

There are plans for something classical in the future in my back pocket."

At this point, Pontus has to say farewell. There are ten minutes left before the performance of Raymonda, where Nathalie Nordquist and Daniel Norgren-Jensen are making their débuts in the leading roles, and flowers must be delivered to the stage.

Pontus' version of the ballet is staged as a ballet company preparing for a perfornance of the classical Raymonda. The first act is seen 'backstage' and the second act as a divertissement with all the character dances and the wedding celebration, directed towards the actual audience.

Nathalie and her partner Daniel give a splendid performance.  Earlier this month, Calum Lowden in the role of the ballerina.'s young admirer, pleased the audiences with his confident style and characterisation.

Anders Jörlén
5 October 2015