La Ventana (August Bournonville)

History: La Ventana (The window) is a ballet in two scenes from 1856 with choreography by August Bournonville. The music for the first scene is composed by H.C. Lumbye and for the second scene by V.C. Holm. The Seguidilla is freely based after Paul Taglioni. The ballet premiered on 6 October 1856 at the Royal Theatre with Juliette Price and Ferdinand Hoppe in the main roles. La Ventana was the last ballet that Bournonville restaged at the Royal Theatre in 1874. In 1849, Bournonville had choreographed a dance, Pas des Trois Cousines, for the three cousins, Amalie, Juliette and Sophie Price, who danced it to great success at the Casino Theatre. When Bournonville was later commissioned by the same theatre, he created a mirror dance for Juliette and Sophie Price in 1854. This mirror dance became one of the most famous pieces in La Ventana along side the pas de trois. Other mirror dances in ballet history were included in ballets such “Farfarella“ by Jean Antoine Petipa and Bluebeard by Marius Petipa. Plot: The ballet is set in Spain, and the music and dances are Spanish-inspired. 1st Scene: A Spanish señorita dances in her room to her own reflection, while fantasising about a man, a señor, she has just met. While dancing, she hears the same man serenading her outside her window. She continues dancing with a set of castanets (in this film without) to the man’s guitar music. Finally, she throws her hair ribbon down to him. 2nd Scene: In the Spanish countryside, the señor dances with his friends. During the dances the famous pas des trois is also perfomed. When the señorita arrives wrapped in a mantilla, the señor seizes the guitar and repeats his serenade from the first image. The señorita throws off the mantilla and dances with a tambourine. The ballet ends with a seguidilla with the señor and señorita at the centre. Credits of the film: Choreography staged by Hans Brenaa Conductor: Jens Schroder Set designs: Jorn Mathiassen and Hans Christian Lindholm Camera: Mogens Christiansen, Finn Albrecgrslund, Poul Andersen, Sven Holm Producer: Jorgen Mydtskov Artists: Señorita: Kirsten Simone Her reflection: Vibeke Roland Señor: Flemming Flindt Pas de Trois: Inge Olafsen, Sorella Englund, Flemming Ryberg Dancers: Anne Marie Vessel, Anne Sonnerup, Lise la Cour, Eva Evdokimova, Eva Kloborg, Annemari Vingard, Arne Bech, Aage Poulsen, Ole Fatum, Pale Jacobsen, Tommy Frishoi, Jens Brenaa Sources: Wikipedia, El Ballet Romántico en el teatro del Circo de Madrid (1842-1850) by Laura Hormigón and The Emperor’s Ballet Master, Marius Petipa by Nadine Meisner.