Photo courtesy of the Pacific NW Ballet. Emma Love and Andrew Bartee practicing with the Royal Danish Ballet.

Training with the Royal Danish Ballet was an extremely positive experience for both PNB students who had the chance to participate. Emma Love, one of the two PNB professional division students who were selected to study with the RDB, described her travel to Denmark as “extremely overwhelming at first.” She quickly became accustomed to the city, however, and found Copenhagen “so safe, so easy, so pretty and fun to explore."

She and fellow student Andrew Bartee shared an apartment, set up by the Royal Danish Ballet, with other dance students. Emma and Andrew took classes every day at the Ballet, with technique classes in the morning and apprentice classes in the afternoon. Emma described her surprise when seeing the Royal Danish dancers work because they were “so different and so strong.” Referring to the Royal Danish Ballet’s commitment to August Bournonville’s style of dance, Emma explained that “seeing a really good Bournonville ballet do a really good Bournonville piece was amazing.”

Both Emma and Andrew reported that they felt very welcomed in Denmark and by the Royal Danish Ballet. Emma summed up the trip by saying that the Royal Danish Ballet “gave me things that helped my dancing. They complemented what I already know.” Since Emma and Andrew’s return from Copenhagen to Seattle, Andrew has been selected to receive the very prestigious Princess Grace Award for Dance scholarship.

Meet the Dancers! - February 28, 20008 in Seattle, WA