Interview: former Royal Danish Ballet principal Gregory Dean on life after 40

The last time I saw you perform was as Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker in a streaming during the Covid pandemic and thought ‘he is too young to be doing that role’ …

Yes, Royal Danish Ballet [RDB] performs George Balanchine‘s Nutcracker and there are many dancers from their 20s and up who perform Drosselmeyer. When I was first cast, I did wonder, “Is this the beginning of the end?!” But I ended up loving performing it and interacting with the children. It’s probably the role I’ve had the most positive feedback for in my career!!

… and now aged 40 you are compulsorily retired. How are you acclimatising?

I retired in March, dancing in Christopher Wheeldon‘s Sleeping Beauty, which I danced together with Amy Watson in 2010 when it was created. It was extremely special to come back to, with Amy now as my boss and dancing with Ida Praetorius, who was my first Juliet and who I had danced so many wonderful roles with. It was truly the most wonderful evening, with so many people gathered from all over the world.

Since then I have actually been very busy with a lot of different projects, my daughter and also my partner. It has been great to give him the freedom to go all in with his dance career and for me to be able to be at home more.

Would you have liked to continue performing?

There is financial security and safety being a contracted dancer in a big company. You are also respected and very experienced in your field, so it’s a huge change to go from that into being more freelance and almost starting again. But I think it terms of performing, and I have only realised since stopping, that I think I had been done for a while before I stopped. It was getting harder and harder to leave my daughter in the evenings and being exhausted for the school drop-off the next day. I still enjoyed dancing but it wasn’t the same.

What were the highlights of your dancing career?

I was so lucky to have had so many incredible experiences in my career! There are a few that stick out obviously, like creating [and choreographing] Blixen and dancing it with one of my closest friends, Kizzy Matiakis. Performing James from La Sylphide at the RDB is incredibly humbling and special. More than anything though, what I take with me are the friendships, the laughs, the tears, the inspiring processes, the live music!! The in-between moments…

Any roles that you would like to have done that got away?

I never got to dance any [Frederick] Ashton, which I would have loved to try. Although with the years I came to realise that there are so many factors that go into a good experience. You may love the role, but when you dance it, it might not feel as good as you hoped. Or you might not connect with your partner, your coach, the conductor… Maybe there isn’t money to make a new costume so it doesn’t fit right… all these things can detract, even if on paper you think it would be amazing to perform a certain role. Conversely, there were roles I wasn’t looking forward to that ended up being enriching and wonderful experiences because all the other elements were in place. Life and art can be funny like that.

How did Royal Danish Ballet change during your years there?

Enormously, in so many ways. New dancers, new theatre directors, new boards and now one of my best friends is the director! But that’s what’s wonderful about it. It never stays still, it evolves. I had my time, I have my memories, some good, some less good, and now other people get to create their own experiences. In Danish you can say “tak for lånet”… which is kind of like, thanks for letting me borrow or loan it.

[Previous director] Nikolaj Hübbe was much criticised in some quarters for his restagings of the Bournonville repertoire. What’s your take on that?

I think in art there will always be people who like certain things and others who won’t. I personally enjoyed dancing in the productions, and especially when I got to work closely with Nikolaj, it was always dynamic and exciting. I’m excited to see now how Amy will take the Bournonville legacy into the future. I know it is very close to her heart and she has huge respect for the traditions of the house.

Are you still based in Copenhagen?

Yes, as my daughter has started school and my partner Guilherme de Menezes is a soloist with RDB and still has many years before his retirement. Having more time now, it has been wonderful to feel more integrated into the city. I became a Danish citizen a few years ago and have also just completed the Danish language exam that would give me access to study in Danish universities if one day I want to. So, I’m definitely here for a while, I think.

What comes next? More choreography?

I am currently taking the professional dancers’ graduate teaching diploma with the Royal Academy of Dance [RAD] in London, which has been so enlightening and has opened connections to the UK again, as well as other international people on the course. I have also taken the first two years of Vaganova teacher training with the Bolshoi Ballet School in Brazil and am looking forward to taking the third year this summer.

Last year I also trained to be a masseur, which I haven’t got to use much yet, but I enjoy it when I have the chance. Next season I will be the main company class teacher for RDB’s men, with Maria Kotchetkova taking the women in between her performing work. I will also be staging works both in Copenhagen and Romania, with other choreographic jobs lined up for the future. Along with this I am also teaching class at open studios in Copenhagen. So, I’m keeping myself busy and am excited to see what new opportunities will come my way in the future. I love ballet and I love people, so I’m really enjoying how my future is the combination of both!

Do you keep up with your contemporaries from Tring Park School for Performing Arts, Tyrone Singleton and Max Westwell…

I haven’t spoken to Ty and Max in a while but it’s always super fun when we hang out. I’m so, so proud to see what we have all accomplished! Drew McOnie keeps going from strength to strength and Carrie Taylor Johnson is now a teacher at Pineapple [Dance Studios] in London, where we used to go to feel part of the dance world when we were training as kids! Amazing!!

You had a slow start to your career, initially in Germany before Scottish Ballet, then 17 years in Copenhagen. Have you had the performing career you imagined?

I could not have imagined this career in my wildest dreams! The people I’ve worked with, dancing on some of the most prolific stages in the world, being allowed to choreograph for the company! The little boy from Buckinghamshire [in the UK] wouldn’t believe it if you’d told him as a child! I am so grateful, so lucky and also with age have allowed myself to be proud of myself too!

Does your daughter show any sign of wanting to follow in your footsteps?

Our daughter is seven now and goes to gymnastics and swimming but no dance classes as yet. I’m not sure ballet is for her… I think she would prefer more circus skills classes or maybe street dance. She’s strong and flexible and extremely physical, so who knows!

What would be your advice for young people wanting a career in dance?

For the RAD teacher’s course we have to read a lot of academic papers on education and dance, which has been fascinating! One thing that stands out as being a defining factor in successful people is grit, which can be defined as a combination of persistence and passion. I feel like cultivating grit would be a good place to start when looking for a career in dance.

Paul Arrowsmith Guest Author

Paul Arrowsmith has been watching dance for 45 years after Peter Wright’s Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet was his baptism in dance in the UK. He wrote for Dancing Times between 2010-22, reporting from China, Greece, Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany and Denmark, along the way interviewing Alessandra Ferri, Akram Khan and Miyako Yoshida among many. He has a particular interest in design for dance and has profiled the work of Natalia Goncharova, Jürgen Rose, John Macfarlane and Anthony McDonald. Paul collaborated with Sir Peter Wright on his memoires Wrights & Wrongs and in 2016 was programme consultant for the BBC documentary, The Ballet Master: Sir Peter Wright at 90.