ABSTRACT La Famille Dansant. Investigating the Family Structure and Repertory of the Johannesénske Balletselskab !e performance history of the Johannesénske Balletselskab spans a long period. In di"erent shapes, sizes and names the ensemble was on the road for 30 years. !is article analyses the activities of the Johannesénske enterprise through the lenses of itinerant performance traditions. Two features are discussed in this article: the reliance on family members as performers and the ensemble’s diverse repertory. !e ensemble featured a repertory popular in its own time, consisting chie#y of national and character dances as well as pantomimes. Arguably, an investigation of the ensemble’s performance history o"ers information on little explored perspectives of nineteenth century Nordic ballet. In particular, the Jo- hannesénske Balletselskab o"ers insights into family structures and the repertoire typical of itinerant ensembles. !is information is also useful on a more gen- eral level, given that there were several ensembles similar to the Johannesénske travelling in the Nordic countries that functioned similarly to La famille dansant. !rough analysing the use of the repertoire, it can be shown that the Johan- nesénske enterprise was, in their programming, up to date as a “ballet ensemble”. !e family kept up itinerant traditions through their use of children as per- formers and reliance on pantomimes. !e Johannesénske ensemble is, therefore, especially valuable for revealing insights into dance practices and dance styles, which have, so far, been little researched.

Keywords: itinerant ballet ensemble, national dance, character dance, child performers.

BIOGRAPHY Anne Margrete Fiskvik (PhD, Dr. of Arts) holds the position of Associate Profes- sor at the Department for Musicology, Program for Dance Studies, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim. She is also Chair of the same program. She is the main editor (together with Marit Stranden) of the 2014 anthology (Re)Searching the Field. Festschrift in Honour of Egil Bakka. Recent ar- ticles include an account on itinerant dancing masters travelling Norway during the latter part of the eighteenth century: ”Information uti Dands i Christiania 1769-1773” in Lidenskap eller levebrød. Utøvende kunst i endring rundt 1800 (2015) and ”Working in Nordic Dance Venues” in Nordic Dance Spaces. Practic- ing and Imagining a Region (2014). [email protected]

104 Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 La Famille Dansant. Investigating the Family Structure and Repertory of the Johannesénske Balletselskab ANNE MARGRETE FISKVIK

THE JOHANNESÉNSKE BALLETSELSKAB One reason why the Johannesénske Balletselsk- – A LONG LASTING NORDIC ENTERPRISE ab has fallen into oblivion could be attested to the !e performance history of the Johannesénske Bal- simple fact that the enterprise started and ended in letselskab spans a long period. In di"erent shapes, Norway. It was run by a Norwegian whose back- sizes and names the ensemble was on the road for ground and education is little known. Overall, this 30 years. !is article analyses the activities of the Jo- time period of Norwegian dance history has not hannesénske enterprise through the lens of itinerant been researched. In fact, the ensemble’s extensive performance traditions. Two features are discussed: tour of Norway 1878-79 has only recently been re- the reliance on family members as performers and discovered and documented by the author.2 the ensemble’s diverse repertory. !e ensemble fea- Several itinerant dancers deserve to be bet- tured a repertory popular in its own time, consisting ter documented, for instance dancers like Martin chie#y of national and character dances as well as Nürenbach and Michael and Doreothea Christiana pantomimes. Stuart. !ey travelled the Nordic countries a hun- !e $rst version of the Johannesénske Balletsel- dred years earlier than the Johannesénske, but share skab was founded by Norwegian-born Johan Fre- some common features, for instance in an accessible drik Johannesén in 1851.1 His ten step- and bio- repertoire which could please a variety of di"erent logical children became active as performers from audiences. !eir activities can be traced through ad- an early age. !e ensemble operated mainly outside vertisements and announcements in Nordic news- of the institutionalized theatres in the Nordic coun- papers.3 Similarly, the present article on the Johan- tries and o"ered a repertoire suitable to a variety of nesén family is largely based on newspaper material tastes and spectators. published in Nordic papers between 1848-80. To the best of my knowledge, this material has neither previously been analysed in a dance context, nor has PREVIOUS RESEARCH AND SOURCE MATERIAL it been used to investigate the history of the Johan- Today, the Johannesénske Balletselskab has more or nesénske in a more substantial way. Nordic dance less fallen into oblivion. !is small, itinerant fami- scholars have so far not taken an interest in the en- ly ensemble, specializing in national and character semble, even if their research o"er general insights dances as well as pantomimes, has not triggered into Danish, Swedish and Finnish dance cultures in large scholarly interest. In fact, neither itinerant the latter part of the nineteenth century. However, dance practices, nor the use of national and char- Swedish dance researcher, Lena Hammergren, has acter dances on stage have been fashionable as re- collected some material on Johannesén’s work at search topics. !us, investigating the Johannesénske the Tivolibolaget in Stockholm and wrote about her ensemble can o"er insights into an area of Nordic work there in 1895.4 dance history outside of the typical ’dance canon’. Even if Nordic dance scholars, so far, have taken

Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 105 little interest in the Johannesénske enterprise, their and Marian Smith, these dance types were used a travels and performances in Finland and Sweden lot during the nineteenth century, and were pop- have been of interest to a few Nordic theatre scholars. ular with audiences. !ey have nevertheless, to a Finnish librarian, historian and theatre researcher large extent, escaped the attention of international Sven Hirn’s extensive work on travelling artists have dance scholarship.11 Existing research has tended to helped in piecing together a $rst picture of the fam- focus on well-known choreographers such as August ily.5 For the itinerant perspective, more recent inves- Bournonville, whose extensive use of national and tigations have been done by theatre scholars, Claes character dances have been investigated by dance Uno Rosenqvist and !oralf Berg.6 Rosenqvist’s scholars like Erik Aschengren and Knud Arne Jür- and Berg’s research have been informed by material gensen.12 !rough investigating the repertoire of an and sources similar to my own, which consists of itinerant enterprise like the Johannesénske family, material from newspapers: notices, advertisements some features emerge which can o"er insights into and reviews as well as posters, copy-protocols of ap- the practices of more marginalized dance ensembles. plications, theatre records and entries into church books. !e Johannesénske performances were cov- ered quite thoroughly in all the cities they visited, SITUATING THE JOHANNESÉNSKE ENTERPRISE which have left us with a large amount of notices WITHIN NORDIC THEATRE DANCE and reviews.7 Of course working with newspapers In order to analyse the repertoire and family struc- requires an attention to their aims and purposes as ture of the Johannesénske enterprise, a brief outline well as political and cultural agendas.8 of how the ensemble can be situated within Nordic dance history must $rst be o"ered. Firstly, it should be pointed out that the Johan- WHY RESEARCH A HALF-FORGOTTEN BALLET nesénske ensemble was active during a time that saw ENSEMBLE many changes in artistic tastes as well as develop- As pointed out by dance scholar, Sherill Dodds, the ments and improvements in infrastructures. Most awarding of special values to western artworks has signi$cantly, the building of railroads and more produced a canon within dance scholarship based regularly running steamships made travelling easier on speci$c aesthetic qualities.9 Companies and in the Nordic countries. A variety of ships travelled dancers contained inside the ‘canon’ are typically along the Nordic coasts. In Norway, the Johan- most well-known and recognized for being special nesénske family travelled along the coastline visiting in some capacity or another. If the Johannesénske cities that had never been o"ered ballet performanc- Balletselskab has not been regarded worthy of this es. Between 1878 and 1879, they travelled all the kind of attention, this is a fate they share with nu- way to Tromsø far up in northern Norway and con- merous other enterprises and dancers, especially tinued down along the coast of Norway, ending up itinerant ones. Moreover, the repertoire included in the city of Kristiania.13 in the dance canon is also rather limited.10 For in- Better means of travelling aided itinerant life, stance, the Johannesénske performed in a period but, as pointed out by Rosenqvist (2008), theatre where dance styles in#uenced by national romantic activity in the second half of the nineteenth century trends were developed and practiced within the clas- cannot be analysed without taking into considera- sical ballet. !us the Johannesénske family followed tions political and cultural changes.14 During the the desire of popular taste. However, even if national thirty years of the Johannesénske enterprise, theatre and character dances were manifested in the reper- laws had been changed, several theatre ensembles toire of ballet companies all over Europe during the had been established and numerous theatres built latter part of the nineteenth century, dance scholars in Nordic cities. In Norway, for instance, itinerant have tended to neglect their importance both as in- performing became easier after a new and more lib- dependent pieces and their integration in classical eral theatre law was passed in 1877.15 !is law made ballet. As pointed out by dance scholars, Lisa Arkin it less cumbersome to stage theatre activities outside

106 Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 of the privileged theatres and easier for the family to ropes. Sometimes Stuart’s performances ended with give performances.16 a pantomime in the commedia dell’arte style. Other Given the Nordic perspective in this article it itinerant artists performed spoken theatre in addi- must be pointed out that the history of ballet and tion to dance and pantomimes such as ropedancer, other types of dance developed di"erently in Den- acrobat and entrepreneur Martin Nürenbach. He mark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.17 In both travelled Sweden, Norway and Finland between Sweden and Denmark the Royal Opera ballets were 1760 and 1780.19 established during the seventeenth and eighteenth Quite a few international companies visited centuries.18 Audiences in Copenhagen and Stock- the Nordic countries; some more exotic than oth- holm could see classical ballet as well as other types ers. Two African female dancers performed in cities of dance on a regular basis at the royal operas. Nor- along the southern coast of Norway in 1878. !ey wegian and Finish ballet history di"er from that of were ’exhibited’ for the bene$t of those who were Denmark and Sweden because their stately funded curious to see what female African dancers looked ballet companies were not founded until the twenti- like. For a small fee, spectators could view them ‘on eth century: in Finland 1922 and in Norway 1958. display’ as well as see them perform “National danc- Norway was thus especially reliant on visiting danc- es from Africa”.20 !e two African dancers were pre- ers and ensembles. Ballet masters such as Johan Peter sented as exotic and half-primitive rarities; reported Strömberg and August Bournonville gave small by the newspapers to eat grasshoppers and snakes. tours in Norway between 1820 and 1850. Norway Su%ce to say that even if this practice of showing o" was not alone in receiving travelling artists; itinerant ‘otherness’ de$nitely comes across as racist today, it dancers and actors have, as previously pointed out, was quite typical for its time. a long performance history in the Nordic countries, Less exotic, but more similar in structure to the a tradition to which the Johannesénske enterprise Johannesénske were other ensembles such as the belonged. Swedish Goldkette Acrobat-pantomime og Ballet- selskab, which toured Sweden, Finland and Norway in the latter part of the nineteenth century. !is ITINERANT PERFORMANCE TRADITIONS was, like the Johannesénske, a family enterprise. !e Johannesén family was part of a several centu- !e Goldkette, as well as other family ensembles, ries long European and Nordic tradition of travel- typically visited cities on the eastern and western ling artists which continued into the latter part of coast of Norway. 21 A common feature of most of the nineteenth century. !e many people who lived them was that they o"ered a repertoire consisting outside of the larger cities were reliant on visiting of national and character dancing, often conclud- companies if they wanted to see ballet. !ere was ing with a pantomime.22 !is was also the repertoire therefore still a market for itinerant ensembles like that ballet master Johannesén chose when develop- the Johannesénske enterprise. ing his enterprise. Surprisingly, the many stories of travelling dancers and ensembles visiting the Nordic coun- tries have been little researched. During the latter BUILDING AN ITINERANT ENSEMBLE part of the eighteenth century, performers such as !e Johannesénske enterprise was developed Michael Stuart, Christina Doreothea Stuart and around the dancing children of two families with, Martin Nürenbach often combined dancing and altogether, ten siblings. Johan Fredrik Johannesén acrobatics. !ey performed both indoors and out- had become the stepfather of four gifted dancers/ doors, o"ering a variety of entertainments. For in- performers when he married the widow Catharina stance, when the dancer and acrobat Michael Stuart Johanna Marvig (born Altenburg) in 1851.23 She gave performances in Danish and Norwegian cities was some ten years older than Johan Fredrik and in 1768-69, the program consisted of a variety of had been married to Hans Marvig, another travel- smaller dance numbers performed on tight or slack ling artist whose enterprise had toured the Nordic

Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 107 countries between 1848-49.24 ! e Johannesénske er or longer time during the $ rst twenty years of the ensemble grew as six more children were born into ensemble. the Johannesénske family between 1851-59: Ida, As previously mentioned, using children as per- Edmund, Jenny, Alfred, Augusta and Jose$ na. As formers was common within travelling families of the family was constantly performing in smaller and the time. ! e four Marvig children that Johannesén larger Nordic cities, the children were born ‘on the became the stepfather of when he married were road’. Ida was, for instance, born in Fredrikshald already quite experienced: the text of the poster (Halden), Norway in 1851, Jenny in Copenhagen beneath (Fig. 1) reveals that Hans and Catharina in 1853, Augusta in Sundsvall, Sweden in Septem- Marvig had featured Johanna and Carl as main at- ber 1857, whereas the youngest daughter, Jose$ na, tractions for performances taking place in Kristiania was born in Vasa, Finland in 1859.25 ! e Marvig in 1848. children were active in the early period of the en- Notice the illustrative drawing of the perform- semble, between 1850-60, whereas the six Johan- er, which speaks of equilibrist balancing as well as nesén children danced in the ensemble from 1860 juggling. ! e text of the advertisement announced to 1880. In addition to the Marvig and Johannesén a repertoire consisting of national dances, soli and a children, various guest artists were hired for a short- pas de deux, gymnastic numbers as well as balancing

Fig. 1. Advertisement from Morgenbladet, 22 April 1848.

108 Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 acts on ropes and steel wires. !is kind of repertoire ske ensemble.28 However, a number of sources has had had long roots among itinerant dancers and pointed out that the other children were also highly was still popular in the latter part of the nineteenth skilled. According to the journal Idun, the Johan- century. nesén children were trained in St. Petersburg under In the beginning of the Johannesénske ensem- the Swedish ballet master Christian Johansson.29 ble, such a program consisting of acrobatics and !is information has, however, not yet been veri- juggling in addition to dance numbers was typical. $ed. What is known is that the family performed As the years went by, the ensemble turned more and possibly lived in St. Petersburg between 1860- into a ‘pure’ ballet and pantomime ensemble. Na- 65.30 tional and character dances remained a core feature !e Johannesén children were featured on var- throughout the ensemble’s thirty years of existence. ious programs from ca 1856. A few theatre post- ers from performances staged by Johan Fredrik Johannesén in Åbo (Finland) in 1860 have been CHILDREN ON STAGE preserved. !ese give information on casting and During the last ten years of the ensemble’s perform- repertoire. As can be seen below (Fig. 2), three of ing life, the Johannesénske only featured family the Johannesén children performed in a repertoire members. By 1878 they were all adults, but Nor- that emphasized character and national dances as wegian newspapers liked to point out the family well as pantomimes. aspect of the ensemble. In Romsdals Budstikke, 6 !e poster shows the involvement of the chil- June 1878 it was termed “La famille dansant”. All dren as well as the typical repertoire featured. Ida the ‘children’ had, however been on stage since and Edmund, at the age of eight and nine, danced early childhood. Following itinerant tradition, the three numbers. !ey opened the performance with children were expected to contribute as soon as a comedy-ballet, Den tapre Lanciern och Marketen- possible. Children were systematically trained into terksan ("e Brave Lancier and the Market Girl) and making early debuts as performers: “!e children continued with a Dalpolska as well as a Pantomine were rapidly placed before the public, usually in de- ballet Matrosens Hemkomst – Pantomime Ballet buts as Cupids or attendants on Zephyr, miniature ("e Homecoming of the Sailor, Pantomime Ballet). Harlequins or Pierrots, and ‘skinwork’ parts such as A major asset for this particular performance were monkeys and other small ‘animals’. A few years later some hired guest dancers, an “Arabian family”; a they would be performing character folk ballets or father and two daughters who danced Arabian in- interludes, particularly as peasants, harvesters and spired numbers and, according to Hirn, attracted a Italian comedy $gures.”26 considerable audience.32 However, whether this ori- !is description $ts very well the Johannesénske ental family and their dances were genuine remains ensemble; both in regard to the roles and repertoire unclear. It was, after all, quite typical for this time performed. Various posters and advertisements list to use costumes and scenery to create the illusion of the Marvig and Johannesén children with contri- a given exotic place, whereas steps and movements butions according to age and skill. !e above-men- remained typical to the standard steps of national tioned Carl Marvig was, for instance, regarded as es- and character dancing. pecially talented and thus one of the star attractions !e above poster also reveals that the children of the Johannesénske ensemble between 1851 and were featured in the closing pantomime, Den Bra- 1858. He developed into a dancer of international silianska Apan ("e Brazilian monkey), with char- standard and continued his career as premier danseur acters inspired by the commedia dell’arte. Jenny, at at the Royal opera ballet in Sweden as well as in St. the age of seven was given the role of Colombine. Petersburg, before settling in New York.27 Finnish Star dancer, Carl Marvig, acted and danced the role historian, Sven Hirn, even claimed that Carl Marvig of Cassander, and Johan Fredrik Johannesén per- was the family’s main attraction and that when he formed the role of Pierrot. All in all, the program left in 1858, this was a great loss to the Johannesén- speaks of a variety of numbers that would please

Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 109 Fig. 2. Poster from Åbo (Finland), 20 May 1860.31 di"erent kinds of audiences. Rosenqvist has pointed NATIONAL AND CHARACTER DANCES out that during their long journey in the Norrbotn If pantomimes were regarded as old fashioned, Region 1876-77, the Johannesénske Balletselskab national and character dances were a highly fash- represented a form of theatre that was on its way to ionable part of the Johannesénske repertoire. It is becoming extinct, but which was still appreciated by not always so easy to distinguish between “national, the audience.33 A review from Piteå (Sweden) shows folk and character dances”. In the early part of the that, at least in this city, people from di"erent so- nineteenth century, the word ‘character’ was associ- cial classes attended the Johannesénske performanc- ated with the folk, i.e. dances which represented a es. Interestingly, the pantomimes were regarded as given nation. As pointed out by dance scholar Susan old fashioned and suitable for the education of the Au, “[c]haracter dancing borrows various elements lower classes.34 !e variety of numbers was expected from given dance forms in order to create the illu- and appreciated by audiences, even if the mixing of sion that an authentic folk or social dance is being fashionable ballet-trends (national and character) performed.”35 More speci$cally, this can be seen in with pantomimes was considered typical of an older the body language and style of the dancing: “Among itinerant tradition. these elements are steps and leg gestures, head and arm movements, carriage of the body, partnering

110 Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 and linking, group formations, #oor patterns, and honour the distinct features of the di"erent Nordic dynamic qualities such as rhythm, #ow, and sense of countries. weight. Representative costumes may be worn, and A poster (Fig. 3) from performances given by the ballet’s score may incorporate musical character- the Johannesénske in St. Petersburg in 1862, depicts istics of the dance type.”36 Augusta (six/seven years) and Alfred (seven/eight Popular character dance adaptations for ballet years). !e illustration gives some indications of a typically include the national dances of Hungary, certain carriage of the body, steps and leg gestures as Russia, Poland, Italy, Spain, Scotland, the Tyrol, well as representative costumes. eastern and central Europe. According to dance A ‘national dance’ of some sort is indicated by historian Lynn Garafola, these dances represented the costuming, the way they are holding each other a primitive ‘other’, while at the same time revealing as well as the lifted attitudes of the front foot.43 If the existence of an exotic-erotic hierarchy, topped ballet master Johannesén followed the customs of by Spanish dances.37 the time, the steps of the dance would have been Inspiration from folk dances had also been typi- taken from a series of standardized steps used to cal of eighteenth century dance styles and were still display folk character: “Ballet tended either to re- favourable in the next century. In fact, they blos- #ect the developing interest in other countries and somed in accordance with national romantic trends other people by o"ering ‘national dances’ which in the other arts.38 !us, during the nineteenth were more evocative of style than accurate of step.”44 century, a heavy reliance on national and character !us the Johannesénske numbers could characterize dances was seen in ballet companies all over Europa a given country, or they could give characteristics of as well as in the Nordic countries. Around the 1830s persons. For instance, a number frequently shown and 1840s, a veritable craze for folk-derived forms was Gammel og Ung – dobbel Karakterdands (Old on the stage as well as the dance #oor developed. and Young, double character dance). Danced by Ed- At the Paris opera, for instance, which served as the mund and Jose$na, one can imagine that Edmund ‘centre’ of romantic ballet during the $rst half of the portrayed the older persons, and Jose$na the young- nineteenth century, national dances $gured in over er, and that their body language, steps and costumes three-quarters of the ballet performances. Not only would emphasize these characteristic. European, but also Russian ballet was heavily in#u- enced by folk dances. Dance historian Yuri Slonim- sky has, for instance, emphasized the in#uence of CLASSICAL BALLET – OR NOT? various fairs and festivals on Russian ballet.39 !e Johannesénske ensemble also featured numbers Advertisements and notices for the Johannesén- with names more typical of classical ballet, such as ske Balletselskab reveal that the names ‘national’ and “one-act ballets” and “divertissements”. To what ‘character dances’ were used interchangeably. From extent these relied on steps and aesthetics derived the previously mentioned poster from Åbo, it can from classical ballet remains unclear. From the be seen that the siblings, Ida and Edmund, danced source material, it is di%cult to judge to what de- a Rustic Russian Dance (Rysk landtlig Nationaldans). gree the actual steps of these di"ered from that of Johan Fredrik performed an English Hornpipe.40 the national and character dances. !e Spansk Bal- Nordic dances were also featured, for instance Dal- letdivertissement (Spanish Ballet Divertissement) ad- polska, which indicates a dance from the region Da- vertisement in Åbo in 1862 could have relied more larne in Sweden. Quite a few of the dances were on elements of national and character dance than given names, which was meant to re#ect the ensem- on classical ballet steps. Other names found in the ble’s ‘Nordicness’: “Like costumes, national dances Johannesénske family’s repertoire are suggestive of were also markers of authenticity and suppliers of a story of some sorts, for instance Joso!nas Navned- local colour […] they could serve a narrative as well ag – Ballet i en akt (Joso!na’s Name Day – ballet in as decorative end.”41 Bringing out Swedish, Finnish one act). Alternatively, a comic content is implied in and Norwegian features could have been a way to pieces like De levende Marionetter – Komisk Ballet i

Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 111 en akt ("e Living Marionettes – comic ballet in one with a humoristic touch. !e titles of their reper- act). It can be seen that the titles often involve some toire re#ect more on cosy events of everyday life kind of characterization. As already stated, it is like- than an interest in human dilemmas. Narrations as ly that the vocabulary of all the dance numbers were well as characterizations seem to have been typical. rather similar. Di"erences would be brought out in costuming and by adding speci$c steps typical of a given folk dance, for instance a mazurka step. PANTOMIMES On the continent, there was a growing tendency !roughout their thirty years of performing, the Jo- to be preoccupied with issues related to human be- hannesénske enterprise continued to feature panto- ings. As pointed out by Alexandra Carter: “Two rev- mimes. !is type of comic entertainment – mimed olutions, the French and the Industrial, had precipi- theatre interspersed with dance – portrayed easy-go- tated the change in subject matter of the [romantic] ing narratives. !e featuring of pantomimes is in- ballets from mythology and allegory to more direct teresting because it re#ects both Nordic as well as representations of humankind and human dilem- itinerant performance traditions dating back several mas.”45 If the themes of the Johannesénske reper- hundred years. Traditionally, pantomimes could be toire show interest in human drama, this is done staged with a small number of performers; they were

Fig. 3. An enlarged excerpt from a poster advertising performances in St. Petersburg in 1862.42

112 Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 entertaining and suitable for audiences of all ages.46 diences being more unfamiliar with ballet. Several !e pantomimes were often saved to the end as a Norwegian cities had, after all, never been visited by comic treat, a tradition that was continued by the a ballet ensemble prior to the Johannesénske Ballet- Johannesénske Balletselskab and other ensembles. selskab’s tour. As already pointed out, the Johannesénske Ballet- selskab was not alone in showing pantomimes. Sev- eral other visiting ballet companies performed them “LA FAMILLE DANSANT” IN RETROSPECT during the latter part of the nineteenth century. For !is article started out with stating some purpos- instance, when the Goldkette Acrobat-pantomime es and aims for studying a half-forgotten ensemble and Balletselskab toured Norway in 1880 their pro- like the Johannesénske Balletselskab. Arguably, an gram also ended with a pantomime.47 investigation of the ensemble’s performance history !e Johannesénske pantomimes often borrowed o"ers information on little explored perspectives of comic titles and themes derived from commedia nineteenth century Nordic ballet. !e Johannesén- dell’arte, this can be seen in the above advertisement ske enterprise is an example where (as pointed out from Åbo where Den Brasilianske Apan ("e Brazil- by Hammergren) “[n]ational or regional sources ian Monkey) concluded the program. Another num- hitherto not investigated can o"er possibilities for ber frequently featured was Harlequin – mekanisk new interpretations or complementary analyses.”52 statu (Harlequin – Mechanical Statue). Interestingly, !e !e Johannesénske ensemble is, therefore, es- this latter piece is still performed in the Copenha- pecially valuable for revealing insights into dance gen Tivoli, a contemporary theatre which bases its practices and dance styles, which have, so far, been repertory on pantomimes.48 little researched. In addition, the Johannesénske Dancing was part of the Johannesénske pan- Balletselskab o"ers insights into family structures tomimes. In an advertisement in Tønsberg Blad, and the repertoire typical of itinerant ensembles. Harlequin – Mechanical Statue was categorized as a !ere were, after all, many ensembles similar to the Komisk Pantomine med Dands i 2 tableauer (Comic Johannesénske travelling in the Nordic countries, Pantomime with dance in 2 tableaux). Reviews show which functioned similarly to “La famille dansant”. that they were well received by audiences.49 In fact, Several ensembles developed around children, with such pantomimes had been highly appreciated in the possibilities and limitations that this entailed. all the Nordic countries. In 1860, a Swedish/Finn- Advertisements in local papers speak of cheerful ish journalist in Åbo Underrättelser even considered acts o"ering entertainment and laughter. It mixed them the best part of the program.50 However, as fashionable and old-fashioned trends. !is was a previously pointed out, in the 1870s pantomimes repertoire, which spoke to di"erent types of spec- had started to be regarded as a bit old fashioned, tators and typical of several travelling companies. at least in Sweden. Rosenqvist has pointed out that However, information speci$c to the Johannesénske a review in Norrbotten Posten (14 June 1877) de- can be found in the source material, for instance scribed the Johannesénske pantomimes as out-dated revealing national romantic tendencies when inte- and unfashionable for the better-educated audienc- grating Swedish folk dances such as Dalpolska in es of the city of Piteå. !e reviewer stated that the the program. In addition, some di"erences between pantomimes served to entertain “the less educated the Nordic countries regarding the reception of the and younger part of the audiences”, thus implying repertoire have been detected. Norwegian audiences that the divertissements and national and character seem to have been more appreciative of the panto- dances were more geared towards more sophisticat- mimes than Swedish ones. ed audiences.51 Reviews from the Norwegian tour Most reviews examined by Nordic colleagues 1878-80 reveal no such hierarchical preferences and myself show that the Johannesénske perfor- between dance numbers and pantomimes. !is mances were praised for presenting good quality could indicate di"erent tastes and preferences in dancing. Even if it is impossible to know what the Norwegian and Swedish spectators, Norwegian au- technical level was like, it is highly likely that it was

Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 113 not quite as high as that of the royal ballets of Co- the essence in which the ensemble was rooted: the penhagen and Stockholm. However, the ensemble everyday, practical and easily accessible nature of the attracted a large Nordic audience that enabled the enterprise gave the family it’s “bread and butter”. family to continue their itinerant performing for A varied repertoire suited di"erent types of specta- thirty years. tors. A versatility in programming was needed when My intention in this article has not been to travelling to remote Nordic cites never previously argue over qualitative evaluations of the Johan- visited by ballet ensembles. Moreover, versatility nesénske Balletselskab. !e quality would have continued to be important also after the family had di"ered according to who was dancing and reviews settled in Christiania. would be coloured by the taste and knowledge of !e Johannesén family continued to make an the writers. !rough analysing the use of the rep- impact on Nordic theatre dance even after the en- ertoire, it can be shown that the Johannesénske en- semble was dissolved in 1880. Johan Fredrik Johan- terprise was, in their programming, up to date as a nesén opened a dance school in Kristiania where “ballet ensemble”. !e family kept up itinerant tra- several of his ‘children’ were employed. Augusta ditions through their use of children as performers Johannesén became a leading female ballet dancer and reliance on pantomimes. Arkin and Smith have in Kristiania. !e two sons, Alfred and Edmund, claimed that national dances played an enormous worked as dance teachers in Kristiania and Dram- important role in ballet and were considered a sa- men. Ida and Jose$na Johannesén both married and lient force within it during the nineteenth centu- settled in Sweden where they worked as dancers, ry. !is craze for national and character dance has dance teachers and theatre directors in Stockholm su"ered neglect in western dance research: “!at and other Swedish cities.55 is, it has su"ered something of the same fate as the !e Johannesénske Balletselskab brought ballet ‘juste milieu’ paintings and the colporteur literature out ‘to the people’ and for this they deserve a place of the same age. !ese were extremely well known in Nordic dance history. It was not the only bal- to the nineteenth century but until fairly recently let ensemble that visited the Northern hemisphere, were marginalized as unworthy of serious consid- but it was a truly Nordic enterprise. !e ensemble eration.”53 Perhaps the achievements of the Johan- adapted their style and repertoire to suit many dif- nesénske Balletselskab can be analysed in a similar ferent types of audiences, and in this, they became manner. Even if the Johannesénske Balletselskab neither really famous nor notorious. o"ered a repertoire highly popular in its own time, !ere are still many gaps in the history of the this later lost the interest of international schol- enterprise. For instance, a more detailed overview of arship. Arguably, the fact that the Johannesénske their performances before 1878 is needed. Perhaps repertoire relied on national and character dances the family visited some of the Baltic countries, or could have contributed to the meagre interest in the other European countries. How were they received? ensemble among Nordic theatre scholars. Did they perform a di"erent repertoire? If, as has been indicated by a few sources, they did in fact spend several years in Russia, did they live in St. Pe- SOME CONCLUDING REMARKS tersburg and what kind of dance education did the Sven Hirn, who, to the best of my knowledge, was children receive? More knowledge about the type of the $rst to document some of the ensemble’s travels training Johan Fredrik Johannesén received is also in Finland, has credited the Johannesénske enter- needed in order to better understand his motiva- prise for varied programming as well as their stub- tion for a performance life on the road. Moreover, bornness and faithfulness towards the dancing busi- even though I have not addressed the question of ness.54 Even so, a slightly condescending tone can be propriety in this article, this remains a key word in detected in his analysis. In fact, he has described the how the ensemble adapted to the social and cultural enterprise as “prosaic”. Rather than seeing this as demands and norms of the time. More research into faulty, one could argue that this prosaic nature was the above aspects can, hopefully, serve to contex-

114 Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 tualize the ensemble’s repertoire and construction even better. It is to be hoped that the many gaps that still exist regarding their existence will be re- searched further.

Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 115 NOTES AND REFERENCES the northern and middle parts of Norway, Finland and 1 Johan Fredrik Johannesén (1826-1900) was born in Sweden, see Att resa var nödvändigt: äldre svensk landsort- Kristiania, Norway. He was, $rst and foremost, an acro- steater, Claes Rosenqvist, Dag Nordmark, eds., Vildros, bat who, from 1848 and onwards, worked with di"erent Gideå 1990. itinerant theatre ensembles that travelled Denmark, Swe- 7 It is worth noting that many reviews and notices pub- den, Finland and Russia. lished in Nordic newspapers prior to 1920 were not 2 Anne Fiskvik, ”Itinerant Challenges and Newspaper signed, but published anonymously. Support: !e Johannesénske Balletselskab’s Norwegian 8 For an account of newspapers as source material, see for Tour 1878-1879” in På Spissen, no. 3, pp. 1-28, 2015, instance Fiskvik, “Itinerant Challenges and Newspaper DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18862/ps.2015.301. !is re- Support”, op. cit., pp. 2-6. cently published article gives an account of the typcial 9 !e phenomenon of canons within dance is discussed challenges an itinerant ensemble could encounter while in Sherrill Dodds, Dancing on the Canon. Embodiements on the road. Great care has been taken to avoid overlap of Value in Popular Dance, Palgrave Macmillan, Basing- between this article and the current one, but some issues stoke 2011. on being outside of the canon are discussed in both. 10 According to the dance researcher Beth Genné, the dance 3 For more information on itinerant dancing in the Nordic canon is a relatively modern construct, largely formed in countries, see Anne Fiskvik, “Information Udi Dands” the $rst decades of the twentieth century by $gures such in Lidenskap og Levebrød, Randi Selvik, Sven Gladsø, as Ninette de Valois through her establishment of the Ellen Gjervan, eds., Fagbokforlaget, Bergen 2015, pp. British Royal Ballet. 287-314 and Anne Fiskvik, “Nemo in orbe est. !e Nor- 11 Lisa Arkin and Marian Smith, “National Dance in the wegian Adventures of Michael Stuart” in Play, Places and Romantic Ballet” in Rethinking the Sylph. New Perspec- Participants, Randi Selvik, Svein Gladsø, Anne Fiskvik, tives on the Romantic Ballet, Lynn Garafola, ed., Wesley- eds., Ashgate, Fordham 2016. an University Press, London 1997, p. 11. 4 Lena Hammergren, Ballerinor och barfotdansöser. Svensk 12 Bournonville relied extensively on all types of national och internationell danskultur runt 1900. Chora – skrift- and character dances in his work. See for instance Erik serie for danseforskning, vol. 4, Carlssons Bokförlag, Aschengren, “Bournonville, August” in International Stockholm 2002, p.12. For more general information on Dictionary of Ballet, vol. 1, St. James Press, London Nordic dance history, see also Nordic Dance Spaces. Prac- 1993, pp. 188-92. See also Knud Arne Jürgensen, "e ticing and Imagining a Region, Karen Vedel, Petri Hoppu, Bournonville Tradition, "e First Fifty Years 1829-1879, eds., Ashgate, Farnham 2014. Note that the time peri- vol. I: A Documentary Study, Dance Books, London od 1850–1900 has been less researched than the period 1997. closer to the !n de siècle and the twentieth century. 13 Fiskvik, “Itinerant Challenges and Newspaper Support”, 5 Two of Sven Hirn’s books are invaluable for a Nordic op. cit., pp. 7-8. dance perspective on Johannesén as well as other itiner- 14 Rosenvist, op. cit., 2008, pp. 19-22. ant artists. Sven Hirn, Våra danspedagoger och dansnöjen. 15 According to dance researcher, Torkel Bråten, the law Om undervisning och evenemang före 1914, Svenska lit- was passed 1 February 1877 and con$rmed with a Royal teratursällskapet i Finland, no. 505, Helsingfors 1982, Resolution on 12 May 1877. (Torkel Bråten, Retten til å pp. 86-8 and Sven Hirn, Den Gastronomiska Hästen. framføre o$entlige forestillinger i Norge 1814-1875, MA Gamla nordiska artista#scher, Bokförlaget Atlantis, Hel- thesis, Oslo University, Oslo 2015. More details on Nor- singfors 2002. wegian theatre laws can be found in Norsk Lovtidende, 6 See for instance, Claes Rosenqvist’s anthology Artister i 1st part, E. R. Baetzman, Christiania [Oslo] 1877, pp. norr: bottnisk och nordnorsk teater och underhållning på 85-6.) 1800-talet, Kungl. Skytteanska Samfundet, Umeå 2008. 16 For more information on the di"erent theatre prohibi- See also Claes Rosenqvist et al’s anthology Teater i Mit- tions in Denmark-Norway, see Svein Gladsø, Teater mel- tnorden. 1800-tallets senare del. Material, metoder och lom jus og politikk: studier i norsk teater fra 1700-tallet til analyser, Umeå Gigraf, Gideå 1998. For an analyses of 1940, Unipub, Oslo 2004, pp. 8-16 and Bråten, op. cit. the activity of several itinerant Nordic theatre troupes in and Torkel Bråten, “Retten til å framføre o"entlige fores-

116 Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 tillinger. Ytringsfrihet eller næringsfrihet?”, unpublished tober 1837. He worked as premier danseur at the opera article, 2013, pp. 1-14. in Stockholm 1859-62 and prior to this he danced at 17 Norway was ruled by Denmark until 1814, then shared the royal opera of St. Petersburg. After his employment the same monarchy with Sweden until 1905. Conse- in Stockholm he performed at the Italian opera in Paris, quently, Norway did not develop a royal court theatre before moving to the United States. of its own. Christiania !eatre, which opened in 1828, 28 Hirn, Våra danspedagoger och dansnöjen, op. cit., p. 88. became somewhat close to functioning as a national the- 29 Christian Johansson (1817-1903) was originally Swed- atre, but dance was never prioritized there, even if several ish, danced under Bournonville and continued his career guest performers where featured. at the Imperial ballet in St. Petersburg where he became 18 !e professional opera and ballet companies of Sweden a distinguished teacher with great in#uence. and Denmark were developed during the seventeenth 30 See Idun, Praktisk Veckotidning for Qvinnan och Hemmet, and eighteenth centuries and built on the European/ Fritjof Hellberg, Stockholm, 18 January 1889. French model of an aristocratic ballet connected to roy- 31 !e poster from Åbo 1860 is published as part of an elec- alty. See Marina Grut, Royal Swedish Ballet. A History tronic collection of the Åbo city: O$entliga nöjen i Åbo from 1592 to 1962, Carina Ari Library publications, no. under 1800-talet – en samling a#scher, http://bibbild. 6, Hildesheim, Olms 2007 and Aline Storm, "e Royal abo.$/nojen/1850-91/20.jpg. Danish Ballet, !e Royal Danish !eatre, Copenhagen 32 Hirn, Våra danspedagoger och dansnöjen, op. cit., p. 88. 2005. 33 Rosenqvist, Artister i norr, op. cit., p.82. 19 Fiskvik, “Nemo in orbe est”, op. cit. 34 Norrbotten Posten, 14 June 1877, 25 October 1878, cited 20 !e older dancer was called Ritte Janson, and came from in Rosenqvist, ibid., pp. 83, 156. South Africa. !is was reported in several Norwegian 35 Susan Au, “Character Dance” in "e International Ency- newspapers, for instance in the Egersundsposten, 9 May clopaedia of Dance, vol. 2, Selma Jean Cohen, ed., Ox- 1878. ford University Press, Oxford 1998, pp. 106-8. 21 !e Goldkette Acrobat-pantomime og Balletselskab 36 Ibid, p. 108. travelled in Norway in 1880 and 1881. For instance, the 37 Garafola, op. cit., p. 3. ensemble performed in Skien in September 1880. (Ski- 38 Yuri Slonimsky, "e Bolshoi Ballet, Philosophical Library, ensposten, 15 September 1880.) New York 1960, p. 8. 22 !e repertoire of the Goldkette ensemble was stated 39 According to Slonimsky, a new genre developed in Mos- as consisting of acrobatics, national dances and panto- cow at the turn of the nineteenth century inspired by the mimes in an advertisement in Sande%ord Blad, 4 May national comic opera-dance scenes suggested by folk fes- 1881. tivals, games, Yule-tide and Shrovetide Festivals (ibid.). 23 Please note that the role of the wife/mother Catharina 40 !e poster is for a performance on 26 November 1858, Altenburg is unclear because she is rarely mentioned in http://hereditas.abo.$/xmlui/bitstream/handle/12345- the source material. She is not listed as performer in ad- 6789/1193/6.jpg?sequence=1. vertisements, but likely $lled other important functions. 41 Garafola, op. cit., p. 3. 24 Hans Marvig was possibly also Norwegian, whereas Ca- 42 Hirn assumed that the poster portrayed Augusta and tharina Altenburg was German. Together with their four Alfred based on their looks/estimated age. !e poster children they toured Sweden and Norway in 1848 and is archived in the Russian National Library, newspaper 1849. See for instance advertisements in Den Norske Rig- section. !e entire poster as well as information on it is stidende, 13 May 1848. published by Hirn, Den Gastronomiska Hästen, op. cit., 25 For some of the children, their birth certi$cates are lost, pp.157, 219. It is probably the only preserved poster of for instance for Augusta Johannesén, who was born in the Johannesénske family’s performances in St Peters- Sundsvall. !e church books of Sundsvall were destroyed burg. in a $re in 1888. 43 !e poster is unique because it is the only source found 26 Marian Hannah Winter, "e Pre-Romantic Ballet, Pit- (so far) that give visual clues to what the dancing could man, London 1974, p. 34. have looked like. Interestingly, the illustration of the 27 Carl Sven Ludvig Marvig was born in Göteborg 16 Oc- children is shown alongside the other ‘highlights’ o"ered

Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 Nordic Theatre Studies vol. 27: no. 2 117 in the St. Petersburg performance, such as a guest magi- cian who was another major feature of the program. 44 Alexandra Carter, Dance and Dancers in the Victorian and Edwardian Music Hall Ballet, Ashgate, Aldershot 2005, p. 12. 45 Ibid. 46 For instance, the earlier mentioned itinerant dancer and acrobat Michael Stuart and his wife Christina Doreothea Stuart performed pantomimes during their Norwegian tour in 1769. (Fiskvik, Nemo in orbe est, op. cit.) 47 Sande%ord Blad, 4 May 1881. 48 Building on the nineteenth century repertoire, a variety of pantomimes are still performed as an independent art form at the Copenhagen Tivoli. 49 Advertisements in Tønsberg Blad, 30 May 1879. 50 Hirn refers to performances in Åbo (Finland) in May 1860. See Hirn, Våra danspedagoger och dansnöjen, op. cit., pp. 88, 113. 51 Norrbotten Posten, 14 June 1877. Cited in Rosenqvist, Artister i norr, op. cit., p. 83. 52 Lena Hammergren, cited in Rethinking Dance History. A Reader, Alexandra Carter, ed., Routledge, London 2004, pp. 21-2. 53 Arkin and Smith, op. cit., p. 12. 54 Hirn, Våra danspedagoger och dansnöjen, op. cit., pp. 86-8. 55 For information on Gullberg, see Elvin Ottoson, Minns du det än...: ett avsnitt ur operettens historia, Fritzes bok- förlag, Stockholm 1941, p. 149.

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