Australia Dancing - Brandsen, Ted (1959

Brandsen, Ted (1959 - )

de Prazer, Ashley: Ted Brandsen and Jacinta Ross Ehlers in rehearsal for Brandsen's 'Romeo and Juliet', West Australian Ballet, 2000

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Dutch born Ted Brandsen took his first dance classes in the United States while on an exchange scholarship to Hamilton College where he was studying history, computer science and drama. Returning to Holland he took classes at Amsterdam's Scapino Ballet School and in 1981, after a year at the school, was offered a job with the Dutch National Ballet. His interest in choreography began soon after he joined the company. He made his first work in 1985 for a Dutch National Ballet choreographic workshop and by 1991 had left the company structure and was working as a freelance choreographer. His first work in this new phase of his life was Four Sections for the Dutch National Ballet, which was awarded the 1992 Perspektief Award for creative talent in the performing arts. He subsequently made Crossing the Border (1993), Blue Field and Bach Moves (1995) for the Dutch company.

In 1998 Brandsen took on the artistic directorship of West Australian Ballet. While director of West Australian Ballet Brandsen created and commissioned a number of evening length works including Chrissie Parrott's Coppelia and his own Romeo and Juliet (2000). Alongside these full-length works Brandsen commissioned a range of Australian choreographers to create one act works for the company. Those choreographers included Stephen Page, Gideon Obarzanek, Natalie Weir, Simone Clifford and Adrian Burnett. He also made a number of one act works himself including Carmen and Bridge Variations both in 1999. In 2000, he received an Australian Dance Award for outstanding achievement in choreography for Carmen.

In 2001 Brandsen left West Australian Ballet to take up the position of associate director and resident choreographer of the Dutch National Ballet. At the beginning of the 2003-2004 season he succeeded Wayne Eagling as artistic director of the Dutch company.

Brandsen's works are in the repertoire of many ballet companies around the world. In addition to West Australian Ballet and Dutch National Ballet they include the Finnish National Ballet, Introdans, Djazzex, Donau Ballet, Istanbul State Ballet, the Ballet Theatre of Bordeaux, the Israel Ballet, National Ballet of Portugal, Ballet West USA, and Les Ballets de Monte Carlo.

Bibliography:

Maggi Phillips, 'Ted Brandsen: a late starter moving fast', Brolga, 16 (June 2002), pp. 23-28.

Research Materials

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Other resources

Find more about Brandsen, Ted in:

Collection - OzLife
Internet - Google
Articles - New York Public Library Dance Collection
Pictures - Picture Australia