Johanne Emilie Margrethe Walbom née Egense (1858–1932) was a Danish ballet dancer and choreographer. During her exceptionally long term of 61 years with the

Royal Danish Ballet The Royal Danish Ballet ( Danish: ''Den Kongelige Ballet'') is an internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Danish Theatre in Kongens Nytorv, Copenhagen, Denmark. It is one of the oldest ballet companies in the world a ...

, she progressed from ballet dancer to the company's first female choreographer in 1878. In 1915, she became its first "ballet mistress", albeit under the ballet master Gustav Uhlendorff.

Biography

Born on 27 October 1858 in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

, Emilie Egense was the daughter of the cloakroom manager at the Royal Theatre Frederik Ludvig Egense (1829-1901) and Anna Thora Maria Stendrup (1829-1907). Her aunt, Emilie Liebe, was an opera singer at the theatre when Walbon entered the ballet school at the age of five. Walbom made her début as the cadet Poul in

Bournonville August Bournonville (21 August 1805 – 30 November 1879) was a Danish ballet master and choreographer. He was the son of Antoine Bournonville, a dancer and choreographer trained under the French choreographer, Jean Georges Noverre, and the ne ...

's ''Fjernt fra Danmark'' in 1873. While she lacked the looks and the movement of a first-class ballet dancer, she was a fine actress and soon took on mime roles with success. In 1881, she married the dancer and opera singer Arnold Alfred Constantin Walborn, but following his death in 1898, she was left with three children to raise. She therefore decided to increase the family income by becoming a ballet teacher. She quickly attracted the daughters of Copenhagen's more affluent families, especially those who wished to making dancing their career. In 1910, she established a ballet school (Fru Walboms Balletskole), which she headed until 1928. Every year, the season finished with a matinée featuring her own choreographic creations based on her trips to

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

and

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. Her work as a choreographer with the Royal Theatre began in 1906 under the ballet master Hans Beck. Her first success was her adaptation of

Marius Petipa Marius Ivanovich Petipa (; born Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa; 11 March 1818) was a French and Russian ballet dancer, pedagogue and choreographer. He is considered one of the most influential ballet masters and choreographers in ballet history ...

's ''

Les millions d'Arlequin ''Les Millions d'Arlequin'' (English: ''Harlequin's Millions'') (Russian: "Миллионы Арлекина", ''Milliony Arlekina'') also known under the title ''Harlequinade'' (Russian: "Арлекинада", ''Arlekinada'') is a ''ballet co ...

'', which proved popular with both the cast and the audience. It was followed in 1908 by ''Askepot'' (Cinderella), with her own libretto and music composed by

Otto Malling Otto Valdemar Malling (1 June 1848 – 5 October 1915) was a Denmark, Danish composer, from 1900 the cathedral organist in Copenhagen and from 1889 professor, then from 1899 Director of the The Royal Danish Academy of Music, Royal Danish Aca ...

. ''Drømmebilleder'' (1915) proved to be her masterpiece. Based on

Michel Fokine Michael Fokine ( – 22 August 1942) was a Russian choreographer and dancer. Career Early years Fokine was born in Saint Petersburg to a prosperous merchant and at the age of 9 was accepted into the Saint Petersburg Imperial Ballet Sch ...

's ''

Carnaval Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

'' which was created for Les Ballets Russes, it was fully adapted to Denmark and arranged for music by H.C. Lumbye. It led the way to a new approach to Danish ballet inspired by Les Ballets Russes, with further works in the same style. Another success was ''En Nat i Ægypten'' (1918), based on Folkine's ''

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (; The name Cleopatra is pronounced , or sometimes in both British and American English, see and respectively. Her name was pronounced in the Greek dialect of Egypt (see Koine Greek phonology). She was ...

''. All in all, she created 15 new works, 11 ballets and one ballet pantomime, and two plays. Walbom continued to teach until the end. Her students included

Marguerite Viby Marguerite Viby (25 June 1909 – 8 April 2001) was a Danish actress of stage, film and television. Considered one of the great comedy actresses of Danish cinema, Viby received honorary Bodil and Robert Awards in 2000 for lifetime achievem ...

, Karin Nellemose and

Vera Gebuhr Vera Margrethe Gebuhr (15 May 1916 – 22 December 2014) was a Danish film, television and stage actress. Gebuhr was most noted for her portrayal of the snobbish neurotic head saleswoman Miss Jørgensen in the popular television series ''Ma ...

, all of whom gained fame both on the stage and as film actresses. She died unexpectedly on 23 October 1932 while in a tram.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walbom, Emilie 1858 births 1932 deaths Danish ballerinas 19th-century Danish ballet dancers Danish choreographers Danish women choreographers Dancers from Copenhagen Royal Danish Ballet dancers Burials at the Garrison Cemetery, Copenhagen