About us
Meet our talented ballet dancers
The company is made up of professional and international ballet dancers who live and breathe the art of classical ballet. Behind the scenes, an experienced team with many years of expertise in the world of ballet ensures performances of the highest quality.
As the only professional classical ballet company outside of Copenhagen, we bring magical experiences to audiences both locally in Svendborg, on tour in Denmark and on the international stage.
Company
Robert Thomsen
Denmark
Robert Thomsen (Denmark). Robert has established himself as one of Denmark's best and most versatile dancers and choreographers. He trained at London Studio Centre. He has danced with the Israeli National Ballet, Cork City Ballet, Vienna Festival Ballet, The Royal Danish Theatre, and Tivoli. Ballet theatre.
In addition, he has danced the role of Big Billy in Billy Elliott at Malmö Opera, and has appeared in a number of musicals with One and Only Company, including Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Dirty Dancing and Flashdance.
At Det Ny Teater in Dance of the Vampires, and he has won the choreography competition Copenhagen Made with the choreography Meet Cute. Robert has been with Svendborg BalletTeater since the beginning, and has, among other things, danced both the Black and White Swan Pas De Deux from Swan Lake, as well as choreographed, and is also an assistant to Ballet Director Per Lundsgaard.
Vincent Vernal
Denmark
He is a graduate of the Royal Danish Ballet School, Copenhagen. He has danced with the Royal Danish Ballet, as well as at the Royal Danish Opera and Tivoli Ballet Theatre. He originated the leading role of Kay in The Snow Queen at Tivoli Concert Hall, choreographed by Yuri Possokhov. Vincent has been with the Svendborg Ballet Theatre company since its inception.
Carl Anton Riise Jacobsen
Denmark
Carl Anton trained at the Tivoli Ballet School and the Royal Swedish Ballet School in Stockholm. He was an aspirant with the ballet at Oper Graz, and at Tivoli Concert Hall's ballet company, where he danced the lead role in the ballet. Clumsy Hans with choreography by Tobias Praetorius and scenography and costumes by Queen Margrethe. Carl Anton has, among other things, danced in the performance ”Love & War” and the latest performance ”Dreams of the Night” at Svendborg Ballet Theatre.
In addition, he has danced the role of Big Billy in Billy Elliott at Malmö Opera, and has appeared in a number of musicals with One and Only Company, including Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Dirty Dancing and Flashdance.
At The Royal Danish Theatre in Dance of the Vampires and has won the choreography competition Copenhagen Made with the choreography Meet Cute.
Arthur Wille
Brazil
Arthur trained at the Centro Cultural de Danças in Brazil, and then came to Europe in 2022 to dance with the Dortmund Junior Ballet and later the London City Ballet in 2024. He quickly showed an exceptional talent for impressive jumps and pirouettes and was named Newcomer of the Year by Dance Europe magazine in 2024. He won the prestigious ballet competition YAGP (Youth American Grand Prix) in 2022. Arthur has danced in, among other productions, ”Love & War” and the most recent performance ”Night Dreams” at Svendborg BalletTeater.
Francesco Capasso
Italy
Francesco trained at the Cuban National Ballet School and La Scala, Milan, Italy. He has danced with the ballet at La Scala Opera House as well as with the Russian State Ballet.
In Denmark, he has danced in The Nutcracker at Tivoli Concert Hall. Francesco has previously danced in the performance Ballet Bubbles and is now dancing in Night Dreams at Svendborg Ballet Theatre.
Claire Gillard
Spain
Claire trained at the Real Conservatorio Profesional de Danza Mariemma and later graduated from Madrid Ballet School Carmina Ocaña & Pablo Savoye.
In 2020, she became part of the Varna State Opera Ballet (Bulgaria), where she performed as a soloist in Raymonda (in collaboration with the Macedonian ballet), Giselle, Don Quixote, and Swan Lake.
Since 2023, Claire has been a member of Tivoli Ballet, where she has performed in roles such as Clara in The Nutcracker, La Sylphide, and participated in pantomime productions. Claire is dancing in Night Dreams at Svendborg Ballet Theatre.
Laurie Guldmann
USA/Canada
Laurie has been dancing at Svendborg Ballet Theatre since 2023. She trained at Ohio Virtual Academy and Stepanova Ballet Academy, Canada. She has danced with Toronto International Ballet Theatre, Carolina Ballet, The Royal Danish Ballet and Tivoli Ballet Theatre. She has danced the Grand pas de deux in The Nutcracker (choreography by Peter Bo Bendixen) and created the leading role of Gerda in The Snow Queen (choreography by Yuri Possokhov), both in Tivoli Concert Hall.
Sahel Pascual
The Philippines
Sahel Flora Pascual grew up in the Philippines, where she began her dance training with Maritoni Tordesillas and later with Lisa Macuja-Elizalde and Osias Barroso at Ballet Manila. She continued her training at the School of American Ballet in New York, where she danced prominent roles in George Balanchine’s Emeralds, Divertimento No. 15, Valse Fantaisie and Symphony in C, in Peter Martins’ Sleeping Beauty as well as in William
Forsythes Herman Schmerman.
In 2022, she performed with the New York City Ballet at both their Spring Gala and the Stravinsky II Festival, and she has created new roles in collaboration with the New York Choreographic Institute alongside Houston Thomas and Claire Kretzschmar.
As a company dancer with Ballet Austin, Sahel has had an extensive repertoire, including Amy Seiwert's Renaissance, George Balanchine's Serenade and Concerto Barocco, and Stephen Mills’ Light/The Holocaust and Humanity Project. She has also made guest appearances with Kim Robards Modern Dance Company. Sahel dances in Nattens Drømme (Night's Dream) at Svendborg BalletTeater.
Jimin Kim
Magnus Christoffersen
Denmark
Magnus Christoffersen graduated from the Royal Danish Ballet School in 2013, where he won the Reumert Talent Award that same year. Since then, Magnus has danced with the Royal Danish Ballet, the Los Angeles Ballet and the Tivoli Ballet Theatre. In addition, Magnus has worked as a dancer and artistic developer for ARC Entertainment Company in San Diego, USA.
Magnus has danced at Svendborg Ballet Theatre since 2025.
Amelia Ida Bang
Denmark
Amelia Ida Bang trained at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and has danced professionally with the Boston Ballet, Junior Ballet Antwerp and the Tivoli Ballet Theatre. She received the Birger Bartholin Prize at the summer school at the Royal Theatre in 2018, and has also appeared in the TV series Étoile (Amazon Prime) and L’Opéra (OCS France). As a freelance dancer, Amelia has, amongst other things, performed at London Fashion Week for the designer Felipe Rojas Llanos and danced the lead role in Swan Lake in Dubai, UAE.
Amelia has danced at Svendborg Ballet Theatre since 2024.
Ida Marie Krings
Denmark
Shannen McCormack
Scotland
Shannen McCormack is a Scottish dancer who began her training at The Dance School of Scotland and was selected for the Scottish Ballet Youth Exchange programme in collaboration with MOVENYC. She then studied at the Central School of Ballet in London, where she recently graduated with a BA (Hons) degree and toured with the Ballet Central Company. Shannen is a scholarship holder of the Acosta Dance Foundation and has worked as a freelance artist in London, including current projects with the Alexander Whitley Dance Company.
Shannen has been dancing with Svendborg BalletTeater since 2025.
Sara Diona Jørner
Denmark
Trained at the Royal Theatre's ballet school, Tivoli Ballet School, and Bavaria Ballet Academy.
Danced at Tivoli Ballet Theatre.
Currently working as a teacher at Tivoli Ballet School.
Beatrice Scifo
Italy
Beatrice is the youngest dancer in the troupe. She is currently in her final year at the European School of Ballet in Amsterdam, having previously attended ballet schools in Basel and Rome, where she also won first place at the Roma Dance Contest in 2022. Beatrice has, amongst other things, danced in the production ”Love & War” at the Svendborg Ballet Theatre.
Artistic team
Christopher Marney
choreographer
Former Director of the Joffrey Ballet Studio Company Chicago and the Central School of Ballet, London, where he produced international tours and commissioned works from choreographers such as George Balanchine, Kenneth MacMillan and Matthew Bourne.
As a dancer, he worked for Balletboyz, Göteborg Ballet, Bern Ballet and Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures, in which he danced lead roles worldwide. He was nominated for the Critics' Circle National Dance Awards and was on Dance Europe's Outstanding Male Dancer 2013 list.
Marney retired from the stage in 2017 and is now a choreographer for works such as The Four Seasons (Joffrey Ballet Studio Company), The Nutcracker (British Museum) and Lady Macbeth (Tokyo). He has also choreographed for London's West End, including McQueen The Play "Og Tell Me" on a Sunday.
He is the artistic director of the London City Ballet and works to revive overlooked works through extensive tours.
Robert Thomsen
Choreographic assistant
Denmark
Robert has established himself as one of Denmark's best and most versatile dancers and choreographers. He trained at the London Studio Centre. He has danced with the Israeli National Ballet, Cork City Ballet, Vienna Festival Ballet, The Royal Danish Ballet and Tivoli. Ballet theatre.
Furthermore, he has danced the role of Big Billy in Billy Elliott at Malmö Opera, and participated in a number of musicals with One and Only Company, including Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Dirty Dancing and Flashdance.
At Det Ny Teater in Dance of the Vampires, and he has won the choreography competition Copenhagen Made with the choreography Meet Cute. Robert has been with Svendborg BalletTeater since the beginning, and has, among other things, danced both the Black and White Swan Pas De Deux from Swan Lake, as well as choreographed, and is also an assistant to Ballet Director Per Lundsgaard.
Dinna Bjørn
choreographer
Denmark
Trained at the Royal Danish Ballet. Choreographer and director of Bournonville ballets worldwide. Director of the Norwegian National Ballet in Oslo (1990 – 2001), and the Finnish National Ballet in Helsinki (2001 – 2008).
One of the world's leading stagers of Bournonville ballets, and has also reconstructed forgotten Bournonville ballets for, among others, the Georgian National Ballet, the Royal Swedish Ballet, and the Norwegian National Ballet.
Together with Queen Margrethe, she has also been responsible for a number of fairytale ballets at the Pantomime Theatre in Tivoli, as well as choreographing works for the Royal Danish Ballet.
Per Lundsgaard
Ballet Director and Artistic Director
Started as a dancer at the age of 3 and debuted in the musical Huckleberry Finn at the age of 9. Trained from The Fynske Ballet Academy and with teaching in London. Has danced at, among others, The Royal Theatre, Tivoli Ballet Theatre (where he was Deputy Ballet Director from 2012-2023) and appeared in films like Cinderella and BølleBob and Pretty Sally.
Has toured in Asia and provided ballet performances at official events with Queen Margrethe., e.g. in Japan, South Korea and Bhutan. As a choreographer and director, he has worked on productions Moulin Rouge – The Ballet, The Ugly Duckling, Tivoli Dreams and Taynikma – Shadow's will and New Year's concerts and big parades in Tivoli.
Lecturer at the Royal Ballet School, Tivoli Ballet School, and the Danish Musical Academy. Sports director in Dance Denmark and international referee licensed by World DanceSport Federation. Founded in 2024 Svendborg BalletTeater together with Claus Bjerregaard.
Petr Zuska
Production
Michael Nøhr Costume Supervisor
Denmark
Always had an interest in costumes and stage presence. Graduated from the Royal Danish Theatre in 2003. Has since worked as a tailor, costume designer, and head of wardrobe. Costume designer for Cirkusrevyen, countless musicals, and “Vild med dans” (Dancing with the Stars). Has curated several exhibitions of costumes and historical garments, including exhibitions in New York and London.
Management
Claus
Director
Per Lundsgaard
Ballet Director and Artistic Director
