Danish Dance Theatre’s Summer Dance returns from August 26–30, 2026 – this year in new, spectacular surroundings right at the water's edge in front of the Opera House.
International caliber dance at the front of the Opera House. Free admission. From August 26–30, 2026.
Danish Dance Theatre’s Summer Dance returns from August 26–30, 2026 – this year in new, spectacular surroundings right at the water's edge in front of the Opera House. Here, the dance takes place with Amalienborg Palace at its back and the water as a rippling backdrop.
With Summer Dance in its new setting, Danish Dance Theatre presents the performance Le Scénario by the internationally acclaimed choreographer Philip Berlin, performed by the company’s 11 dancers at one of Copenhagen's most iconic locations – and this year, all performances are even free of charge. Philip Berlin is one of the most prominent voices in the world of dance. He creates dance that bursts with energy: athletic, full of joy, and with plenty of edge.
Summer Dance is a gesture to the city. It provides access to international dance at eye level that can be felt in the body, whether you are visiting for the first time or already have dance under your skin – in a location where the city, the audience, and art meet.
The dance does not stop at the edge of the stage. Summer Dance spreads out in the form of workshops for children and adults, talks, coffee, and wine on the quay.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Time: August 26 – 30
Location: At the front of the Opera House on Holmen, Ekvipagemestervej 10.
Price: Free with a reservation fee of 25 DKK.
Note: Seating for the performance is on benches without backrests. NB: No refunds on ticket reservations in case of rain.
This year's performance is Le Scénario by Philip Berlin
Le Scénario is a dance performance that celebrates the climax as a state of being: the high leaps, the vibrant surplus of energy, the twinkle in the eye. Swedish choreographer Philip Berlin pays tribute to raw post-punk sprinkled with sequins, while drawing threads back to the free modern dance of the 1960s and 70s – dressed in costumes that flirt with both Renaissance menswear and contemporary queer aesthetics.
The performance is experienced as one long crescendo. Light, sound, and movement build up and wash over the audience. The focus is on the moment the body leaves the floor in a leap toward the sky. The dancers leap like deer in full gallop – elegant, wild, unpredictable.
The costumes, created by Daniel Åkerström Steen and Philip Berlin, blend historical silhouettes with latex and modern materials. They emphasize the performance's play with identity, strength, and opulence.
Since its premiere at Dansens Hus in Stockholm in 2023, the performance has been staged across Scandinavia, including the Oslo Opera House.
THE ARTISTIC TEAM
CHOREOGRAPHY Philip Berlin
DANCERS 11 dancers from Danish Dance Theatre COSTUMES AND SET DESIGN Daniel Åkerström-Steen
COMPOSITION Yoann Durant
MUSIC Molchat Doma, Dirty Beaches & Utro
SUPPORTED BY A.P. Møller og Hustru Chastine McKinney Møllers Fond til almene Formaal, Augustinus Fonden, Beckett-Fonden, Nordjyllandsfonden, William Demant Fonden, City of Copenhagen
Translated using AI
Recommended from 10 years old