Else Højgaard

Else Højgaard
Højgaard performs in Stravinsky'sFirebird at the Royal Danish Theatre in 1928.
Born	Else Andreasen (1906-04-18)18 April 1906 Bornholm,Denmark
Died	11 July 1979(1979-07-11)(aged 73) Bornholm,Denmark
Years active	1928–1972

Else Højgaard(18 April 1906–11 July 1979) was aDanishballerinaand an actress of stage and screen. Noted for a fiery temperament and edgy intensity,Højgaard premiered as a solo ballerina forGeorge Balanchinein 1931 and was the primary dancer forHarald Landeruntil 1942. Højgaard later went on to a long career as a dramatic actress, performing and teaching at theRoyal Danish Theatre.She performed in radio and television, and played supporting roles in several films including the dark dramaCafé Paradis(1950). Højgaard was awarded a knighthood in theOrder of the Dannebrogin 1961 and promoted toKnight 1st Classin 1971.

Ballet career

Else Højgaard(née Andreasen) was born on 18 April 1906 onBornholm,Denmark,the daughter of a civil attorney. At the age of 12, Højgaard became a student at theRoyal Danish Theatreballet school inCopenhagenand graduated in 1929. She debuted in the role of Amelie in the 1928 production ofDrømmebillederand was chosen to perform the solo of Terpsichore inGeorge Balanchine's 1931 staging ofApollon Musagete.Following that performance, Højgaard was a solo ballerina for theRoyal Danish Balletuntil her retirement from ballet performance in 1942. She was the primary dancer forHarald Lander's revival of theAugust Bournonvilleballets. Known for a fiery temperament, she was noted for her highly dramatic and lyrical performances, lending a modern, anti-romantic presentation to her roles.

Acting career

While employed as a ballerina, Højgaard also attended the Royal Danish Theatre's drama school from 1932 to 1934 and made her stage debut in Anker Larsen'sSon of Zeus(1935). She later performed as the dancer Arabella in the 1938 film musicalChampagnegaloppen.However, it wasn't until she left the ballet in 1942 that Højgaard dedicated herself to acting and demonstrated a dramatic stage presence that was "independent", "indestructible", and "almost defiant."Noted performances included the Karen Blixen-like character of Julia in T.S. Eliot'sThe Cocktail Partyand the emotional sister Irene inSøskende(1952). Højgaard performed in both radio and television, and she was an instructor for 16 years at the Royal Danish Theatre until 1967. In 1971, at the age of 65, Højgaard returned to ballet to perform the role of Old Woman inDødens triumf(The Triumph of Death). In 1961, Højgaard was awarded knighthood in theOrder of the Dannebrogand in 1972, she was promoted to Knight of the First Degree.

During a career that spanned four decades, Højgaard performed supporting roles in several films. According to cinema historian Morten Piils, the edgy nervousness and intensity of Højgaard's appearance prevented her from being offered lead roles in films.However, her few roles were often memorable performances, such as that of the judgmental Agnes in the darkly dramatic Danish masterpieceCafé Paradis.Her final performance was in the 1972 children's filmMig og Charley.Højgaard died on 11 July 1979 at the age of 73 during a fire at her summer house on Bornholm.

Personal life

Højgaard married the businessman Anders Christian Emil Højgaard on 14 December 1926, however they divorced less than two years later. She married a second time in 1939 with shoe manufacturer Willy Johannes Madsen. Later, she married the violinist and choir director Henrik Reinholdt Sachsenskjold, but that marriage also ended in divorce. Højgaard was the half-sister to Danish stage director Søren Melson and sister-in-law ofGull-Maj Norin.

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Other notes
1938	Champagnegaloppen	Arabella the Dancer	In her first screen role, Højgaard was typecast to play a dancer in a musical about the Danish composerH.C. Lumbye.
1950	Café Paradis	Agnes	In this dark film about alcoholism, Højgaard played the harshly judgmental sister. The film won theBodil Awardfor Best Danish Film of 1950.
1956	Ung leg	Helle's Mother	Højgaard plays the mother of the lead actress (Ghita Norbyin her debut), in a story that blames irresponsible parents for the wild, delinquency of teenagers.
1964	Tine	(The Voice)
1967	The Red Mantle		Højgaard's performance was uncredited in this medieval drama. The film was nominated for thePalme D'Orat Cannes.
1967	Resan	Woman in Copenhagen
1968	A Sparrow Doing a Crane Dance	Queen Gunnhild	A television production of Jens Christian Hostrup's satire in which the ghost of Queen Gunnhild gives a magical ring to a scheming tailor and makes everyone blind to his actions.
1970	The Performance Will Be Followed by a Dance	Hertha
1975	Nothing But the Truth	Mikkelsen
1978	Did Somebody Laugh?	Ella
1978	Charly and Me	Majbritt's Grandmother	This children's film received theBodil Awardfor the Best Danish Film of 1978.

External links

• Else HøjgaardatIMDb
• Else Højgaardin the National Filmography at the Danish Film Institute (in Danish)