The ballet stories about the two Jean Pierre's are translated extracts from the book "Den Kongelige Danske Ballet" (The Royal Danish Ballet) edited by Sv. Kragh Jacobsen and Torben Krogh, plus from two editorials in Politikens Søndags Magazine, 1940 and 1980, by Robert Neiendam and by Andreas Rude.
Our Danish ’founding father’ is:
Pierre Laurent, 1730 – 1807, born on April 7th 1730 in France and died on Nov. 25 1807 in Paris. He came to Denmark in 1752. At the Royal Court he taught the Danish crown prince, Christian VII to dance, and after the prince finished his lessons Laurent was appointed Chancellor. He was married to Charlotte Thérèse Madorée, born July 10 1740, who died on March 8. 1814. (1 child, Pierre Jean, 1758 -1883)
In 1750 The Danish Royal Theater had no regular school for ballet dancers, but our old Pierre Laurent made that come to be. He came to DK from the Opera in Paris, invited by the Danish king, Frederick V in 1752 in order teach dances at court. Here he became the ballet master. He was a composer as well. Pierre L. was widely known in Europe
He was an elegant person with a pleasant way of being. He taught the Danish crown prince, Christian VII, who was a very accomplished dance pupil. After finishing the dance lessons, the crown prince appointed Laurent ‘virtual’ Chancellor.
The Royal Danish Ballet School was established 1771 - after a proposal Laurent made several years before. His first contract was for a period of 10 years and he was paid 800 rigsdaler yearly. For that amount he had to teach students and figurants – of both sexes - two hours a day. He was very strict, and if a figurant was ½ hour late he was fined 1 mark and 8 skilling. A whole hour was fined 3 mark. Not showing up at all, without legal excuse, the two first times would be fined with 1 rigsdaler. The third time meant imprisonment in the Blue Tower, or complete dismissal. The ballet students also had to obey by these rules, but their fines were a little lower. However, he did - in about a 6 months time - turn out very good dancers of both kinds.
When his son Pierre Jean was 11 years old, and already a dancer, he made arrangements to secure that the son would be ballet master there when he came of age.
At retirement in 1784 Laurent could proudly write the King: ‘I have taught every one of the students of both sexes, all of whom are now the ornaments of the court and the city. Before I came, the good dance was not known or appreciated here; it is I who has given the Danes the taste for that’.
He spent his retirement in Paris with a pension amounting to about 1000 Rigsdaler. He died there at age 77 as a well to do person.
His son, Pierre Jean Laurent Ballet master of the Royal Danish Ballet, was born March 24 1758 in Copenhagen, and died on May 23 1831 in Copenhagen.
Married in May 1788 in Paris to Marie Rose Bonneau, born 1771 in Brittany. She died on Oct. 7 1842 in Gimlinge, Denmark.
Their children were Charlotte Marie Therese Françoise Theresa, 1793, Marie Bonaventure, 1795, Rosa Peter Josef Thimotheus (1797-1839) and Harald Anton (1809-1859)
Already at age 11, Pierre Jean entertained with his dance at court. Once, during an intermission, at a ball in the castle, he fell asleep in a large chair next to the Knights Hall where the dancing occurred. Suddenly he woke up as the doors opened and two persons entered, quarreling. It ended when the woman angry returned to the ball. The man kicked out after her and ran out the opposite door. The persons were the Queen, Caroline Mathilde and [1] Struensee, the royal advisor.
When Pierre Jean was 14 he composed the music to a Divertissement that was set up at the theatre.
In 1777 his father sent him to Paris to further his education. His teacher was the very famous J.G. Noverre ‘the reformer of the dances.’
Pierre Jeans' debut was in a Laplandish Pas de deux especially made for his personality, with jumping and fast steps. It was a great success. In the 12 years he danced in Paris he went under the name ‘Le petit Lapon.'
Pierre Jean had beautiful large brown eyes, but, unfortunately, was bowlegged and small - a body shape rather unfortunate for a dancer. Therefore he mainly was used as a ‘charactére comique’ and became a famous grotesque dancer in parts as the devil, Negro, Chinese, and as a peasant in wooden shoes.
His was a very friendly and helpful person, was lively, and good-humored. He was very proud of being a Dane and kept his Danish nationality throughout his life.
Shortly before the French Revolution he married a well to do commoners daughter. He became Ballet master in Marseille, where he composed ‘La temptation de Saint Antoinne, a ballet of devils, which became the start of several others alike ballets in various places of Europe.
In Marseille, however, the revolution was going on, and many a morning, when Laurent, after a night filled with screaming and noise from weapons, opened his window, he often observed that the light poles had been converted to gallows. When the fighting was extra bad, he and his wife escaped down to the harbor where he boarded the Danish ships, thus feeling safe under his country's flag.
After 23 years in France he returned to Denmark, and took his place as Ballet master as earlier promised to his father. Here he did not have much luck with his own dancing, but one of his compositions 'The Rose tree' had great success first time it was shown. Galeotti, the other ballet master, fainted when he heard about it. However, it did not take long time before the smart Italian ballet master took a splendid revenge over the unwelcome competitor with the ballet Lagertha that showed his supremacy. When Laurent shortly after tried his hand on another ballet in the same genre ‘Sigrid’, he was not able to get through. The public feeling was against him, and a later ballet was received with laughter and scorn.
Although he was more cultured and well bred, he always stood in the shadow of Galeotti, as he did not posses the tactical capacity necessary to surpass the more tactically experienced Galeotti.
Pierre Jean composed the music to four of his ballets among which ‘Sigrid’ was a great success. He was also an accomplished chamber violinist and in 1804 the Royal Music academy performed one of his concerts for Harpsichord and violin. Furthermore, he was interested in the history of dance and wrote a richly illustrated manual in teaching the minuets: ‘Vejledning ved Undervisning i Menuetten’ (Teaching the Minuet) which was not published - but can be found the in Queen Margerethes collections museum at Amalienborg Castle in Copenhagen. In 1821 he retired with pension.
During his active life as ballet master, he had a high income as his pupils usually came from royalties and wealthy families. In addition, he inherited a large fortune from his father. However, beyond his other talents, alas, he also had a talent for using money. His purse was always open for those in need and of nature, he was humorous, witty, and always ready to help. On his gravestone, his son, the minister Harald Anton Laurent, put the words: He, who can smile of Death, to him the Heaven has smiled’.
About the oldest daughter Charlotte we only know she was married to Christian Frederik Prahl.
About the middle one, Rosa Peter Josef Timotheus we know he was born on July 17, 1797, and died April 29, 1839. He was baptized in Marseille, and died in Næstved. He married Lorine Elisabeth Lohr in in Copenhagen on February 2.1819.
Rosa came to Copenhagen in 1800. He worked at the Danish field hospitals in Odense 1814, and in France 1815-1818 as a military surgeon, then as Battalion surgeon at Prince Christian Frederiks regiment from 1822 - 1828. Became Council of war at Sept. 1828, and Medical Officer of Health in Næstved. They had 8 children.:
Johan Peter (J.P.) born May 9, 1819, died on December 6, 1849. He was a medical doctor too and worked within the military like his father. He has written about the 1848 war: Livet i Felten, Hindsgavlstouren and Mindeord (none of which we have translated into English.)
Ida Marie Charlotte, April 26, 1822 - May 07, 1859
Harald Jens Timotheus, January 27, 1824 -January 11, 1844, minister. It is about him JP wrote Mindeord (remembrance.)
Camilla Emilie born 1826, married to Rasmus Sparre. They had 11 or 12 children.
August Rosa Traugott, born on June 30, 1828, died June 11, 1843
Carl Lauritz, born April 13, 1830 and died on October 9, 1871 (married our great grandmother Margrethe Kristine Schmidt, se below - (our branch)).
Rosaline born 1833 died March 1.1918
Adolf, born July 16, 1836, died May 05, 1864 (from 5 children)
Our (the four cousins) great grandfather is Carl Lauritz, (the 6th child of medical doctor in Næstved Rosa Peter Josef Timotheus babtized 17/7-1797, died 1839, married 1819 to Lorine Elisabeth Lohr, they got 8 children )
Carl Lauritz was a captain in the merchant service and married our great grandmother Margrethe Kristine Schmidt, born Jan 17, 1846, died Jan. 28, 1997. She was from Wyck near Kiel, Germany. At that time it belonged to Denmark. Her mother's maiden name was Kathrine Dibber.
During the war in 1864 Carl was Captain on a ship that brought Swedish voluntary soldiers to South Denmark (Sønderjylland). Because of heart disease he had to give up the sea and later on he became an administrator at the Løweners factories.
Margrethe was 18 years old and Carl 31 when they married on October 2, 1864. They were married 7 years and 7 days. Had three children. The first, Else Katrine, died when she was 3 months old, Adolfine Rosaline, our grandmother, was born on June 5th 1867. The last child was a boy who died at birth. Thus, Adolfine became the last 'genuine' Laurent in this branch.
Margrethe remained a widow. She was the manager of 'Hofbager (supplier to the Royal Court) Olsen's Bakery in Copenhagen for more than 25 years. When she died she left a small fortune to her daughter.
Adolfine Rosaline married schoolteacher Martin Julius Christensen (March 12, 1866 - Dec. 17, 1930). They got 6 children: Agnes, Axel, Valdemar, Rigmor, Einar og Hlege. We (the cousins, Else, Kirsten, Ruth and Erik) are children of Valdemar, Rigmor, Einar and Helge, Agnes and Axel had no children.
Martin Julius Christensen was the only teacher at Skenkelsø School, not very far from Copenhagen, where he remained to his death in December 1930. At that time, schools at the countryside had only one or two classrooms. In each room several grades (usually 3 at a time) were taught. Therefore, children only went to school every other day, to make room for every one and so every grade could be attended to. In this school, the millers daughter Laura, taught 1.grade (in the white building at the left on the picture). As Martin Julius had 6 children to feed, he held several posts. He also played the organ in the church. It is told, that when his coffin was carried out of the church, the organ refused to play. Therefore it was said that 'the organ mourned its old faithful organist.' He also did the bookkeeping for two branches of the Danish 'Co-op` (Brugsen), he was chairman, member etc. of various committees. He even found time to edit a few schoolbooks - a Danish reader and a text in mathematics. He was nominated to Danish Knighthood, but he died before it came through. Every morning at home, he always shined everybody's shoes - when he gave them a little spittle, they got an extra shine.
He died from a heart attack one evening in December 1930 right after he came home with milk that he usually bought in a nearby farm. Adolfine was in Greenland visiting their son Axel at the time and therefore Rigmor kept house in Skenkelsø.
After Adolfine became a widow she build a small house "Mosely" in Ølstykke, about 2 miles south of Skenkelsø. Mosely now became the place where everybody met. Particularly on June 5, Adolfines birthday - also the Danish Constitution day -Family and friends from everywhere came. Mosely burned down in 1939, but was soon rebuild, this time with a tile roof - not a roof of straw again. During Rigmors illness - cancer -Adolfine took care of her as long as possible. Agnes, her favorite daughter died in Greenland the same year. Rigmors 3. daughter Kirsten was brought up with Adolfine.
In 1947, when Adolfine was 80 years old she moved to Copenhagen at a catholic retirement home. Here she converted to her ancestors' faith, the Catholicism. She died at age 84.
1. Agnes Christine, born March 19, 1894, died of heart disease in Greenland June 1942. She came to Greenland together with her brother Axel in 1923. She married Thorvald Hedemand, 'colony manager' in Greenland. They had no children
2. Axel, born April 27, 1895, died March 20, 1968 from heart disease. He was medical doctor and worked in Greenland for 27 years. The first years was spent in North Greenland, Egedesminde - the remaining years, until 1950 he worked in South Greenland, Julianehaab. During his leaves of absence (in Greenland then - due to the distance and lack of transportation in wintertime - you worked for 5 years at the time and got one year off) he worked with Red Cross in Estonia and in Poland, and went to Italy for further education in treatment of tuberculosis.
After his retirement from Greenland he worked 5 years in Arctic Canada, Aklavik. There, he found that the Eskimo language - was very close - had many similarities - to the language spoken in Greenland. He was one of the rather few who spoke, and wrote Eskimo, which naturally enhanced his relations to the Eskimos.
Then he worked another 8 years in Maryland, USA at tuberculosis hospitals - always hoping for an opening to go to Alaska, which alas, never appeared (probably due to his high age).
After a severe heart attack he had to retire. However, when he recovered somewhat, he went to Haiti and worked there 'in the Bush' with tropical diseases for another year. He returned to Denmark in 1967 and died here of his heart disease the year after. He had no children.
In 1950 the district medical officer of Qaqortoq/Julianehåb, Axel Laurent-Christensen retired after having served in this position since 1930. Afterwards, during the years 1950-55, he was a medical officer in Aklavik, NWT, Canada. Here he had the opportunity to compare the arctic Canadian health care with the Greenland health care system. In his diary, of which selected parts are given in the present paper, he has commented on the differences. In the 1950'ies the Canadian system was highly centralized with the well-equipped Charles Camsell Indian Hospital in Edmonton as the center. The Greenland health service, on the other hand, was decentralized, based on small surgically staffed peripheral hospitals. The development of these two health care systems during the past 50 years has accentuated these differences. Estimated by the infant mortality, the efficiency of the Greenlandic health care system was superior to the Canadian during the 1950'ies, whereas in the 1990'ies, the Canadian health service is vastly superior.
3. Valdemar, born January 23, 1897, was miller, educated at the old mill close to his home, the old school in Skenkelsø. He died of tuberculosis on September 1924.
He left a young wife Kristine, and a one-year-old daughter Else. After Valdemars death, Kristine had to take make a living that could enable her to take care of herself and her daughter. She took a course in sewing and made clothes for people. This way she could stay home with her daughter. She never remarried.
Else, hairdresser and beautician, born Sept. 10, 1921 -. Married to Holger Dinesen, they got 1 son, Henrik. Else is now married to E. Friis.
4. Rigmor Marguerite born June 1st 1898, died on Jan. 2, 1942 of cancer. She had 4 children.
As baby she had poliomyelitis that left her with a limp, and with a right hand that could not be used in a normal way. She did not get any education beyond the daily domestic house keeping. - At that time education was expensive and reserved for the brightest. - Thus her life was very difficult, she had to make do with a very small pension she got because of her handicaps. The two eldest girls had to go to a home for fatherless. The third, 'cousin Kirsten' stayed home. After Rigmor's death, little Kaj, then 7 years old, had to go to a boarding school for orphans, which he hated.
Karen, 1923 - 1988, domestic worker, unmarried, no children.
Bodil, 1925 - 1999, had her own business within domestic work; married to Hartvig Simonsen, had 3 children, Sonia, Frank, Connie.
Kirsten, 1927 - B.A. lib. art 1973 from University of Texas, Houston, 1976 graduated from Roskilde University Center in Socionomy. Worked as medical social worker in Denmark. Now retired. She married twice: in Denmark to S.B.J. Jacobsen, in USA to William M. McCord with whom she has 1 son: Maxwell Laurent McCord born in Houston Oct. 12, 1965. He now lives in Florida, USA. His wife Marie, nee Noguera, was murdered in their home on August 2, 2001. Maxwell, as being the husband, was accused of the murder and spent almost 4 years in jail until the trial in May 2005 exonerated him. Their daughter Andrea was born in 1998. She presently live with her grandparents in Puerto Rico. She was 4 years old on June 12, 2002 and 5 years on June 12, 2003. William and Kirsten divorced 1970. In 1971 she moved back to Houston, Texas, where she had very good friends and felt most at home. Returned to Denmark with Maxwell in 1973. While Maxwell returned to USA in 1988 Kirsten remained in DK.
Kaj Andersen 1933 - 1990, owner of a recruiting firm, which made him quite wealthy. Was married twice, first to Gertrud with whom he had 2 sons, Stefan and Niels who have 3 children, Daniel, Charlotte og Amalie. Kaj's second marriage was to Linda Hargreave. Kaj bought and renovated the old school in Skenkelsø.
5. Einar, born April 25, 1900, died of cancer November 1955. He was a baker of education, but had to stop because of allergy. He then worked with a motor car insurance company, went to Greenland twice to earn extra money. Last time during WorldWarII when Denmark was invaded by the Germans he had to stay on for 6 years, After his return to Denmark he started a driving school.
He and Signe Elisabeth nee Augustsson had 3 children, During the WWII while Einar had to stay in Greenland, he got another son named Jonas Faber
Edith, born May 16, 1926 - died on Sept. 21, 1958 of cancer, She was a secretary in the foreign ministry and due to service in Washington D.C. Autumn 1958. An appointment she was unable to keep. She was not married and had no children.
Ruth, 1928 - secretary, married and lived for several years in Toronto, Canada. Have 2 children, Peter born May 29, 1955, and Lisbeth (Putti) born Dec. 7, 1957. Ruth is now living in Roskilde, Denmark close to her children. She worked at the Atomic Research Center at Risø for 30 years.
Martin, 1931 - 1982, educated within restaurant business, married and had 4 children. He also died of cancer.
Jonas Valdemar Quarqortoq Faber, born Oct. 1, 1944 in Julianehåb. He is a sculptor, moved to Canada in 1974. His artwork can be found in collections in the United States, Germany, Denmark, France and Japan.
6. Helge born July 7, 1907, died August 21, 1993 of heart disease. His brother Axel mainly paid his adult education, as the schoolteacher's salary, even with his many extra jobs, did not allow that extra expense. He did well within insurance, had his own branch of Danish Lloyd. Beside that he also had a recruiting bureau. He was married 3 times. First 10 years with Marie, they had no children. Then with Elin, with whom he had Erik, and lastly, in 1947, with medical doctor Edith Allesø. who died in 2004 with whom he had Agnes.
