Henry was born in 25th September 1924, and was the youngest of four older brothers, Erling, Jentoft, Olaf and Halvdan. His older sister Herbjörg, died before Henry was born. Henry’s father was Oluf (b. 1874, Binndalen). His mother Petra F. Pedersen (b. 1883, Vesterålen), was widowed early on. She supported her five children working odd jobs as a cleaner. Perhaps her greatest gift to Henry was how to get by on meagre resources. Throughout his life, and his professional career, Haagensen was famous for his frugality, which enabled him to create imaginative stage decorations, costumes and scenography out of inexpensive everyday materials. He ran his ballet school on a shoestring and when he did finally receive a small travel scholarship from the council in at the age of 45, Haagensen managed to visit four countries travelling by train and staying with friends and have funds over to buy new ballet music for his classes. As the saying goes, poverty teaches women to spin, or in Henry’s case, fabulous ballets out of (almost) nothing!
Henry lived in Narvik in Dronningens gt also known as Gate 2. The second oldest brother, Jentoft, married a girl, Hjørdis Solberg (b. 12th April 1913) from Vesterålen. She was a gymnastics trainer with Narvik Turnforening, and also helped with Henry’s ballet school. She had three children, two boys and daughter, Elin Herbjőrg Halasz née Haagensen. Henry remained a bachelor, although periodically had a partner . (Hjørdis, 1999)
Henry Haagensens Ballet School, 1951 at Bondeheimen (later Albatross). Photo left; (from left) Berit Hjertholm, Renee Fischer, Børre ?, Elin Herbjőrg Halasz née Haagensen, ?. Photo right: Elin Herbjőrg Halasz née Haagensen and Børre ? Photo: Elin Halasz collection
Already as a youngster Henry showed a talent for acting and dancing. Henry’s sister-in-law, Hjørdis Haagensen née Solberg, wrote in his obituary, that as a small child, Henry charged 5 øre in admission to his tap-dance and puppet shows in his backyard. (Hjørdis, 1999)
Henry’s parents. Left: Petra F. Haagensen née Pedersen (b. 1883, Vesterålen), Right: Oluf Haagensen (b. 1874, Binndalen) Photo: Elin Halasz collection
In her oral history, Aud Ljunggren, who danced with Henry for twenty years from 1960-1980, believed that Henry’s interest in dance was sparked by watching Hollywood films that were popular during his youth, with stars like Fred Astaire. This may explain why he gave tap-dance shows as a child. In a portrait interview in Fremover in 1978, he confirms Aud’s recollection, when he said Hollywood inspired him to try his luck as an actor in Oslo. (Mikalsen, 1978) (Ljunggren A. A.-P., 2018)
In 1945 Henry, aged 20, left to follow his dream of becoming an actor, despite a newly started local amatuer theater, Narvik Vel’s Teaterlag, today Narvik Teaterlag Henry felt that Narvik, at the time a small provincial community, offered little for a young man who dreamed of becoming a professional dancer and actor.
Studioteateret
On arriving in Oslo, a whole new world opened for Henry. His first acting job was at the Studioteatret on Karl Johan. Henry described his first job as a fiasco. The show only ran for 18 nights, but it gave Henry valuable experience.
Studioteatret was opened in 1945, a few months after the end of World War II and existed for five and a half seasons-until the autumn of 1950. It was established to provide new impulses and ideas for Norwegian drama, and the repertoire consisted of both older and newer works, amongst others, by Shakespeare, Anton Chekhov, Bertolt Brecht, Eugene O’Neill, Maxwell Anderson, Thornton Wilder, Jean Paul Sartre and Arthur Miller. When the group started in May 1945, it was led by Claes Gill. Later directors were Gunnar Olram and Ole Oppen. Studioteatret first performed in Søilen Teater, then later moved to Carl Johan Teatret. (Martinsen A. T., 1995)
Henry danced in a number of productions at the Studioteateret, Oslo, in the 1949 – 1950 season. The first was in the role, 2nd servant (2. tjener) in Lille rislende kilde a Norwegian premier by Studioteatret based on an old Chinese play. The opening night was 19th February, 1949 – at Carl Johan Theatre (Carl Johan Teatret, Studioteatret).
Lille rislende kilde (1949) was a theatre production by Studioteateret that was based on an old Chinese play. Opening night was 19th February, 1949 – at Carl Johan Theatre (Carl Johan Teatret) – Norwegian premier.
The second production was in comedy in the role of Indian (also soldier and citizen) in Knickerbockers Holiday, entitled Manhattan at Studioteatret 28.03.1949. By Maxwell Anderson with music by Kurt Weill, and translation by Eivind Hauge. Special mention was about Henry’s excellent dance in the review.
Henry originally wanted to act, however his interest in dance was awakened when he performed in a tivoli. In hindsight, it was an historically important turning point for dance in Norway that Henry was to be a part of, as dance was rapidly gaining ground with The Norwegian Dance Studio established by Gerd Kjølaas (b. 22. May 1909 i Trondheim, d. 3. February 2000) in Bygdøy, September 1947. Gerd Kjølaas offered classes for actors in her studio and this is perhaps why Henry became a student at the school. Henry knew from the moment he walked into her studio that he had found his life’s passion. Gerd Kjølaas was at the time a noted teacher, choreographer and a leading pioneer in expressive dance (fridans) in Norway. This, said Henry, was exactly his style of dancing. (Mikalsen , 1978)
Haagensens career in Ny Norsk Ballett is covered on this page.
Sources
Hjørdis. (1999, 03). Minneord. Fremover.
Mikalsen, K. (1978, 12 16). Ballett-trinn gjennom 25år med Henry Haagensen. Fremover, ss. 16-17.
Steine, M. (2000, 02 18). Minnes “Han Haagensen” med utstilling. Ofotens Tidende, s. 17
This page is written by Fiona Jane Ellingsen and based on extensive research in local Narvik newspapers, films on NRK, Henry Haagensens personal archives and research in works about dance in Norway.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
Cover photo is available from Museum Nord Credit: Narvik Vel’s Teaterlag: Himmelen har ingen takrenne photo Steinar Hjertholm 1951 Kinoteateret in Frydenlund, Narvik. From the left Esther Jervan, Nils K.. Olsen, Bertha Aanes, Reidar Johnsen, Anne-Marie Sivertsen, Inge Kristiansen, Erna Halvorsen, Henry Haagensen og Arnt Dahl.