Astrid Malmborg

The dance artist from Gränna. Astrid Malmborg lives at Bergsgatan 81 in Gränna for a period as a child before she moves with her family to a house by lake Bunn. Astrid becomes interested in music and dance early on. The parents think she should become a musician, but Astrid is drawn to dance and travels to Munich to begin her dance education. Her dance style is inspired by the new trends that appeared in Europe during the interwar period. Astrid adopts a style that is a precursor to the Cullberg ballet, thus completely different from classical ballet with a tendency towards more gymnastic movements.

Astrid performs as a dancer in Vienna, Berlin and Stockholm, among other places. At the end of the 1920s, she opens a school for harmonious gymnastics, plastic and artistic dance in Stockholm. In 1931, Astrid creates the choreography for “Rhapsody in Blue” by George Gershwin. She takes the piece with her to a major choreography competition in Paris the following year. Astrid doesn’t win, but gets an honorable mention and thus a lot of publicity. A number of years later, she starts a dance institute at Östermalmstorg in Stockholm together with her good friend Edgar Frank, who is also a dancer.