Danish ballet star to transform chapel in Edinburgh into theatre

Peter Schaufuss has “high hopes” that he will be able to stage performances as early as this August

Famous Danish ballet dancer and choreographer Peter Schaufuss wants to turn a 100-year-old chapel in the Scottish capital into a 600-seat theatre and hub for the performing arts.

According to Herald Scotland, Schaufuss has made an official bid to transform Charlotte Baptist Chapel on Rose Street in central Edinburgh into the Rose Theatre.

“I have great hopes – I truly love the place and I love this building. If the plans go ahead we can begin putting on performances in August 2016,” Schaufuss told Herald Scotland.

Backed by locals
The 66-year-old Dane has pledged to invest about 17.3 million kroner of his own money in the project, which has been backed by both the city council and a number of local artists and culture patrons.

In 1997, Schaufuss founded an internationally recognised ballet company in Holstebro in west Jutland and ran it until 2009, when he lost state funding and moved to the UK.

The choreographer currently lives in London, where he has enjoyed international success as the man behind dance performances such as ‘Diana – The Princess’ and ‘The King’, a piece about Elvis Presley.