[1][2] Born on 10 February 1969 in Dragør, Silja Schandorff is the daughter of Axel Carl Schandorff, a Cyclist with Olympic bronze medal and goldsmith, and Runa Clara Wendrup Petersen, a ballet dancer in Tivoli's Pantomime Theatre.
After her début in Ib Andersen's 1-2-3–1-2 in 1975, she quickly moved on to the Neoclassical works of George Balanchine, starring in Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No.
2, Tzigane, La sonnambula, Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, Allegro Brillante, Agon and Apollo.
While she has taken roles in La Sylphide, Abdallah and A Folk Tale, she has not been a typical Bournonville dancer, given her tall, slender figure and her artistic temperament.
[1] After retiring from the stage on 8 April 2009,[3] she remained with the Royal Theatre until 2016, serving as artistic coordinator and instructor (2009-11) and deputy ballet master (2011-16).