Alina Cojocaru (Dancer)
Born in Bucharest, Alina trained in Kiev for seven years before joining The
Royal Ballet School in 1997 on a Prix de Lausanne scholarship. Upon
completion of her training, six months later, she returned to Kiev to dance with
Kiev Ballet for a year. Her repertory with Kiev Ballet included Don
Quixote (Kitri), The Sleeping Beauty (Aurora, Princess Florine), Cinderella,
Nutcracker (Clara), Coppйlia, (Peasant Pas de deux) and Hungarian Dance
in Swan Lake.
She joined The Royal Ballet in November 1999 and at the end of the Season was
promoted from Artist to First Soloist. She was promoted to Principal after
her performance of Giselle on 17 April 2001.
Her
classical repertory includes Odette/Odile in Anthony Dowell’s production
of Swan Lake, the title role in Peter Wright’s production of Giselle,
The Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Kitri in Rudolf Nureyev’s production of
Don Quixote, Nikiya in Natalia Makarova’s La Bayadиre and Princess Aurora in The
Sleeping Beauty
Her MacMillan repertory includes Romeo &
Juliet, Mary Vetsera in Mayerling and Manon. Her Ashton repertory includes
Symphonic Variations, Vera in A Month in the Country, Scйnes de ballet the title
role in Cinderella, Lise in La Fille mal gardйe, Daphnis and Chloл, A
Wedding Bouquet, the title role in Ondine and Voices of Spring.
Other roles with The Royal Ballet include The Sylph in August Bournonville’s
La Sylphide, the Student in Flemming Flindt’s The Lesson, Olga and Tatiana in
John Cranko’s Onegin, the female role as part of the lead couple in Stephen
Bayne’s Beyond Bach, Antony Tudor’s The Leaves are Fading, Glen Tetley’s
Voluntaries, Michael Corder’s Masquerade, Mark Morris’s Gong, Christopher
Wheeldon’s Polyphonia, George Balanchine’s Symphony in C, Ballet Imperial, Theme
and Variations, Duo Concertant, the lead female in David Bintley’s Tombeaux,
Jerome Robbins’ Dances at a Gathering and Aurora in the Monica Mason and
Christopher Newton production of The Sleeping Beauty.
She has created roles in Vanessa Fenton’s Ad infinitum, Christopher
Wheeldon’s There Where She Loves, Ashley Page’s This House Will Burn (2001),
David Bintley’s Les Saisons (2003), Kim Brandstrup’s Two Footnotes to Ashton,
Wayne McGregor’s Engram (2005), the Queen of the Waters in Michael Corder’s
Water as part of Homage to The Queen (2006) and Wayne McGregor’s Chroma
(2006).
Her guest appearances include performances with the Kirov Ballet, the
American Ballet Theater, the Royal Danish Ballet, the Hungarian National Ballet
and at Vienna State Opera. In 2004 she was the winner of the Benois de la Danse
prize as the best female dancer for her performances of Cinderella. Her
television appearances include Cinderella broadcast in December 2003 and Daphnis
and Chloл in December 2004. She has also been the subject of the South Bank Show
with dancing partner Johan Kobborg (March 2005).
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