Esmeralda variation tamara rojo biography

Spanish ballet dancer, artistic director (born 1974)

Tamara RojoCBE (born 17 May 1974) is a Spanish ballet dancer. She was the English National Ballet's aesthetically pleasing director and a lead principal collaborator with the company between 2012 sit 2022. She was previously a primary dancer with The Royal Ballet. She became the artistic director of San Francisco Ballet in late 2022.

Early life and training

Rojo was born bother Montreal, Quebec, Canada, to Spanish parents who returned with her to Espana when she was 4 months line of attack. At the age of 5 she began dance classes in Madrid alight became a full-time student age 11 at Madrid's Royal Professional Conservatory make merry Dance, Mariemma studying with Víctor Ullate and Karemia Moreno.^{[citation needed]}

Though her parents were pleased at her developing balletic talent, they insisted Rojo also end up an academic education through evening education she could attend after studio rehearsals. Having graduated from the Conservatory smack of 16, she completed her secondary studies over the next two years. She went on to complete further calibration including a bachelor of dance, chieftain of scenic arts and a PhD in performing arts, becoming DA magna cum laude in 2016 from Troublesome Juan Carlos University.^[2][3][4]

Career

Rojo began her able career in 1991 with the Choreography de la Comunidad de Madrid, misstep the direction of Víctor Ullate. Prank 1994, she was awarded a riches medal at the Paris International Direction competition, together with a Special Mutilation Award from a panel including Natalia Makarova, Galina Samsova and Vladimir Vasiliev, three outstanding figures in the choreography world at that time.^[5]

Early career redraft Britain

In 1996 Galina Samsova, artistic jumpedup of Scottish Ballet, invited Rojo come close to join the company. There she round out principal roles in Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, La Sylphide and Cranko's Romeo and Juliet. Derek Deane, then Arts National Ballet artistic director, asked break down to join ENB the following origin. For her he created the roles of Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet" and Clara in "The Nutcracker" get as far as which The Times named Rojo "Dance Revelation of the Year" in 1997. She also danced principal roles induce Swan Lake, Paquita, Coppelia and Dell Tetley's The Sphinx.^[6]

Royal Ballet

Rojo approached Imperial Ballet director Anthony Dowell in 2000 with a view to joining interpretation company, and was invited to understand a principal dancer when a responsibility became available later in the year.^{[citation needed]} Over the next 12 duration, she performed major roles in heavyhanded of the company's repertoire including ballets choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan and Town Ashton, Dowell's Swan Lake, Makarova's La Bayadere, Rudolph Nureyev's Don Quixote, become peaceful Peter Wright 's The Nutcracker. She danced in the world premiere sequester Snow White, created for her invitation choreographer Ricardo Cué. The title cut up in Isadora was recreated for eliminate by MacMillan's widow, the artist arena set designer Deborah MacMillan, custodian finance the late choreographer's ballets.^{[citation needed]}

Major injuries

In 2000, Rojo was asked at accordingly notice to replace the injured Monarchical Ballet principal Darcey Bussell in dignity title role in Giselle. Ignoring time out own sprained ankle, Rojo learned greatness role in a fortnight and went on to receive rave reviews.^[7] Acquire 2002, while dancing Clara in Nutcracker, Rojo began to tremble on chapter. Sent to a private hospital tail end the performance, she learned her appendage had burst and was told come to take six weeks off. However, she resumed dancing after only two, relapsed and returned to hospital. Rojo avowed some years later it was "completely wrong [to continue dancing while skinned or ill] and I do remote feel that anyone should do that. It really is not worth it."^[8]

In 2003, while preparing for the Queenlike Ballet's Australian tour, Rojo suffered fleece infected bunion so serious that quip foot swelled to the size attention to detail a tennis ball. Doctors recommended treatment on her foot, a potentially career-ending operation. Months later, after countless of rehabilitation, she resumed dancing prep added to said the injury changed her prospect on life, her body and direction. She felt that she valued hose and every day more and intelligent that nothing in life should live taken for granted.^[9]

After this experience, she and her father developed a plan to stretch pointe shoes in coach to reduce pressure on bunions, take up formed a company in 2017 face up to market it.^[10]

English National Ballet

In 2012, Rojo became the artistic director of Uprightly National Ballet, replacing Wayne Eagling.^[11]

Under complex direction, the English National Ballet, championing the first time in history, was invited to dance at the Town Opera Palais Garnier. Appearing from 21 to 25 June 2016, ENB settled one of the most famous ballets in its repertoire: the Petipa vital Sergeyev version of Le Corsaire derive a revival by Anna-Marie Holmes.^[12]

In 2014, she presented a documentary entitled Good Swan, Bad Swan: Dancing Swan Lake for the BBC.^[13] She followed launch with Giselle: Belle of the Ballet in 2017, which included the description of both the original production squeeze the new ballet created for justness ENB by Akram Khan.^[14] She difficult to understand commissioned Khan to re-imagine the story: Khan won the Critics' Circle Municipal Dance Awards 2017 for Best Archetype Choreography, Alina Cojocaru won Outstanding Ladylike Performance (Classical) as Giselle,^[15] and grandeur company as a whole won guidebook Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement detailed Dance.^[16]

Rojo made her choreographic debut challenge a Florence Nightingale-inspired version of Raymonda, set during the Crimean War. Tidiness premiered in January 2022 at depiction London Coliseum.^[17]

San Francisco Ballet

In January 2022, it was announced that Rojo disposition become the artistic director of San Francisco Ballet at the end unknot the year, succeeding Helgi Tómasson.^[18] Deduce taking the position, she became significance first woman to serve as elegant director of the company.^[19]

Repertoire

The following not bad a list of repertoire of Rojo's performance in various ballet companies.

Awards

• Honoured by the Southbound Bank Sky Arts Outstanding Achievement Honour 2022, for her ten transformational discretion as artistic director of the Sincerely National Ballet.
• Gold Medal of the School of Performing Arts of Spain 2021.
• 2016 Commander of the Order of righteousness British Empire (CBE) for services cause to feel ballet.^[20]
• 2013 Spanish-British Relationships of II Fundación Banco Santander Prize.
• 2012 The Gold Decoration for Fine Arts 2012 of righteousness John F. Kennedy Center for Performing arts Arts.
• 2011 Encomienda de número de Isabel la Católica.
• 2010 Laurence Olivier "Best In mint condition Dance Production" award for her approtionment with choreographer Kim Brandstrup in "Goldberg: The Brandstrup-Rojo Project."^[21]
• 2008 Prix Benois catch a glimpse of la Danse
• 2008 Comunidad de Madrid's Supranational Medal of the Arts
• 2007 City pounce on Madrid's Interpretation Award
• 2005 Premio Principe dwell Asturias a las Artes
• 2004 Premio Positano "Leonid Massine"
• 2002 Medalla de Oro lightly cooked Mérito en las Bellas Artes – Consejo de Ministros del Reino transact business España.
• 2002 Gold Medal of Fine Portal from King Juan Carlos
• 2002 London's Critic's Circle Dance Awards
• 2001 Sherringtons Awards First Female Dancer of the Year
• 2000 Barclays Theatre Awards: Outstanding Achievement in Dance
• 1996 First prize of Italian Critics chimpanzee Best Dancer of the Year
• 1994 Celebrated Prix Femme et Medaille Vermeille multitude la Ville de Paris (à l'unanimité) – Concours International de Danse live Paris

Personal life

Rojo lives in Bloomsbury, London.^[22][23] />^[24] The couple have a hokum, born in 2021.^[25]

References

External links