Tamara Rojo

Tamara Rojo
Rojo as Raymonda, Festival de Granada, 2014
Born	(1974-05-17) 17 May 1974 Montreal, Canada
Nationality	Spanish
Alma mater	Rey Juan Carlos University
Occupation	Ballet dancer
Title	Artistic director, English National Ballet
Website	http://www.tamara-rojo.com/
Tamara Rojo's voice from the BBC programme Front Row, 23 April 2013[1]

Tamara Rojo CBE (born 17 May 1974) is a Spanish ballet dancer. She is the artistic director of the English National Ballet, as well as a lead principal dancer. She was previously a principal dancer with The Royal Ballet, and continues to perform with the company as a guest artist.

Early life and training

Rojo was born in Montreal, Canada, to Spanish parents who moved back to Spain when she was four months old.

Rojo started taking local dance classes at the age of 5 in Spain. By the time she reached age 11, Rojo became a full-time student at the Madrid Royal Conservatory of Dance Real Conservatorio Profesional de Danza Mariemma, studying under Victor Ullate and Karemia Moreno. Though her parents were thrilled at her talent, they insisted that Rojo also complete an academic education. Therefore, after studio rehearsals every day, Rojo would attend evening classes. When Rojo was 16, she graduated from the Conservatory and had only two more years until her completion of regular school studies.

Rojo has a PhD in performing arts from the University of Madrid.^[2]

Career

Rojo began her professional career as a dancer with the Ballet de la Comunidad de Madrid, under the direction of Victor Ullate. In 1994, she became notable after winning the Gold Medal at the Paris International Dance competition and a Special Jury Award given by Natalia Makarova, Vladimir Vassiliev, and Galina Samsova, a judging panel consisting of some of the most outstanding figures of the ballet world.

Early career in Britain

In 1996, Rojo was invited by Galina Samsova to join the Scottish National Ballet. While there, she performed the principal roles in Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, La Sylphide, and Cranko's Romeo and Juliet. In 1997, she joined the English National Ballet, and danced principal roles in Swan Lake, Paquita, Coppelia, Glen Tetley's The Sphinx and Voluntaries, and Michael Corder’s Cinderella. Artistic director Derek Deane of the English National Ballet created the roles of Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Clara in The Nutcracker for her. Rojo was named "Dance Revelation of the Year" in 1997 after her performance as Clara, breaking attendance records at the London Coliseum.

Royal Ballet

After receiving praise from both critics and audience, Rojo was officially invited to become a principal dancer of the Royal Ballet in 2000.^[3] She has been working with the company extensively ever since. After joining The Royal Ballet, she took on principal roles in Dowell’s Swan Lake, Makarova’s The Sleeping Beauty and La Bayadere, Mason´s The Sleeping Beauty, Nureyev´s Don Quixote and Wright´s The Nutcracker. She has performed many roles in Sir Kenneth MacMillan's works, recreated for her by Deborah MacMillan, including the title roles in Isadora, Romeo and Juliet, Manon, Mary Vetsera in Mayerling, The Woman in Song of the Earth, The Chosen One in Rite of Spring, Masha & Olga in Winter Dreams, Requiem, My Brother My Sisters, and Danses Concertantes. In addition, her repertoire includes Cinderella, Ondine, Marguerite and Armand, Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan, Homage to the Queen and A Wedding Bouquet. She danced in the world premiere of Snow White created for her by choreographer Richardo Cue.

Major injuries

In 2000 Rojo approached Royal Ballet director Anthony Dowell, having researched and decided that this company was one she would flourish with. "I'd have taken a corps de ballet contract, anything, but there wasn't one," she told Jann Parry, who was at that time the Observer's dance critic. Later that year, though, a principal contract came up and Rojo was recommended. Then later that year Rojo was asked to replace an injured Darcey Bussell in Giselle. Ignoring her own sprained ankle and the short notice, she learned the role in two weeks and went on to receive rave reviews^[4] In 2002, while dancing as Clara in the Nutcracker, Rojo started shaking on stage. After the show, she was sent to a private hospital where they determined that her appendix had burst and she stayed there to heal for 6 weeks. However, two weeks later she was back dancing and she was forced to go to a hospital again. Rojo admitted that it was “completely wrong [to continue dancing while injured or ill] and I do not feel that anyone should do this. It really is not worth it.”^[5] In 2003, while preparing for the Royal Ballet’s Australian tour, Rojo was once again plagued with another setback when she suffered an infected bunion that became so bad that her foot swelled to the size of a tennis ball. Doctors determined that Rojo needed to have it drained and to have surgery on her foot – a potentially career-ending operation. Nevertheless, she knew that this operation was a necessary step to take if she were ever to walk, let alone dance, again. A mere twenty-four hours after her operation, an Ambassador from Spain called to inform her that she had been honoured with an award and needed to be in Cadiz the next week. The King of Spain presented her with the Royal Gold Medal of Fine Arts, a prestigious honour that few can say they have achieved. Months later, and after countless hours of rehabilitation, she returned to dancing and said that the injury changed her perspective on life, her body, and dance. She felt that she valued each and every day more and learned that nothing in life should be taken for granted.^[6]

English National Ballet

In April 2012 it was announced that Rojo would become the artistic director of English National Ballet, replacing Wayne Eagling, whose departure from the role had been announced in February.^[7]

List of ballets/roles performed

The following is a list of repertoire of Tamara Rojo's performance in various ballet company.

Awards

• 2016 Commander of the Order of the British Empire CBE.
• 2013 Spanish-British Relationships of II Fundación Banco Santander Prize.
• 2012 The Gold Medal for Fine Arts 2012 of the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.
• 2011 Encomienda de número de Isabel la Católica.
• 2010 Laurence Olivier “Best New Dance Production” award for her collaboration with choreographer Kim Brandstrup in “Goldberg: The Brandstrup-Rojo Project.”
• 2008 Prix Benois de la Danse
• 2008 Comunidad de Madrid’s International Medal of the Arts
• 2007 City of Madrid’s Interpretation Award
• 2005 Premio Principe de Asturias a las Artes
• 2004 Premio Positano "Leonid Massine"
• 2002 Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes - Consejo de Ministros del Reino de España.
• 2002 Gold Medal of Fine Arts from King Juan Carlos
• 2002 London's Critic's Circle Dance Awards
• 2001 Sherringtons Awards Best Female Dancer of the Year
• 2000 Barclays Theatre Awards: Outstanding Achievement in Dance
• 1996 First Price of Italian Critics as Best Dancer of the Year
• 1994 Grand Prix Femme et Medaille Vermeille de la Ville de Paris (à l'unanimité) - Concour International de Danse de Paris

Rojo was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to ballet.^[8]

Personal life

Rojo lives in Bloomsbury, London.^[9] Her boyfriend is the lighting designer Neil Austin.^[10]

Notes

References

• Fox, Sue. "The Times". The Sunday Times, 2003.
• Jennings, Luke. "The Observer" 2010
• Marriott, Bruce. "Ballet.Co" 1998
• Mackrell,Judith. The Guardian UK:Tamara Rojo's leap of faith. 2005
• Wainwright,Steven. Health Journal. Sage Publications, 2005, p. 57.
• Grainger, Lisa. Tamara Rojo’s Travelling Life. The Telegraph. 2010.

External links

• Official website
• Bio as Principal at the Royal Ballet, Royal Opera House, London
• ""Cupcakes & Conversation" with Tamara Rojo". Ballet News. 31 July 2009. 
• Ballet interview, March 2002
• Ballet interview, May 1998
• The Ballerina Gallery - Tamara Rojo
• IMDB Profile