Alina Cojocaru

Alina Cojocaru
Original photograph taken by w:User:Scillystuff. Cropped version uploaded by w: · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Alina Cojocaru
Birth date	1973-06-26
Birth place	Bucharest, Romania
Nationality	Romanian
Occupation	Ballet dancer
Years active	1991–present
Former groups	Romanian National Ballet, Kyiv Ballet, Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Hamburg Ballet

Alina Cojocaru is a Romanian-born ballet dancer celebrated for her lyrical technique and dramatic artistry, widely regarded among contemporary principal dancers. Trained in Bucharest and Kyiv, she has held principal positions with leading companies across Europe and toured extensively with renowned orchestras and festivals. Her career interlaces repertory ranging from Marius Petipa classics to Kenneth MacMillan and William Forsythe, and she is noted for collaborations with choreographers, conductors, and designers.

Early life and training

Born in Bucharest, she studied at the Dinu Lipatti Music School and the Bucharest Choreography School before winning a scholarship to the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in Saint Petersburg and later training at the Ballet School of the Kyiv Opera in Kyiv. Early mentors included instructors from the Romanian National Opera and visiting teachers from the Mariinsky Ballet and the Bolshoi Ballet. She competed in international competitions such as the Varna International Ballet Competition and the Geneva International Ballet Competition, where exposure to jurors from the Royal Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre shaped her trajectory. Summer programs and masterclasses with artists from the Kirov Ballet, ABT (American Ballet Theatre), and the Dutch National Ballet further refined her technique.

Professional career

She began her professional career with the Romanian National Ballet and accepted early engagements with the Ballet of Kyiv before joining the corps of the Royal Ballet in London and later being promoted to principal dancer at the English National Ballet and the Royal Ballet. Guest appearances led to extended seasons with the Hamburg Ballet under the direction of John Neumeier and invitations from the Mariinsky Theatre and the Bolshoi Theatre. She has been a frequent guest at festivals including the Salzburg Festival, the Edinburgh International Festival, and the International Ballet Festival of Miami, and has toured with companies from Tokyo to New York City and Moscow.

Repertoire and performances

Her repertoire spans classical and contemporary works: she has performed leading roles in Swan Lake and Giselle as staged from versions by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, danced The Sleeping Beauty and La Bayadère reconstructed from Sergei Diaghilev-era stagings, interpreted tragic roles in Manon by Kenneth MacMillan and dramatisations by John Cranko, and premiered new works by William Forsythe, Wayne McGregor, and Alexei Ratmansky. She has partnered in narrative ballets choreographed to scores by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Ludwig van Beethoven, Sergei Prokofiev, and Gustav Mahler, and has featured in contemporary pieces set to music by Igor Stravinsky, Philip Glass, and Arvo Pärt. Her concert performances with orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia have included gala appearances at venues like Royal Albert Hall, Teatro alla Scala, and the Bolshoi Theatre.

Partnerships and collaborations

She is known for partnerships with fellow dancers including principals from the Royal Ballet, former partners from the English National Ballet, and guest partners from the American Ballet Theatre and the Paris Opera Ballet. Choreographic collaborations have included commissions and revivals with Kenneth MacMillan trusts, contemporary creations with Wayne McGregor, reconstructions with Alexei Ratmansky and staging input from Mikhail Baryshnikov and Oleg Vinogradov. She has worked with artistic directors and conductors such as Antony Dowson, Sir Anthony Dowell, Valery Gergiev, Sir Simon Rattle, and Sir Antonio Pappano, and collaborated with designers and filmmakers associated with Laurence Olivier Awards-nominated productions and gallery projects tied to institutions like the Tate Modern.

Awards and recognition

Her honors include prizes from the Varna International Ballet Competition, the Bronislava Nijinska Prize, and nominations for Laurence Olivier Awards and National Dance Awards (UK). She has received state honors from Romania and cultural awards presented by organizations such as the City of London Corporation and arts foundations linked to the European Cultural Foundation. Critical acclaim has been chronicled in publications with coverage by critics from the Financial Times, the New York Times, and the Guardian and reviews following tours to venues like the Metropolitan Opera House and festivals including the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival.

Personal life and philanthropy

Her personal life has intersected with institutions and causes: she has supported ballet education programs affiliated with the Royal Ballet School, contributed to fundraising galas for UNICEF and cultural heritage projects connected to UNESCO, and participated in outreach with organizations such as the Arts Council England and the British Council. She has given masterclasses at schools including the Vaganova Academy, the Paris Opera Ballet School, and the John Cranko School, and has served as a guest judge for competitions like Varna and Prix de Lausanne. Her charitable activities include benefit performances for medical charities and cultural preservation initiatives endorsed by municipal bodies in Bucharest and London.

Category:Romanian ballerinas Category:Living people Category:1973 births