Tamara Rojo

Tamara was born in Montreal in 1974 and studied in Madrid with Karemia Moreno and Victor Ullate. She graduated from the Royal Conservatory of Madrid with ‘Matricula de Honor’.

From 1991 to 1996 she danced with the Ballet de la Comunidad de Madrid. Her repertoire included ballets by Christie, van Manen, and van Dantzig. Her full length roles included, the Sylph in La Sylphide, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, the title role in Giselle, as well as roles in Les Sylphides and The Nutcracker. She also danced lead roles in a number of Balanchine works including Theme and Variations, Allegro Brillante, Concerto Barocco and Who Cares? as well as Massine’s The Three Cornered Hat and Le Beau Danube.

As a Guest Artist she has danced with The Scottish Ballet, Opera de Nice, Arena de Verona and The National Ballet of Cuba. In 1994 she won the Grand Prix and Gold Medal in the International Competition of Paris and in 1996 she was nominated Female Dancer of the Year in Nervi, Italy.

She made her debut with English National Ballet in June 1997 and seven months later in January 1998 was promoted to Principal. Among the roles she has danced are Princess Aurora in Ronald Hynd’s The Sleeping Beauty, Glen Tetley’s The Sphinx and Voluntaries, Michael Corder’s Cinderella, Odette/Odile in Petipa’s Swan Lake, Paquita, Swanilda in Ronald Hynd’s Coppélia, and Harold Lander’s Études. She created the role of Clara in Derek Deane’s The Nutcracker, Juliet in his Romeo and Juliet, and other roles in new works by Christopher Hampson, Perpetuum mobil and Concerto Grosso. She danced the role of Odette/Odile in ENB’s tour of Asia and Australia, and at The Royal Albert Hall in the round. In Christmas 1999 she performed the Chosen Maiden in Kenneth MacMillan’s The Rite of Spring to considerable acclaim.

She made her Royal Ballet debut in Peter Wright’s production of Giselle in July 2000 partnered by Inaki Urlezaga, and joined The Royal Ballet as a Principal in September for the 2000/01 Season. Since joining The Royal Ballet she has danced in Anthony Dowell’s production of
Swan Lake as Odette/Odile, as Celestial in Anthony Tudor’s Shadowplay, the title role in Frederick Ashton’s Ondine, Queen of the Air in Homage to the Queen, the lead couple in Symphonic Variations and the Sugar Plum Fairy in Sir Peter Wright’s production of The Nutcracker.

Her MacMillan repertory includes the title role in Romeo and Juliet, Mary Vetsera in Mayerling, the Second Sister in My Brother, My Sisters the title role in his Manon, Masha in Winter Dreams, Song of the Earth, Images of Love, Requiem, Danses concertantes and the Chosen One in The Rite of Spring. Her Frederick Ashton repertory includes the title role in Marguerite and Armand, Julia in A Wedding Bouquet, Voices of Spring, Queen of the Air in Homage to the Queen and Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan. She has also danced at Anthony Dowell’s farewell Gala, in Baryshnikov’s Don Quixote Pas de deux, Kitri in Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote, Tatiana in John Cranko’s Onegin, Antony Tudor’s The Leaves Are Fading, Nikiya in Natalia Makarova’s production of La Bayadère and Princess Aurora in her production of The Sleeping Beauty, Nacho Duato’s Por Vos Muero, Jiří Kylián’s Sinfonietta, the title role in Mats Ek’s Carmen, the title role in Ashton’s Cinderella, George Balanchine’s Symphony in C, The Sylph in Johan Kobborg’s production of August Bournonville’s La Sylphide, Princess Aurora in the Monica Mason and Christopher Newton production of The Sleeping Beauty and George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations.

Her created roles include Cathy Marston’s Three Words Unspoken as part of the Constant Lambert Tribute (2001), Christopher Bruce’s Three Songs – Two Voices (2005), Wayne McGregor’s Chroma (2006) and the lead female role in Kim Brandstrup’s Rushes (2008).

Her television appearances include rehearsal footage from Mayerling for a South Bank Show on The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood in September 2004 and the Five Brahms waltzes in the manner of Isadora Duncan in December 2004.

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