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Alina Cojocaru to Join English National Ballet


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What wonderful news.  I am so pleased that she too will remain attached to Hamburg and ABT as well.  That can but help share Tamara's concerted efforts and vision to an international audience as it most surely deserves on ENB's behalf.  (Strangely, no jaw dropping here .... Sadly at my age that is something I cannot afford to do ... the cost of repair work being what it is.)  I so look forward to seeing the Alina/ENB implant!!

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I am so pleased with this news, and well done to Tamara for sweeping her up when she had been dumped by the RB. Having assumed she was lost to the UK, particularly after Johan's rant on his facebook page, it is great news that we can still see her. Bye. Bye RB and hello ENB.

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I am so pleased with this news, and well done to Tamara for sweeping her up when she had been dumped by the RB.

 

According to a recent interview with Kevin O'Hare the "dumping", if you care to call it that, was the other way round, but we don't want to get into a partially informed tussle about who did what to whom.

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Honestly we take Chunkydog out for a walk and look what happens!  Here's the press release in full:

 

Alina Cojocaru to Join English National Ballet

 

Alina Cojocaru, one of the world’s greatest ballerinas, is to join English National Ballet.

  

Speaking of her new role, Alina Cojocaru said: “I am very excited to be joining English National Ballet next season.  I am attracted by the opportunities the repertoire offers, the combination of the classics and the chance to work with choreographers I really admire. I have always enjoyed dancing and performing in the UK and am delighted that English National Ballet will give me the chance to reach new audiences outside London.  Not shy of challenges, I look forward to what the future might bring. Sharing Tamara's passion for the art form and for artistry, I am excited about what lies ahead."

 

Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director of English National Ballet said: “I am so happy to welcome Alina to the Company.  She is one of the dancers I most admire. Her exquisite technique, dramatic qualities and artistry have been a constant inspiration to many, including me. I know that the dancers in the Company will be thrilled to have an artist of her stature join us and I am sure that we can give Alina the artistic challenges and opportunities she seeks.”

 

Alina’s debut with English National Ballet will be in the Company’s new restaging of Le Corsaire.  She will dance the role of the heroine Medora on the opening night in Milton Keynes (October 17– the start of the Company’s Autumn tour) Other productions which Alina will appear in include Nutcracker in the Christmas season at the London Coliseum, Lest We Forget, the programme of ballets inspired by the Great War at the Barbican, London, in April 2014 and Romeo & Juliet in-the-round at the Royal Albert Hall in June.

 

Alina will join the Company as Lead Principal.  She will continue to make guest appearances with Hamburg Ballet and American Ballet Theatre, two companies with which she has an established relationship. 

 

Ends

 

Le Corsaire

17 October–30 November 2013, and 11–15 February on tour

9–19 January 2014, London Coliseum

 

Nutcracker

20-23 November 2013, on tour

11 December–5 January 2014, London Coliseum

 

Lest We Forget

2–12 April 2014, Barbican Theatre

 

Romeo & Juliet

11-22 June 2014, Royal Albert Hall

 

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Any evidence to support th

I apologise to the RB and all those who responded to my post. I was so fed up that we had lost her and had seemingly done little to persuade her to stay that I vented my frustration without any justification. Very pleased for the ENB.

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Honestly we take Chunkydog out for a walk and look what happens!  Here's the press release in full:

 

Alina Cojocaru to Join English National Ballet

 

Alina Cojocaru, one of the world’s greatest ballerinas, is to join English National Ballet.

  

Speaking of her new role, Alina Cojocaru said: “I am very excited to be joining English National Ballet next season.  I am attracted by the opportunities the repertoire offers, the combination of the classics and the chance to work with choreographers I really admire. I have always enjoyed dancing and performing in the UK and am delighted that English National Ballet will give me the chance to reach new audiences outside London.  Not shy of challenges, I look forward to what the future might bring. Sharing Tamara's passion for the art form and for artistry, I am excited about what lies ahead."

 

Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director of English National Ballet said: “I am so happy to welcome Alina to the Company.  She is one of the dancers I most admire. Her exquisite technique, dramatic qualities and artistry have been a constant inspiration to many, including me. I know that the dancers in the Company will be thrilled to have an artist of her stature join us and I am sure that we can give Alina the artistic challenges and opportunities she seeks.”

 

Alina’s debut with English National Ballet will be in the Company’s new restaging of Le Corsaire.  She will dance the role of the heroine Medora on the opening night in Milton Keynes (October 17– the start of the Company’s Autumn tour) Other productions which Alina will appear in include Nutcracker in the Christmas season at the London Coliseum, Lest We Forget, the programme of ballets inspired by the Great War at the Barbican, London, in April 2014 and Romeo & Juliet in-the-round at the Royal Albert Hall in June.

 

Alina will join the Company as Lead Principal.  She will continue to make guest appearances with Hamburg Ballet and American Ballet Theatre, two companies with which she has an established relationship. 

 

Ends

 

Le Corsaire

17 October–30 November 2013, and 11–15 February on tour

9–19 January 2014, London Coliseum

 

Nutcracker

11 December–5 January 2014, London Coliseum

 

Lest We Forget

2–12 April 2014, Barbican Theatre

 

Romeo & Juliet

11-22 June 2014, Royal Albert Hall

 

Janet, do you know where on the ENB web site it shows the casting schedule.

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The casting for Le Corsaire has yet to be announced but the Press Release says that Alina will dance the opening night in Milton Keynes (17th October).

 

It will be interesting to see who Alina dances with, especially as Vadim will now have at least three potential partners. Should we be expecting announcements about one or more male joiners one wonders......!!??!!

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Well, that's incredible news, particularly as I had read somewhere that Tamara and Alina were rivals at the RB. I'm pleased that I will still be able to see Alina dance but I feel that her addition to the roster will upset the current female principals and up-and coming female dancers whose performance opportunities will be reduced. Of course, it's possible that there are personnel changes at the company that we are unaware of. Perhaps there are known departures or perhaps Tamara wants to scale down her performing commitments at the company. The burning question is: who is Alina going to dance with?

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Well, that's incredible news, particularly as I had read somewhere that Tamara and Alina were rivals at the RB. I'm pleased that I will still be able to see Alina dance but I feel that her addition to the roster will upset the current female principals and up-and coming female dancers whose performance opportunities will be reduced. Of course, it's possible that there are personnel changes at the company that we are unaware of. Perhaps there are known departures or perhaps Tamara wants to scale down her performing commitments at the company. The burning question is: who is Alina going to dance with?

do

 

I have never had the impression that Cojocaru and Rojo were rivals, but I know they had something unpleasant to share and suffer in the last few years. Two great artists now working together: I was hoping this but didn't think it was feasible. Rojo is too clever and dynamic and loving too much ballet and dance to let Cojocaru free to go: no true balletoman as she is would have accepted it. Thank you Tamara!

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In shock!!!!!!

 

Yes, I really didn't see *that* one coming!  Interesting news, the implications of which will take a while to digest.  I suppose the periods of "downtime" between performance runs will give her ample time to guest while still having the stability of being in a company, and help flesh out what can be a fairly restricted professional diet for ENB at times.  It will be interesting to see how she adapts to the ENB lifestyle and working circumstances, and also to see the effects it has on casting.  We've had the impression that the majority of ENB audience members aren't particularly worried about casting, but wonder whether that will change.

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Yes, I really didn't see *that* one coming!  Interesting news, the implications of which will take a while to digest.  I suppose the periods of "downtime" between performance runs will give her ample time to guest while still having the stability of being in a company, and help flesh out what can be a fairly restricted professional diet for ENB at times.  It will be interesting to see how she adapts to the ENB lifestyle and working circumstances, and also to see the effects it has on casting.  We've had the impression that the majority of ENB audience members aren't particularly worried about casting, but wonder whether that will change.

I have been wondering about the casting information side of things. Since the news of Alina I have been scouring the internet trying to find details of who is dancing what and when. I have found tickets on sale for all the ballets mentioned in the Alina press release but cannot find who is dancing on each night other than when Carlos and Tamara are dancing R&J at the RAH - other than that nothing. When do the ENB tell us?

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Nearer the time.  I'm not sure what their holiday situation is this year - after the Nureyev bill? - but I would have thought it would be unlikely that casting would be released before they return.  And of course it may need to change, anyway.

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In an interview in May when Rojo was in Moscow for the Benois ( http://www.gramilano.com/2013/05/interview-with-tamara-rojo/ ) she was asked:

 

So will you be com­pet­ing with Cov­ent Garden?

"It will be a friendly com­pet­i­tion. It’s great when in a city like Lon­don, there are two com­pan­ies who want to suc­ceed. It keeps us on our toes, and gives the audi­ences a choice."

 

It certainly does! Hooray!!!

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Janet, do you know where on the ENB web site it shows the casting schedule.

 

Usually the casting goes on the page/minisite covering the production but the casting hasnt been announced yet.  Here is the Corsaire overview page, where a tab should eventually appear to show the casting:  http://www.ballet.org.uk/whats-on/lecorsaire/

 

As an example, here is the Nureyev programme overview page, showing the casting tab:  http://www.ballet.org.uk/whats-on/tribute-rudolf-nureyev/

 

Also to say welcome to the forum PetitDi!

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I think it is worth recalling that Alina's appearances with the RB have not been very frequent over the last couple of years, and that she has withdrawn from a number of her scheduled performances. Of course injury is a totally understandable factor, but that being said I reckon that in recent years she has appeared more often with other companies, overseas galas etc than she has at the ROH. Let's see how it works out with ENB.

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I think it is worth recalling that Alina's appearances with the RB have not been very frequent over the last couple of years, and that she has withdrawn from a number of her scheduled performances. Of course injury is a totally understandable factor, but that being said I reckon that in recent years she has appeared more often with other companies, overseas galas etc than she has at the ROH. Let's see how it works out with ENB.

...and from a financial point of view, with the current and future funding cuts, keeping a highly paid Principal on the payroll who is not dancing frequently (for whatever reason) isn't very cost effective so to speak...

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Historically, though, I get the impression that ENB's principals have been given a lot more leeway with injuries than low-ranking corps dancers have, which I suppose makes sense.  Anyway, let's hope it doesn't become an issue.

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Usually the casting goes on the page/minisite covering the production but the casting hasnt been announced yet.  Here is the Corsaire overview page, where a tab should eventually appear to show the casting:  http://www.ballet.org.uk/whats-on/lecorsaire/

 

As an example, here is the Nureyev programme overview page, showing the casting tab:  http://www.ballet.org.uk/whats-on/tribute-rudolf-nureyev/

 

Also to say welcome to the forum PetitDi!

Thanks for that Janet.  The audience for ENB must be happy to book seats without knowing who is dancing - As a fan of Alina I will need to know when she is due to dance before I spend my money.

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Interesting news. It will be interesting to see how ofen she actually dances, and whether she will actually do a lot of the touring performances, and not just stay in London. Having a relatively well known, popular ballerina will be good for ENB'S profile, but also, as other have mentioned, expensive at a time when they don't have much money.

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