Alina Cojocaru facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alina Cojocaru
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Alina Cojocaru pictured taking a curtain call during a performance by the Royal Ballet
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| Born | 27 May 1981 Bucharest, Romania
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| Occupation | Ballet dancer |
| Spouse(s) | Johan Kobborg |
| Children | 2 |
| Former groups | The Royal Ballet English National Ballet |
Alina Cojocaru (born May 27, 1981) is a famous Romanian ballet dancer. She used to be a main dancer, called a principal dancer, with two big ballet companies: The Royal Ballet and the English National Ballet.
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Early Life and Training
Alina Cojocaru grew up in Bucharest, Romania, with her sister. When she was young, she first studied gymnastics. Later, she started ballet classes, even though she had never seen a live ballet show before.
At age 9, she joined a ballet school in Bucharest. This school helped students get into the Romanian State Ballet school. Soon after, she passed the entrance exam. A few months later, she was chosen to join a student exchange program. This meant she would train at the Kiev Ballet school in Ukraine.
Alina left her family to train in Ukraine. She did not speak Ukrainian at first. She and other Romanian students learned separately. Later, they joined the other students.
The ballet school had public performances every six months. Alina made her first stage appearance in one of these shows. She danced the role of Amor in the ballet Don Quixote.
In January 1997, when she was 15, Alina entered the Prix de Lausanne ballet competition. She won a scholarship to train for six months. This scholarship was for the Royal Ballet School in London. In June, she won a silver medal at the Moscow Ballet Competition. She moved to London later that year. She did not speak English when she arrived.
Becoming a Professional Dancer
After her training at the Royal Ballet School, Alina had a choice. She could join The Royal Ballet in London. Or, she could become a main dancer, a principal, with the Kyiv Ballet. She chose the Kyiv Ballet in November 1998. She thought she would get more experience as a principal dancer there. She danced many different roles for one season.
While at the Kyiv Ballet, Alina applied again to The Royal Ballet in London. They invited her to audition for the corps de ballet. This is the group of dancers who perform together. She accepted the offer and joined the company in November 1999. In 2001, she was promoted to principal dancer. In 2004, she won the Prix Benois de la Danse award. She won it for her role as Cinderella.
Alina danced in the opening show for the newly renovated Royal Opera House. She also performed in famous ballets. These included La Bayadère, The Nutcracker, and Coppélia.
A special part of her career was dancing with Johan Kobborg. Their partnership started in 2001. They danced together in Romeo and Juliet. Many people say their partnership is one of the best in ballet history. They performed together in London and around the world.
In 2012, Alina won the Prix Benois de la Danse award again. This time it was for her role in John Neumeier's Liliom. This was the first time a full ballet was created especially for her.
In June 2013, Alina and Johan Kobborg announced they would leave The Royal Ballet. Their last show in London was Mayerling.
After leaving The Royal Ballet, Alina joined the English National Ballet in July 2013. This company was led by her former colleague, Tamara Rojo. Alina also became a guest dancer at the Hamburg Ballet. She split her time between London and Hamburg. She worked closely with choreographer John Neumeier.
In 2016, Alina and Johan Kobborg left the Romanian National Ballet. This was due to disagreements with new management.
In 2017, she won an award for her performance in Akram Khan's Giselle. In 2020, she performed her own show, Alina at Sadler's Wells. It included a new piece called Reminiscence, which she danced with Johan Kobborg.
In November 2020, the English National Ballet announced Alina would leave the company. Her last show with them was in January, as Clara in The Nutcracker.
In 2023, Alina Cojocaru was honored with an Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This award recognized her great contributions to ballet.
Personal Life
Alina Cojocaru is married to her former dance partner, Johan Kobborg. They live in London with their two daughters, Thalia Chulpan and Ella Armelle.
Awards and Recognition
- 1998 Prix de Lausanne
- 2004 Prix Benois de la Danse
- 2004 Nijinsky Prize
- 2012 Prix Benois de la Danse
- 2017 Outstanding Female Performance (Classical), Critics' Circle National Dance Awards 2017
