Tamara Rojo's New Direction

As a subscriber to Pointe magazine, I look forward to every new issue. The latest arrived in my mailbox just yesterday, and I excitedly flipped through the pages. I was very surprised to find out that Tamara Rojo, a principle dancer with the famous Royal Ballet, will soon become the artistic director of the English National Ballet (ENB). At age 37, she seems young for such an immense responsibility. She has no prior experience with this sort of job, is in high demand on the stage, and could have at least a few more years to enjoy her star status without the added stress of running a company.
According to “theartsdesk,” she was not acting on a sudden impulse, but rather on an already established desire. It is interesting to note that ENB was a company that specifically appealed to her. Wayne Eagling has been the artistic director of ENB for seven years, but a few months ago the news spread throughout the ballet world that he was ready to move on. This was the perfect opportunity for Tamara Rojo to pursue a leadership role within her preferred company.
Rojo intends to guide the company towards new artistic endeavors. ENB's recent financial difficulties will make that challenging. All in all, I imagine it is an intimidating situation for Tamara Rojo. She is young, inexperienced, and dealing with a low-budget company, yet I believe she may be the right person to handle such obstacles. I don't know her personally, and although I admire her dancing, she isn't one of the ballerinas I follow very closely. I've read enough about her however, to get an idea of her personality, and everything I've come across suggests she is tough, determined, and brave. For instance, Monica Mason, the soon to be retired artistic director of the Royal Ballet, described her as, “full of courage and guts and always has been."  Carlos Acosta, a guest principle dancer with the Royal Ballet, said that Tamara, “digs very deep and has no sense of pain or exhaustion.” He claimed that those traits would enable her to be a successful artistic director.

Tamara Rojo's website is full of interesting information and is worth a look.  You will find links to some of her honest interviews, news of what's going on in her life, her biography, and pictures.






This performance (sold on DVD) is the closest that a newly choreographed ballet will come to being purely classical.  Anyone who is like me and prefers classical ballet will surely appreciate this fresh take on the fairy tale, Snow White.  I particularly enjoy the music, which was created specially for this ballet.  Tamara Rojo stars as Snow White, showcasing her brilliant dancing abilities.  This DVD includes special features that go behind the scenes and into the studio, allowing you to witness the making of this ballet.  If you love ballet, this one is definitely worth your while.