English National Ballet artistic director steps down after 10 years to join San Francisco company

  • English National Ballet artistic director steps down to join San Francisco show 
  • Tamara Rojo, 47,  will step down after ten years in the role and move to America
  • The Spaniard is credited with championing female talent in her ballet work

She’s regarded as the most powerful woman in ballet – and now she’s leaving the UK for America. 

English National Ballet’s artistic director Tamara Rojo is stepping down after ten years in the role. 

The 47-year-old Spaniard is credited with championing female talent, having created more than 40 works by women choreographers as well as staging visionary performances. 

Spanish ballerina Tamara Rojo, 47,  (pictured) of the Royal Ballet, plays Princess Aurora during a dress rehearsal of The Sleeping Beauty at The Royal Opera House in London

Spanish ballerina Tamara Rojo, 47,  (pictured) of the Royal Ballet, plays Princess Aurora during a dress rehearsal of The Sleeping Beauty at The Royal Opera House in London

Rojo in Sleeping Beauty for the English National Ballet. The star will journey to America to join a company in San Francisco

Rojo in Sleeping Beauty for the English National Ballet. The star will journey to America to join a company in San Francisco

She will leave the company at the end of the year and join the San Francisco Ballet as its first female artistic director. 

‘In my own career, I never worked with a woman creator.'

'The conversation has moved on,’ she told The Times. 

Miss Rojo, who was born in Canada to Spanish parents, staged daring performances such as Akram Khan’s reimagined Giselle in 2016. 

The former principal dancer at The Royal Ballet, said it was time for someone new to take English National Ballet ‘to the next step’. 

She has a nine-month-old son, Mateo, with partner Isaac Hernandez, 31, who is a principal at the San Francisco Ballet. 

The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.