Romanian ballerina Alina Cojocaru, among UK’s National Dance Awards winners

Romanian ballerina Alina Cojocaru has received the 2019 National Dance Award for Outstanding Classical Female Performance for her role as Aurora in the English National Ballet’s The Sleeping Beauty production.

Last year, Cojocaru received the same award for her role as Giselle in Akram Khan’s production for the English National Ballet.

The National Dance awards are chosen by the dance section of the Critics’ Circle. The awards recognize dancers across a variety of genres.

Congrats to Lead Principal Alina Cojocaru for winning Outstanding Female Classical Performance at @NatDanceAwards #NDA2018 for her performance as Aurora in #ENBSleeping! 👏 pic.twitter.com/uPMZvQDwrH — English National Ballet (@ENBallet) February 18, 2019

Cojocaru joined the English National Ballet in 2013. She trained at the Kiev State Choreographic Institute and the Royal Ballet Upper School. She previously danced with the Kiev Ballet (principal dancer 1998) and London-based Royal Ballet (corps de ballet 1999, soloist 2000, principal 2001).

Throughout her career, Cojocaru received a host of awards, including “Dancer of the year” German Dance Critics Award (2012); Benois de la Danse (2012 Best Female Dancer, Liliom); ‘Ballerina of the Decade’ Award (Moscow 2010; The Nijinsky Award (2004 Best Female Dancer); Benois de la Danse (2004 Best Female Dancer, Giselle); 1 Internationaler Movimentos Tanz Preis (2004 Best Female Dancer); Nagoya International Ballet Competition (Gold Medal); Prix de Lausanne (1997 winner); Critics’ Circle Dance Award (2002 Best female dancer). In April 2002 she was given the medal of Cavaler of Romania by then President of Romania Ion Iliescu.

(Photo: National Dance Awards on Twitter)