The Company Index
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Jenna Roberts
Introduced by David Bintley
It's always a cause for celebration when the Company welcomes a new Principal, and even more so when the
dancer in question has come through the ranks of the Company. Born in Australia, Jenna Roberts
trained at the Marie Walton-Mahon Dance Academy, Australia, and the Royal Ballet Upper School. She joined
Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2003 and progressed rapidly through the Company, achieving the rank of First
Soloist in 2008. After a distressing period of injury, Jenna made a triumphant comeback in a number of
leading roles and was created our latest Principal at the end of the 2011-12 season. Her slim, long-legged
physicality, which masks a steely strength, was eminently suited to Apollo, an early success which
marked her out as an outstanding Balanchine interpreter. Since then she has danced, with great versatility,
the leading roles in Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, The Sleeping Beauty, Coppélia,
Daphnis and Chloë and Cinderella. Notable amongst an impressive list of performances in
shorter ballets are Jenna's recent created roles in Jessica Lang's Lyric Pieces and as the Fairy in
Michael Corder's Le Baiser de la fée. Jenna also danced Juliet in 'Ballet Hoo! Ballet
Changed My Life' - Birmingham Royal Ballet's landmark televised Department for Learning project.
REPERTORY INCLUDES
Frederick Ashton: La Fille mal gardée (Lise's Friends), The Two Pigeons,
Dante Sonata, Monotones II, Symphonic Variations, Daphnis and Chloë and
Scènes de ballet
George Balanchine: Apollo (Tersichore), Agon (Principal couple), Symphony in Three
Movements and Western Symphony (First movement)
David Bintley: Hobson's Choice (Salvation Army), The Nutcracker Sweeties
(Chinoiserie), The Shakespeare Suite (Juliet), Beauty and the Beast, Allegri diversi,
The Orpheus Suite, The Sons of Horus, The Dance House, Cinderella ('Summer'),
E=mc²; ('Mass') and David Bintley and Galina Samsova's production of
Giselle (Harvest pas de deux)
John Cranko: The Lady and the Fool
Oliver Hindle: The Four Seasons
Millicent Hodson and Kenneth Archer's reconstruction of The Rite of Spring
Michael Kopisnki: Dumbarton Oaks
Kenneth MacMillan: Romeo and Juliet (Juliet), Elite Syncopations ('Bethena Concert
Waltz'), Solitaire (Girl) and Concerto pas de deux
Hans van Manen: Five Tangos
Ninette de Valois: Checkmate
Peter Wright's production of The Nutcracker (Sugar Plum Fairy), Coppélia
(Friends and 'Prayer') and The Sleeping Beauty (Princess Aurora) and Peter Wright and
Galina Samsova's production of Swan Lake (Odette/Odile)
CREATED ROLES
The Fairy in Michael Corder's Le Baiser de la fée
Last updated September 2012.
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Jenna Roberts; photo: Richard Battye
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Company promotions 2012
