Spanish choreographer, Tamara Rojo, becomes first woman to direct the San Francisco Ballet company

The San Francisco Ballet (SF Ballet) company has appointed Tamara Rojo its artistic director. She will join the company in late 2022 after a nearly decade-long stint as director at the English National Ballet.

Rojo will replace Helgi Tomasson who has been SF Ballet’s director for 37 years. She will join her husband and dancer, Isaac Hernández, who has recently been named principal dancer of the company.

“I’ve long admired San Francisco Ballet as one of the most creative dance companies in America, offering so many different artistic voices the opportunity to create works for some of the best dancers in the world,” Rojo said on 11 January.

“I’m excited to join SF Ballet to add to the innovative spirit of the company as we reassess what the future of ballet can and should look like, opening the best of what our art form can offer to the widest possible audience. And while internationally recognised both for its performances and training, SF Ballet has a deep, year-round commitment to San Francisco audiences and the community, a dynamic community that my family and I very much look forward to joining and exploring,” she added.

“SF Ballet is thrilled that Tamara Rojo will be joining us in San Francisco as artistic director later this year. She’s had an outstanding international career as a dancer and has been a transformative artistic director over the last near-decade. Classical ballet is evolving from a very ‘traditional’ past, and as a creative visionary, Tamara is the dynamic leader who will change and expand upon how patrons of dance will be able to see and engage with it. She is the voice of the future, and we are delighted she will be here at SF Ballet,” the company added.