Choreographer | kobborg.uk

Cinderella

Libretto, Choreography and Production - Johan Kobborg

Sets - Motohiko Ando

Costumes - Nakamura Yukiko

Lighting - Tsujii Taro

Best Premiere - Critics' Choice 2021 - (Dance Europe)

"Dazzling" - (Dance International)

"This is a more convincing fulfilment of a dream than the stereotypical happy-ever-after conclusion, which is sometimes just too good to be true”. - (Dance Europe)

“Leaves a lasting impression”. - (Dance Magazine JP)

NBA Ballet Company Tokyo, Bunka Kaikan Tokyo - 2021

Romeo & Juliet

Choreography and Production - Johan Kobborg

Set - David Umemoto

Costumes - Johan Kobborg and Anonymous

Lighting - Kostyra Binkin

"What a triumph." - La Nazione IT

"One of the most thrilling fight scenes I have seen in ballet."

"..This whole sequence showed Kobborg’s intuitive understanding of a ballet in which he had performed many times and his innovation at doing it differently and just as well, if not better."

Similarly, the balcony pas de deux (although perhaps now re-named the high stairs duet) was refreshingly new choreography, shorn of any mimicry; earthy, visceral and passionate."

"There is no mistaking that this is an outstanding new and inventive addition to the vast catalogue of danced Romeo & Juliet productions." - DanceTabs UK (4 Stars)

"Stirring stuff...Clear and concise. There is a jewel of a piece here...deserving to become a popular work, regularly performed, to please purists and entice newcomers alike." - Express UK (4 stars)

"Kobborg concentrates on the essentials of the narrative and creates a sense of urgent lyricism in his imaginative and original choreography. In an intelligent Kobborg touch, it is Cojocaru in a red dress who laments over Tybalt’s body, not Lady Capulet, which brings a deeper, painful dimension to the lovers’ relationship". - Dance Europe

"..Fits the modern attention span, and its urgency suits this hot-blooded tale.

The intense focus heightens the emotions of the most vivid characters – provocative Mercutio, wrathful Tybalt, and the lovers."

- Telegraph UK (4 stars)

"Direct, engaging, breathless... a whirling unfolding of internal and external events with an almost cinematic style. Kobborg infuses delicacy and humanity." - Sipario IT

"..the drama – the fights, the climactic heartbreak and the doomed romance becomes the focus." - Tatler UK

Arena di Verona, Italy - 2019

Royal Albert Hall. UK - 2021

Don Quixote

Choreography and Production - Johan Kobborg

Sets and Costumes - Jerome Kaplan

Lighting - Vincent Millet

"Johan Kobborg is one of the few stage directors in the world with taste and understanding of the classical ballet."

- Bolshoi Magazine RU

"The Yacobson Ballet demonstrates simply dizzying steps bordering on fantasy." - Interessant RU

"Kobborg has deconstructed the work; mixing up the narrative’s building blocks before reassembling them in a masterpiece of balance that remains recognisably traditional but is also refreshingly new."

- DanceTabs UK

"The disappearing art of pantomime generously poured in this edition to all characters."

- Bolshoi Magazine RU

"Kobborg thinks of dance as a wonderful dancer and logical as the heir to the Danish school. He gave love stories to the bullfighter Espada and the Street Dancer, since they have been competing in dance for centuries, and Sancho Panza, usually deprived of female attention" - RG.RU

The Production received 7 Golden Mask nominations in Moscow 2019, including Best Production and Best Choreographer.

The production received the Performer of the Year Award at the Golden Light Awards in St Petersburg 2019. The performance has been toured throughout Europe and is performed regularly at some of Russia's most distinguished theatres including the Bolshoi, Mariinsky and Alexandrinsky theatres.

The Leonid Yacobson Ballet, St. Petersburg - 2017

Giselle

Choreography and Production - Johan Kobborg / Ethan Stiefel

Sets - Howard C Jones

Costumes - Natalia Stewart

Lighting - Kendall Smith

"A haunting production that will linger long in the memory" - The Stage UK

"A tight and gripping recounting of a poetic tale"

"It is simply superb in every way"

- New Zealand Herald

"One of the finest Giselle I have ever seen."

- RNZ Sunday NZ

"The storytelling is masterful'.."This is a century-and-a-half-old ballet presented in a way that feels as authentic as the day it was born". - The List UK

"What this creative and glorious revisiting has achieved is enrichment and revitalisation of everything the work holds dear and, at the same time, a wonderful showcase for the company.." - DanceTabs UK

"Exceptionally intelligent storytelling.."

- The Australian.

The Production was the subject of acclaimed film director Toa Fraser's 2013 feature film "Giselle the Movie".

The production has toured extensively throughout USA, UK, China and New Zealand.

Royal New Zealand Ballet - 2012

Opera National Bucharest - 2015

American Repertory Ballet - Premiere 2023

La Sylphide

Production & additional Choreography - Johan Kobborg

Sets/Costumes - Peter Farmer, Henrik Bloch, Natalia Stewart, Desmond Heeley and more.

"Everything about Kobborg's Sylphide is right."

"The production is masterly"

"Kobborg’s staging of La Sylphide is the best I know,

the most sensitive to Bournonville’s drama and manner. - Financial Times UK

"..the mix of pure intelligence and pure enchantment driving his production should guarantee it a whole new audience.." - The Guardian UK

"The dramatic flexibility of Kobborg's reading extends to all the roles, thus providing each interpreter with a unique platform for her (or his) interpretative skills."

- The Spectator UK

(5-stars) Financial Times UK

(5-stars) The Independent UK

(5-stars) The Times UK

(5-stars) Tme Out UK

(4-stars) Mail on Sunday UK

(4-stars) What's On UK

(4-stars) The Guardian UK

The Royal Ballet - 2005

The Bolshoi Ballet - 2008

Zurich Ballet - 2008

Lithuanian National Ballet - 2009

Kobayashi Ballet - 2009

Opera National Bucharest - 2013

National Ballet of Canada - 2016

Atlanta Ballet - 2019

Sarasota Ballet - Premiere 2023

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Johan Kobborg's version of Bournonville's

La Sylphide is a multi award winning production.

In 2006 Johan was nominated for the Lawrence Olivier Award in London, for his Royal Ballet production.

Awards include, Special Performance of the

Year for its two Lead Dancers at the

Golden Mask Awards 2009.

In 2014 his Bucharest production of La Sylphide, won the

'Performance of the Year' award in Romania.

Johan Kobborg's Bolshoi Ballet production has twice been Live streamed to cinemas worldwide.

Les Lutins

"A little marvel". - Financial Times UK

"The knockout of the evening" - Sunday Times UK

"To start with the best: Johan Kobborg's Les Lutins is a tiny gem" - The Telegraph UK

"This - Kobborg's Les Lutins - is one of the most riveting pieces of choreography you'll ever see."

- BalletNews UK

The Royal Ballet - 2009

Royal Danish Ballet - 2011

San Francisco Ballet - 2014

The Bolshoi Ballet - 2014

Royal New Zealand Ballet - 2014

Opera National Bucharest - 2015

Royal Swedish Ballet - 2020 (Excerpt)

LES LUTINS

Choreography by Johan Kobborg

World Premiere 14 May 2009, The Royal Ballet,

Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

An Agon for two musicians and three dancers. Originally created for the Royal Ballet London, the piece is now performed all over the world by some of the worlds leading dancers. It has since its premiere been a regular at Galas and Festivals worldwide, including 'Dance Open' Russia, Alina Cojocaru's 'Dream Project', Daniel Ulbricht's 'Stars of American Ballet', Svetlana Zakharova's 'Pas de Deux for Toes and Fingers' and many others.
An excerpt from Les Lutins was included in the Royal Swedish Ballet's online New Year's Eve Gala, 31 December 2020.

The White Crow (2018)

"Exhilarating!". - Rolling Stones

"Brilliant biopic brings dancer Rudolf Nureyev to life onscreen". - (5 Stars) AARP

"Magnificent and a true celebration!".
- Associated Press

"Guaranteed to leave you inspired". - ELLE UK

Director - Ralph Fiennes
Lead Choreographer - Johan Kobborg

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Salute

Choreography - Johan Kobborg

Sets and Costumes - Natalia Stewart

"In Kobborg's new piece, Salute -

his fluency, intelligence and creativity are all to be seen" - Dancing Times UK

"Kobborg's delightful series of vignettes about soldiers going off to war and the girls they leave behind."

"..The true star of the show was the ballet itself – only Kobborg's second piece of original choreography – which was fresh, funny and styled after his Bournonville roots without being dated or derivative.

With his theatrical roots, I believe Kobborg will become as gifted a choreographer as he is a dancer".

- Herald-Tribune USA

"Kobborg is something as rare as an amusing and humouristic classical choreographer. He makes use of ballet''s traditional language and of pointe shoes and small, neat bits of action so that the audience can compose the rest of the narrative themselves.
Alumnus is a fun and equilibristic work, so more Kobborg, Please!". - Information DK

(5-stars) Jyllands Posten DK

(5-stars) Folketidende DK

(5-stars) Berlingske DK

North Carolina School of the Arts - 2010

Royal Danish Ballet - 2011

Sarasota Ballet - 2011

Royal New Zealand Ballet - 2015