Tamara Rojo, the dynamic and inventive Spanish ballerina who has been artistic director and principal of the English National Ballet in London since 2012, will be the next artistic director of the San Francisco Ballet, from the end of 2022.

Rojo, 47, is expected to succeed Helgi Tomasson, who will resign in June after 37 years at the helm of the company. The appointment, announced on Tuesday, January 11, makes Rojo the sixth person – and the first woman – to lead the company in its 89-year history.

“I have been a longtime admirer of the San Francisco Ballet,” Rojo told The Chronicle in a Zoom interview from her London home. “Even when I was a young dancer, it was one of my dreams to dance with the company.

“In my opinion, Helgi was an absolutely revolutionary director and made San Francisco the most exciting company in North America. I am very happy that the board of directors chose me to be the next director of the company.

Rojo was selected after a nearly year-long search process that began as soon as Tomasson announced his decision to retire, said board member Fran Streets, who led the search committee with Sunnie Evers.

“We came into the process with a determination that we would do a broad outreach globally, to make sure that everyone was included and that the research was conducted in a fair and equitable manner,” Streets said.

“Tamara stood out from the start. Everything about her impressed us.

Rojo’s career as a performer began in earnest with his victory in 1994 at the Paris International Dance Competition and included acclaimed appearances with the Scottish Ballet and the Royal Ballet. Her repertoire includes lead roles in a wide range of complete ballets – “Swan Lake”, “Romeo and Juliet”, “La Sylphide” and others – as well as works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins and Kenneth MacMillan.

Under her leadership, the English National Ballet gained new importance as a vehicle for innovative programming and community outreach, perhaps best exemplified by the reimagined 2016 production of “Giselle” which she commissioned from Bangladeshi choreographer Akram. Khan. Rojo also led a fundraising campaign that raised nearly $ 50 million for a new head office for the company.

When asked about her plans for San Francisco, Rojo said it was too early for details and that she would know more after spending a year working with Tomasson and learning about the company. Her main priority, she said, is to expand the art of ballet as much as possible.

“It may not sound revolutionary, but my goal will be to enable creativity through a wide variety of voices, including American and international creators, and in particular to strengthen female voices in the ballet world. It’s something that fascinates me enormously.

Danielle St. Germain-Gordon, interim executive director of the San Francisco Ballet, said Rojo’s commitment to expanding public access was one of the factors that made her attractive for the job.

“She is dedicated and passionate about pushing the limits,” said St. Germain-Gordon. “He is a very endearing figure who is dedicated to making ballet more accessible to everyone.”

In a press release, Tomasson said, “I am very happy that a fellow dancer is leading the Company with bold vision and talent, and I look forward to seeing the innovative ideas Tamara brings to SF Ballet. I have no doubts that this business will continue to thrive under his leadership.

Rojo was born in Montreal but raised in Madrid, where she says she discovered ballet by accident – neither of her parents were interested in this art form.

“I was an introverted child,” she said, “and I found the studio my paradise. I didn’t understand when I started doing ballet that it was a performing art. I thought it was just the studio, and then when you became an adult you became the teacher.

Reality emerged when her mother took her to see “Swan Lake” for the first time. Suddenly, she said, she realized that the dance would involve an audience.

Rojo persevered, however, and became a renowned performer for a combination of impeccable technique and dramatic insight. At the same time, she pursued secondary interests, including obtaining a doctorate in performing arts psychology from King Juan Carlos University in Madrid.

So when the time came to expand her role as English National from dancer to artistic director, Rojo said she was more than ready.

“I had been interested in management for a long time and watched other directors when I had the chance. I wanted to train as much as possible if the opportunity presented itself.

“I love the history of our art form,” she said, “and I’ve always been particularly interested in the people who transformed the art form out of ambition – people like (Sergei ) Diaghilev or (Rudolf) Nureyev. Their legacy has touched many more people than their own careers. As a dancer I loved to dance but always wanted to do more.

Khan’s famous “Giselle” – which draws on Indian Kathak and contemporary dance vocabulary rather than traditional ballet – is a model of the kind of innovation Rojo hopes to bring to San Francisco.

“Living in London, I was inspired by the way British directors treat the theatrical canon – how brave they are with Shakespeare or Ibsen,” she said. “Each director feels like they have their own voice to add, and as long as we keep doing the traditional version alongside the new version, nothing is lost. Instead, we can keep the artistic legacy. alive for a new generation. “

Rojo recently turned to choreography for the first time. Her production of “Raymonda” – which is set during the Crimean War, with the main character portrayed as a figure similar to Clara Barton – is scheduled to open in London on January 18. But she says that once she arrives in San Francisco, her goal will be fully at the helm of the company.

“My goal has always been to support the voices of others and allow the creativity of others to take the stage. This will continue to be my first goal as artistic director. I don’t intend to create anything just yet.

Her stage career, Rojo said, has subtly ended.

“As a dancer I got off the stage quietly and slowly, which I wanted to do. I haven’t played for over two years. I still have a few commitments to keep, but I have no plans to perform once I join the San Francisco Ballet.

Rojo will come to San Francisco with her husband, Isaac Hernández – who danced with the company in 2010 and recently returned as the principal dancer – and their 9-month-old son. Hernández’s brother Esteban has been a principal dancer in San Francisco since 2013.

Rojo and Hernández’s relationship – which began when she was artistic director and dancer with the English National Ballet – was all the rage in 2018, with accusations in the press about favoritism in the casting.

When asked about the incident, Rojo firmly denied that there had been anything inappropriate and pointed out that the allegations had been investigated by both the company’s board of directors. and by the Arts Council and have been found to be unfounded.

“When I came to ENB there was a lot to change, and change is not easy. But we did. Obviously it couldn’t make everyone happy, and some voices disagreed with some of my decisions, ”she said.

“For me, casting has always been an inclusive and transparent process. All of the casting is done with the artistic team, and we try to be as balanced and fair as possible. We had a system of checks and balances at ENB, as well as board oversight, and I expect the same system to be in place in San Francisco.