Masterclass by Alina Cojocaru

VANESSA FENTON MASTERCLASS
ALINA COJOCARU
17/08/25

Following a warm welcome to the De Valois studio at the Royal Opera House from Vanessa to the 20 eager dancers and a group of excited observers, she explained the structure of the day. First a 90-minute class, with live piano accompaniment, to warm-up everyone and prepare them to learn the Act III Sleeping Beauty wedding solo for Aurora to be taught by Alina Cojocaru.

Vanessa is a terrific teacher, mixing humour and corrections, keeping the mood light and yet making sure the dancers are using their bodies to best advantage. Time is taken to make sure everyone is comfortable with the combinations and doing them so to have a good solid base for their performance. One could see the class members taking her words to heart.

Alina then took over and explained to us all that this is one of her favourite solos and she was happy to be teaching it to them. However, she would teach the steps but not how to approach the role. That was up to each to find their own interpretation of Aurora’s story, and how to share that with her fellow dancers and the audience. Over the next two hours, members of LBC were privileged to watch a ballerina at the height of her profession encouraging, praising, correcting and explaining her philosophy of approaching the character. Alina spoke of Aurora’s first act solo where she is a carefree young girl celebrating her birthday, her second solo which is all in the prince’s mind and finally the wedding solo. Aurora is now a woman, loved by and loving her prince and she’s about to embark on a future including marriage, possibly parenthood and, at some point, she’ll be a queen. All these thoughts and emotions have to come through not only the choreography but by the ballerina believing in herself, being truthful and real in her interpretation and drawing us all in to that world. Perfection is not the goal, honesty is!

It was a truly inspiring day for each and every one of us and I, for one, will never forget it.

SDE