Johan Kobborg to Perform with American Ballet Theatre in Giselle, Saturday Matinee, May 28, 2011 at Metropolitan Opera House

Johan Kobborg, a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet in London, will make his first appearance with American Ballet Theatre as a guest artist at the matinee on Saturday, May 28 in Giselle. It was announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. Kobborg will dance the role of Albrecht in Giselle replacing Maxim Beloserkovsky who is injured.

Kobborg was born in Copenhagen, Denmark and trained at the Funen Ballet Academy before joining the Royal Danish Ballet School in 1988 at the age of 16. He joined the Royal Danish Ballet in 1989 and was promoted to soloist in 1991 and to principal in 1994. With the Royal Danish Ballet, he has danced leading roles in the classical and romantic repertory including Albrecht in Giselle, Franz in Coppélia, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, the Prince in The Nutcracker, Basilio in Don Quixote, Romeo in Sir Frederick Ashton’s and John Neumeier’s Romeo and Juliet, James in August Bournonville’s La Sylphide, and Gennaro in Napoli. In 1993, Kobborg won the gold medal at the Erik Bruhn Competition in Canada and the Grand Prix at the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, U.S.A. in 1994. In 1996, he was nominated for the Benois de la Danse prize for his role as James in La Sylphide.

Kobborg joined the Royal Ballet as a principal dancer in 1999. His repertoire with the Royal Ballet includes leading roles in Ashton’s Symphonic Variations, Les Rendezvous, Scènes de ballet and Ondine, George Balanchine’s Duo Concertant, Antony Tudor’s The Leaves Are Fading, Jerome Robbins’ The Concert and William Forsythe’s In the middle, somewhat elevated. He has also danced the Prince in Cinderella, Franz in Ninette de Valois’ Coppélia, Albrecht in Peter Wright’s production of Giselle, Basilio in Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote, the title role in John Cranko’s Onegin, Solor in Natalia Makarova’s production of La Bayadère, Prince Desiré in The Sleeping Beauty and Prince Siegfried in Anthony Dowell’s production of Swan Lake. Kobborg’s roles in Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s ballets include the title role in Romeo and Juliet, Crown Prince Rudolf in Mayerling, the Solo Boy in Danses Concertantes and Des Grieux in Manon. In addition, he has performed Prince Florimund in the Monica Mason and Christopher Newton production of The Sleeping Beauty and the Rake in de Valois’ The Rake’s Progress.

For more information, please visit www.abt.org.