BIOGRAPHY
Jurgita Dronina was born in 1986. She graduated from the ballet school at the National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art in Vilnius, Lithuania and Munich International Ballet Academy, under the directorship of Konstanze Vernon in 2005.
Ms. Dronina joined the Royal Swedish Ballet in 2005, was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2008.
Principal Ballerina with The Royal Swedish Ballet 2005 – 2010
Principal Ballerina with The Dutch National Ballet 2010 – 2015
Principal Ballerina with The National Ballet of Canada 2015 – 2025
Guest Principal Artist with Hong Kong Ballet 2015 – 2017
Full time Lead Principal Ballerina with English National Ballet 2017– 2020
- Featured as one of the main characters alongside Karen Kain in “Swan Song”, the Documentary Series and Feature Film (TIFF) & (BFI London) by CBC in 2023;
- Staged Natalia Makarova’s “Swan Lake” for the Norwegian National Ballet (Act 2; Act 3) in 2023
Awards and Prizes
2018
- Received the Cross of the Knight of the Order for Merits to Lithuania, by President of Lithuania, for distinguished merits in culture worldwide.
- Benois De La Danse nominee for the role of Juliet in Rudolf Nureyev’s “Romeo & Juliet”, for the role of Sylphide in Auguste Bournonville’s “La Sylphide” with English National Ballet
- Baltic Assembly Award in arts and culture, for contribution in culture and distinguished merits to Lithuania
- Nominee of National Dance Critics’ Award U.K. for the best female classical dancer of the Year in United Kingdom.
2014
- The Alexandra Radius Award for Outstanding dancer of the year with Dutch National Ballet, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2011
- The Zwaan Award for Best performance of the year for the role of Aurora in “Sleeping Beauty”, Dutch National Ballet, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2009
- Swedish-Danish cultural Grant awarded by Danish Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
2008
- The Rotary International Award
- 2010/ 2011/ 2013 Awards in International Ballet Festival “Dance Open” in St. Petersburg, awarded by Natalia Makarova.
- European Dance Magazine “Dance Europe” voted her Outstanding Dancer of the season in 2009/10, 2010/11 & 2011/12 for interpretations of Juliet in Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s “Romeo & Juliet”; Kitri in Alexei Ratmansky’s “Don Quixote”; Aurora in Sir Peter Wright’s “Sleeping Beauty”; Ballerina in Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s “Pas De Deux”.
International Ballet Competitions
Silver Medal at the International Ballet Competition in Mora, Sweden in 2002
Gold Medal at the International Ballet Competition in Grasse, France in 2003
Silver Medal at the International Ballet Competition in Helsinki, Finland in 2005
Silver Medal at the International Ballet Competition in Moscow, Russia in 2005
Silver Medal at the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, USA in 2006
Repertoire
- Nikya in “La Bayadère” (chor. Natalia Makarova; Altynai Asylmuratova)
- Aurora in “Sleeping Beauty” (chor. Sir Peter Wright; Paul Chalmer; Rudolf Nureyev; Sir Kenneth MacMillan)
- Juliet in “Romeo & Juliet” (chor. Sir Kenneth MacMillan; Rudi Van Dantzig; Derek Deane; Rudolf Nureyev)
- Manon in “Manon” (chor. Sir Kenneth MacMillan)
- Kitri in “Don Quixote” (chor. Alexei Ratmansky; Maria Gracia Garofoli / Rudolf Nureyev; Carlos Acosta)
- Medora in “Le Corsaire” (chor. Alexei Fadeyechev)
- Giselle in “Giselle” (chor. Oleg Vinogradov; Rachel Beaujean / Ricardo Bustamante after Coralli / Perrot; Sir Peter Wright; Mary Skeaping)
- Odette / Odile in “Swan Lake” (chor. Karen Kain / Eric Bruhn; Natalie Conus; Anna-Marie Holmes; Peter Martins; Rudi van Dantzig; Patrice Bart; Konstantin Sergeyev / Liudmila Kovaliova / Liubov Kunakova; John Meehan; Derek Deane)
- Swanilda in “Coppelia” (chor. Marc Ribaud; Ronald Hynd)
- Sugar Plum (Clara) in “The Nutcracker” (chor. Pär Isberg; Wayne Eagling; James Kudelka; Terence Kohler; Alessandra Panzavolta)
- Hermione in “The Winter’s Tale” (chor. Christopher Wheeldon)
- Sylphide in “La Sylphide” (chor. John Kobborg / Auguste Bournonville; Frank Andersen / Auguste Bournonville
- Cinderella in “Cinderella” (chor. Christopher Wheeldon; James Kudelka)
- Queen Sofia Magdalena in “Gustav III” (chor. Patrice Bart)
- Esmeralda in “Hunchback of Notre-Dame” (chor. Pär Isberg)
- Miranda in “The Tempest” (chor. Krzysztof Pastor)
- Sylvia in “Sylvia” (chor. John Neumeier)
- Blanche Dubois in “A Streetcar Named Desire” (chor. John Neumeier)
- Manon in “La Dame Aux Camellias” (chor. John Neumeier)
- Tatiana & Olga in “Onegin” (chor. John Cranko)
- Paquita in “Paquita” (chor. Marius Petipa)
- Titania in “The Dream” (chor. Frederick Ashton)
- Lead Woman in “Song of The Earth” (chor. Sir Kenneth MacMillan)
- Lead Couple in “Les Sylphides” (chor. Michel Fokine)
- Lead Woman, Red Hat Woman in “Elite Syncopations” (chor. Sir Kenneth MacMillan)
- Olga in “On The Dnieper” (chor. Alexei Ratmansky)
- Firebird in “Firebird” (chor. Alexei Ratmansky)
- Tchaikovsky “Pas de Deux” (chor. George Balanchine)
- Waltz in “Serenade” (chor. George Balanchine)
- 2nd Movement, 1st Movement & 4th Movement of Symphony in C (chor. George Balanchine)
- Diamonds & Emeralds in “Jewels” (chor. George Balanchine)
- 3rd Sonata in “Approximate Sonata” (chor. William Forsythe)
- Lead Pas De deux in “No Man’s Land” (chor. Liam Scarlett)
Principal parts in contemporary works by Alonzo King, Mauro Bigonzetti, Christian Spuck, Krzysztof Pastor, Nils Christe, Jean-Christophe Maillot, Benjamin Millepied, Juanjo Arques, Hans Van Manen, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Rudi van Dantzig, Toer van Schayk, David Dawson, Jorma Elo, Guillaume Côté, Will Tuckett, Liam Scarlett, William Forsythe
Ballets that were created for Ms. Dronina:
“Gustav III” by Patrice Bart, “The Collective Agreement” by Alonzo King, “Minos” by Juanjo Arques, “Moving Glass” by Nils Christe, “Labyrinth” by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, “Day 4” and “Overture” by David Dawson, “Shapes” by Jorma Elo, “Dances with Harp” by Hans Van Manen, “The Tempest” by Krzysztof Pastor, “Le Petit Prince” by Guillaume Côté
Guest Appearances in full-length ballets:
- Principal Guest Ballerina with Arena Di Verona in 2009 – “Don Quixote” (Kitri); in 2010 – “Le Corsaire” (Medora);
- Principal Guest Ballerina with Norwegian National Ballet in 2009 – “Swan Lake” (Odette / Odile);
- Principal Guest Ballerina with Het Nationale Ballet in 2010 – “Don Quixote” (Kitri);
- Principal Guest Ballerina with Royal Danish Ballet in 2010 – “Swan Lake” (Odette / Odile);
- Principal Guest Ballerina at the Rudolf Nureyev International Ballet Festival, Kazan, Russia in 2011 & 2013 – “Giselle” (Giselle) and “La Bayadere” (Nikya)
- Principal Guest Dancer with Teatro San Carlo in 2014 – “Le Corsaire” (Medora), “Nutcracker” (Clara)
- Principal Guest Ballerina with Teatro Dell'Opera Di Roma in 2014 – “Sleeping Beauty” (Aurora); in “Swan Lake” (Odette / Odile)
- Principal Guest Ballerina with Hong Kong Ballet in 2015 – “Paquita” (Paquita); “Nutcracker” (Sugar Plum); in 2016 – “Swan Lake” (Odette / Odile)
- Principal Guest Ballerina with Lithuanian National Ballet: from 2008 – “Giselle” (Giselle), “Swan Lake” (Odette / Odile), “La Bayadere” (Nikya)
- Principal Guest Ballerina with Shanghai Ballet in 2016 – “Romeo and Juliet” (Juliet); in 2017 - “Swan Lake” (Odette / Odille)
- Principal Guest Ballerina with English National Ballet in 2017 – “Giselle” (Giselle)
Since January 2025, Jurgita Dronina has been the Artistic Director of Ballet at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre.
