So tonite I lost it: Johan Kobborg’s heartbreaking departure from the Royal Ballet

Johan Kobborg has given his last performance with the Royal Ballet, in Tokyo. The last performance was due to have been tomorrow evening for the opening of Swan Lake but he and Alina Cojocaru cancelled. Yesterday, the Royal Ballet announced:

Friday will see the first of five performances of Swan Lake, although unfortunately Alina Cojocaru and Johan Kobborg announced today they will not be performing the leading roles on Friday evening.

So Steven McRae and Roberta Marquez will take over. However a statement from Cojocaru and Kobborg accompanied the announcement:

We are very sorry and sad not to be performing our scheduled performance of Swan Lake with the Company. Unfortunately, due to our recent injuries, although recovering well, we are still unable to meet the physical demands that Swan Lake specifically requires.  We both love performing in Japan and look forward to appearing back here soon.

Maybe this has something to do with the heartbreaking message that Kobborg posted on Facebook from his mobile last night:

Wow. So tonite I lost it. I cried. Not after curtain down, as I only felt good vibes from colleagues and Tokyo audience, but later in my dressing room.

My Boss stuck his head in through the door, said well done, asked how I felt, and not to be a stranger in the future. Then left, not a single hug or even a handshake… That was it…

Considering I am leaving on good terms, after 13 yrs of being a principal at RB, and doing productions for the company, I can only imagine, how people leaving because of arguments would have their send off.. Feel bad for the other 3 dancers sharing my dress room to see me lose it like that.

The Tokyo producer wanted to book a taxi for me in the early morning to take me to the airport, just like when I arrived, but as a final appreciation from RB they refused and has given me tickets for the public airport transfer bus. Thank you RB management for some beautiful times over the last + decade, may I never ( dancers excluded) have to ever meet you again.

So that was it. After yesterday's Royal Gala in Tokyo, Alina Cojocaru and Johan Kobborg have danced with the Royal Ballet for the last time.

Photo: Twitter photo of  Alina Cojocaru and Johan Kobborg at their hotel.

Gramilano( Editor )

Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.

His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.