Alina Nanu

Biography

Alina was born on August 23, 1990, in Kishinev, where she began her studies at the State Dance Conservatory of Moldova. She later continued her education at the Prague Dance Conservatory, and during her time with the school’s company, she performed internationally in countries such as Spain, Germany, and the USA. While still a student, she received recognition in several competitions, notably winning second prize at the International Ballet Competition in Brno (2009) and first prize at the International Ballet Competition in Romania (2009).

In 2010, Alina began her professional career as a member of the ballet company at the State Opera Prague. By 2011, she had been promoted to soloist, with notable roles such as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Kitri in Don Quixote (for which she was nominated for the Thalia Award in 2013), and Myrtha in Giselle.

Since joining the Czech National Ballet in 2012, Alina has become one of its leading figures, and in 2015, she was promoted to first soloist. That same year, she received the Director of the National Theatre Prize for young artists under 35. She also garnered a nomination for Dance Europe’s Dancer of the Year in 2019. Alina’s career includes performances of major classical roles and contemporary works, such as Clara in The Nutcracker – A Christmas Carol, Juliet and the Juggler in Romeo and Juliet, and Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty. She has also excelled in neoclassical and modern ballet, dancing in Americana III, Czech Ballet Symphony II, Serenade by George Balanchine, Bella Figura by Jiří Kylián, Rain by Radu Poklitaru, The Second Detail by William Forsythe, and Kafka: The Trial by Mauro Bigonzetti.

In the most recent season, Alina has starred in three premieres, as the pale princess in Viktor Konvalinka's ballet fairytale The Sun, the Moon, the Wind, as the sister in Mauro Bigonzetti's Scheherezade, as well as Manon and as Lescaut's Mistress in Kenneth's MacMillan's L'Histoire de Manon.

Repertoire:

Contemporary and Neoclassical Repertoire:

• Americana III (Theme and Variations) – George Balanchine

• Aspects / Vertigo (Duet Aspects) – Katarzyna Kozielska / Mauro Bigonzetti

• Ballettissimo (I. movement - two couples (Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A major)) – Uwe Scholz

• Ballettissimo (II. movement - two couples (Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A major)) – Uwe Scholz

• Ballettissimo (III. movement - main couple (Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A major)) – Uwe Scholz

• Beyond Vibrations (Frank Bridge Variations) – Hans van Manen

• Beyond Vibrations (Fly Paper Bird) – Marco Goecke

• bpm (Bill) – Sharon Eyal

• bpm (Artza) – Eyal Dadon

• Brel – Vysockij – Kryl – Petr Zuska

• Czech Ballet Symphony II (Stabat Mater) – Petr Zuska

• Czech Ballet Symphony II (Guru) – Viktor Konvalinka

• Deja-vu (Deja-vu) – Petr Zuska

• Forsythe / Clug / McGregor (Eden | Eden - Alica/Laura) – Wayne McGregor

• Forsythe / Clug / McGregor (The Second Detail -  Tracy/Nora) – William Forsythe

• Holo Harmonies (Pas de deux 4) – Mauro Bigonzetti

• Kafka: The Trial (Nurse) – Mauro Bigonzetti

• Kylián – Bridges of Time (Bella Figura, Petit Mort) – Jiří Kylián

• Leonce & Lena (Princess Lena from the Pipi Kingdom) – Christian Spück

• The Little Mermaid (The Little Mermaid) – Jan Kodet

• Moving Still – Jiří Kylián

• Ohad Naharin: decadance – Ohad Naharin

• Scheherazade (Sister) – Mauro Bigonzetti

• Slavic Temperament (Duet Aspects) – Mauro Bigonzetti

• Slavic Temperament (Dumka) – Ondřej Vinklát

• The Sun, the Moon, the Wind (Bledulenka) – Viktor Konvalinka

• Solo for the Two of Us – Choreography: Jiří Kylián

• Take Me with You - Robert Bondara 
  
  

• Timeless (Russian Girl) – George Balanchine

• Timeless (Waltz Girl) – George Balanchine

• A Streetcar Named Desire (Blanche DuBois) – John Neumeier

• Valmont (Marquise de Merteuil) – Libor Vaculík

• Vertigo (Russia (Rain)) – Radu Poklitaru

• Vertigo (Vertigo) – Mauro Bigonzetti

• The Snow Queen (The Queen) – Michael Corder

Classical Repertoire:

• Coppélia (Swanilda) – Ronald Hynd

• Don Quixote (Kitri) – Marius Petipa

• Giselle (Myrtha) – Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot

• Giselle (Myrtha’s Attendants) – Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot

• L'Histoire de Manon – Manon, Lescaut’s Mistress

• La Bayadère (Gamzatti) – Marius Petipa / Javier Torres

• La Bayadère (Nikia) – Marius Petipa / Javier Torres

• La Sylphide (Sylph) – August Bournonville / Johan Klobborg

• Swan Lake (Odette / Odile) – John Cranko

• Swan Lake (Pas de Six) – John Cranko

• Swan Lake (Pas de Trois) – John Cranko

• Swan Lake (Big Swans) – John Cranko

• The Nutcracker (Chinese Dance) – Youri Vámos

• The Nutcracker (Clara in a Dream) – Youri Vámos

• The Nutcracker (Clara Cratchit, Mrs Cratchit, Christmas Fairy) – Youri Vámos

• The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (Mother) – Petr Zuska

• La Fille mal gardée (Lise) – Frederick Ashton

• Onegin (Tatiana) – John Cranko

• Cinderella (Sister) – Jean-Christophe Maillot

• Cinderella (Cinderella) – Jean-Christophe Maillot

• Romeo and Juliet (Comedian) – John Cranko

• Romeo and Juliet (Juliet) – John Cranko

• Sleeping Beauty (Princess Aurora) – Márcia Haydée

• Sleeping Beauty (Lilac Fairy) – Márcia Haydée

• Sleeping Beauty (Princess Florina) – Márcia Haydée

• Sleeping Beauty (Carabosse, the Wicked Fairy) – Márcia Haydée

• Sleeping Beauty (Volante, Fairy of Courage) – Márcia Haydée

Awards and Recognition

• Thalia Award (2019) for Lise in La Fille mal gardée

• Thalia Award (2020) for Tatiana in Onegin

• Director’s Prize from the National Theatre for young artists under 35 (2015)

• Nominated Dancer of the Year by Dance Europe (2019)

• State Award "Artist of the People" from the President of Moldova, Maia Sandu (2023)

Other Engagements
Alina continues to perform in prestigious international galas, representing the Czech National Ballet with distinction. She appeared as Juliette when hosting with the Finnish National Ballet and Manon with the Norwegian National Ballet.