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Isaac Hernández

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In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Hernández and the second or maternal family name is Fernández.
Isaac Hernández
Hernández in 2018
Born
Isaac Eleazar Hernández Fernández

(1990-04-30) 30 April 1990 (age 34)
Guadalajara, Mexico
EducationThe Rock School for Dance Education
OccupationBallet dancer
Years active2003-
Children1
Career
Current groupAmerican Ballet Theatre
Former groupsABT II
San Francisco Ballet
Dutch National Ballet
English National Ballet

Isaac Eleazar Hernández Fernández (born 30 April 1990) is a Mexican ballet dancer, actor, and Guest Artist of American Ballet Theatre. In January 2025, Hernández will become one of ABT's principal dancers, the first dancer of Mexican ancestry to achieve this title in the ballet company's 85-year history.[1]

Early life

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Isaac Hernández was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, to Laura and Héctor Hernández, both former dancers.[1][2][3] Héctor trained at the Harkness Ballet and performed with Dance Theatre of Harlem and Houston Ballet.[3]

Isaac is the seventh oldest of the Hernández's eleven children.[1][4] The family was very active in Guadalajara's Jewish community.[4] At age 8, Isaac began learning ballet from his parents on a makeshift barre in the family backyard.[1] At age 13, he moved from Guadalajara to train at Philadelphia's The Rock School for Dance Education.[1][4][5]

Career

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Dance

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From 2003-2007, Hernández was a National Training Scholar at ABT Summer Intensives, and danced with ABT II from 2007-2008.[1][4]

In 2008, he joined San Francisco Ballet's corps de ballet and was promoted to soloist in 2010.[6] He joined the Dutch National Ballet as a soloist in 2012,[6] and was promoted to principal dancer the following year after dancing the role of Prince Désiré in The Sleeping Beauty.[7] After making a guest appearance in Swan Lake with the English National Ballet, he joined the company as a lead principal in 2015.[5][6][8][9] His repertoire there also includes classical works such as Romeo and Juliet and La Sylphide, as well as contemporary works including Aszure Barton’s Fantastic Beings and Akram Khan's Giselle.[5]

In 2018, Hernandez won the Prix Benois de la Danse[1] for his performances in Mikhail Baryshnikov and Laurent Hilaire’s Don Quixoteat the Rome Opera and in La Sylphide with the English National Ballet. He is the first Mexican dancer to win the Prix Benois de la Danse award, the "Oscar of ballet."[10]

In 2022, Hernández joined the San Francisco Ballet as a principal dancer.[8] In July 2024, he resigned from the San Francisco Ballet[8][6] and joined the American Ballet Theatre as a guest artist.[1] For ABT's fall season, Hernández will have featured roles in Études and Kingdom of the Shades. [11]

Select repertoire

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Hernández's repertoire includes:[5][7]

Originated roles

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  • Prometheus in Mere Mortals, San Francisco Ballet[8]
  • Albrecht in Akram Khan’s Giselle

Acting

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Hernández had his acting debut in Carlos Saura's movie The King of All the World. He then acted in Manolo Caro's limited series for Netflix Someone Has To Die in the role of Lázaro, a ballet dancer. The series premiered on 16 October 2020.[12] He will also act opposite Jessica Chastain in the upcoming Michel Franco film Dreams.[13]

Awards and honors

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Hernández is an arts and tourism ambassador of Mexico and the youngest artist to receive an outstanding artist award from the Mexican president.[5] Hernandez and his brother Esteban set up a project in their hometown of Guadalajara to bring other dancers to perform and teach at workshops.[14][2]

  • 2018 Benois de la Danse at the Bolshoi Theatre
  • Alexandra Radius Award for Most Outstanding Dancer
  • Gold Medal, USA International Ballet Competition
  • Bronze Medal and special award, Kirov Ballet at Moscow’s International Ballet Competition
  • First place in the Cuba International Competition

Personal life

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Hernández's brother, Esteban Hernández is a principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet.[14][3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Isaac Hernández Joins American Ballet Theatre To Debut as Guest Artist at David H. Koch Theater, Join as Principal Dancer January 2025. American Ballet Theatre. https://www.abt.org/isaac-hernandez-joins-abt/. July 11, 2024
  2. ^ a b "Ballet dancer Isaac Hernandez: Changing Mexico through the arts". Al Jazeera. 21 September 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Deocariza, April. Ready for Anything: Esteban Hernández Electrifies the Stage at San Francisco Ballet. Pointe Magazine. September 8, 2021. https://pointemagazine.com/esteban-hernandez-ballet/#gsc.tab=0
  4. ^ a b c d Sable, Joy. "Dance sets me free." English National Ballet’s Mexican star Isaac Hernández on his ‘Old Testament ‘ family — and his life as a new dad. The Jewish Chronicle. September 23, 2021. https://www.thejc.com/life-and-culture/dance-sets-me-free-hjep93jf
  5. ^ a b c d e "Isaac Hernández". English National Ballet. Archived from the original on 13 March 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d Howard, Rachel. This San Francisco Ballet principal dancer is leaving the company. San Francisco Chronicle. June 7, 2024. https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/sf-ballet-isaac-hernandez-19503321.php
  7. ^ a b "Isaac Hernandez". Mariinsky Ballet. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  8. ^ a b c d Isaac Hernández to leave San Francisco Ballet. Gramilano. June 9, 2024. https://www.gramilano.com/2024/06/isaac-hernandez-to-leave-san-francisco-ballet/
  9. ^ Heimlich, Jennifer. What’s Going On At English National Ballet? Dance Magazine. February 27, 2018. https://www.dancemagazine.com/tamara-rojo-isaac-hernandez/#gsc.tab=0
  10. ^ "Dancer is first Mexican to win the Oscar of ballet". Mexico News Daily. 6 June 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  11. ^ Harss, Marina. Isaac Hernández Brings Leading-Man Vibes to Ballet Theater. New York Times. Oct. 14, 2024. A version of this article appears in print on Oct. 15, 2024, Section C, Page 1 of the New York edition with the headline: ‘He Has It All’: Dancer Soars As His Debut Approaches." https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/14/arts/dance/isaac-hernandez-american-ballet-theater.html
  12. ^ "SOMEONE HAS TO DIE". Netflix Media Center.
  13. ^ Barraclough, Leo (7 November 2024). "Michel Franco's 'Dreams,' Starring Jessica Chastain and Isaac Hernández, Launches at AFM". Variety. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
  14. ^ a b "Esteban Hernandez". San Francisco Ballet. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
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