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