Isaac Hernandez

The sublimely talented Isaac Hernandez is a Mexican ballet dancer who is currently a lead principal with the world-famous English National Ballet. He has won medals and awards in competitions in America, Russia, and Cuba and has performed in just about every classical ballet you care to name. He’s also recently turned his talents to acting, most notably in the 2020 Netflix Spanish-Mexican thriller Alguien tiene que mourir (Someone Has to Die), which is set in ultra-conservative 1950s Spain under the Franco regime.

Hernandez hails from Guadalajara, Mexico. He comes from a dancing family — his father was a professional dancer and his brother (he is one of 11 siblings) is a principal with the similarly prestigious San Francisco Ballet. He began dancing at aged eight, being taught by his parents in their backyard. He then relocated thousands of miles north-east to Philadelphia to train at the city’s Rock School for Dance Education. Aged 18, he joined the San Francisco Ballet’s corps de ballet before being promoted to a soloist two years later. In 2012, he moved to the Netherlands, joining the Dutch National Ballet in the same role. After his breathtaking performance as Prince Desire in a production of The Sleeping Beauty, he was promoted to lead principal. In 2015, he moved again, this time to London and the English National Ballet, where he has remained ever since, being compared to the similarly legendary Carlos Acosta.

In 2018, Hernandez became the first Mexican to win the prestigious Russian Prix Benois de la Danse Award. He is also the youngest person to be given an Outstanding Artist Award by his home country’s president.