Isaac Hernandez

Isaac Eleazar Hernández Fernández was born on April 30, 1990, in Guadalajara, Mexico, to Laura and Héctor Hernández, both former dancers. His early ballet training began at age eight, under the guidance of his parents in the family’s backyard. At 13, he moved to Philadelphia to further his education at The Rock School for Dance Education. His foundational years also included participation in ABT Summer Intensives as a National Training Scholar from 2003 to 2007, followed by a period with ABT II (now ABT Studio Company) from 2007 to 2008.

Hernández’s professional dance career began in 2008 when he joined the San Francisco Ballet’s corps de ballet, being promoted to soloist in 2010. In 2012, he transitioned to the Dutch National Ballet as a soloist, quickly rising to principal dancer the following year after a notable performance as Prince Désiré in ‘The Sleeping Beauty’. His repertoire expanded to include classical works such as ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘La Sylphide’, alongside contemporary pieces like Aszure Barton’s ‘Fantastic Beings’ and Akram Khan’s ‘Giselle’. From 2015 to 2022, he was a lead principal with the English National Ballet, joining after a guest appearance in ‘Swan Lake’. He returned to the San Francisco Ballet as a principal dancer in 2022, before joining the American Ballet Theatre as a Guest Artist in 2024. In January 2025, he made history as the American Ballet Theatre’s first principal dancer of Mexican ancestry. His acting career includes roles in the film ‘The King of All the World’ (2021), the Netflix series ‘Someone Has To Die’ (2020), and the upcoming film ‘Dreams’ (2025).

Throughout his distinguished career, Hernández has received significant accolades, including the prestigious Prix Benois de la Danse in 2018 for his performances in Mikhail Baryshnikov and Laurent Hilaire’s ‘Don Quixote’ and in ‘La Sylphide’ with the English National Ballet. This award, often referred to as the “Oscar of ballet,” marked him as the first Mexican dancer to receive such an honor. He has also been recognized as an arts and tourism ambassador for Mexico and was the youngest artist to receive an outstanding artist award from the Mexican president. Alongside his brother Esteban, he established a project in Guadalajara to bring other dancers to perform and teach workshops, demonstrating his commitment to community and artistic development.