FOUNDER & DIRECTOR
HERMAN CORNEJO is one of the most celebrated dancers of his generation, internationally acclaimed for his extraordinary artistry, technical mastery, and visionary contributions to the evolution of ballet. Over his three-decade career, he has performed more than 130 productions, worked with over 70 choreographers, partnered with over 70 international ballet stars, and appeared in 40 countries, establishing him as one of the most influential ballet artists of the 21st century.
Born in Argentina, Cornejo was admitted at age nine to the Instituto Superior de Arte of Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. He later earned a scholarship to the School of American Ballet in New York before joining Julio Bocca’s Ballet Argentino, touring internationally in principal roles. At sixteen, he became the youngest Gold Medalist in the history of the International Moscow Ballet Competition, propelling him onto the global stage.
Cornejo joined American Ballet Theatre at seventeen, rose to Principal Dancer in 2003 at just twenty-two, and quickly became renowned for his charismatic presence, musicality, and unparalleled virtuosity. In 2024, Cornejo celebrated his 25-year legacy with ABT at the Metropolitan Opera House, performing Like Water For Chocolate by Christopher Wheeldon. He was also celebrated for reimagining Le Spectre de la Rose for City Center’s Fall for Dance program, highlighting him as the festival’s most recurrent guest artist, having performed for 10 consecutive years. Additionally, he marked 15 consecutive years of performances at the Vail International Dance Festival in Colorado under the direction of Damian Woetzel, showcasing his enduring contributions to the art form.
His performances span the full classical canon—Swan Lake, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Don Quixote, Manon, La Bayadère, La Sylphide, and more—alongside definitive interpretations in works by Balanchine, Robbins, Ratmansky, Tharp, McGregor, Ashton, Ailey, Kylián, Peck, Millepied, Morris, Taylor, Graham, Preljocaj, Petit, and Cranko. He has been a central muse for Alexei Ratmansky, featured in many of the choreographer’s most celebrated creations.
A sought-after guest artist worldwide, Cornejo has performed with leading companies including La Scala, New York City Ballet, Boston Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, the National Ballet of Japan, Martha Graham Dance Company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet Hispánico, the Teatro Colón Ballet, Dortmund Ballet, and Danza Contemporánea de Cuba.
Cornejo’s artistic excellence has been recognized with more than 35 international awards and distinctions, among them: the Benois de la Danse, Dance Magazine Award, The Bessies Award, The Positano Prize, the Platinum Konex Award (Best Argentine Male Dancer of the Decade), UNESCO Peace Messenger, Emmy Award (ABT’s Swan Lake), Dancer of the Year by The New York Times, the Great Immigrant Award from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and designation as a Distinguished Personality of Buenos Aires.
Beyond the stage, Cornejo is an artistic leader, creator, and advocate. His directing work includes the Latin American Stars Gala for the LA Music Center’s 50th anniversary; Secret Ballet in The Hamptons with artists from ABT, NYCB, and Alvin Ailey; and DanceLive, the groundbreaking 360° digital performance initiative created during the pandemic with filmmaker Steven Sebring.
In 2020, Cornejo founded The State of the Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to dance, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, and increasing artistic equity through innovative formats. Since 2021 he has developed Anima Animal: The Last of Nijinsky, a multi-part choreographic project inspired by an unrealized Argentine work originally envisioned for Vaslav Nijinsky. Its U.S. premiere at The Joyce Theater in 2025 opened the venue’s Spring/Summer Season.
In 2026, he is anticipating the launch of American Dancers Off-Road (ADOR), a next-generation initiative designed to create new ballet works year-round, provide equitable opportunities for dancers, and bring high-quality ballet experiences to communities beyond traditional stages.
He is also the co-founder of eVRywhere, an innovative 360° VR platform creating immersive dance experiences through livestreams, backstage access, and interactive viewing—reimagining how global audiences engage with the performing arts.
Cornejo has performed for world figures including Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Joe Biden, and for cultural leaders including Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama. He has performed with Sting, Academy Award–winner Norma Aleandro, and Academy Award–nominee Amy Irving. His philanthropic work has supported cancer research, polio foundations, the Rainforest Fund, and numerous humanitarian causes.
A devoted mentor, Cornejo teaches and stages repertoire for American Ballet Theatre, ABT Studio Company, Ajkun Ballet Theatre, ABT’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, the School of Teatro Colón, Interlochen, and international intensives. His dedication to education ensures that his artistic legacy will inspire future generations.
Today, Herman Cornejo continues to perform, choreograph, mentor, innovate, and lead—driven by a lifelong commitment to excellence, artistic evolution, and the belief that dance can deepen community, expand access, and transform lives.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OLIVIA POWELL
Received her Ph.D. from Columbia University in Art History and Archaeology.
Her academic training is in Italian Renaissance Art, with a particular focus on the intersection between the history of dance and painting--a subject she has lectured and taught on at Columbia and elsewhere. Her professional career began at The Frick Collection, where she managed academic programming and taught in signature public programs in the galleries.
Dr. Powell returned to Columbia University in 2014, where she has forged a career in development that spans the arts and sciences.
She currently serves as the Director of Development for Columbia's Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute.
MARIA JOSE LAVANDERA
Journalist and writer. She is the creator of 'Revol', an online magazine on dance and ballet aimed to narrate the Latin American scene.
She has an amphibious profile which oscillates between journalism and the performing arts, academic research on TV and radio broadcasting and the implementation of entrepreneurial online projects. Maria obtained her masters degree in Digital Media at New York University. She is an Emmy award winner recipient alongside her team of NYU Studio 20 class of 2018.
She is currently the Lifestyle Senior Editor at Impremedia, which owns La Opinión and El Diario NY, some of the mostly read legacy media outlets devoted to the Hispanic community in the United States.
