Evelyn Cisneros


Evelyn Cisneros is an American ballerina. Cisneros, who is Mexican American, is the first prima ballerina in the United States of Hispanic heritage.

Background

As a young child her mother had her take ballet classes in an attempt to overcome her penchant for shyness. She began to study ballet at eight years of age. Cisneros received a scholarship for the summer in 1974 to the School of American Ballet. She did an internship with the San Francisco Ballet in 1976. Cisneros joined the company of the San Francisco Ballet in 1977 where she danced for 23 years, performing nearly every starring role in the company's repertoire. In 1992 Cisneros was named in Hispanic Business's "100 Influentials".
In 1992 Cisneros was also honored by Huntington Beach, California, where she had attended Marina High School, for her contribution to art during the city's fifth annual arts awards program.. She was named as an outstanding performing artist. In 2014 Cisneros was named by the Huffington Post as one of the "17 Ballet Icons Who Are Changing The Face Of Dance Today."
In 2006, Cisneros was appointed academy director of Ballet Pacifica in Irvine, California. Since January 2010, she has been principal of Boston Ballet's Marblehead Studio.
Evelyn Cisneros is married to retired principal dancer Stephen Legate, with whom she has two children.

Major roles