Elisa Carrillo Cabrera facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elisa Carrillo Cabrera
During meeting with Mexican President (2018)
Born	1981 (age 43–44) Texcoco, State of Mexico
Occupation	ballet dancer
Years active	1999-present
Current group	Berlin State Ballet Mexican National Dance Company
Former groups	Stuttgart Ballet

Elisa Carrillo Cabrera, born in 1981, is a famous ballet dancer from Mexico. She is a main dancer, also called a principal dancer, with the Berlin State Ballet. She also helps lead the Mexican National Dance Company.

Early Life and Dance Training

Elisa Carrillo was born in Texcoco, State of Mexico. She started her dance journey at a young age. From 1988 to 1990, she attended an art school in Mexico. After that, she began studying classical and contemporary dance at the National School of Dance.

In 1997, Elisa moved to the United Kingdom to continue her training. She studied at the English National Ballet School until 1999. Later, between 2001 and 2003, she trained in Germany at the John Cranko Schule Stuttgart. After finishing her studies there, she was recognized as a Master of Ballet by the German Ministry of Education.

Becoming a Professional Dancer

Elisa Carrillo joined the Stuttgart Ballet in 1999. She started as a member of the corps de ballet, which means she danced as part of the main group. By 2007, her talent shone through, and she became a soloist, performing on her own.

After leaving the Stuttgart Ballet, Elisa joined the Berlin State Ballet. She started as a demi-soloist and quickly moved up. By 2011, she became a principal dancer, which is the highest rank a ballet dancer can achieve.

Elisa also serves as the artistic director for the Sir Anton Dolin Foundation. This foundation helps support the art of ballet.

Helping Other Dancers

Elisa Carrillo cares deeply about helping other young dancers. She started the Elisa Carrillo Cabrera Foundation. This foundation gives Mexican dancers the chance to train in other countries.

Since 2018, Elisa has also hosted an international dance festival called Danzatlán. This festival includes a special event called Elisa y Amigos, where she performs with other talented dancers.

Major Achievements

In 2019, Elisa Carrillo won a very important award called the Prix Benois de la Danse. She won it for her amazing performance as Juliet in Nacho Duato's ballet Romeo and Juliet.

She was the second Mexican dancer to win this award. The first was Isaac Hernández, who won it the year before. Elisa is also the first woman from Latin America to receive this prestigious award.

Elisa has traveled all over the world to perform. She has made guest appearances in many countries, including France, Japan, China, the USA, Korea, Italy, Switzerland, and Singapore.

Notable Performances

Elisa Carrillo has performed in many famous ballets. Some of her roles include:

• La Bayadère - Nikiya, Gamzatti
• Don Quixote - Mercedes
• Giselle - Myrtha, Solo-Wilis
• Jewels - Emeralds Pas de deux
• Onegin - Olga
• Paquita - Grand Pas
• Romeo and Juliet (Cranko version) - Juliet, Gypsy
• Romeo and Juliet (Duato version) - Juliet
• The Sleeping Beauty - Jewels, Feé des Lilas
• Swan Lake - Pas de six, four big swans, Spanish princess
• The Nutcracker - Arabian dance, Spanish dance

Awards and Recognition

Elisa Carrillo has received several awards for her outstanding talent:

• Gold medal and scholarship to study in London from the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura, FONCA, and English National Ballet School.
• Best Duet Award (with Mikhail) at the XII International Ballet Festival Dance Open St Petersburg.
• Prix Benois de la Danse 2019.
• "Soul of Dance" 2019 from the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.

Personal Life

Elisa Carrillo is married to Mikhail Kaniskin. He is also a principal dancer with the Berlin State Ballet.

See also

In Spanish: Elisa Carrillo Cabrera para niños