Paloma Herrera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paloma Herrera
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| Born | 21 December 1975 |
| Occupation | ballet dancer |
| Years active | 1991–2015 |
| Former groups | American Ballet Theatre |
Paloma Herrera is a famous ballet dancer from Argentina. She was a main dancer, called a principal dancer, with the American Ballet Theatre for 24 years. She also led the Colon Theater Ballet in Argentina for a few years.
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Who is Paloma Herrera?
Paloma Herrera was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 21, 1975. She grew up to become one of the most respected ballet dancers in the world. Her amazing talent led her to perform on many famous stages.
Early Steps in Ballet
Paloma started learning ballet when she was only seven years old. Her first teacher was Olga Ferri in Buenos Aires. Paloma quickly showed incredible talent. She won many dance competitions across South America. This helped her train at the Minsk Ballet School in Belarus. When she returned to Buenos Aires, she danced as Cupid in a show called Don Quixote at the Teatro Colón.
Journey to American Ballet Theatre
As Paloma's fame grew, a famous dancer named Natalia Makarova invited her to study. Paloma went to the English National Ballet in London. Soon after, she moved to New York City to study at the School of American Ballet. She impressed everyone there. She was even chosen to dance the main role in Raymonda for the school's big performance.
In 1991, Paloma officially joined the American Ballet Theatre. She started in the corps de ballet, which is the group of dancers who perform together.
A Star on Stage
Paloma's talent quickly shone through. By 1993, she was promoted to a soloist. This meant she danced alone or with a few other dancers. Just two years later, in 1995, she became a principal dancer. This is the highest rank a ballet dancer can achieve.
In 2001, Paloma was honored by the American Immigration Law Foundation. They recognized her important contributions as an immigrant in New York. She was not only a respected ballerina but also a well-known person in New York's social life.
Life After Dancing
Paloma Herrera stopped dancing professionally in 2015. Her last performances with the American Ballet Theatre were during their Spring Season that year. Two other principal dancers, Julie Kent and Xiomara Reyes, also retired at the same time.
On August 8, 2017, Paloma was chosen to be the director of the Colon Theater Ballet. She took over from Maximiliano Guerra. The mayor of Buenos Aires, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, was at the ceremony. Paloma led the ballet company until 2022.
See also
In Spanish: Paloma Herrera para niños
