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 (born December 21, 1975) is a famous Argentine ballet dancer. She was a main dancer, called a principal dancer, with the American Ballet Theatre for 24 years. She also led the Colon Theater Ballet from 2017 to 2022.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Paloma Herrera was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She started learning ballet when she was just seven years old. Her teacher was Olga Ferri. Paloma quickly became known as a very talented young dancer in South America. She won many dance competitions.
She continued her ballet training at the Minsk Ballet School in Belarus. When she returned to Buenos Aires, she performed as Cupid in the ballet Don Quixote at the Teatro Colón.
Studying Abroad
As her fame grew, Paloma was invited to study with the famous dancer Natalia Makarova. This was at the English National Ballet in London. Soon after, she went to the School of American Ballet in New York City. She made a big impression there. She was even chosen to dance the main role in Raymonda for the school's yearly show.
Career at American Ballet Theatre
In 1991, Paloma Herrera officially joined the American Ballet Theatre. She started in the corps de ballet, which is the group of dancers who perform together. 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.
Recognition and Retirement
In 2001, Paloma was honored by the American Immigration Law Foundation. They recognized her important contributions as an immigrant in New York. Besides being a respected ballerina, she was also often seen at social events in New York.
Paloma Herrera stopped dancing professionally in 2015. The American Ballet Theatre's Spring Season in 2015 was her last with the company. Other principal dancers, Julie Kent and Xiomara Reyes, also retired around the same time.
Leading the Colon Theater Ballet
On August 8, 2017, Paloma Herrera 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, led a special ceremony at the theater for her new role.
Paloma left her position as director in 2022. This was due to some disagreements with the dance group and a lack of support from the city leaders.
See also
In Spanish: Paloma Herrera para niños
