Biographical Information

(Above): Cisneros (back row, second from left) with her family.
Photo Credit: Evelyn Cisneros: Prima Ballerina. Capstone Press, 2007.   

    Cisneros was born on November 18, 1959, in Long Beach, California (Godoy). She was raised in Huntington Beach. Born to Mexican immigrants, Cisneros was taught very early on to always honor and embrace her heritage. She was part of a very big family that would attend a Spanish-speaking church every Sunday (Krohn). Even though she would socialize frequently with the various members of her extended family, Cisneros was extremely shy. The reason that she began ballet lessons was actually because of this debilitating shyness. Her mother, Esther, knew that she loved dancing to mariachi music at family gatherings (Krohn). When Cisneros was eight years old, Esther signed her up for ballet lessons in an attempt to assist her in overcoming her shyness. She would feign stomach aches and other illnesses to avoid going, but her mother said that she would have to continue the lessons for a year before she could quit if she wanted to (“Cisneros, Evelyn: 1959—: Ballerina”). Unbeknownst to Cisneros, she would quickly fall in love with ballet. Her ballet teacher praised her for being a natural. She dedicated as much time as she could to honing her dancing skills. In 1975, while she was still in high school, Cisneros accepted a scholarship for the School of American Ballet’s summer course (“Ballet Trailblazer - Evelyn Cisneros-Legate”). This opportunity allowed her to continue perfecting her craft even further. After completing her high school education in 1976, Cisneros began an apprenticeship with the San Francisco Ballet (“Evelyn Cisneros”). During her apprenticeship, the San Francisco Ballet’s artistic director and choreographer Michael Smuin became her mentor (“Cisneros, Evelyn: 1959—: Ballerina”). He encouraged and commended her for her immense talent. Cisneros herself has noted how significant he was for her career.

(Above): Cisneros (middle) with her father, Fred (left), and her mother, Esther (right). Photo Credit: Evelyn Cisneros: Prima Ballerina. Capstone Press, 2007. 


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