Works Cited

“Ballet Trailblazer - Evelyn Cisneros-Legate.” School of American Ballet, 28 Mar. 2023, https://sab.org/scenes/ballet-trailblazer-evelyn-cisneros/

“Cisneros, Evelyn: 1959—: Ballerina.” Encyclopedia, Cengage, https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/cisneros-evelyn-1959-ballerina

“Evelyn Cisneros.” The Portland Ballet, https://theportlandballet.org/portfolio/evelyn-cisnerose/

“Evelyn Cisneros: One of the First Hispanic Prima Ballerinas in the U.S.” Charlotte Ballet 20 Sept. 2021, https://charlotteballet.org/2021/09/20/hispanic-heritage-month-evelyn-cisneros/

Hilton, Haley. “Ballet West Academy’s New Director on Dream Building during COVID-19.” Dance Teacher,19 Oct. 2020, https://dance-teacher.com/evelyn-cisneros-legate-ballet-west/

Kriegsman, Alan  M. “Dazzlers on Their Feet.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 29 Mar. 1982, https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1982/03/29/dazzlers-on-their-feet/96134e1d-6d17-4428-aad1-f146c57857c1/

Krohn, Katherine E. Evelyn Cisneros: Prima Ballerina. Capstone Press, 2007. 

Ogden, Stephanie. “Promoting Racial Equity in Ballet: Strategies and Challenges.” ProQuest, 2018, pp. 1–65, https://www.proquest.com/openview/43313d89a65f45cab288240ea7bb420b/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750

Godoy, Sofia. “Evelyn Cisneros: The First Hispanic Prima Ballerina.” Homeschool Spanish Academy, 31 Dec. 2021, https://www.spanish.academy/blog/evelyn-cisneros-the-first-hispanic-prima-ballerina/


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Introduction

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           (Above): Evelyn Cisneros. Photo Credit: Festival Ballet Theatre.      There are perhaps only a limited number of ballet dancers who can be considered as having paved the way for a specific community in the ballet world. One of these individuals is undoubtedly Evelyn Cisneros. She is widely considered to be the first Hispanic prima ballerina in the U.S. Prima ballerinas are the principal dancers in their ballet companies who perform the lead roles in the ballets. Her being the first Latina woman to hold such a high-ranking position within a ballet company is a historic feat. I decided to focus on Cisneros precisely because of this astonishing accomplishment. She is Mexican-American, and I am a first-generation Latina as well. I feel a personal connection to her to a certain extent due to our similar cultural backgrounds. She is a trailblazer for the Latino community in the world of ballet, which is inspiring to me. Cultural diversity within any environment is important, espe
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Three Interesting Facts

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(Above): Cisneros on the cover of Dance Magazine, Vol. 57, no. 12, December, 1983. Photo Credit: Dance Magazine.      Considering Cisneros’ life has been so eventful, there are a multitude of interesting facts about her. One is that she has been featured on the covers of Dance Magazine , Ballet News , and Hispanic Magazine (“Evelyn Cisneros”). She was on the cover of Dance Magazine alone on three different occasions. This is undoubtedly because of her amazing career and legacy. Another interesting fact about Cisneros is that throughout her career, she has continuously given back to the Latino community. She volunteered at Girls, Inc. and Latinas y Que (“Cisneros, Evelyn: 1959—: Ballerina”). Her particular interest in young Latina girls influenced her to volunteer at these organizations. In the 1980s, she joined the board of Project Open Hand (“Cisneros, Evelyn: 1959—: Ballerina”). This organization delivered meals to those suffering from AIDS. Before Cisneros joined, they were having
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Career Highlights

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(Above): Cisneros (right) as Odette and Anthony Randazzo (left) as Prince Siegfried in Helgi Tomasson's Swan Lake . Photo Credit: Museum of Performance + Design, 1989.      After completing her apprenticeship, Cisneros became an official member of the San Francisco Ballet in 1977 (“Evelyn Cisneros: One of the First Hispanic Prima Ballerinas in the U.S.”). The ballet company was under the directorship of Lew Christensen and Michael Smuin. When first joining the company, she was in the corps de ballet. While forming part of this group, she faced discrimination for being Latina. She was required to wear certain makeup to lighten her skin and “fit in” with the other dancers (Ogden). This was difficult for Cisneros, but she persevered and made it her goal to climb the ranks within the company. Her first appearance as a prima ballerina was actually when she was replacing a dancer who got injured. Despite learning the choreography in just five hours, Cisneros left a lasting impression on
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