Jose Manuel Carreño
Encyclopedia
José Manuel Carreño is a retired Cuba
n ballet dancer, who performed as a principal dancer with the English National Ballet
, Royal Ballet and American Ballet Theatre
.
Carreño started dancing at the age of ten and received his training at the Provincial School of Ballet and the Cuban National Ballet School
. He won the Gold Medal at the New York International Ballet Competition in 1987 and the Grand Prix at the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi in 1990. He has appeared extensively in Europe, Latin America and the United States, dancing such roles as Franz in Coppélia
, Basilio in Don Quixote
, Albrecht in Giselle
and Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake
. He has also performed in the principal roles in such works as Le Corsaire
, the Diane and Actéon Pas de Deux and the Black Swan Pas de Deux.
He has been principal dancer in the English National Ballet
in 1990, the Royal Ballet in 1993 and the American Ballet Theater starting in 1995.
In 2004 Carreño received the Dance Magazine Award
for significant contributions to dance. He lives in New York City with his wife Ana Lourdes Novoa (a former Cuban National Ballet dancer) his new stepson, Jesse, and his two daughters, Alessandra and Carmen.
On June 30, 2011 he gave his final performance with the ABT in New York City at The Metropolitian Opera House in Swan Lake
featuring Julie Kent and Gillian Murphy
as Odille and Odette. Carreno was joined on stage by other members of the company including Marcelo Gomes
, Maxim Beloserkovsky and Cory Stearns who hoisted him overhead.
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n ballet dancer, who performed as a principal dancer with the English National Ballet
English National Ballet
English National Ballet is a classical ballet company founded by Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin and based at Markova House in South Kensington, London, England. Along with the Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Scottish Ballet, it is one of the four major ballet companies in Great...
, Royal Ballet and American Ballet Theatre
American Ballet Theatre
American Ballet Theatre , based in New York City, was one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century. It continues as a leading dance company in the world today...
.
Carreño started dancing at the age of ten and received his training at the Provincial School of Ballet and the Cuban National Ballet School
Cuban National Ballet School
The Cuban National Ballet School in Havana, with 4,350 students is the biggest ballet school in the world and the most prestigious ballet school in Cuba, directed by Ramona de Sáa...
. He won the Gold Medal at the New York International Ballet Competition in 1987 and the Grand Prix at the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi in 1990. He has appeared extensively in Europe, Latin America and the United States, dancing such roles as Franz in Coppélia
Coppélia
Coppélia is a sentimental comic ballet with original choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon to a ballet libretto by Saint-Léon and Charles Nuitter and music by Léo Delibes. It was based upon two macabre stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, Der Sandmann , and Die Puppe...
, Basilio in Don Quixote
Don Quixote (ballet)
Don Quixote is a ballet originally staged in four acts and eight scenes, based on an episode taken from the famous novel Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes. It was originally choreographed by Marius Petipa to the music of Ludwig Minkus and was first presented by the Ballet of the...
, Albrecht in Giselle
Giselle
Giselle is a ballet in two acts with a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Théophile Gautier, music by Adolphe Adam, and choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot. The librettist took his inspiration from a poem by Heinrich Heine...
and Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake
Swan Lake
Swan Lake ballet, op. 20, by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, composed 1875–1876. The scenario, initially in four acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger...
. He has also performed in the principal roles in such works as Le Corsaire
Le Corsaire
Le Corsaire is a ballet typically presented in three acts, with a libretto originally created by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges loosely based on the poem The Corsair by Lord Byron. Originally choreographed by Joseph Mazilier to the music of Adolphe Adam, it was first presented by the ballet of...
, the Diane and Actéon Pas de Deux and the Black Swan Pas de Deux.
He has been principal dancer in the English National Ballet
English National Ballet
English National Ballet is a classical ballet company founded by Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin and based at Markova House in South Kensington, London, England. Along with the Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Scottish Ballet, it is one of the four major ballet companies in Great...
in 1990, the Royal Ballet in 1993 and the American Ballet Theater starting in 1995.
In 2004 Carreño received the Dance Magazine Award
Dance Magazine
Dance Magazine is an "influential" American trade publication for dance, currently published by the Macfadden Communications Group. It was first published in June 1927 as The American Dancer. William Como was its editor-in-chief from 1970 to his death in 1989. Wendy Perron became its editor-in...
for significant contributions to dance. He lives in New York City with his wife Ana Lourdes Novoa (a former Cuban National Ballet dancer) his new stepson, Jesse, and his two daughters, Alessandra and Carmen.
On June 30, 2011 he gave his final performance with the ABT in New York City at The Metropolitian Opera House in Swan Lake
Swan Lake
Swan Lake ballet, op. 20, by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, composed 1875–1876. The scenario, initially in four acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger...
featuring Julie Kent and Gillian Murphy
Gillian Murphy
Gillian Murphy is a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre.Murphy was born in Wimbledon, England and took her first ballet class at the age of three in Belgium while her father was working overseas...
as Odille and Odette. Carreno was joined on stage by other members of the company including Marcelo Gomes
Marcelo Gomes (dancer)
Marcelo Gomes is a Principal Dancer with the American Ballet Theatre. He first joined the company in 1997 as a member of the Corps de Ballet, and was promoted to Soloist in 2000 and Principal in 2002....
, Maxim Beloserkovsky and Cory Stearns who hoisted him overhead.