JOSÉ MANUEL CARREÑO

Former Principal Dancer, American Ballet Theatre, The Royal Ballet and English National Ballet

Faculty, Boston Ballet School

Born in Cuba into a family with a rich tradition of classical dance, José Manuel Carreño began studying ballet at the age of ten under the guidance of legendary Cuban artists Alicia Alonso, Lázaro Carreño, and Loipa Araújo. He trained at the Provincial School of Ballet and the Cuban National Ballet School before joining the National Ballet of Cuba, where his exceptional talent quickly established him as one of the company’s promising young dancers.

Carreño’s international career gained momentum when 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. Following this achievement, he joined English National Ballet in 1990 as a Principal Dancer. In 1993, he was invited to join London’s The Royal Ballet as a Principal Dancer, where he captivated audiences with his expressive interpretations and outstanding technical virtuosity.

n 1995, Carreño joined American Ballet Theatre (ABT) as a Principal Dancer, becoming one of the company’s leading artists for more than fifteen years. His extensive repertoire included major roles in the classical canon, such as Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Albrecht in Giselle, Solor in La Bayadère, Basilio in Don Quixote, and Prince Désiré in The Sleeping Beauty. He also distinguished himself in works by George Balanchine, including Apollo, Theme and Variations, Prodigal Son, Symphony in C, and Afternoon of a Faun, as well as in The Merry Widow, Coppélia, and Carmen. He gave his farewell performance with American Ballet Theatre in June 2011.

Throughout his performing career, Carreño partnered with many of the world’s most celebrated ballerinas, including Alicia Alonso, Carla Fracci, Alessandra Ferri, Nina Ananiashvili, Susan Jaffe, Julie Kent, Diana Vishneva, Svetlana Zakharova, Alina Cojocaru, and Tamara Rojo. He worked with distinguished choreographers such as Jerome Robbins, Roland Petit, George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, Mark Morris, Jiří Kylián, Boris Eifman, Nacho Duato, Alexei Ratmansky, and Christopher Wheeldon. As a guest artist, he performed with leading companies around the world, including the Bolshoi Ballet, Mariinsky Ballet, The Royal Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Tokyo Ballet, Teatro alla Scala, National Ballet of Canada, and Teatro Colón in Argentina.

His achievements have received international recognition. In 2000, he was nominated for a prestigious international dance award in Monte Carlo, and in 2005, Dance Magazine named him Male Dancer of the Year. In 2011, he joined the Board of Directors of Youth America Grand Prix, one of the world’s leading ballet scholarship and education organizations. He also appeared on the television program Dancing with the Stars in 2011 and returned in 2012.

Following his retirement from the stage, Carreño transitioned into artistic leadership. In 2013, he became Artistic Director of Ballet San Jose in California, where he directed productions including The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Roland Petit’s Carmen, Jerome Robbins’ Fancy Free, Alicia Alonso’s Giselle, Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room, and Balanchine’s Serenade. Under his leadership, the company toured Spain in 2015 with a mixed repertory featuring internationally renowned choreographers.

In 2016, Carreño became Artistic Director of Ballet de Monterrey in Mexico, a position he held until January 2019. During his tenure, the company presented an extensive repertoire that included Swan Lake, La Bayadère, Coppélia, The Nutcracker, Alicia Alonso’s La Fille Mal Gardée, Alberto Méndez’s Phantom of the Opera, and Alan Hineline’s Rhapsody. His direction also supported national and international touring, including an extensive European tour.

From 2020 to 2026, Carreño served on the faculty of the École supérieure de ballet du Québec in Montréal, Canada, contributing his extensive professional experience to the training of emerging dancers. In 2026, he joined Boston Ballet School as a faculty member and became part of the primary faculty for its Professional Training Program, mentoring aspiring professionals through advanced classical ballet training and artistic coaching.

José Manuel Carreño’s distinguished career reflects the excellence of the Cuban ballet tradition and an enduring commitment to performance, artistic leadership, and dance education. From the world’s leading ballet stages to his current work preparing the next generation of professional dancers, he continues to make a significant contribution to the international ballet community.