Dani Hernández Acosta

Principal Dancer of the National Ballet of Cuba, a category received in 2011. Outstanding figure of the National Ballet of Cuba, considered today among the best in the world according to the prestigious ballet magazine Dance Europa which selected him among the 100 best dancers in the world, in the 2010-2011 season, occupying the seventeenth place worldwide.

In 1998, he began his studies at the Vocational School of Art "Olga Alonso" in the city of Remedios, province of Villa Clara and continued them at the National Ballet School, under the guidance of professors Fernando Alonso, Ramona de Sáa, Mirtha Hermida and Marta Iris Fernández.

During his student years he obtained several distinctions, including the Silver Medal at the Contest of the International Meeting of Academies for the Teaching of Ballet, held in Havana in 2006. That same year he began his professional career by joining the cast of the National Ballet of Cuba, under the artistic-technical direction of Alicia Alonso, where he achieved the rank of first soloist in 2009. With the National Ballet of Cuba he has performed in countries in the Americas and Europe. He was a guest artist at the International Festival Women in Dance, in Ecuador, in 2007 and 2008; and in Colombia, at the International Ballet Festival of Cali, in 2008 and 2010.
His repertoire includes the leading roles of works from the great romantic-classical tradition of Cuban and foreign choreographers. In 2011, his artistic-technical development, talent and discipline earned him advancement to the rank of Principal Dancer.

Among the Best in the World
The prestigious ballet magazine Dance Europa selected Cuban dancer Dani Hernández among the 100 best dancers in the world, in the 2010-2011 season and placed him in seventeenth place worldwide.

The jury was composed of outstanding critics from various parts of the world, representatives of publications as relevant as The Guardian, from London; Dance Magazine, from the United States; The Toronto Star, from Canada; Danse, from France; The Herald, from Scotland; El País, from Uruguay; Frankfuter Allgemeine Zeitung, from Germany; The Sydney Morning Herald, from Australia; as well as other specialists from capitals as important as Lisbon, Tokyo, Paris, New York, Madrid, Munich, Florence, Milan and Rotterdam.

Critical Reviews
In Shakespeare and His Masks: "Dani Hernández has the potential to become a noble dancer, as he possesses an elegant style, excellent technique, is a sensitive partner and is well-proportioned." Sheila Cross. Ballet.co Magazine. United Kingdom, 2010.

In Giselle: "he demonstrated that he has sufficient talent to face any challenge." Toni Piñera. Granma. Havana, Cuba, 2011.
"Dani Hernández as Albrecht equaled the lightness of the romantic era, with his long legs and exceptional arches." Sarah Kaufman. The Washington Post. United States, 2011.

In Don Quixote: "Dani Hernández grew in strength and delivered a flawless solo in the third act, without feeling hindered by the gravity that afflicts the rest of us mortals." Karen Weinstein. Los Angeles Times on-line. United States, 2011.