La Jornada: Isaac Hernández leads the premiere of Sinatra Suite at the Despertares gala

The Jalisco dancer Isaac Hernández, who since 2025 has been part of the American Ballet Theater (ABT) at the Metropolitan Opera House (Met) in New York, a dream he cherished 20 years ago, will add one more achievement to his career with the premiere of the work Sinatra Suite, of Twyla Tharp, during the gala Awakenings on August 29 at the National Auditorium.

“I am very excited to premiere this piece that I had never danced before, which was created for Mikhail Baryshnikov. Twyla Tharp is one of the most important choreographers in the history of dance; this is exciting because it allows me to approach the public in a more mature way,” says Hernández in an interview with The Day.

at the gala Awakeningsthe Mexican dancer, accompanied on stage by Alina Cojocaru, will also perform a fragment of Giselleby the English choreographer of Bangladeshi descent Akram Khan, as well as Othello in the version by American creator Lar Lubovitch, inspired by the famous tragedy by William Shakespeare.

For Hernández, each edition of Awakenings It is a new challenge because its objective is to offer the public an extraordinary program. “This year the biggest challenge was bringing the company of Frenchman Yoann Bourgeois to Mexico for the first time because it involved building a complete set and five years of negotiations.” The piece that will be presented is Approach 17. Opening. The unreachable suspension point.

The interpreter acknowledged that the logistics of the gala are complex. “You have to combine agendas with a very active cultural billboard. This year we have the World Cup, there are a lot of things happening. That’s why it’s vital that Awakenings has continuity, it is something that the public expects.”

The winner of the Benois de la Danse in 2018 said that he has always been interested in dance being an industry. That motivates him to give continuity and presence in Mexico to the gala.

“Awakenings has done a great job of positioning itself as an entertainment option for the Mexican public. It is key to reaching new audiences and normalizing families and young people to watch this type of content. We have a very diverse audience and that makes me proud.”

To consolidate dance within society, he added, tools are needed that allow performing arts producers to be competitive in the country’s cultural and entertainment agenda.

He emphasized: “arts and dance must benefit from legal tools so that artists present their work in a more practical and objective way. That other producers find new ways to hold this type of events in Mexico and thus feed the cultural life of our country.

“Excellence is what makes people return every year. That must be defended and treated with respect to the public, in addition to giving them the best version of each artist.”

For the ABT principal dancer, stepping into the Metropolitan Opera House every night has been fascinating. “At our start of the season gala I spoke with the public, with sponsors. They are excited about the moment of the company and the repertoire we do.”

He announced that on June 29 he will release a new version of Don Quixote. “I’ve danced eight or nine versions of the work around the world, but doing it here, where the finest people in New York work, is different. This is the big stage where you want to present your best work.

“I feel lucky to live this moment for the company and offer it my best years with stage maturity, greater technical mastery and the artistic freedom that I feel today. I think that I am contributing to ABT and I live it every day with my colleagues.”

He shared that “bringing a complete ABT ballet to Mexico for the first time would be a dream come true.”

Physical fullness

The 36-year-old dancer is not thinking about retirement at the moment and is enjoying on stage that physical plenitude that has led him to not doubt his condition or his technique. “I experience being aware of the passage of time in the race as something that is bringing me closer to my best moment yet, I like to perceive it that way.

“There are colleagues like Roberto Bolle, principal of La Scala, dancing at 51. I carry it according to my physical possibilities and I feel lucky with the physique and training I have. I don’t think beyond the privilege of having a great career, of dancing in the place of my dreams and feeling welcomed by an audience like the one in New York.”

For Isaac Hernandez, Awakenings It’s a night of possibilities. “It is a fantastic opportunity to see so many worlds, so many excellent versions of the human being. It can be very inspirational to see the extraordinary that happens when you work with discipline and push your body, your imagination and your physicality to the maximum. This year we have artists who do just that with great excellence.”

The function of Awakeningswhich will feature the participation of figures such as Roberto Bolle, Maria Khoreva, Esteban Hernández, Skylar Brandt and Kristián Mensa and Mr Kriss will be presented on August 29 at 8:30 p.m. at the National Auditorium (Paseo de la Reforma and Campo Marte).