Herman Cornejo and James Whiteside to give farewell performances with American Ballet Theatre
American Ballet Theatre has announced that two of its most distinctive principal dancers, Herman Cornejo and James Whiteside, will retire from the company during the 2027 Metropolitan Opera House season.
Whiteside will give his final ABT performance on 30 June 2027, dancing Albrecht in Giselle opposite Isabella Boylston. Cornejo’s farewell will follow on 17 July when he dances Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake alongside Skylar Brandt.
Though their careers at ABT could hardly have been more different, both have helped define the company’s artistic identity over the past two decades. Cornejo has spent his entire professional career at ABT, rising from the Studio Company to become one of the longest-serving principal dancers in the company’s history. Whiteside arrived after a decade with Boston Ballet and quickly established himself as one of ballet’s most charismatic and unconventional leading men.
Announcing the retirements, ABT Artistic Director Susan Jaffe paid tribute to both artists.
Every era of American Ballet Theatre is shaped by extraordinary artists whose talent leaves a lasting imprint on the Company. Herman Cornejo and James Whiteside have done exactly that, each in his own remarkable way.
She described Cornejo as “the very heart of American Ballet Theatre”, praising not only his performances across the classical repertoire but also his humility, generosity and devotion to the institution. Of Whiteside, she highlighted the way he has redefined the image of the modern ballet dancer, combining classical technique with work as a choreographer, writer, musician and advocate.
Herman Cornejo: nearly three decades at ABT
Born in Argentina, Cornejo joined ABT Studio Company in 1998 and the main company in 1999, becoming a principal dancer in 2003. At just 16 he won the Gold Medal at the International Ballet Competition in Moscow, becoming the youngest dancer ever to do so.
During his career he has danced more than 160 works by over 70 choreographers and created almost 50 roles in world premieres by artists including Alexei Ratmansky, Twyla Tharp, Justin Peck, Wayne McGregor and Benjamin Millepied. His honours include the Benois de la Danse, a Bessie Award and the Dance Magazine Award.
More recently, Cornejo has combined performing with coaching and educational work. In 2021 he founded the non-profit organisation Herman Cornejo: The State of the Arts, and he has earned a Certificate in Arts Leadership from New York University.
Reflecting on his retirement announcement, Cornejo said:
When I arrived in New York as a young boy from Argentina, I carried little more than a dream. American Ballet Theatre gave that dream a home, a purpose, and a life beyond anything I could have imagined.
While stepping away from ABT, he intends to continue performing internationally as a guest artist, alongside teaching, coaching, choreographing and writing a book about his life and career.
James Whiteside: ballet’s polymath
James Whiteside joined American Ballet Theatre in 2012 and was promoted to principal dancer a year later. Since then he has become one of the company’s most recognisable public faces, known as much for his artistic curiosity as for his performances.
Alongside leading roles in classics such as Swan Lake, Giselle, Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet and The Dream, he has appeared prominently in contemporary works and created choreography for ABT, Boston Ballet and The Juilliard School.
His creative activities have extended far beyond the ballet stage. Whiteside is the author of the memoir Center Center, has made films including the New York Emmy-nominated Daytripper, released music under his alter ego JbDubs, and has choreographed projects involving artists from outside the ballet world, including Taylor Swift and Mariah Carey.
In announcing his departure from ABT, Whiteside reflected on the freedom the company gave him to pursue multiple artistic paths:
I’m immensely proud of the dancer I became at ABT, but I’m equally grateful that this Company gave me room to become more than a dancer.
He added that he looks forward to “more choreography, more writing, more music, and probably a few things I haven’t imagined yet”.
Whiteside’s final performance on 30 June 2027 and Cornejo’s farewell on 17 July will bring to a close two remarkable careers at American Ballet Theatre – together, they represent two very different, but equally influential, chapters in ABT’s recent history.
Herman Cornejo answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Dancers’ Edition
James Whiteside answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Dancers’ Edition
Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Italian ballerina Carla Fracci.
Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
Two outstanding dancers whom I greatly admire. I have no doubt both have many great performances and new goals to accomplish.