14 Facts About Lourdes Lopez

Lourdes Lopez was born on 1958 and is a Cuban-American ballet company artistic director of Miami City Ballet since 2012 and former principal dancer of New York City Ballet.

Lourdes Lopez is a member of the board of trustees of the Ford Foundation.

Lourdes Lopez received the prestigious Dance Magazine Award in 2018.

Lourdes Lopez was promoted to soloist in 1981 and principal dancer in 1984 and retired at age 39 in 1997.

Lourdes Lopez was a full-time senior faculty member and director of student placement, student evaluation and curriculum planning at New York's Ballet Academy East.

Lourdes Lopez served on the dance faculty of Barnard College and guest taught at numerous dance institutions and festivals in the United States.

Lourdes Lopez even appeared with Jock Soto in some Sesame Street segments such as demonstrating cooperation with Elmo and Zoe.

In 2002, Lourdes Lopez became the executive director of The George Balanchine Foundation, which works to educate the public about dance and to further the art of ballet, with a special emphasis on the work and achievements of George Balanchine, whom she spent her career dancing with.

Lourdes Lopez received an award from the American Immigration Law Foundation honoring Cuban Americans for their accomplishments and contributions to American society.

Lourdes Lopez co-founded The Cuban Artists Fund, together with community cultural leaders.

In 2014, Lourdes Lopez was elected to serve on the Ford Foundation's board of trustees, marking the first time an artist was elected to serve on its board.

Lourdes Lopez is a member of The Kennedy Center Honors artist committee.

Lourdes Lopez has served as a dance panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, and has received numerous Hispanic Heritage awards.

In 2017, Lourdes Lopez was named one of "The Most Influential People in Dance Today" by Dance Magazine and has developed Miami City Ballet into one of the most diverse companies in the world today.