Fernandez, Royes, 1945-1980

Royes Emanuel Fernandez was born July 15, 1929, in New Orleans, Louisiana. His parents, Manuel Paul Fernandez (a jeweler) and Francoise Blanchine Fernandez, were of Spanish and French descent respectively. He had an older sister, Jeanne.

Fernandez began his ballet training at age eight with Lelia Haller in New Orleans. He performed with the New Orleans Opera Ballet in 1944. During the summer of 1945 he was in New York studying at the School of American Ballet.

After graduating from high school in June 1946, Fernandez went to New York to live, and there he studied with Vincenzo Celli, joining the Original Ballet Russe (de Basil) in September of that year. The following year he joined the Markova-Dolin Ballet as a soloist. His primary affiliation from 1950 to 1973 was American Ballet Theatre, first as a soloist and then as a principal dancer from 1957 onward. However, Fernandez continued to perform with other companies as a guest artist or as a member for brief periods of time. These companies included Ballet Alicia Alonso, Borovansky Ballet, London Festival Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Margot Fonteyn 1963 World Tour (as her partner), and the New York City Ballet (Spring 1959-Spring 1960).

Fernandez was considered by many the greatest American danseur noble to date. He was particularly noted for the male principal roles in Giselle, Swan Lake, and La Sylphide but danced contemporary works as well. He partnered the foremost ballerinas of his time including Fonteyn, Lupe Serrano, and Toni Lander. Fernandez was active as a teacher and guest perfomer with both major and small companies throughout the United States, eventually leaving active performing to join the faculty first of the University of South Florida (1973-1974) and then the State University of New York at Purchase from 1974 until his death.

Royes Fernandez died of cancer on March 3, 1980, in New York.