THE LAST OF NIJINSKY:
ANIMA ANIMAL
Nijinsky, the most irreverent dancer of all times.The figure that revolutionized the performing arts at the dawn of the 20th Century.
He abandoned the stage very suddenly and it was in Argentina where he left behind a project that remained unfinished.
Until now.

Ph: Carlos Villamayor
Watch The Trailer
U.S. Premiere at The Joyce Theater
Anima Animal will make its U.S. premiere at the prestigious Joyce Theater in New York from February 18 to 23, 2025, serving as the opening of their Spring/Summer Season.
Anima Takes the Stage in Miami
Anima Animal comes to the New World Symphony Theater in Miami Beach on February 25, 2025 as part of the show Herman Cornejo & Ballet Stars, organized by Ballet Support Foundation.

Ph: Carlos Villamayor

The Project
Inspired by Vaslav Nijinsky's legacy, Herman Cornejo honors it a century later with a groundbreaking piece.
This work delves into love, community, peace, war, redemption, and our connection to nature. It follows a man's journey to discover his true self by embracing the noble animal instincts within us all.
The
Origins
of Anima

Ph: Carlos Villamayor
In 2021, Herman Cornejo was awarded a scholarship from the Center for Ballet and the Arts at New York University.
His project, "Re-imagining Nijinsky," aimed to delve into the ballet "Caaporá," an indigenous Guarani legend about the mythical origin of the Urutaú bird, which was Vaslav Nijinsky’s last professional interest.
"Caaporá" was penned in 1915 by Alfredo González Garaño and
Ricardo Güiraldes. Proposed to Nijinsky during his final trip with Les
Ballet Russes to South America, he started to work on it. Very soon
after, he got sick and never danced again.
Herman's scholarship involved researching various aspects of the
Urutaú legend and the Guarani tribe's beliefs and worldview, as well
as the cultural landscape of Argentina in the early 20th century, and
its connection with Les Ballet Russes' modernism and Nijinsky's
style.
Through his research, Herman discovered common themes among indigenous tribes, emphasizing nature's importance in maintaining balance and the universal struggle against evil forces. This exploration led him to a profound realization: the necessity of embracing nature and redefining humanity's relationship with it.
Inspired by this journey, Herman envisioned a new choreography that not only communicates ethical viewpoints through movement but also gives voice to the Earth itself. Drawing from Guarani culture, he aimed to shed light on modern humanity's crises and the urgent need for a mystical reconnection with nature.
His project, which delved into “Anima Animal,” serves as a reflection on our complex modern existence and the imperative to rethink our place within nature.
The piece was co-produced and premiered at the Teatro del Bicentenario in San Juan, Argentina in December 2022 as part of an unprecedented collaboration.
Teatro del Mundo Award 2024
In 2024, Anima Animal was recognized by the prestigious Teatro del Mundo Awards as one of the nine most outstanding choreographic works of 2020, 2021, and 2022 staged in Argentina.
This honor, granted by the Centro Cultural Rector Ricardo Rojas at the University of Buenos Aires, celebrates excellence in Argentine and international theater for over 25 years.
The Creative Team
Herman Cornejo assembled a dynamic team of acclaimed artists for the creation of Anima Animal, a groundbreaking project at the intersection of dance and music, celebrating Latin American culture.
Leading this collaboration is Anabella Tuliano, a visionary choreographer recognized as one of Latin America's foremost talents in the past decade, and director of the dance company, Grupo Cadabra, whose members were active participants in the creative process.
The original score for Anima Animal was crafted by internationally acclaimed musicians Luis Maurette "Uji", and Noelia Escalzo.
ArgArgentine-born Herman Cornejo is one of the most celebrated dancers of our present time.
At 16 he won the Gold Medal at the VIII International Moscow Competition, being the youngest dancer to get this award in the history of the event until now. In 1998, at 17, he was invited to join ABT Studio Company. He officially joined American Ballet Theatre in 1999. He was promoted to soloist in 2000 and to Principal Dancer in 2003. Since then, he has been one of the greatest stars of the company.
Considered a prodigy by teachers and critics alike, he has received numerous awards and honors: he was appointed Messenger of Peace by UNESCO; ‘Dancer of the Year’ by The New York Times; Star of the 21st Century in 2005; ‘Mr. Expressivity’ in the International Ballet Festival ‘Dance Open’ in St. Petersburg in both 2010 and 2013; 2013 ‘New York Dance Outstanding Performer ‘The Bessies Award’ presented by the ‘NY Dance & Performance League’; in 2005 and 2014 Benois de la Danse, which defined him as the best dancer of the year; in 2018, Best World Male Dancer ‘Positano Award’; in 2019 the Platinum Konex as the best Argentine male dancer of the last decade. In 2022 he was one of the recipients of the prestigious Dance Magazine Awards.
He has performed the entirety of the classical repertoire, and also works regularly with today’s finest choreographers: Justin Peck, Christopher Wheeldon, Jorma Elo, Alexei Ratmansky, Twyla Tharp, Stanton Welch, Martha Clarke, Russell Maliphant, Mark Morris, Benjamin Millepied, Wayne McGregor.
Cornejo has also choreographed for himself: ‘Tango y Yo’ for Dance Open Festival 2010 in Saint Petersburg, ‘Two sunsets’ for the ‘Dance against Cancer’ event in 2012, ‘Transcendence’ in collaboration with bandoneonist JP Jofre for the Kings of the Dance Tour 2014, ‘Dentro’ and ‘Momentum’ with pianist Bruce Levingston for Trio ConcertDance, and ‘Milongón’ in 2016, in honor of Damian Woetzel’s first decade as director of the Vail International Dance Festival. In 2022, he created ‘The Apartment’ to Piazzolla’s ‘Suite del Angel’, commissioned by The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Live Arts as part of Catalyst Quartet's 2022-2023 MetLiveArts residency.
In 2021, Cornejo received an NYU Center for Ballet and the Arts Fellowship for his project Reimagining Nijinsky, which became the foundation for Anima Animal, his first work as both producer and dancer.
In 2024, the New York City Center commissioned Cornejo to create a new choreography of Fokine’s Le Spectre de la Rose for their Fall for Dance season, honoring his legacy as the most featured male dancer in the history of the event.
That year he also celebrated 25 years with the American Ballet Theatre.
Ph: Lucas Chilczuk
Anabella Tuliano is an acclaimed Argentine choreographer, and contemporary dance teacher, celebrated for her innovative contributions to the art form. She founded Grupo Cadabra in 2011, establishing one of Argentina’s most influential independent dance companies. Her groundbreaking works, such as Domesticame and Cadabra, have earned her recognition from the Teatro del Mundo Awards, while her teaching garnered the María Ruanova Diploma of Honor in 2024.
Tuliano has created and directed celebrated productions for Grupo Cadabra, including No te duermas vencido (2014) - for which she received the Maria Guerrero Award from Teatro Cervantes in 2024 (Buenos Aires, Argentina) -, Idaki (2016), Lo que tenía que ser (2017), and Coraje (2021). These works have been showcased on prominent stages such as Teatro Maipo, Teatro del Bicentenario de San Juan, and international festivals like the Buenos Aires International Festival of Contemporary Dance. Her most recent work, Anima Animal (2022) reflects her ability to merge traditional and contemporary elements, earning recognition among the most outstanding choreographies staged in Argentina in 2020/21/22 by the Teatro del Mundo Awards.
As a guest choreographer, Tuliano has created works for prestigious ensembles and dancers, including Teatro San Martín’s Contemporary Ballet, Buenos Aires Ballet, and internationally renowned performers like Eleonora Cassano and Herman Cornejo.
Beyond choreography, Tuliano has served as a jury member for international dance competitions. Her teaching and coaching have shaped award-winning dancers in global competitions such as the Prix de Lausanne and Varna Dance Competition.

Anabella Tuliano
Choreographer

Grupo Cadabra
Grupo Cadabra, founded under the artistic direction of Anabella Tuliano, stands as one of Argentina’s most celebrated contemporary dance companies.
Since its establishment in 2011, the company has achieved over a decade of artistic excellence, touring extensively throughout Argentina and neighboring countries, earning a lasting place in the region’s vibrant dance landscape. Their work has been honored with the prestigious Teatro del Mundo Awards on three occasions.
The company has performed on some of the most renowned stages and at prominent events, including the Contemporary Dance Festival of Buenos Aires, Teatro San Martín, Dance Tuesdays—organized by Argentina’s Department of Culture—and Buenos Aires Ballet, a touring company featuring stars from Teatro Colón’s Ballet Company. Their accolades include appearances at the Benefit Gala Danzar por la Paz (UNICEF Argentina), the Marianela Núñez Gala celebrating The Royal Ballet’s esteemed Argentine Principal, and the Annual Gala of the Argentine Dance Council, held in commemoration of National Dance Day, under UNESCO's patronage.
Recognized by the Buenos Aires Legislature for its cultural contributions, Grupo Cadabra continues to mesmerize audiences with its bold physicality, evocative artistry, and commitment to innovation, leaving a profound imprint on both national and international performing arts stages.
Noelia Escalzo
Musician & Composer
Noelia Escalzo is a highly accomplished composer and conductor, who specializes in popular traditional music and folklore of Argentina. Escalzo won the TROMBONANZA 2014 International Composition Competition.
She composed the first concerto for contra forte and symphony orchestra titled "Tango Fantasy," commissioned by Maestro Lewis Lipnick of the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington.
Escalzo's compositions have been acclaimed worldwide, with premieres across various countries by esteemed orchestras including the National Orchestra of Colombia, and Youth Orchestra of Mexico, among others.
She has composed exclusive pieces for renowned international soloists such as Lewis Lipnick, James William, and Premysl Vojta.She lectures at universities in Europe and the United States on Latin American music.

Luis “Uji” Maurette
Musician, composer & DJ

Educated at Berklee College in Boston, Uji is a sound researcher, a DJ, and sound engineer. He stands out as one of South America's most innovative electronic music producers, renowned for his genre-defying compositions. His captivating soundscapes blend indigenous and natural elements with modern dance music aesthetics, creating trance-inducing experiences.
Drawing from his nomadic upbringing across the Americas, Uji has spent the last 17 years delving into South America's ancestral traditions as an ethnomusicologist and documentarian. His dynamic live performances have captivated audiences worldwide, with extensive tours across Europe, the United States, Asia, and Latin America.
Uji has graced prestigious festivals such as ADE in Amsterdam and Mutek Montreal. Uji's most recent work, TIMEBEING, explores the creation of new myths and symbolism in: a multi-platform conceptual album (ZZK Records); an 8-part short film (dir. Jazmin Calcarami); and an immersive live experience; acknowledging the need to embrace ritual technology to deepen connection in the physical, virtual and spiritual realms.
Clifton Taylor
Lighting & Scenic Design

Broadway: Frozen, Jay Johnson: The Two and Only, Hot Feet. Off-Broadway credits include several productions for City Center Encores as well as several commercial plays and musicals including Freud’s Last Session, Last Easter, Endgame, and Anne of Green Gables.
In addition to his work in New York, Mr. Taylor has created lighting, projection, and scenic designs for opera and theater companies in Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America.
His designs for dance have been commissioned for the repertories of Alvin Ailey, Cedar Lake, Martha Graham, ABT, Washington, San Francisco, Rio de Janeiro, and London’s Rambert Ballet companies, among many others.
Synopsis
A colossal explosion in the universe sparks the birth of our planet Earth.
Human life, inherently imperfect, unfolds in stages, each one striving to bring the soul closer to its ultimate purification and elevation—a process intricately linked to discovering the essence of the animal spirit within.
Guyra, an indigenous warrior, grapples with the complexities and anxieties of human imperfection. It is on this journey that he encounters Yvy, a woman of another tribe, and together they share a profound, transcendent love.
However, tragedy strikes as the Earth is consumed by a devastating flood, plunging communities into conflict and war.
Amid the chaos, Guyra, in a moment of confusion and desperation, injures a white man with an arrow—an act that inadvertently takes the life of his beloved Yvy.
In a poignant moment of transformation, Guyra metamorphoses into a bird, soaring into the darkness toward a celestial eternity.

Ph: Carlos Villamayor
Our Sponors
Platinum Sponsor
The creation of the piece Anima Animal was made possible by the generous and devoted sponsorship of
Nicole Boutmy de Katzmann.
Silver Sponsors
Jane Bieber
Hudson Valley Estate Planning
Alison Ritz
Janet Rollé
Betsy and Edward Schiff
Donald Wolfson
Patrons of the Arts
Chiara Ajkun
Mary Blanton
Jovita Castillo
Aurelia Fenouli
Bonnie Gale
Wendy Goetz
Flavia Golden
Cari Griggs
Amy Harte and Martin Hossfeld
Hiroko Ito
Ivy Hwang & Kenneth Kail
Lois Kroll
David & Amy Lansky
Dr. Pia Lieb
Stephen & Shelley Limmer
Claudio & Elena Man
Shirley Moulton
Hortensia Pedrotti
Veronica Pessino
Miriam Rayward
Yolanda Ronda
Nicole Salmasi
Brynn Travis
Friends of Anima
Belén Alonso, Sofía Brajtman, Maria Capotorto & Joe Zizzo, Nancy Chanin, Sienna Gough, Marisa Hernandez, Kathy Tignor & Seth Nemeroff, Erica Cornejo
Special thanks to the
Consulate General of Argentina in New York
for their support.

Sponsorship
With your generous support, we aim to bring the magic of Anima Animal to cities and stages across the Americas, sharing the transformative beauty of dance with diverse audiences and making this art form more accessible than ever.
Donation Tiers
We invite you to be part of this extraordinary journey by making a donation. Every contribution, no matter the size, brings us closer to our goal and helps us realize our vision.
All donations are 100% tax-deductible.
Friend of Anima
$100 - $249
-Thank you Letter / Email-
-Name listed on our website as a supporter-
Patron of the Arts
$250 - $999
-Thank you Letter / Email-
-Name listed on our website as a supporter-
-Signed poster or program from the performance-
Silver Sponsor
$1,000 - $4,999
-Thank you Letter / Email-
-Name or Logo displayed as a sponsor in the program of the shows and promotional materials-
-Signed poster or program from the performance-
- 1 ticket to one show of choice-
Gold Sponsor
$5,000 - $9,999
-Thank you Letter / Email-
-Name or Logo displayed as a sponsor in the program of the shows and promotional materials-
-Signed poster or program from the performance-
- Invitation to a private rehearsal or behind-the-scenes event-
-VIP seating at one performance (two tickets)-
Platinum Sponsor
$10,000 and above
-Thank you Letter / Email-
-Name or Logo displayed as a sponsor in the program of the shows and promotional materials-
-Signed poster or program from the performance-
- Invitation to a private rehearsal or behind-the-scenes event-
-VIP seating at one performance (two tickets)-
-Meet & Greet with the Artists-

Ph: Carlos Villamayor
How to Donate
All donations intended for the premiere of "Anima Animal" in New York City will be directed through The Field, an organization established in 1985 that serves as a hub for connections and innovation among artists of all disciplines in the United States, via HERMAN CORNEJO CREATING ART, LLC.
The Field offers fiscal sponsorship to fund artistic projects with tax-deductible individual donations and grants.
Contributions to The Field earmarked for HERMAN CORNEJO are 100% tax-deductible. Donations can be made ONLINE, with a credit card, ACH or wire, or a check.