Nina Fernandes

Biography

A native of Brazil, Nina began her ballet training in Campos, Rio de Janeiro. In 2014, she was among the top 12 dancers to represent Brazil at the Youth America Grand Prix in New York. That same year, she was awarded two Silver Medals at the World Ballet Competition in Orlando, where she received a pre-professional offer from the prestigious Washington Ballet.

For the 2016/17 season, Nina joined Houston Ballet as a member of the main company, where she appeared in productions such as Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Mayerling, Christopher Wheeldon’s Carousel, George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations and Symphony in C, and Justin Peck’s Year of the Rabbit.

Two seasons later, she joined Miami City Ballet, a preeminent company known for its Balanchine technique. There, she performed numerous solo and leading roles in Balanchine’s The Nutcracker and Jewels, Alexei Ratmansky’s Symphonic Dances and Swan Lake, among others. In 2020, she was awarded Star of the Corps by Pointe Magazine for her debut as the Firebird in Firebird by Balanchine & Robbins.

In her first season with the Czech National Ballet, Nina showcased her talent by dancing numerous roles, including Klara in The Nutcracker – A Christmas Carol (Youri Vámos), Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Olga in Onegin (John Cranko), and Sister in Cinderella (Jean-Christophe Maillot). Additionally, she impressed audiences by performing six significant female roles in The Sleeping Beauty (Márcia Haydée), starring as Aurora, the Lilac Fairy, the Fairy of the Golden Wine, the Fairy of the Enchanted Garden, Princess Florine in the Bluebird pas de deux, and in the Emerald variation. She continued to shine in main roles such as Swanilda in Ronald Hynd’s Coppélia.

Nina has embraced modern and neoclassical ballets, performing in works such as Holo Harmonies (Mauro Bigonzetti), The Second Detail (William Forsythe), Frank Bridge Variations (Hans van Manen), and Moving Rooms (Krzysztof Pastor).

In 2024, Nina was honored with the National Theatre Director’s Award, recognizing her exceptional contributions to the company.