Hernán Justo began his ballet training in 1974 at the prestigious Instituto Superior de Arte of Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After ten years of training, he launched his professional career with Ballet Estable de Tucumán before dancing with Ballet Estable del Teatro Colón and Teatro Argentino de La Plata.

His international career took him to Ballet de Santiago in Chile, where he worked with renowned choreographers and ballet masters including Ben Stevenson, Ivan Nagy, Ronald Hynd, Andrée Prokovsky, Gyula Pandi, and László Seregi. As a soloist, he performed leading roles in Giselle, Swan Lake, The Taming of the Shrew, Anna Karenina, The Three Musketeers, and numerous classical and contemporary works.

Mr. Justo later joined Ballet Clásico de Cámara and Ballet Contemporáneo de Caracas in Venezuela, performing the great classical repertoire while collaborating with internationally recognized artists including Nina Novak, Kaleria Fedicheva, Vera Kirova, Giuseppe Carbone, John Butler, and María Eugenia Barrios.

In 1992, Mr. Justo received the Best Couple Award at the XV International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria, one of the world’s most prestigious ballet competitions. He was also awarded Best Classical Interpretation at the Prix Volinine in Paris and was nominated Best Dancer of the Year by Casa del Artista in Caracas, Venezuela. Throughout his career, he performed in international festivals and galas alongside many of ballet’s greatest artists, including Julio Bocca, Maya Plisetskaya, Carlos Acosta, Marcelo Gomes, Maximiliano Guerra, José Martinez, Patrick Dupond, and Larissa Ponomarenko.

In 1994, Mr. Justo became a Principal Dancer with North Carolina Dance Theatre (now Charlotte Ballet), where he performed works by George Balanchine, Alvin Ailey, Agnes de Mille, Salvatore Aiello, and Alonzo King under the artistic leadership of Salvatore Aiello, Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, Patricia McBride, and Jerri Kumery. During his six seasons with the company, he toured extensively throughout the United States and served on the faculty of the renowned Chautauqua Institution.

Following his retirement from the stage in 2000, Mr. Justo was appointed Artistic Director of Ballet Greenville (formerly Carolina Ballet Theatre) by founder Barbara Selvy. Under his leadership, the company has grown into one of the Southeast’s leading regional ballet organizations. He has choreographed and staged more than 50 ballets, including The Nutcracker| Once Upon a Time in Greenville, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Jolly Roger The Jungle Book, Mirror Mirror, Arriving in Indigo City, Tangofusion, The Snow Princess, and numerous original works.

Dedicated to expanding artistic opportunities, Mr. Justo has brought acclaimed choreographers and répétiteurs to Ballet Greenville while establishing its Resident Choreographer Program, nurturing the creative voices of company artists and broadening the company’s repertoire with both classical masterworks and contemporary creations.

Mr. Justo co-owns and directs DanceArts Greenville with his wife, Anita Sun Pacylowski, where he teaches the advanced ballet program and mentors the next generation of dancers. He is also a sought-after guest teacher for professional companies, schools, and summer intensives throughout the United States.

Together, Hernán and Anita have dedicated their careers to advancing ballet through performance, education, and community engagement. They have three children: Martin, a professional dancer with Ballet Greenville; Sofia, a graduate of the University of South Carolina and a dancer with Ballet Greenville; and Nicolas, a graduate of Clemson University.

Cinderella 2026