Principal Dancer
Ludmila Pagliero is an Argentine étoile of the Paris Opera Ballet who became the first South American dancer to achieve this pinnacle rank, retiring in 2025 after a transformative career that redefined the company's international profile.
Defining moments and milestones
Pagliero began her professional career at sixteen with the Ballet of Santiago in 2000, quickly establishing herself in classical roles before securing a developmental year with American Ballet Theatre in 2003 through the Igor Youskevitch Award. She joined the Paris Opera Ballet as a soloist and rose through the ranks with uncommon swiftness, becoming in 2012 the first South American dancer ever promoted to étoile—a rank she maintained for thirteen years, dancing the great classical and contemporary roles with technical brilliance and dramatic depth. Her retirement in 2025 concluded a career that fundamentally expanded the geographic and cultural horizons of one of ballet's most storied institutions.
Promoted to Danseuse Étoile (Principal Dancer) of the Paris Opera Ballet on March 22, 2012, becoming the first South American dancer to achieve this rank
Instituto Superior de Arte del Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires (1993–1999)
Recordings featuring Ludmila Pagliero in the Society index
Additional recordings will appear here as the catalog expands.