The National Ballet of Cuba to Perform in Puerto Rico

The National Ballet of Cuba will present two performances on March 1st and 2nd at the Festival Hall of the Luis A. Ferré Center for the Arts in San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico.

As a Cultural Heritage of the Nation, the company will deliver a program composed of two gems from the repertoire: Carmen, a ballet by Alberto Alonso based on the homonymous work by the French writer Prósper Merimée, and the suite Don Quijote, inspired by Miguel de Cervantes’ novel Don Quijote de la Mancha. This adaptation is choreographed by Marta García and María Elena Llorente, following the original by Marius Petipa, under the artistic direction of Alicia Alonso.

The cast, led by the director and principal dancer Viengsay Valdés, includes prominent figures such as Sadaise Arencibia, Anette Delgado, Dani Hernández, Grettel Morejón, and Yankiel Vázquez, along with other outstanding artists like Chavela Riera, Ányelo Montero, María Luisa Márquez, Estefanía Hernández, Gabriela Druyet, Jorge Guerra, Luis Fernández, soloists, and the dance corps.

These performances, dedicated to the memory of the legendary prima ballerina assoluta Alicia Alonso, take place by invitation of the Ballets de San Juan. This collaboration adds to the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the National Ballet of Cuba and marks the 70th anniversary of its foundation.

Both companies share a fascinating history, earning them a special place in the history of dance in America. Founders Alicia Alonso and Ana García maintained a strong collaboration, beginning when Alicia Alonso invited Ana García to join the first generation of the National Ballet of Cuba. In 1955, they jointly premiered the ballet Giselle in Puerto Rico. Artists from both countries have been part of these groups at different times, representing a rich exchange and further demonstrating the bonds of fraternity and culture between the Cuban and Puerto Rican peoples.

Source: National Ballet of Cuba

Translated by Luis E. Amador Dominguez