Cuban National Ballet to Host Gala Celebrating Viengsay Valdés’ 30-Year Artistic Career
The Cuban National Ballet will hold a gala performance on Saturday, September 14, at 8:30 p.m. at the Avellaneda Hall of the National Theater of Cuba to celebrate the 30-year professional artistic career of its prima ballerina and general director, Viengsay Valdés.
The gala program will feature the «Waltz and Rose Adagio» from The Sleeping Beauty, choreographed by Alicia Alonso after Marius Petipa’s original, with music by Tchaikovsky; Después del Diluvio, choreographed by Alberto Méndez with music by Camille Saint-Saëns.
The program also includes the solo Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien, choreographed by Ben van Cauwenbergh to the music of Charles Dumont; the pas de deux «Loss,» the finale from Love, Fear, Loss by Ricardo Amarante, also set to Dumont’s music; and a suite from the ballet Don Quixote, choreographed by Alicia Alonso (artistic-directorial choreography), Marta García, and María Elena Llorente, based on the original by Marius Petipa and Alexander Gorsky’s version, with music by Ludwig Minkus.
These works will be performed by Viengsay Valdés alongside other company stars, such as principal dancer Dani Hernández and leading dancer Ányelo Montero.
Born in Havana, Viengsay Valdés began her studies at the Alejo Carpentier Elementary Ballet School and graduated in 1994 with a Gold Certificate from the National Ballet School, now known as «Fernando Alonso.» She joined the Cuban National Ballet that same year and quickly captivated audiences with her outstanding performances in both classical and contemporary ballets.
In 1996, Valdés rose through the ranks in a single year to become a coryphée, soloist, and principal dancer, and in 2001, she was promoted to prima ballerina. In January 2019, she was appointed the Artistic Deputy Director of the Cuban National Ballet, and a year later, she assumed the role of Director General.
In 2019, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Ballet from the Dance Arts Faculty of the University of the Arts of Cuba (ISA), graduating Suma Cum Laude and being recognized as the most outstanding student of her class.
Throughout her career with the Cuban National Ballet, Valdés has performed in numerous countries and has been invited to dance as a principal guest artist with iconic ballet companies, including Russia’s Bolshoi and Mariinsky theaters.
Among the many awards and honors she has received, both during her student years and professional career, are the Distinction for National Culture, the Alejo Carpentier Medal, and the Félix Varela Order, bestowed by the Cuban government.
Tickets for the gala will go on sale starting Tuesday, September 10, at the National Theater of Cuba’s box office, from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m., and on the day of the performance, from 1:00 p.m. until the start of the show. Tickets will also be available for purchase online.
Source: Press Department / Cuban National Ballet
Translated by Luis E. Amador Dominguez
Photo: Ballet Nacional de Cuba – BNC oficial en Facebook
