HAVBANA 2025 Kicks Off
Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba will officially launch the second edition of the Ballet Beyond Borders (BBB) HAVBANA 2025 event on January 7. The event will feature selections from Habana Fénix at the National Theater of Cuba at 7:00 PM.
The premiere of this production in 2023 became one of the cultural highlights of the year in Cuba, earning its creator—master, director, and choreographer Lizt Alfonso—the National Choreography Award from the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba. While she is responsible for the overall choreographic vision and technical direction of the piece, Habana Fénix also includes scenes choreographed by dancers and instructors trained at Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba, such as Yadira Hernández, Diana Fernández, Claudia Valdivia, Laura Abreu, Daira Jay, and Yohara García, alongside contributions from Alfonso herself.
For Lizt Alfonso, this work is deeply personal. She handpicked the music, collaborated on the editing process, conceptualized each theme for the choreographies that make up the performance, assembled her team, immersed them in a shared vision and intent, and selected various technical elements to be used (including helmets, fans, shawls, suitcases, and more). She also created opportunities for emerging dancers through training and direction.
After attending Habana Fénix on May 5, 2023, Cuban singer-songwriter and poet Silvio Rodríguez reflected on his blog Segunda Cita: “Last night at the Martí Theater, we witnessed the world premiere of Habana Fénix, by Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba, inspired by the words of esteemed Eusebio Leal. We felt rejuvenated and grateful for a work that resonates with our identity.”
“The language of dance conveys everything. The bodies speak; there are solo monologues; dance choruses that narrate both the simple and complex aspects of our lives and dreams,” Rodríguez stated. He is recognized as a prominent poet in Ibero-American music and a founding member of the Nueva Trova Movement.
“In Habana Fénix, our ethnic heritage, history, and everyday experiences are articulated, distinguished, and intertwined,” he concluded.
Eminent Cuban historian Dr. Eusebio Leal, whose words served as an inspirational foundation for this work, remarked on Lizt Alfonso: “She has shown through concrete actions that it is possible to begin with a solitary project and achieve the global stature that today defines the ballet bearing her name.”
Leal commended her resilience in overcoming various challenges. “I have seen her rise like a phoenix from a handful of ruins to establish a company,” he affirmed.
Ballet Beyond Borders (BBB) HAVBANA 2025 will take place in Havana from January 7 to 11, co-sponsored by Rocky Mountain Ballet Theater from the United States. On January 13, several participating artists—both national and international—will present a Special Gala at the Tomás Terry Theater in Cienfuegos.
Source: Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba
Translated by Luis E. Amador Dominguez
