National Ballet of Cuba Concludes Vocational Workshop with Brilliant Gala

With a gala performance titled Festival Quien baila es más feliz, the National Ballet of Cuba (BNC) brought its Vocational Dance Workshop to a close on Sunday, July 13.

The performance was dedicated to Miriam Vila, the first director of the workshop; historian Dr. Miguel Cabrera; and pianist Keren Rodríguez — all founding members of the Cátedra de Danza team 25 years ago — as well as to its current director, master teacher Mercedes Beltrán.

As Dr. Cabrera noted, the Cátedra de Danza is a continuation of the work initiated by the Alicia Alonso Academy in the 1950s, which was later strengthened after the triumph of the Cuban Revolution. The mission of making ballet accessible nationwide and encouraging its practice from an early age has long been at the heart of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, now under the direction of prima ballerina Viengsay Valdés.

Held at the Avellaneda Hall of the National Theater of Cuba, the gala featured nearly 100 students who completed an intensive period of training in the fundamental elements of ballet. The program included original choreographies created by instructors of the Cátedra de Danza, showcasing diverse styles and music from both Cuban composers and the global repertoire.

Before the start of the new academic year, the Cátedra will conduct the Ballet Nacional de Cuba International Summer Workshop in Venezuela: from July 21 to 26 in Caracas, and from July 28 to August 2 on Margarita Island.

Faculty from the Cátedra, along with guest instructors from the National Ballet School, will teach classes in ballet, pointe technique, pas de deux, repertory, physical conditioning, character dances, and Cuban and contemporary modern dance.

Viengsay Valdés, the general director and principal dancer of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba (BNC), will conduct a master class. Additionally, Dr. Miguel Cabrera will lead a session focused on the history, technique, and style of the Cuban ballet school. Guest artists Nadila Estrada and Alejandro Alderete, both dancers from the BNC, will also be participating.

Text and photos: National Ballet of Cuba

Translated by Luis E. Amador Dominguez