The National Ballet of Cuba Announces Upcoming Performances

The National Ballet of Cuba, under the direction of Viengsay Valdés, will celebrate ten years of collaboration with the British Friends of the National Ballet of Cuba. This fruitful relationship has brought works by world-renowned choreographers into the company’s repertoire.

To mark this milestone, six performances will be held at the Avellaneda Hall of the National Theatre of Cuba on July 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, and 14. These will feature two productions created with the support of the British Friends.

The first is Celeste, choreographed by Annabelle López Ochoa with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, first presented in 2014. The second is a world premiere: the ballet Lucile, conceived especially for the National Ballet of Cuba by Danish dancer and choreographer Johan Kobborg, at the request of the company’s general director, prima ballerina Viengsay Valdés.

The performances will be held at the usual times: Thursday to Saturday at 8:30 p.m. and Sundays at 5:00 p.m.

Lucile is a tribute to the great Danish ballerina Lucile Grahn, an iconic figure of the Romantic Era. The music, arranged by Gavin Sutherland, is based on compositions by Jules Massenet. The costumes were designed by Natalia Stewart, the set by Johan Kobborg himself, and the lighting by Joey Walls.

Johan Kobborg is well known to the Cuban audience from his performances at the Havana International Ballet Festivals in 1998 and 2004, as well as the Royal Ballet’s performances in Cuba in 2009. In his illustrious career, he has received international acclaim and has been a principal dancer with both the Royal Danish Ballet and the Royal Ballet. In 2006, he received the Lawrence Olivier Award for his production of The Sylphide, and his version of Romeo and Juliet, premiered at the Verona Arena in Italy in 2019, was a resounding success.

Tickets will be available at the National Theatre of Cuba’s box office starting July 2, from Tuesday to Saturday, 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. On performance days, tickets can be purchased from 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and from 1:00 p.m. on Sundays, up until half an hour after the show starts.

Photographs: Works Created with the Cooperation of the British Friends of the National Ballet of Cuba

Celeste

Choreography: Annabelle López Ochoa

Music: P.I. Tchaikovsky

Costumes: Dieuweke van Reij

Lighting Design: Michael Mazzola

Mounting Assistants: Stephanie Bauger and Linnet González

Performers: Yanela Piñera, Alfredo Ibáñez, Jessie Domínguez, Arian Molina, Viengsay Valdés, Gian Carlos Pérez, and the corps de ballet

Venue: Avellaneda Hall, National Theatre

Premiere: March 7, 2014

Oscurio

Choreography: Annabelle López Ochoa

Music: Raime, Michael Gordon

Costumes: Aviad Arik Herman

Lighting Design: Michael Mazzola

Performers: Viengsay Valdés, Ariel Martínez, and the corps de ballet

Venue: Gran Teatro de La Habana Alicia Alonso

Premiere: October 28, 2016

Próspera

Choreography: Cathy Marston

Mounting Assistants: Jenny Tatersall and Linnet González

Music: Lera Auerbach

Musicians: Ricardo Tissiaut, Danny Santos, Manuel Jiménez, Gran Teatro de La Habana Alicia Alonso Symphony Orchestra, conductor Yhovani Duarte

Costumes: Jean-Marc Puissant

Lighting Design: Lorenzo Savoini

Performers: Daniela Gómez (Próspera), Cosme Tablada (Ariel), Daniel Rittoles (Caliban), Adrián Sánchez (Ferdinand), Patricia Torres (Miranda), and the National Ballet of Cuba corps de ballet

Venue: Gran Teatro de La Habana Alicia Alonso

Premiere: October 29, 2018

La Hora Novena

Choreography: Gemma Bond

Music: Johann Sebastian Bach

Designs: Reid & Harriet

Lighting: Serena Wong

Mounting Assistant: Linnet González

Performers: Daniela Gómez, Karla Iglesias, Alianed Moreno, Amanda Pérez, Marité Fuentes, Darío Hernández, Diego Tápanes, Yasiel Hodelin, Roy Carreño, and José González

Soloists: Milagros de los Ángeles (soprano), Merlyn Cruz (contralto), Reinaldo Cobas (bass) from the National Opera Theater of Cuba, Camilo Hijuelos (tenor) from the Rodrigo Prats Opera Theater of Holguín, Keren Rodríguez-Gallo (harpsichord), Rodrigo Prats Opera Theater Choir, Holguín

Orchestra: Gran Teatro de La Habana Alicia Alonso Symphony Orchestra

Conductor: Idalgel Marquetti

Premiere: April 15, 2022

Source: Press Department of the National Ballet of Cuba

Translated by Luis E. Amador Dominguez