Cuba hosts international ballet event

 

HAVANA, Cuba, Jan 8 (ACN) Taking dance as a universal language that unites dancers from all over the world, the 2nd international event Ballet Beyond Borders Havbana (BBB) returns to this city, home to the company Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba (LADC).

According to Ms. Alfonso, choreographer and director of LADC, this event, first held in Havana in January 2024, gives Cuban dancers and students an opportunity to display their talent to the rest of the world.

“As a huge family that welcomes each of the participants, BBB has gone beyond the State of Montana, U.S.A., and reached Pakistan, Italy, China and Cuba, and this year the event will also include the province of Cienfuegos”, she remarked. “It will assemble more than 200 dancers, 162 of them from the National Ballet School, the Lizt Alfonso school, the company Acosta Danza, and a number of Cuban artistic education institutions”.
BBB will have its closing and awards ceremony at the National Theater of Cuba on January 11, which will feature a collage of the choreographies presented.

“The idea to organize BBB Havbana came up a year ago while the LADC participated in the one held in Los Angeles, U.S.A. at an invitation of the Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre and its creator, Charlene Carey. One of the personalities that played a key role to this end is Professor Caridad Martinez, former soloist of the National Ballet of Cuba and promoter of the presence of many Cuban dancers in the event”.

On her end, Ms. Carey pointed out that BBB Havbana has a vision of unity despite the differences and that its magic transcends the stage to reach the bonds born between the participating dancers and choreographers.
Vincent Paterson, a choreographer of world music icons such as Michael Jackson and Madonna, and one of the special guests this year, expressed his satisfaction for being in Havana and gave a master class in which the dancers joined the popular choreography of the song Thriller, immortalized by the King of Pop four decades ago.

“I am curious to see what the dancers will bring us this year”, he said in reference to the competition of classical and contemporary ballet, Cuban and Afro-Cuban folk, jazz, and traditional dances from several countries.