Cuba and US the most awarded at event Ballet Beyond Borders

 HAVANA, Cuba, Jan 13 (ACN) The Cuban companies Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba (LADC), Olivian Dance, the National Ballet School (ENB) "Fernando Alonso" and the Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre, from the United States, won most of the awards of the Ballet Beyond Borders (BBB) Havana 2025 event.

At the awards ceremony, held at the Avellaneda Hall of the National Theater of Cuba, it was announced that in the Open category for children, dancers Melody Ortega Lopez and Karla Lim Alvarez, both from Olivian Dance, won the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

In the same category, but for students, Olivia Ortiz Soto, from Olivian Dance, won the gold medal and Aziza Yasmeen Shaikh, from Noorani Dance School of the United States, won the silver.

Young Maria Fernanda Carbonell and Gabriela Clavijo, from the aforementioned Cuban group, also won gold and silver in their category.

US participants Chrome Glacier Louie and Annabelle Thomas, the latter from Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre, won gold and silver in the Adult Open.

In the Professional section there was a tie between Melissa Agudo and Liz Francesca Rivera, from LADC, who placed first, while dancer Roberto Zapata, from Ghetto Up School took second place and Dimitri Govertsen, from Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre, placed third.

The Cuban school Ghetto Up won gold in the Small Groups category, joined by Al alba, from LADC (silver) and Reminiscence, from Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre (bronze).

In the Large Groups category, the company directed by Lizt Alfonso won all the awards: the gold was for the choreography "La tarara", the silver for the piece "Bon dia" -which was shared with "Arachnids", by Olivian Dance- and the bronze for "Living la vida loca".

BBB Havana was an opportunity for the new generations of choreographers to showcase their creations, which is why young Cubans Olivia Ortiz, Vidah Mahelie Perez and Oliver Damian Bacot and US artist Florence Byrne won prizes.

Annabelle Thomas (gold) and Sarah Diebert (silver), from the United States, and Kamila Fernandez, from Cuba (bronze) were the best choreographers in the Young/Adult category.

In Ballet the ENB "Fernando Alonso" deserved most of the awards, with outstanding students Lis Marina Gascon del Risco, Nina Asaka, Paola Arevalo, Fabio Fernandez, Ana Karla Rochart, Joan Manuel Riera and Greisell Lastre.

Cubans Amanda Olivera, Paula Escobar, Olivia Ortiz, Adianne Olivero, Fabiana Paola Silvestrelli, Paola Medina, Anna Yulia Ibañez, Maria Fernanda Carbonell, Jade Alejandra Boza and young Gabriel Castillo topped the list of winners in the Contemporary section and its different modalities.

During the closing ceremony, the "Jorge Barani" award was presented for the first time, named after the Cuban dancer who was awarded in the first edition of BBB Havana and whose talent is currently part of the Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre.

Ballet Beyond Borders Havana, headed by teacher and choreographer Lizt Alfonso and her US counterpart Charlene Carey, founder of the event, concluded in the capital with a gala that was diverse in dance styles and with the premise that beyond borders, art must serve to unite and make the world a better place.