Cuban National Ballet - History

History

The company was founded by Alicia Alonso, her husband Fernando and Fernando's brother Alberto on October 28, 1948 as Alicia Alonso Ballet Company. Two years later, a school was established to create a strong artistic vision and promote the talents of young Cuban dancers. Alicia Alonso set a tradition of Romantic and Classical excellence while encouraging the development of new choreography.

Although the school was thriving artistically, it struggled financially. When Fidel Castro took control of Cuba in 1959, he had a commitment to level the social structure and to make the arts available to everyone. “The old government was out and the new hope was coming for the arts and the ballet in Cuba,” recalled Margarita de Saá, former BNC ballerina. The coming of the Revolution, marked the beginning of a new stage for the Cuban ballet, Castro gave $200,000 to Alonso, a supporter of the revolution. With state funding, suddenly the ballet became important to the country and its identity. That year, as a part of a new cultural program, the company was reorganized and it took the name of National Ballet of Cuba that has had a vertiginous development from that moment on, enriching its repertory and promoting the development of new dancers, choreographers, professors and creators. Combined with other spheres related to dance, such as set design, costumes, lighting and sound. Significant improvements in traditional repertory, unique and diverse choreographic advances, have established works that are recognized routinely as visionary achievements in the contemporary choreography. Following the romantic and classical tradition, The BNC has a rich history of stimulating the creative talent of its choreographers who under Ms. Alonso's guidance have improved both contemporary and classical ballet. The BNC has choreographed and performed completely new versions of classics such as Giselle, The Swan Lake or Coppélia.These masterpieces are sometimes accompanied with works coming from the renovating movement of Sergei Diaghilev Russian Ballets Petrushka, or Afternoon of a Faun; and ballets created by Cuba's national choreographers.

With the revolution in 1959 and its policy to make art available to everyone, the Alonsos have grasped the opportunity to set up the school by receiving funding from the government. Government funding for the Ballet Nacional continues to this day. These funds allow the Ballet to scour the country and hand pick gifted students. They set off to search all over the country to find children with aptitude whom they might teach. They travel to over 14 provinces, with the criteria that prospective students should have musicality, good body proportions, and the ability to follow simple steps. Cuba funds a country-wide teaching organization called the National School of Ballet, directed by Ramona de Saá. There is no shortage of eager young hopefuls on this island. Placement in the ballet program can lead to respectable salaries, government subsidies, the opportunity to travel internationally and recognition as a Cuban cultural asset.

The system remains the same today. Boys have been encouraged to audition as much as girls, and over the years this has become an easier task now that parents realize the financially rewarding future that awaits good dancers. During their eight-year period of training, all students receive support from the government, everything is free. After completing the training, a dancer earns approximately $30 a month, which compares to the salaries of doctors and skilled workers.

Cuba is currently recognized for having dancers of the highest technical and emotional ability who have found fame with leading world companies. Amazingly, it is all due to one almost legendary artist, Alicia Alonso. Following the classical Soviet system, the National Ballet School turns out 40 professionals a year. Through the Ballet Nacional and its network of schools, Alicia Alonso and Fernando have created a uniquely Cuban style of dance.One of the most celebrated ballerinas for fifty years, Alicia Alonso has combined a true sense of romanticism with a Latin boldness of feeling, and the suppleness and high extensions of the Russian school with the brilliant footwork of Italy ..

The choreographic versions of the classics are known internationally, because of the many performances at major theatres. This includes theatres such as The Ballet of the Paris Opera, where Giselle was performed, and the Grand Pas de Quarte, where The Sleeping Beauty was performed. In addition, the school has performed Giselle at other major theatres including the Vienna State Opera and the San Carlos of Naples. Furthermore, performances such as La Fille Mall Gardee occurred at the Opera Prague and The Sleeping Beauty at the Teatro alla Scala of Milan.

Besides its intense activity in Cuba, the National Ballet of Cuba develops a program of international tours. These tours take the BNC to stages of different countries within Europe, Asia and America annually. Important awards, such as the Grand Prix of the Ville of Paris and the Order Félix Varela, of the Republic of Cuba, joined with frequent acclamation of specialized critics. In addition to the acclaim of the most prominent representatives of the critics and awards received by their figures, individuals have won awards in international competitions and festivals. Outstanding members of the company have consistently received distinctions and awards in competitions and international festivals. The success is known as the reflection of its founder Alicia Alonso. The company has created more than 600 works and performed in more than 60 countries worldwide.

On the occasion of its 50th anniversary Fidel Castro awarded the ballet and Alicia Alonso its highest civil decoration, the Lazaro Pena Order.

The opportunity to join foreign ballet companies is a big incentive for numbers of the National Ballet of Cuba, where a top dancer's pay is about $30 a month. Today several American and British companies have former dancers from the National Ballet dance school among their principal dancers as Lorna Feijoo and her husband Nelson Madrigal who perform with the Boston Ballet, Lorna's sister is with the San Francisco Ballet, in the San Francisco Ballet where Cuban Jorge Esquivel is one of the ballet masters. In 2004 Jose Manuel Carreno was the first Cuban to win the Dance Magazine award for contributions to ballet since the prima ballerina assoluta Alicia Alonso did in 1958.

National Ballet of Cuba (Ballet Nacional de Cuba), is managed by Cuban prima ballerina assoluta Alicia Alonso and is one of the top ballet companies in the world. The artistic standards and technical severity of the dancers and the wide diversity in the aesthetic conception of the choreographers in combining joyful Cuban sensuality with superb classical Russian, French and English ballets, have granted this ensemble a secure place among international dance institutions. Today occupies a prominent place in the contemporary Hispanic-American culture. The company was founded in 1948, with Alicia Alonso as the main founder and first figure. In 1950 the National School of Ballet Alicia Alonso was founded, annexed to the professional company.