Havana Ballet Festival to Feature World-Class Dancers, Companies

Some World-famous ballet dancers and companies from 18 countries are expected at the 22nd Havana Ballet Festival, which will celebrate the 90th birthday of Prima Ballerina Assoluta Alicia Alonso.

From October 28 to November 7, our capital will host a fiesta of ballet, with visitors like the American Ballet Theater, which is returning to Cuba after 40 years, and figures such as Russians Vladimir Vasiliev and Vladimir Malakhov from the Berlin Opera, and Spaniard Tamara Rojo.

This is a great festival, unlike any other in the world and which has been growing; it is almost a record, Alonso said.

The 2010 festival will be marked by something very special: The Year of Alicia Alonso, which the Culture Ministry is to declare as a tribute for her 90th birthday.

About 30 performances are scheduled, 12 of them world premiers, such as El Amor Brujo by Spaniard dancer Antonio Rios (El Pipa); Le papillon, by Canadian Peter Quanzm, and El perfume, by Belgian Luc Bouy.

Invitees include the New York City Ballet, the Royal Ballet of London, the English National Ballet, the Ballet of the Opera of Berlín, the Colon Ballet Theater of Argentina, and the Opera of Dresden, Germany.

For its return to Cuba, the American Ballet Theater will dedicate two shows to Alonso, who was a first figure with that company.

Soloists such as José Manuel Carreño, Herman Cornejo and Paloma Herrera will also honor her with their performances.

This festival is not only one of the oldest in the world but an important event in Cuban culture.

Since its foundation, Cuba has been visited by 53 companies and personalities from 61 countries, with 880 performances and 219 world premieres.