A Night of Ballet Dedicated to Lezama Lima

The dance is closely connected with the rest of the arts and, during the International Festival of Ballet of Havana, this friendship was on stage. Literature is one of them. For this reason, during the centenary of the birth of the great Cuban intellectual, there was a night dedicated to José Lezama Lima.

Death of Narcissus (Muerte de Narciso), a ballet with choreography by Alicia Alonso inspired on a poem by the Cuban poet and writer was premiered Friday night in the context of the Ballet Festiva.

The performance at the Great Theater of Havana was attended by Cuban Culture Minister Abel Prieto, prima ballerina assoluta Alicia Alonso and other government and cultural figures in attendance.

Death of Narcissus is based on a poem written by Lezama Lima when he was in his early twenties and it was published by the Verbum magazine in 1936.

The Narcissus myth, taken to the stage by Yanier Gomez of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba (BNC), with music by Julian Orbon, tells the story of an exceptionally beautiful boy who never fell in love and instead became fascinated with his own image reflected on the water.

In an evening of premieres, Night of the Eclipse (La Noche del Eclipse), with choreography by Alonso as well, was brought to the stage for the first time on Friday with Anettet Delgado and Yadil Suarez, both with the BNC, on the leading roles.

The ballet is based on the personality of Cuban poet Juana Borrero and her first encounter with Carlos Pio Uhrbach, the man she loved in spite of her father's opposition and who was also a poet from the 19th century.

Both writers were deeply admired by Lezama Lima.

The program included The Dying Swan that was masterly performed by Russian dancer Vladimir Malakhov, with the Berlin Opera Ballet, choreographed by Camile Saint-Saens.

Apollo, Naked Light of Love (Desnuda Luz del Amor) and Habanera Suite comleted the gala offered to Lezama Lima at a packed Garcia Lorca Auditorium of the Grand Theater of Habana.

Worth mentioning was also the performance of the Solistas de La Habana Orchestra directed by Maria Elena Mendiola.