The Enchanted Shrimp: Cuba's National Ballet

Cuba's National Ballet will celebrate International Children's Day with a presentation of The Enchanted Shrimp (El Camaron Encantado), performed by about 500 children and young dancers.

Under the direction of prima ballerina assoluta Alicia Alonso, the piece, with choreography by Eduardo Blanco, will be performed at the Karl Marx theater in a gala sponsored by the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef).

Inspired by a Jose Marti version of the story by French writer Laboulaye, El Camaron Encantado, published in the book La Edad de Oro (The Golden Age), also features the music of Giaccomo Rossini, Benjamin Britten, Serguei Prokofiev, Joseph Luigini, Jules Massenet, and Leo Delibes.

Set design is by Eduardo Romero and Luis Carlos Benvenuto.

Young ballet dancers Monica Gomez (the enchanted shrimp) Dayesi Torrintes (Masicas), and Josue Justiz (Loppi) will dance the main roles, backed by a ballet group of children 5 to 14 years old who will play mice, bats, butterflies, birds, rabbits, deers, bears, among others.

The Enchanted Shrimp premiered in June 2002. The leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, attended the second show and recommended that it be presented nationwide.