20 replies to this topic

[cubanmiamiboy]

The Cuban National Ballet  led by Mme. Alonso is celebrating its upcoming 60th anniversary concurrently with the 21st International Ballet Festival being held from October 28 to November 6 , featuring a new version of  Sleeping Beauty.  Wish i could be there...   Oh well...

This link is an automatic Google translation of the official site, which doesn't have its own english version...

http://translate.goo...l=e...l=en&sa=G

[anettefan]

Ooops, something happended, you and I both wish we could be there, but other than the revival of Sleeping Beauty and a new contemporary work by a Spanish choreographer, nothing much appeals to me. Anette will debut in the full length on October 30 and as soon as I can get my hands on the taping I will post it on Youtube together with the other ones U have posted.

[cubanmiamiboy]

Thanks, Annettefan...actually for the most of my past experiences of the Festivals, the most expected things are the full length runs, which usually take place at the National Theater, right at the same time that the foreign Companies are running their works at the Grand Theater.  I always opted for the full length ballets, which also always bring guest stars to dance in.  That's how i saw Alessandra Ferri in Giselle, and also Cojocaru.  I think Annette will do a beautiful Aurora, being so delicate and girlie, although Viengsay Valdes i'm sure will make history with her endless balances at the Rose Adagio.  We'll see...

[cubanmiamiboy]

By the way, there's an official website dedicated to the festival, and here's the Program:
http://translate.goo...e...cial&hs=tBg

21st. International Ballet Festival of Havana
October 28 to November 6, 2008  


OCTOBER

[Tuesday 28] ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

GRAND THEATER  OF  HAVANA ( 8.30 pm 8.30 pm )  

Gala Opening

National Anthem
Parade
Opening remarks
Premiere of the documentary "60 th Anniversary of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba"

-"At Sunset". Ch: Alicia Alonso. M: José Dolores Cerón.  Ballet Nacional de Cuba
-"Theme and Variations" Ch: George Balanchine. M: Piotr Ilich Chaikovski . (cast to be announced)
National Symphonic Orchestra: Conductor: Giovanni Duarte.  

THEATER Las Tunas (Las Tunas) (9:00 pm)
-Romancero gypsy".  Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía. Dir: Cristina Hoyos (Spain / Canada)

[Wednesday 29] ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ... ... ... ...
GREAT THEATER OF HAVANA  8.30 pm

"Sleeping Beauty": Ch: Marius Petipa. M: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Viengsay Valdes, Romel Frómeta, soloists and corps de ballet).
National Symphonic Orchestra. Conductor: Elena Herrera

THEATER MELLA  (5.00 pm)  
-"Flamenco Republic" . Int: María Pagés Company (Spain / Canada)

SAUTO Theater, (MATANZAS)
-"Jaleos flamenco" Ch: Matilde Rubio [I and III movements] and Carlos Rodriguez [II movement]. M: Carlos Piñana). Int: Ballet Español de Murcia [Beatriz Arce, Ana Machuca, Inés Hellín, Verónica López, Andrés Fernández, Antonio González, David Pinar and Jonatan Mondéjar] (Spain / Canada)  

THEATER Las Tunas  (9:00 pm)
-"Romancero gypsy". Int: Ballet Flamenco of Andalusia.  Dir: Cristina Hoyos (Spain / Canada)

……………………………… Thursday, 30 . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

GRAND THEATER OF HAVANA  (8.30 pm)  

"Sleeping Beauty" (Ch:Marius Petipa. M: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.  Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Anette Delgado, Joel Carreno, soloists and corps de ballet).

National Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Elena Herrera

THEATER MELLA  (5.00 pm)  

"Flamenco Republic". Company  Maria Pages (Spain / Canada)

AMERICA THEATER (8.30 pm)  

Mixed Program
-Valeria Alvarez (Choreography workshop at the Autonomous University of Mexico) and Jorge Vega (Ballet Nacional de Cuba)
Arturo Vazquez (Choreography workshop at the Autonomous University of Mexico)  

-"Nutcracker, pas de deux" (Staged by Alicia Alonso after A. Fedorova after Lev Ivanov. M: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Sadaise Arencibia and Elier Bourzac).

-"Passion"  Ch: Hector Sanzana. M: Giacomo Puccini.  Ballet Teresa Carreno [Alejandra Martinez, and Walter Castle / Rosselyn Ramirez and Javier Solana] (Venezuela)

-"Bewitched Love" (Ch: Hector Sanzana. M: Manuel de Falla.  Ballet Teresa Carreno (Venezuela)

THEATER Las Tunas  (9:00 pm)

-"Romancero gypsy".  Ballet Flamenco of Andalusia. Dir: Cristina Hoyos (España/ Spain )

Friday 31 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..

THEATER AMERICA (8.30 pm)  

Mixed Program                  

Diana Cuni and Lund and Tomas (Royal Danish Ballet, Denmark)

-"Carmen, pas de deux" (Ch: Alberto Alonso. M: Georges Bizet. Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Viengsay Valdes and Romel Frómeta)

-"Passion" ( Ch: Hector Sanzana. M: Giacomo Puccini).  Ballet Teresa Carreno [Alejandra Martinez, and Walter Castle / Rosselyn Ramirez and Javier Solana] (Venezuela)

"El amor brujo" (Ch: Hector Sanzana. M: Manuel de Falla).  Ballet Teresa Carreno (Venezuela)

CATHEDRAL SQUARE, Old Havana (9:00 pm)  

-"Shakespeare and his Masks". Ch: Alicia Alonso. M: Charles Gounod. Orchestral adaptations : Juan Piñera. Libretto: José Ramón Neyra on the tragedy "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare.  Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Anette Delgado, Javier Torres, soloists and corps de ballet )

SAUTO THEATER (MATANZAS) (8:30 pm)

-"Flamenco Republic"  .Maria Pages Company (Spain / Canada)

THEATER CARDENAS (MATANZAS)(9:00 pm)

-"Jaleo flamenco" . Ch: Matilde Rubio [I and III movements] and Carlos Rodriguez [II movement]..  Ballet Español de Murcia [Beatriz Arce, Ana Machuca, Inés Hellín, Veronica Lopez, Andres Fernandez, Antonio Gonzalez, David and Jonathan Pinar Mondéjar] (Spain / Canada)  

[NOVEMBER]

[Saturday 1] ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

[GRAND THEATER OF HAVANA] (8.30 pm)

[Gala - Delivery of the VI Ibero-American Choreography Competition Award of CIC'2008]  

-"To the Confines of the Earth"  [ Award CIC´2008 ] Ch : Tania Vergara. M: Luar Na Lubre). Ballet Nacional de Cuba

-Edina Plicanic and Ronald Savkovic (Croacia)

-"Ché" . (Ch : Michel Descombey. M: Marc-Antoine Charpentier).  Ballet Nacional de Cuba

-"Tchaikovsky pas de deux". (Ch: George Balanchine. M: Piotr Ilich Tchaikovski.  Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Viengsay Valdés / Rómel Frómeta)

-"Pictures of an Exhibition.( Ch: Alicia Alonso. M: Modest Mussorgski, orchestrated by Maurice Ravel. Works by painters (in order of appearance in the ballet) Alfredo Sosabravo, Roberto Fabelo, Angel Ramirez, Zaida del Rio, Golgotha, William Hernandez, Arturo Montoto, Alicia Leal, Nelson Dominguez, Ileana Mulet and Cosme Proenza. Coordinator of the artistic production / Artistic Production Coordinator: Ricardo Reymena. V / W: Roberto Fabelo, Zaida del Rio, Golgotha, Alicia Leal, Nelson Dominguez, Ileana Mulet and Ricardo Reymena [scenic design of production] / [Scenic Production design]. L: Ruddy Artiles) .  Ballet Nacional de Cuba.
Symphonic Orchestra of the Grand Theater of Havana Havana . . Conductor: Giovanni Duarte

THEATER MELLA] ( 5.00 pm  )

-"Napoli" [ Act III ] ( Ch : August Bournonville . M: NW Gade, E. Helsted, HS Paulli and HC Lumbre. Diana Cuni / Lund  Tomas (Royal Danish Ballet, Denmark)

-"Leda and the swan". (Ch : Iván Tenorio. M: Claude Debussy) Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Yanela Pinera /Javier Torres)
Karina Olmedo  / Juan Pablo Ledo (Stable Ballet Theater Colon, Argentina)

-" Bewitching love" ( Ch : Ramón Oller.  M: Manuel de Falla [1925 version]. Based on an idea by Paco Azorín.[ Design and wardrobe ] Ballet Theater of the Generalitat de Valencia [Diego Arconada, Far Alonso, Bruno Denis, Fabrizio Coppo, Jerome Forteza, Yvette Garcia, Tamara Gosme Rosa, Lara Hernandorena, Diana Huertas, Gustavo Muñiz, Lorena Ortiz, Samuel Retortillo, Cathy Royo, Fatima Sanlés, Bilyana Shopova, Pilar Sospedra, Elisabeth Weaver, Tortelli Diego and Miriam Vilas.(Spain).

[ THEATER AMERICA  (5:00 pm)

[Mixed program]          
-Valeria Alvarez (Choreography workshop at the Autonomous University of Mexico) and Jorge Vega and (Ballet Nacional de Cuba)
Arturo Vazquez (Choreography workshop at the Autonomous University of Mexico)

-"Don Quijote, pas de deux" (Staged by Alicia Alonso based on the original by Marius Petipa and the version of Anatole Obukov). M: Ludwig Minkus. Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Anette Delgado / Joel Carreno)

-"Jaleos flamenco" (Ch: Matilde Rubio [I and III movements] and Carlos Rodriguez [II movement]. M: Carlos Piñana).   Spanish Ballet of Murcia [Beatriz Arce, Ana Machuca, Inés Hellín, Veronica Lopez, Andres Fernandez, Antonio Gonzalez, David and Jonathan Pinar Mondéjar] (Spain / Canada)  


SAUTO THEATER

-Ballet Folklórico de Mérida (Spain)

[Sunday 2] ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ... ... ... ...

GRAND THEATER OF HAVANA (8.30 pm)
[Gala for the 65 th Anniversary of Alicia Alonso's premiere in Giselle]  

-"Giselle" (Staged by Alicia Alonso after the original by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot. Libretto : Théophile Gautier, Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jean Coralli,  inspired by a Germanic popular legend as told by Heinrich Heine.  Ballet Nacional de Cuba . .(Cast to be announced)
Symphonic Orchestra of the Grand Theater of Havana Havana . Conductor: Giovanni Duarte

[THEATER MELLA] (5.00pm)
-"A concert in black and white" (Ch: José Parés. M: Franz Joseph Hayden.  Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Sadaise Arencibia and corps de ballet)/Miguel Ángel Berna ( Spain )

-"The Leaves are Fading" (Ch: Anthony Tudor. M: Antonin Dvorák.). Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Anette Delgado/Javier Torres)

-" Bewitching love"  (Ch : Ramón Oller. Musical direction : Joan Cerveró. M: Manuel de Falla [ 1925 version]. Ballet Theater of the Generalitat de Valencia [Diego Arconada, Far Alonso, Bruno Denis, Fabrizio Coppo, Jerome Forteza, Yvette Garcia, Tamara Rosa Gosme, Lara Hernandorena, Diana Huertas, Gustavo Muñiz, Lorena Ortiz, Samuel Retortillo, Cathy Royo, Fatima Sanlés, Bilyana Shopova, Pilar Sospedra, Elisabeth Weaver, Tortelli Diego and Miriam Vilas] ( Spain).

THEATER AMERICA]  (5:00 pm)

[Mixed program]

-Edina Plicanic / Ronald Savkovic (Opera Ballet , Berlin)
-Karina Olmedo / Juan Pablo Ledo (Ballet Estable del Teatro Colón, Argentina)
-Ballet Folklórico de Mérida (México)

[Monday 3] ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... ...

[THEATER AMERICA] (8:30 pm)
-"Mudejar".  Miguel Angel Berna Company (Spain / Canada)

[CATHEDRAL SQUARE]  (9:00 pm)

-"Swan Lake ". (Staged by Alicia Alonso after the original by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. M: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.  Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Viengsay Valdes, Romel Frómeta, soloists and corps de ballet)

THEATER CARDENAS , MATANZAS.
-"Passion" (Ch: Hector Sanzana. M: Giacomo Puccini. Ballet Teresa Carreno [Alejandra Martinez, and Walter Castle / Rosselyn Ramirez and Javier Solana] (Venezuela)

–"Spartacus" ( Ch: Yuri Grigorovich. M: Aram Jachaturian)  Ballet Teresa Carreno [Cristina Amaral and Walter Castillo] (Venezuela)

–"Bewitched Love" (Ch: Hector Sanzana. M: Manuel de Falla. Ballet Teresa Carreno (Venezuela)

–"Textures" ( Ch: Hector Sanzana. M: Alberto Ginastera.  Ballet Teresa Carreno (Venezuela)

-Ballet Folklorico de Merida (Mexico)

[Tuesday   4 ] ... ... ... ...

GRAND THEATER OF HAVANA ( 8.30 pm )

-"Goyesque Serenade" (Ch : Alicia Alonso. M: Joaquín Rodrigo)  Ballet Nacional de Cuba .(Marlen Fuerte, Yadil Suarez and corps de ballet)

- "Bach x 11" ( Ch: José Parés. M:[Mass in B minor by Johann Sebastian Bach.]  Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Viengsay Valdes, Dayron Vera and corps de ballet).

- Karina Olmedo and Juan Pablo Ledo (Stable Ballet Theater Colon)

- "Bhakti" (Ch: Maurice Béjart. M: Folklore Hindu.  Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Sadaise Arencibia / Javier Torres)

-"A rose, a rose ..." (Ch: Ramon Oller. M: Poems of Rosalia de Castro with music by Amancio Prada and Carlos Nunez.  Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Anette Delgado, Joel Carreno and corps de ballet)

[THEATER MELLA] (5.00pm)

- "Romancero gypsy". Ballet Flamenco of Andalusia. Dir: Cristina Hoyos (Spain )

[THEATER AMERICA] (8.30 pm)

-MIXED BILL

-Edina Plicanic /Ronald Savkovic  (Opera Ballet , Berlin)

-Arturo Vazquez (Choreography workshop at the Autonomous University of Mexico)

-"Coppélia, pas de deux" ( Staged by Alicia Alonso based on the original by Arthur Saint-Leon and Marius Petipa version. M: Léo Delibes .Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Yanela Pinera  / Alejandro Virelles)

-Ballet-Sun.hee Kim (Korea)

[Wednesday 5] ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... ...

GRAND THEATER OF HAVANA HAVANA  ( 8.30  )

[GALA for the 400 years of Cuban Literature]  

-"Les Sylphides"(Staging by Alicia Alonso according to the original version by Mikhail Fokine. M: Fryderyk Chopin. D: Salvador Fernandez on the originals by Alexander Benois.  Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Anette Delgado, Alejandro Virelles, soloists and corps de ballet)

-"Dying Swan" (Ch: Mikhail Fokine. M: Camille Saint-Saëns)  Nina Kapsova (Russia)

-"Lucía Jerez" (Ch: Alicia Alonso on the novel of the same name of José Martí. M: Enrique Gonzalez Mantici).  Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Viengsay Valdes, Yadil Suarez and corps de ballet)

-"Le bourgeois" (Ch : Ben van Couvenberg. M: Jacques Brel)  Carlos Acosta (Ballet Nacional de Cuba/Royal Ballet)

-"The magic flute" (Ch: Alicia Alonso, inspired by Lev Ivanov's homonymous work. M: Riccardo Drigo.  Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Linnet Gonzalez, Elier Bourzac, Victor Gili soloists and corps de ballet)

Symphonic Orchestra of the Grand Theater of Havana . Conductor: Giovanni Duarte

[THEATER MELLA] (5.00pm)

-"Romancero gypsy". Ballet Flamenco of Andalusia. Dir: Cristina Hoyos (Spain / Canada)

[THEATER AMERICA] ( 8.30 pm 8.30 pm )

[Mixed program]

-Valeria Alvarez (Choreography workshop at the Autonomous University of Mexico) and Jorge Vega and (Ballet Nacional de Cuba)

-"Grand pas de deux Classique"  (Staged by Alicia Alonso based on the original by Victor Gsovski. M: Daniel Francois Auber.  Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Sadaise Arencibia / Javier Torres)

-Ballet-Sun.hee Kim (Korea)

[Thursday 6] ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

[THEATER MELLA] (5.00pm)

-"In the Shadows of a Waltz"  (Ch: Alicia Alonso. M: Joseph Strauss.). Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Sadaise Arencibia, Javier Torres and corps de ballet)

-Arturo Vazquez (Choreography workshop at the Autonomous University of Mexico)

-"Time Out of memory" (Ch: Brian Mc Donald. M: Paul Creston. )  Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Regina Hernandez, Yadil Suarez and corps de ballet)

-"The Nutcracker, pas de deux" (Staged by Alicia Alonso, after Alexandra Fedorova based on the original by Lev Ivanov. M: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.) Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Yanela Pinera / Alejandro Virelles)

-"Don Quijote" (Staged by Alicia Alonso, on the original by Marius Petipa and the version of Anatole Obukov. M: Ludwig Minkus.  Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Viengsay Valdes, Romel Frómeta and corps de ballet)

GRAND THEATER OF HAVANA] (8.30 pm)

[Closing Gala ] (Program to be confirmed)

-"Accents" (Ch: Eduardo Blanco. M: Havana Calipso by the group Luna Negra)  Ballet Nacional de Cuba

-Cristina Hoyos /Mariano Bernal ( Spain )

-"Esmeralda" Staged by Alicia Alonso after Marius Petipa. M: Cesare Pugni. Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Anette Delgado / Joel Carreno)

-Valeria Alvarez (Choreography workshop at the Autonomous University of Mexico) and Jorge Vega and (Ballet Nacional de Cuba)

-"Curious" (Ch: Ivan Perez Aviles. V / W: Frank Alvarez) Ballet Nacional de Cuba

-"Solo" .Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Javier Torres)

-"Spartacus" (Ch: Yuri Grigorovitch. M: Aram Jachaturian) Nina Kapsova (Russia) and Carlos Acosta (Ballet Nacional de Cuba/Royal Ballet)

-Ballet Kim-Sun.hee (Corea/ Korea ) -Ballet-Sun.hee Kim (Korea / Korea)

-"The Carnival in Venice"( Ch: Marius Petipa. M: Cesare Pugni) Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Viengsay Valdes, Romel Frómeta, Sadaise Arencibia and Elier Bourzac)

Symphonic Orchestra of the Grand Theater of Havana. Conductor: Giovanni Duarte].

[cubanmiamiboy]

Among my own program's picks, I would love to see Annette Delgado-(which i've only seen on video, and already love her delicate dancing and subtle projection)-in "The Leaves are Fading" and "Les Sylphides", and Viengsay Valdes' debut as Aurora in Mme's much anticipated revival of "Sleeping Beauty"-(those balances in the Rose Adagio will make history   ...I can predict it already).  Sadaise Arencibia in "Grand PDD Classique" is also tempting, given the beautiful lines and technical command of this tall ballerina, and of course, our Carlitos Acosta in "Spartacus", already one of his signature roles....  I'm also pretty intrigued by Mme's staging of Drigo's "The magic flute" , which is listed as "choreographed by Alicia Alonso, inspired by Lev Ivanov's homonymous work". Here the dancers will be Linnet Gonzalez and Elier Bourzac.  Also curious about the still to be announced cast for "Theme and Variations" and "Giselle".  Let's see...(if only I could be there... )

[anettefan]

As far as I know, Theme and Variations is a shared performance by Delgado/Arencibia/Valdes, Giselle is also shared with Valdes in the First Act. Delgado in the Second and Arencibia as Myrtha. And thank you for watching Anette's videos, feel free to add your comments. Hopefully I'll get my hands on recordings of those performances and post them in Youtube.

[cubanmiamiboy]

From "Granma", the Cuban Official Primary newspaper:


30 October, 2008

Sleeping Beauty at Havana Ballet Festival

by Toni Pinera.

The second night of the 21st Havana International Ballet Festival featured Sleeping Beauty, with choreography by Alicia Alonso based the original by Marius Petipa. The majestic piece, performed at the Garcia Lorca Gran Theater in Havana by the Cuban National Ballet, met the expectations of the audience that had long awaited a return of the classic to the company’s repertory. Viengsay Valdes and Romel Frometa dance the lead roles to be performed on Thursday by Anette Delgado and Joel Carreño.The National Symphonic Orchestra interpreted the score by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, conducted by Elena Herrera.Among the public at the full house performance were President Raul Castro and Vice President Esteban Lazo Hernandez.  

P.S-(If the emoticon is ainnapropriate, please remove it...just in case)
P.S 2-Believe it or not this is the FIRST TIME that I see that Raul Castro is being officially addressed as Cuba's President instead of Fidel.

[cubanmiamiboy]

Here's a pic of Valdes and Frometa on the Opening night.  (I see they're wearing the old fashioned baroque-inspired white wigs...which i hardly see it being done nowadays in Beauty)
http://www.granma.cu...v30/ballet.html

[cubanmiamiboy]

More pics of SB and T&V.
http://www.slideshar...al-presentation

[Sacto1654]

This ballet festival is a living tribute to Alicia Alonso, perhaps one of the four greatest ballerinas of the 20th Century along with Margot Fonteyn, Maya Plisetskaya and Galina Ulanova. Pity that the poor state of US-Cuba relations has deprived almost all Americans (except balletomanes more than 60 years old!   ) of seeing her work as dancer and choreographer.

[cubanmiamiboy]

...i feel that THAT is just on the way to change.  

[carbro]

Sacto1654, on Nov 9 2008, 09:06 PM, said:

This ballet festival is a living tribute to Alicia Alonso, perhaps one of the four greatest ballerinas of the 20th Century along with Margot Fonteyn, Maya Plisetskaya and Galina Ulanova. Pity that the poor state of US-Cuba relations has deprived almost all Americans (except balletomanes more than 60 years old!   ) of seeing her work as dancer and choreographer.

Not quite.  Ballet Nacional de Cuba was at New York's City Center as recently as 2003 -- looking mighty fine, I  might add!  Even when Mme Alonso brought the company to the Met, I (not yet 60) was not the youngest person in the house.

cubanmiamiboy, on Nov 9 2008, 11:26 PM, said:

...i feel that THAT is just on the way to change.  

I fervently hope so, too, but I don't realistically expect drastic changes, at least for the foreseeable future.

[Sacto1654]

cubanmiamiboy, on Nov 9 2008, 08:26 PM, said:

...i feel that THAT is just on the way to change.  

If President Obama does end the boycott of Cuba, I'm sure there will be a catfight on where the next time the Ballet Nacional de Cuba plays in New York City. Like I said, most younger Americans have missed out on seeing the later career of Alicia Alonso as choreographer, and it would be very welcome to see her in NYC again for the first time in over five years (ABT would welcome a visit from Alonso, a former ABT dancer, for very obvious reasons! ).

[leonid]

Sacto1654, on Nov 9 2008, 09:06 PM, said:

This ballet festival is a living tribute to Alicia Alonso, perhaps one of the four greatest ballerinas of the 20th Century along with Margot Fonteyn, Maya Plisetskaya and Galina Ulanova. Pity that the poor state of US-Cuba relations has deprived almost all Americans (except balletomanes more than 60 years old!   ) of seeing her work as dancer and choreographer.

You missed out Anna Pavlova.
Plisetskaya was a true phenomenon of the ballet world and a STAR performer of the first magnitude.I loved her, but only in in the right ballets. As a complete 'one-off', she almost needs a category of her own. Plisetskaya was not however an academic classical ballerina who in general should be highly successful in "Giselle". "Sleeping Beauty" and "Swan Lake" performing the leading roles in these and perhaps certain other ballets according to the academic classical ballet canon and should not be compared to the true ballerinas mentioned in this and your post.

Amended for clarification.
Don't say it, "What clarification?"

[cubanmiamiboy]

Sacto1654, on Nov 10 2008, 04:49 AM, said:

cubanmiamiboy, on Nov 9 2008, 08:26 PM, said:

...i feel that THAT is just on the way to change.  

If President Obama does end the boycott of Cuba, I'm sure there will be a catfight on where the next time the Ballet Nacional de Cuba plays in New York City.

Oh, i dream of extravagant seasons at City Center, and more than that, down here for the sake of the ballet-loving Cuban-Miamian community.