The National Ballet of Cuba (BNC) confirmed this Wednesday that it will perform, along with other national companies, at the Teatro Milanés in the western province of Pinar del Río, one month after the passage of Hurricane Ian for that territory.
The presentations this weekend are part of the programming of the 27th Alicia Alonso International Ballet Festival of Havana, which began on October 20, the organizers explained.
The BNC and the Ballet of Camagüey, Contemporary Dance of Cuba and the young company Acosta Danza will show the pieces “La Fille Mal Gardée” (pas de deux), “Impronta”, “Benedictus”, “Manos Encendidas”, “Nosotros”, “Vals” and “Paysage, Soudain la nuit”, explained the general coordinator of the festival, Heriberto Cabezas.
“It is a great pleasure to be able to perform these functions in Pinar del Río, an objective that was put on hold after the hurricane,” said Cabezas in a meeting with the press.
The director of the BNC commented that the summoned companies reflect “the stylistic tradition” of the Cuban school of ballet and share a classical, neoclassical and contemporary program.
Hurricane Ian hit the extreme west of Cuba on September 27, leaving three dead, damage to homes, downed trees and power poles, flooding, and damaged 21,000 hectares of crops.
In this regard, the Cuban Deputy Minister of Culture, Fernando Rojas, highlighted the effort to bring the festival to Pinar del Río and the development of the event, despite the “difficult circumstances.”
After the recess imposed by the pandemic, the aforementioned cultural event opened its doors on October 20 in Havana and the provinces of Matanzas (west) and Cienfuegos (center).
The festival, which lasts until November 13, combines tradition with contemporaneity through the presentation of dancers from Cuba, Spain, Argentina, Italy, Brazil, Mexico and Germany, among other countries.
It is considered one of the most traditional and prestigious dance events in the world and its organizer, the BNC, declared Cultural Patrimony of the Nation in 2018, is cataloged as the base of the prestigious Cuban ballet school.
