Cuban ballet brings 'message of peace' to US

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Agence France-Presse

Cuban ballet brings 'message of peace' to US
– Fri May 27, 11:18 pm ET

HAVANA (AFP) – The National Ballet of Cuba plans to deliver a "message of peace" when it leaves Sunday for its first United States tour in eight years, its director, Alicia Alonso, has said.

"It will be wonderful to visit again... and bring to the United States our art, and a message of peace and love," the dance legend told reporters.

Alonso, who is 90 years old, continues to direct the troupe even though she is nearly blind and has trouble walking.

The group will begin its tour on Tuesday with six performances in Washington, then perform in New York, Costa Mesa, California and Los Angeles. The National Ballet also plans to visit Russia in late summer and Spain before the end of the year.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110528/ennew_afp/cubausculturedance_20110528031915

[shoutinfreud]

1. Wow, the Drill Sgt. in Full Metal Jacket was right when he said "Twinkle Toed Communists"

[Confusious]

2. Commies? peace?

No WAY!

the previous statements were meant as a joke.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Here's the website of Ballet Nacional de Cuba:

http://www.balletcuba.cult.cu.nyud.net:8090/imagenes/bannerhome.jpg

The founder and director of the ballet, Alicia Alonso, is on the left.
Website: http://www.balletcuba.cult.cu/

http://casamexilio.com.nyud.net:8090/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/swams-lake.jpg http://queydndbailar.files.wordpress.com.nyud.net:8090/2008/11/kn489el-ballet-nacional-de-cuba-2001-posters.jpg

http://static.guim.co.uk.nyud.net:8090/sys-images/Guardian/About/General/2010/3/31/1270034626492/Ballet-National-Cuba-001.jpg http://farm3.static.flickr.com.nyud.net:8090/2764/4228402597_e024d7fe3f.jpg

http://images.icnetwork.co.uk.nyud.net:8090/upl/birmpost/apr2010/5/9/alicia-alonso-894815703.jpg http://www.hamburgballett.de.nyud.net:8090/gallery/giselle/giselle/alonso.jpg http://travel-cuba.net.nyud.net:8090/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/ballet.jpg

Director, Alicia Alonso as a young dancer.

[dynasaw]

5. Alicia Alonso one of Ballet's All Time Greats

Partially blind too. She was dancing into her 90's.

As for dancing commies, it's the commie countries that have had produced the great dancers.

[left on green only]

13. Thanks for posting this story

I watched Alica Alonso dance with her National Ballet of Cuba Company a very long time ago, when they came to visit the San Francisco Bay area. I remember that they performed at the Berkeley Community Theater. During the second half of the program they escorted her out on stage and she danced her famous solo of the White Swan from Swan Lake. Of course, I already knew of the legendary movements of her arms that she brought to the world of ballet, but nothing could have prepared me to see the sight of her dancing in real life, almost blind, and still with her legendary arm movements. So moved was I that the sight of her dancing caused me to weep. That's right. And I am a straight male.

[Judi Lynn]

14. Can't even imagine it. You were definitely privileged to see her.

It's so good she's getting to return now, finally, knowing she has been admired here so very much. She has a lot of friends, and admirers who couldn't see her ballet here, or there.

It would take an amazing artist to affect people that deeply.

On edit, found a rusty old YouTube video:

ALICIA ALONSO: ADAGIO DEL 2ª ACTO LAGO DE LOS CISNES aquies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTVCaWap-Jo&feature=related

The music is scratchy, but the dancing is amazing, as well.

[left on green only]

16. Thank you so much for the link

I enjoyed watching that video so very much. I am trying to remember when it was that I saw her dance in San Francisco Bay area. It must have been in the late 1970's, and at that time she had an audience in the Bay area that was practically falling over them selves for the opportunity to watch her company dance. When she came out and danced herself during the later part of the performance, it had not been announced on the programme, but it had been rumored in the audience that we might be experiencing her return to the stage for that performance. I'll bet you can imagine the excited buzz that was alive in the audience for that show! So at least in the Bay area, as well as in her home town of NYC, I know that back then she was aware of the USA audience appreciation for her and her company. But then, next to NYC, the Bay area has always been one of the biggest supporters of dance in the USA, so you would expect the appreciative reaction that she received. Also I do remember that at the time, her companies' return to the USA was being billed as being the first time that audiences inside of the USA had been able to see her or her company dance since diplomatic relations between our two countries had ended during the 1960's. So being able to see her and her company was indeed a very big deal to anyone who was at all appreciative of the performing arts.

[Judi Lynn]

17. So glad you saw it. It was the FIRST time I've seen her beyond a still photo!

It never occurred to me to look for a video until this thread.

It literally brought tears to my eyes. Astonishing dancer. She put EVERYTHING into her work.

I am sure you were very, very lucky she decided to perform the same day you were there.

Thank you for your comments.

[dipsydoodle]

4. K & R

:hi:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

6. I saw them in New York in the 1970s

Alicia Alonso was still dancing Giselle, if you can believe it. She looked way too old for the part, but her dancing was still spectacular.

On the whole, it was a very good company. They could do the classics as well as anyone, but their program also included a piece with a definite Latin flair, an adaptation of Garcia-Lorca's "Blood Wedding."

When Castro invited Alonso back to Cuba (she had been dancing with the New York City Ballet) to found a ballet company, she started by trying to recruit children for a ballet school. She had no trouble recruiting girls, but Cuban fathers tended to take the attitude, "No son of mine is going to be a ballet dancer."

So she recruited boys from orphanages.

Within ten years, those boys were national celebrities, and now the company has no trouble recruiting boys for its school.

[Judi Lynn]

8. Thanks for your information on the early stages of ballet nacional. Didn't know this.

Heard about their amazing dancer, Carlos Acosta, when he was still a child. Now he's attached to the Royal Ballet in the U.K.
His Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Acosta

http://static.guim.co.uk.nyud.net:8090/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2009/7/10/1247247224820/Carlos-Acosta-001.jpg http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk.nyud.net:8090/arts/2005/07/images/0706dance.jpg

http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk.nyud.net:8090/arts/2005/07/images/0705dance_2.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com.nyud.net:8090/-9u1-XlklJKw/TZ3DVp3hBYI/AAAAAAAAGiA/Ycg1707Kgvs/s400/carlos-acosta-3.jpg http://blogs.guardian.co.uk.nyud.net:8090/culturevulture/archives/carlosacostakentonblog.jpg http://3.bp.blogspot.com.nyud.net:8090/-ASXi_eogcMo/TZ3DVUFGi6I/AAAAAAAAGh4/SphYEKtrjps/s400/carlos-acosta-2.jpg

[Lydia Leftcoast]

10. B-but I thought Cubans weren't allowed to leave

:sarcasm:

[Judi Lynn]

11. It must have taken him forever in his "rickety boat" to get to England! n/t

[Judi Lynn]

18. She would have been dancing for a long time by the time you saw her!

That was well after she had been a dancer in New York.

I've only seen still photos of her dancing Giselle. Must have been amazing, even then.

http://thumbnails.truveo.com.nyud.net:8090/0023/CC/E4/CCE4207D2C4E832D01BC0F_Large.jpg

1978 Alicia Alonso.

[Octafish]

7. Doña Alicia

[Judi Lynn]

12. She sure has their respect. Amazing life's work. Great photo. n/t

[tabasco]

19. It's one of the best photographs I've ever seen.

The emotion is overpowering.

[slackmaster]

9. Peace through Interpretive Dance

K&R

:kick:

[Judi Lynn]

15. Very advanced cat dancing. n/t