JR: Cuban National Ballet Became a Reality with the Cuban Revolution
Posted by: "Walter Lippmann" walterlx@earthlink.net walterlx
Mon Feb 9, 2009 4:14 pm (PST)
JUVENTUD REBELDE
Cuban National Ballet Became a Reality with the Cuban Revolution
The Cuban National Ballet celebrates 50 years of performing with the
support of the 1959 Cuban Revolution that turned the troupe into one
of the world's best
By: José Luis Estrada Betancourt
Email: joselestrada@jrebelde.cip.cu
2009-02-09 | 09:29:39 EST
http://www.juventudrebelde.co.cu/culture/2009-02-09/cuban-national-ballet-became-a-reality-with-the-cuban-revolution/
ZoomIn an October 11, 1953 interview, Alicia Alonso said, "All I
dream about is to be able to travel abroad representing my own
country and raise the Cuban flag and art high. After my performance,
I would like to see people clapping and shouting, `bravo for Cuba!.'
The interview, published in <strong>Gentestrong> magazine came six
years after Alonso had denounced the apathy of the Cuban government
of the time towards supporting culture in an interview in Redención
magazine. It is embarrassing that in Cuba the government has no
concern about protecting the art of ballet. Cubans are talented at
ballet, we have proved it."
Alicia Alonso and national ballet cofounder Fernando Alonso's dream
would take a while to come true, but finally did with the January 1,
1959 triumph of the revolution under Commander in Chief Fidel
Castro. The new government put a new emphasis on education, art and
culture in general.
Meaningful Differences
Shortly following the revolution, the Cuban Ballet (BC) released a
proclamation fully supporting the new government of Fidel Castro.
Alicia and Fernando also enjoyed strong support within the rebels.
Miguel Cabrera, historian of the Cuban National Ballet, told JR that
in the Rebel Army troops there were two important ballet enthusiasts.
"Major Julio Martínez Páez, a member of the group headed by Fidel,
was a former president of the Alicia Alonso Pro-Ballet organization
and the foremost bone specialist in Cuba. He frequently spoke about
the changes needed to support the cultural work carried out by
Alicia and her husband Fernando across Cuba.
"Another important figure was Antonio Nunez Jimenez, a captain and
topographer of the group headed by Che; he was the person who
brought Fidel to meet with Alicia at her home. People say they
talked about different topics and when they were about to leave,
Fidel put a hand on his forehead and said, `But I came here to talk
about the importance of supporting the Cuban Ballet. And of course,
the support Fidel offered far exceeded what they had asked for."
"The first thing Alicia and Fernando did was to reassemble the
people who had left to do other things. In February 1959, "the
dispersed troops" were back together on stage at the Blanquita
theater, which is now called the Karl Mark Theater. The first show
aimed to mark the rebirth of the Cuban National Ballet and was
dedicated to the Cuban revolutionary government and the Rebel Army."
Las Sílfides, by Michael Fokine; Cuatro fugas, by Alberto Alonso;
and the Cisne Negro were the first pieces performed after a speech
delivered by former Health Minister Martínez Páez.
Fifty years later, this significant event is being remembered in
Havana, with performances by a ballet troupe made up almost
exclusively of Cuban artists including first dancers Viengsay
Valdes, Elier Bourzac, Anette Delgado and Joel Carreño.
"Today things are quite different —Cabrera says—, when the Cuban
National Ballet was created, most of its members were foreigners.
Alicia was a visionary, she could foresee the hostile position the
US government was to assume, and she knew that eventually those
foreign dancers would have to return to their countries of origin.
"In July or August a competition was held to select those who would
integrate the Cuban National Ballet. Although Cuban dancers were
talented, they did not have solid training. An international jury
was compiled that included Alicia, Fernando and Alberto, the famous
critic Ann Barzel, outstanding Russian dancer Alexandra Danílova,
the English critic Phyllis Manchester and Ana Leontieva
"Dancers from around the world travelled to Cuba for the
competition, but the winner was a young girl who had been a student
in the Alicia Alonso Ballet Academy, Mirta Plá."
To Avis
National ballet and opera companies around the world are in peril
because of a lack of public financial support: this is especially
true in Latin America where companies also have to deal with
performers going to live and work in developed countries.
The story is very different in Cuba thanks to the Revolution, which
opened-up public access to culture.
Against all odds
Miguel Cabrera is convinced that when people hear about the great
success of the Cuban National Ballet (BNC), there are some who still
think that everything has been a bed of roses from the beginning.
However, their path was paved with thorns before 1959.
"When the Ballet was created in 1948, it was a beautiful dream, a
utopia because there was only talent and will. But you need more
than good will to create a company, a repertoire, because there are
the expenses of presentations, theatres, wardrobes, scenery, props,
not to mention taking a show abroad, without the full support of the
Government.
"That's how the Cuban Ballet was born, against all odds.
Nevertheless, at the time, the company went on 8 international tours
to 14 Latin American countries and United States, staged 39
different works and took ballet to other parts of the country. If
this weren't enough, they also created the Alicia Alonso Ballet
Academy, which granted free scholarships to poor people.
"The Batista tyranny cut back on the support given to the Ballet
during President Prío's term. Fulgencio Batista not only reduced the
budget, in 1956, he tried to use the prestige of Alicia and the
Cuban Ballet to hide the bloody regime installed in the country.
"Everybody knows that the company's managers, especially Alicia,
took a strong stance against this. The Cuban Ballet disappeared as a
company, but Fernando and Alicia kept the dream alive. In the
school, they did everything possible to keep fostering the existing
talent.
"After 1959, everything was different. Upon its reorganization, the
Cuban Ballet went on a tour of Latin America. On May 20, 1960, the
Cuban Official Gazette published a copy of Law 812, which officially
guarantees the existence of the BNC and acknowledges the importance
of arts in the spiritual life of a nation, and signed by the then
prime minister, Commander in Chief Fidel Castro, President Osvaldo
Dorticós, and Minister of Education Armando Hart.
"I've always heard Alicia and Fernando saying that there wouldn't
have been a Cuban National Ballet without the Revolution, that the
utopia became true was thanks to the Revolution."
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