Defending our culture

Alicia Alonso in An Exclusive

Havana, (Tribuna).- An intense creative work is doing the prima ballerina assoluta Alicia Alonso, one of the top figures of the world dance and director of the Cuban National Ballet (BNC, after its initials in Spanish), who gives first news to the readers of this web page in a dialogue with secrets not yet revealed.
How would you characterize the tour that the National Ballet will effect from September 1st until the next October 14th?
It is about three countries that have different references of our work, from there the differences in the repertoires that we will present. At the Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London will be two programs: The magic of dance, a display of styles and languages from representative scenes of emblematic titles of our repertoire and Don Quijote, a very know ballet with great expressive force, starting from Spanish airs.
“We will also present The magic of Egypt, at the Opera Theatre in Cairo as well as at the Opera in Alexandria, at the Palau de las Artes Altas in Barcelona and at the Villa Marta, in Jerez de la Frontera”.
“But at the Albéniz in Madrid, where we have a public that knows our aesthetic we will perform two great classics: Giselle and Swam Lake, in both cases in choreographies that I have created from the original versions and a concert program, made by myself, with Verbum, the bedroom scene from Romeo and Juliette, Umbral and The magic flute”.
World premieres at the 20th Festival.
Which will be your world premiere at the 20th International Ballet Festival in Havana?
I would like to clarify that there will be many world premieres, not only created by myself, but also by other creators, both Cuban and from Spain, France, Canada and Germany. Regarding my staging, I can tell you that the first one will be with music from Mozart and will be part of the opening gala, dedicated to the 250 anniversary of the birth day of the great musician.
“Another of my works that will be presented at the Festival is Desnuda luz (Naked light), dedicated to the first dancer Carla Fraccie, performed by Carla and first figures of the National Ballet of Cuba, with the designs of Ricardo Reymena”.
“A very complex piece to create it on stage has been Cuadros de una exposición (Paintings of an exhibition) inspired in the work of Modest Mussorgsky, with twelve paintings of the same number of, very famous painters, who offers an idea of the Cuban plastic arts”.
“It was a necessary, very strict selection, in order to catch the differences in the languiages, styles, lines and colors, in pieces especially conceivable for this exhibition by Roberto Fabelo, Nelson Domínguez, Zaida del Río, Alfredo Sosabravo, Cosme Proenza, Arturo Montoto, Iliana Mulet, Alicia Leal, Angel Ramírez, William Hernández and Gólgota”.
“The curtain has been created by Alfredo Sosa Bravo and the wardrobe it is an original idea of the painter and designer Ricardo Reymena. Together with the premiere of this work will be opened an exhibition at the La Acacia gallery with the originals created by the artists for this choreography”.
“To every one of them corresponds the twelve scenes that conform the ballet, whose stories start form the images painted in the walls that get alive in the stage through the steps and gestures born from the music of Mussorgsky. I hope that together with this complicity of the different arts; raise that wonderful magic between the artists and the public”.

posted by Lilith @ 9:02 AM