22nd International Ballet Festival of Havana October 28 – November 7, 2010 Presided over by the prima ballerina assoluta Alicia Alonso As every two years Havana will become the capital of the dance when in late 2010 the International Ballet Festival of Havana open its 22nd rendition, one of the oldest and most prestigious events in the world of dance, which in this year will reach 50 years of history.
The first figures and the famous corps de ballet of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba will focus their shows in this Festival along with the London Royal Ballet, the English National Ballet, the Scala de Milan and the Ballet del Teatro Colón, among others. Special importance will have the presentations of the American Ballet Theatre and a group of figures of the New York City Ballet (former Ballet Caravan) in this year of homages in honor of Alicia Alonso, since these two relevant companies consolidated the rising of our prima ballerina assoluta to her professional standing as a world star.
The main venues for this feast of the dance will be the Grand Theater of Havana, the Mella Theater and the Karl Marx Theater, in the city of Havana.
The most popular classical ballets in the repertory of the Cuban company will be on stage: Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Coppélia, Swan Lake and the version of Romeo and Juliet by Alicia Alonso, Shakespeare and his masks. These ballets will be joined by the Galas dedicated to the birth centennials of Galina Ulanova and José Lezama Lima, and a special homage to Vladimir Vasiliev. The award-winning works in the 7th Alicia Alonso Iberian-American Choreography Competition- CIC 2010, will be premiered: Espectral, by Cuban choreographer Maysabel Pintado and Entomo, by Spanish choreographers Elías Aguirre and Álvaro Esteban.
Top moments of this festival of the dance will be the world premieres of the pieces Muerte de Narciso (Narciso’s death)(Choreography: Alicia Alonso. Music: Julián Orbón. Designs: Ricardo Reymena), La noche del eclipse (The night of the eclipse) (Choreography: Alicia Alonso. Music: Lico Jiménez. Designs: Frank Álvarez), El amor brujo (Choreography: Antonio Ríos “El Pipa.” Music: Manuel de Falla. Designs: Ricardo Reymena. Le Papillon (Butterfly) (Choreography: Peter Quanz. Music: Jacques Offenbach. Set designs and wardrobe: Salvador Fernández), Idilio (Romance) (Choreography: Eduardo Blanco. Music: Luis Enrique Bakalov. Wardrobe: Salvador Fernández), Envuelta en un cierto perfume (Enveloped in a certain perfume) – provisional title- (Choreography: Luc Bouy. Music: Dulce Pontes and Frederyck Chopin), and Habanera Suite, by the Spaniard Ramón Oller. Likewise, will take place in Cuba the premieres of Faun(e) (Choreography: David Dawson. Music: Claude Debussy), and Samsara (Choreography: Victor Ullate. Ethnic music from Egypt, Iran, India, Nepal, China and Japan. Wardrobe: Anna Guell. Lights: Nicolas Fischtel). The Ballet Nacional de Cuba will premiere the ballets by Agnes de Mille: Una rosa para Miss Emily (A rose for Miss Emily) (based on a story by William Faulkner. Music: Alan Hovhaness. Set designs and wardrobe: Salvador Fernández), and Tres vírgenes y un Diablo (Three Virgins and a Devil) (Music: Ottorino Respiggi. Set designs and wardrobe: Ricardo Reymena)
A group of important collateral activities will take place along with the Festival that will offer, as an interesting option, a Special Course on Ballet Technique for professionals, teachers and advanced level students. Prominent visual artists will have the opportunity to show their works, regarding dance, in the main galleries of our country. Lecture series, book presentations and cycles of films and TV will take place as well.
This 22nd rendition of the International Ballet Festival of Havana, which fortunately coincide with the Year Alicia Alonso, declared by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Cuba, constitutes a unique moment for the artistic exchange among the first figures of the world of the dance, personalities, critics, specialists and impresarios, as well as an exceptional opportunity for dance lovers that join this unforgettable feast of dance.
The International Ballet Festival of Havana echoes the thought by Alejo Carpentier which expresses: the spirit of dance is inseparable from the human condition.
For further information please visit: www.festivalballethabana.cu
Press Dept.
Ballet Nacional de Cuba
