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As far as we know, the dictator Fidel Castro never performed classical ballet. He was never seen embodying Prince Siegfried in “Swan Lake,” nor the mysterious Drosselmeyer in “The Nutcracker.” He certainly must not have danced on pointe or executed a grand jeté.
But the official Cuban devotion to the "maximum leader" is so strong that one does not need to be a master of this beautiful art for them to dedicate an International Festival of Academies for Ballet Teaching to him.
The thirty-first edition of this event began this Friday, March 27, in Havana and will run until April 4, according to the National Ballet of Cuba (BNC). The organization clarifies that this event is "dedicated especially to the centenary of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro."
In the midst of a widespread crisis, with extensive blackouts, nearly nonexistent public transport, and severe water and food shortages, the event promises to include “performances in various venues across the Cuban capital with the participation of international delegations and invited companies.”
Additionally, the note expands that master classes would be offered, specialized workshops in classical technique, courses in folklore, ballroom dancing, and historical dances, as well as lectures and debates led by renowned masters and young talents, training in modern dance, and physical conditioning.
The main venue for the event will be the Fernando Alonso National Ballet School, and it is sponsored by the National Center for Art Schools and the Ministry of Culture, the information details.
With a recognized international reputation, the Cuban School of Ballet, founded by Fernando, Alberto, and Alicia Alonso, has performed on stages in dozens of countries, and its dancers have achieved significant accolades.
According to experts, the BNC, currently led by maestro Viengsay Valdés, is a high-level company, comparable in its prime to the Royal Ballet of London, the Paris Opera, or the American Ballet Theatre.
However, like all Cuban institutions, it has suffered in recent decades from the of its operations and the exodus of some of its leading figures who were part of it.
A trend that, not even with 100 fouettés from the Commander in Chief, seems likely to reverse right now.
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