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Sadaise Arencibia, former principal dancer and current maître of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba (BNC), is participating this week as a special guest in the Intensive Training Course of Danzamérica, one of the most important dance events in Latin America, held in Villa Carlos Paz, Córdoba, Argentina, reported the Cuban News Agency (ACN).
The event, which began on Monday, May 5, and runs until Monday, May 11, brings together hundreds of dance students and professionals from Argentina, Chile, Peru, Brazil, and other Latin American countries, who participate in 19 classes over several days of intensive training, the outlet reports.
During the sessions, Arencibia shares his knowledge drawing on the methodology of the Cuban ballet school, "recognized as one of the most important on a global scale," according to sources close to the BNC cited by ACN.
The Cuban ballet school, methodologically founded by Fernando and Alicia Alonso since 1950, is internationally recognized for its rigorous classical technique, musicality, dramatic expression, and the intensity of its physical training, pillars that Arencibia now brings to Argentine classrooms.
Danzamérica was conceived more than 30 years ago by Argentine teacher Cristina Sánchez, who defines it as "a bridge to Europe and the world for young dancers who wish to project their professional future in international competitions," the media reports.
This first stage of the year also has a specific purpose: to prepare the participants for the Danzamérica and Gran Premio América Latina competitions, scheduled for the upcoming September and October.
Alongside the Cuban teacher, the faculty for this edition includes Miguel Ángel Elías from Argentina; Adriana Villela and Fellipe Camarotto from Brazil; Edison Araya Pérez from Chile; Pedro Carneiro from Portugal; and Denys Nevidomyy from Ukraine, forming a panel of truly international reach.
The impact of Danzamérica on the world of ballet speaks for itself: among its most notable alumni are the Argentine Wilma Giglio, currently at the Royal Danish Ballet, and the Brazilians Mayara Magris, at the Royal Ballet in London; Adhonay Soares da Silva, at the Stuttgart Ballet; Edson Barbosa, at the Joffrey Ballet; and Kleber Rebello, at the Miami City Ballet and the Ballet du Capitole in Toulouse, France.
The presence of Arencibia in this forum reinforces the educational significance of Cuban schools in the Latin American context, a tradition that the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, founded in 1948, has upheld for decades despite the increasing economic challenges faced by the institution amid the crisis affecting the Island.
Arencibia was appointed first dancer of the BNC in 2009 and was recognized in 2019 as the best interpreter of the role of the white swan among the current figures of the company, particularly excelling in roles such as Giselle and Swan Lake.
On April 23, 2025, Arencibia bid farewell to the stage as a performer with an emotional performance in "Blood Weddings" during the closing of the XXXI La Huella de España Festival, at the Covarrubias Hall of the National Theater of Cuba, sharing the stage with Spanish dancer Joaquín de Luz, Viengsay Valdés, and Daniel Martínez.
Months later, in September 2025, he received the "Nicolás Guillén" Diploma from the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) in recognition of his career in Cuban dance, further solidifying institutional acknowledgment of a journey that is now focused on passing on the legacy that shaped him.
The BNC, like almost all Cuban institutions, has been affected by the deep crisis that is ravaging the country. Many of its young talents have emigrated in search of better opportunities for life and professional development.
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