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Jason Baró Benavides, a student at the Fernando Alonso National Ballet School in Cuba, was announced this Saturday as a finalist in the XV International Moscow Ballet Competition, one of the most prestigious classical dance competitions in the world, held at the Bolshoi Theatre.
The jury of the competition, known in the dance world as the "Ballet Olympics," selected the young Cuban among the competitors who will compete in the final round of this edition, which runs from June 25 to July 5, 2026 and brings together 158 dancers from 30 countries.
Alongside Jason is Helen Azurmendi Ríos, also a student of the Cuban school, who accompanies him in the competition. They both perform the classic pas de deux from Esmeralda and The Black Swan from Swan Lake, as well as a contemporary piece choreographed by Norge Cedeño and Thais Suárez, founders of Otro Lado Dance Company in Cuba.
The Fernando Alonso National Ballet School celebrated the achievement on its social media with a message highlighting the level of both students: "The performance of Jason, as well as that of our center's student Helen Azurmendi Ríos, who accompanies him, has been commendable in this competition regarded as the Olympics of ballet."
The director of the institution, Dani Hernández, accompanies the young people as a teacher during their stay in Moscow.
The jury for this XV edition is chaired by Svetlana Zakharova, a star figure of the Bolshoi Ballet, and is composed of representatives from Serbia, China, Brazil, Belarus, South Africa, and Turkey. Cuba also has an additional presence in the competition: Viengsay Valdés, director of the National Ballet of Cuba, is part of the judging panel, highlighting the international recognition of the Cuban school.
This edition pays tribute to Yuri Grigorovich, who chaired the jury of the competition for over fifty years and passed away in 2025.
Jason Baró's competitive history supports his presence in the Moscow final. The dancer already holds the Grand Prix from the XII International Ballet Competition in South Africa, a distinction that places him among the most prominent young talents trained by the Cuban ballet school, recognized as the only elite institution of its kind in Latin America.
The achievement contrasts with the challenges facing cultural activities within Cuba: the Grand Prix of Ballet in Havana 2026 was suspended last May due to the energy crisis affecting the country, depriving the island of one of its most important dance events.
The school bid farewell to Jason with a message of encouragement before the decisive round: "Reaching the Final of an international competition like this is already an achievement."
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