Alicia Alonso was a Cuban dancer and choreographer born in Havana on December 21, 1920, and passed away in the same city on October 17, 2019, at the age of 98. Prima Ballerina Assoluta of the National Ballet of Cuba, she is regarded as a legend in the world of dance, renowned for her portrayals of Giselle and Carmen, among many others.
Alonso was born in Havana and was one of the two daughters of an army officer and his wife. The family had a comfortable and affluent lifestyle, living in one of the best areas of the capital. From a very young age, Alonso revealed a gift for music and dance—her mother could entertain her for long periods with just a phonograph, a scarf, and a few records.
She started dancing at the age of seven.
In June 1931, she began studying ballet at the Pro-Arte Musical Society in Havana with Nikolai Yavorsk and performed publicly for the first time on December 29, 1931, at the age of 10. Her first serious debut was in Tchaikovsky's The Sleeping Beauty at the Teatro Auditorio on October 26, 1932. She originally danced in Cuba under the name Alicia Martínez.
In 1937, the dancer fell in love with a fellow ballet student, Fernando Alonso, whom she married. After their marriage, she changed her surname to Alonso, by which she would be known internationally. The new couple moved to New York City, hoping to launch their professional careers. There, they found accommodation with some relatives in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, near Riverside Drive. She gave birth to a daughter, Laura, but managed to continue her training at the American Ballet School and took private lessons. She traveled to London to study with Vera Volkova. Meanwhile, her husband joined the new Mordkin Ballet Company in New York.
After several vision problems, she was diagnosed in 1941 with retinal issues, which required her to undergo surgery up to three times and resulted in the loss of part of her peripheral vision. Despite this, she continued her career and returned to New York in 1943 to keep improving her style.
Alonso worked with the Russian Ballet of Monte Carlo from 1955 to 1959, during which he performed on a 10-week tour of the Soviet Union, dancing in Giselle. His performances earned him the Dance Magazine award in 1958.
Due to Alonso's affiliation with the new regime established in Havana, the American public largely turned its back on him. The Cuban government from the 1960s to the 1980s did not allow Cubans to establish relations with the United States, in part due to fears of defectors. However, Alonso's company continued to achieve success, both in Eastern and Western Europe. In 1967 and 1971, he performed in Canada, where collaborators noted that Alonso remained the greatest dancer of his time.
In 1998, the University of Valencia (Spain) granted her the title of Honorary Professor.
In 2010, the Ministry of Culture declared 2010 as "The Year of Alicia Alonso" to celebrate the 90th anniversary of her birth. Both in Cuba and in various parts of the world, heartfelt tributes are paid to her, and she is honored with significant distinctions from cultural, social, and political entities.
Some of her national and international recognitions include: National Order of Merit Carlos Manuel de Céspedes and the title of "Dama," Republic of Cuba, 1947; "Palma de Revolución" for the most outstanding artist, Periódico Revolución, 1961; Plaque for "Outstanding Woman in Art," Federation of Cuban Women, 1963-67; Certificate of Recognition, National Committee of the Union of Young Communists, 1966; Order for "30 Years of Dedication to Art," National Union of Arts and Entertainment, 1968; Medal of Honor, Teatro Griego de Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America, 1957; Grand Prize of the City of Paris, IV International Dance Festival, Paris, France, 1966; Gold Medal, Gran Teatro Liceo de Barcelona, Spain, 1971.
