Alicia Alonso and Cuba’s National Ballet to celebrate Santiago de Cuba’s 500th anniversary

Alicia Alonso and Cuba’s National Ballet will join the festivities on occasion of the 500th anniversary of the foundation of Santiago de Cuba village. Giselle, a work that has placed this Cuban dance company on top positions within the dance world, will be at Heredia Theater on July 18, at 8:30 pm and July 19, at 5:00 pm with choreography by Alicia Alonso, based on Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot’s original. Screenplay by Théophile Gautier, Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jean Coralli, inspired on a German folk legend collected by Heinrich Heine. Music by Adolphe Adam and Design by Salvador Fernández.

The leading roles of the performances will be assumed by Anette Delgado and Sadaise Arencibia, as Giselle; Dani Hernández and Alfredo Ibáñez on the role of Albrecht; Estheysis Menéndez and Dayesi Torriente incarnating Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis, while Hilarion will be performed by Ernesto Díaz, supported by soloists and the company staff.

The choreographic version and the personal interpretation of Giselle, by Alicia Alonso received in 1966 the Grand Prix of the Ville de Paris, and in 1972, this same version was incorporated to the Paris Opera. Giselle's world premiere took place on June 28, 1841, at the Paris Opera, starring Carlotta Grisi as Giselle, Lucien Petipa as Albrecht, and Adèle Dumilâtre as Myrtha. Pierrre Ciceri was in charge of the set design, while Paul Lormier was responsible for the wardrobe.

Other actions undertaken by Cuba’s National Ballet to celebrate the 500^th anniversary of Santiago de Cuba will be the projection of the films Alicia Alonso. Órbita de una leyenda, by José Ramón Neyra, and Tres mitos para una noche (starring Alicia Alonso, Rudolf Nureyev and Victoria de los Angeles), by Ioshinobu Navarro and texts by Pedro Simón, made by the National Museum of Dance.