USA Companies will come to Ballet Festival in Cuba

This year's edition of the prestigious Cuba Ballet Festival will feature 6 companies in the United States,  ensuring a strong presence of the  American country, despite the laws imposed by Washington for more than five decades to the Caribbean country.

Among the companies is the Hispanic Ballet of New York, which will be presented for the first time in Cuba. The set brings four choreographies to the Festival chaired by the famous Cuban ballerina Alicia Alonso, who shone in the 40s in the American ballet.

The other participating companies are called Pontus Lidberg Dance, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Washington Balle and Cincinnati Ballet.

In 2009 the Barack Obama administration eased restrictions on travel by American citizens to Cuba for cultural, academic and religious exchanges.

Ballet Festival of Havana is dedicated this year to the 450th anniversary of the birth of playwright William Shakespeare. Under the motto Por Shakespeare, la danza (By Shakespeare, the dance), the organizers will present on stage six adaptations of his works between October 28^th  and November 7^th  in Havana.

The 24th edition of the International Ballet Festival of Havana also meet the notorious Linga Company, of Sweden, and the American Ballet Theatre, according to statements by the Organizing Committee.

In international ballet festivals in Havana representatives from 61 countries from all continents have participated, and there have been some 981 international works presented to the audience, said the Organizing Committee.

Furthermore it has been announced that dance companies will participate in the Havana festival from China and 18 other countries, including Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Denmark, France, Britain, Italy, Norway and South Africa.

The Festival, one of the oldest and accepted in the world, will include this time 30 premieres, including 4 world, among them New Ballet, by the company Pontus Lidberg  Dance.

The program announced to the media covers workshops, art exhibitions and a special ballet course taught by some of the stars participants.

Among the most important moments of the festival this year, tribute to the centenary of Fernando Alonso (1914-2013) is included, considered the father of Cuban ballet with Alicia and founder of the national company in 1948.

In his memory, the event has prepared a segment of lectures and talks by renowned dancers such as Argentine Julio Bocca, Cuban Jose Manuel Carreño and the French Cyril Atanasoff.

The event, with over 50 years of history, will be developed in the theaters* National *, Mella * and * Karl Marx*  in Havana, with classic and contemporary proposals.

Source: caribbeannewsdigital.com