US Ballet Dancers Perform at Festival Gala in Cuba

Havana, Oct 29 (Prensa Latina) Dancers from several American companies will perform Monday in Cuba during the 26th Alicia Alonso International Ballet Festival in Havana.

The festival, opened on Sunday, takes place in Havana until November 6 with the participation of ballet dancers from more than a dozen countries.

Under the title 'Stars of American Ballet', representatives of the New York City Ballet (NYCB) and other relevant American companies will carry out a gala at Mella Theater on Monday and Tuesday.

Among the announced dancers are Daniel Ulbricht, Teresa Reichlen, Ask la Cour, Sterling Hyltin, Adrian Danchig-Waring, Indiana Woodward and Gonzalo Garcia, of the NYCB.

Joseph Gatti and Danielle Diniz; as well as Ukrainian ballroom dancers Antonina Skobina and Denys Drozdyuk, now living in the United States, will join to the gala.

Drozdyuk is a three-time world champion in ballroom, two-time U.S. national champion and has several awards in this dance modality; while Diniz has a vast experience in musical theater works in her country.

Much of the choreographies in the program belongs to renowned creators such as George Balanchine (the pas de deux of 'Tarantella', 'Apollo' and 'Diamond'), Christopher Wheeldon (Liturgy) and Alexei Ratmansky (Pictures at an Exhibition Pas).

Skobina and Drozdyuk will dance one piece of the acclaimed 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson; while Gatti and Ulbricht will show virtuosity to the rhythm of 'The Animals' in the superb version of 'The House of the Rising Sun', with choreography by Brazilian Marcelo Gomes.