The Camagüey Ballet celebrates its 55^th anniversary this Thursday. It’s easier said, but it has been an intense story, in which great Cuban dance artists have come together.

“This company is not only from Camagüey —says Regina Balaguer, the present director—; is a Cuban company. We are representatives of Cuban culture. We are the product of the art education system that created this Revolution. When we go abroad we do not represent only Camagüey, but the entire Cuban culture. With great pride we say that we are a Camagüeyan company; but we are also an institution of national culture”.

Balaguer is the person who has been in charge of the Ballet for the longest time, but she feels indebted to the work of her predecessors: “First of all, Vicentina de la Torre's efforts so that Camagüey would have her own ballet company. She toiled a lot for it. Later, the years of direction of maestro Joaquín Banegas, maître of the National Ballet of Cuba. And, of course, the presence and permanence of maestro Fernando Alonso, from 1975-1992, as director of the company. It was lucky, a privilege. From then on, the Camagüey Ballet began to be more recognized. People began to talk more about our ballet in the country. It’s always said that Fernando achieved the national and international projection of the Camagüey Ballet; but he did much more than that. If today we have a respected company, with so many followers, it is largely thanks to his work”.

In the halls of the group, in all the scenarios in which we usually perform, the desire to honor this itinerary is felt. “We work every day for the company to move forward, for it to be better each time, to preserve the Cuban ballet school. And we do everything without getting stuck, looking at what is being done in ballet and dance today, because we are a company of these times”.

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff