Cuban National Ballet Schedules Projects with US Companies

New York, May 14 (Prensa Latina) The Cuban National Ballet (BNC) is scheduling on Tuesday new projects and collaborations with prestigious U.S. companies such as American Ballet Theater (ABT) and New York City Ballet (NYCB).

BNC artistic deputy director Viengsay Valdes told Prensa Latina that along with those American ballet groups, a grand gala is being prepared to pay homage to Prima Ballerina Assoluta Alicia Alonso in 2020 in Havana.

During her recent visit to New York City, Valdes met with ABT artistic director Kevin McKenzie, and the executive director of that company, Kara Medoff Barnet.

The Cuban prima ballerina attended an ABT performance where a version of a 19th-century piece was presented.

Last weekend, Valdes attended many NYCB performances at David Koch Theater, of Lincoln Center, and went to a performance of the Mark Morris Dance Group, at Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Upon her return to Cuba on Tuesday, Valdes will begin to prepare a season of the BNC with 'new proposals and challenges for our dancers.'

Valdes, recognized as one of the leading figures of the Cuban ballet nowadays, has been guest artist of the Washington Ballet, of United States; the Ballet Concerto de Puerto Rico; the Joburg Ballet of South Africa; Bolshoi Ballet and  Mariinski Ballet, of Russia, among other companies.

Valdes have been chosen among the 100 best dancers in the world in the 2010-2011 season by the prestigious magazine Dance Europe, and has taken her art to stages of the five continents.

Since January 22, she became the artistic deputy director of the company, directed by legendary Alicia Alonso.