Carmen, the famous character created by the Frenchman Prosper Mérimée and masterfully brought to the opera by his compatriot Georges Bizet, has been a permanent presence in dance since the last century. The Cuban Alberto Alonso choreographed one of the most famous ballets based on this story, in which the immortal grace of Alicia Alonso exceled. But the Cuban public has been able to appreciate numerous versions, with dissimilar stylistic and conceptual implications.

The National Dance Company of Spain (CND) will present at the Havana International Ballet Festival "Alicia Alonso" the proposal of the Swedish choreographer Johan Inger, a creation that has been accredited by critics and the public on various stages in Europe and America.

Havana Ballet Festival will host figures from nine countries

The Avellaneda Ward at the National Theater of Cuba will host three shows (November 11, 12, and 13), what will be one of the main international proposals of the event that opens on October 20^th.

On the CND official website, you can read that when Johan Inger was commissioned to stage a new version of Carmen —he being Swedish and Carmen a work with a strong Spanish character— he found himself facing a huge challenge, but also a great opportunity. His approach to this universal myth would have to contribute something new.

To do this, Inger decided to focus on the issue of violence, approaching it through a “pure and untainted” gaze: that of a child.

Using this approach, Inger created a character that encourages the audience to enter the story from his perspective.

The choreographer explains:

“There’s a certain mystery in this character, it could be any child, it could be Don José as a child, it could be the young Michaela, or the unborn child of Carmen and José. It could even be us, our primitive goodness wounded by a violent experience that, however brief, would have negatively impacted our lives and our ability to relate to others for good.

Carmen's presentations will close a Ballet Festival that will be attended by several international stars (who will perform a season of Giselle), the Buenos Aires Ballet, and several Cuban groups.

The promise of the host company, the National Ballet of Cuba, directed by the prima ballerina Viengsay Valdés, is to offer a panorama of choreographic creation right now, in dialogue with tradition.

Tickets for the shows of the event are on sale at the box office of the National Theater of Cuba.

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff