Dancer, model, and actress: these are the three passions that Dalia Yacmell Lima, or rather, Silene, defends today in "Regreso al Corazón," a Cuban soap opera currently broadcast on Cubavisión, following the evening news.

“As I was coming out of the depression I fell into when I couldn't become a gymnast due to a lack of teachers for children my age, my mother managed to get me into the summer workshops of the Ballet Español de Cuba when I was around nine or ten years old; and then I joined the Lizt Alfonso Company until I was 18, between workshops and teaching,” Dalia said.

After an injury that changed the course of her career, she thought she would never dance again; it was then that she decided to take refuge in acting, as she was clear about her desire to remain in the artistic world.

Coincidentally, she said, the television play "Las Cuatro Temporadas: Invierno" was being filmed in the apartment where she was living at the time, and there she met the excellent actresses Blanca Rosa Blanco and Paula Alí.

After letting them know of her interest, she learned they were looking for a girl for a young character, and without hesitation, she auditioned for the casting: she landed her first television role, and without any training.

Looking for a chance to delve into this world, she explained, I decided to join the Olga Alonso theater group with Humberto Rodríguez; but I only took a couple of classes because I had the opportunity to go to Japan to work as a teacher and dancer.

“Initially, the contract was for 10 months, which turned into eight years, enough time for me to return with a stronger desire to pursue acting.

“I had been out of the country for so long that I didn't know where to start, so I started looking for teachers and knocking on doors. It was during this time that I found out online that the Lee's Angels agency would start offering classes in runway, photography, acting, dance, and protocol. "I signed up, until the pandemic hit and paralyzed everything," Yacmell commented.

For Dalia, COVID-19 wasn't a setback; on the contrary, it was during this time that she met Enriquito, as she affectionately calls the renowned and popular actor Enrique Bueno—her current partner—who knew how to guide and support her to continue growing and pursuing her dream.

Thanks to this, she is currently studying at the University of the Arts (ISA), while continuing her career in theater, television, and modeling. She understands that knowledge takes up no space, and that's why she is always learning, setting herself challenges that push her to improve.

One of them was Silene in "Regreso al Corazón," not because of her role, but because she shared the stage with someone she has been in a relationship with for five years.

"I came to the soap opera unexpectedly. Loysis Inclán, the director, called me for a casting call where I applied for three roles, and I finally got the role of Silene, which resonates a lot with me because Dalia is very human, an excellent professional, who loves her family very much and puts it above all else,” she stated.

She confessed that something interesting about the novel is the theme of medicine, because if she hadn't managed to enter the world of acting, she would have been a doctor, specifically a cardiovascular surgeon, a specialty that is related to the character because Silene is a cardiologist and those scenes in the hospital were magical for the interviewee.

Taking on the role of Silene, with all its nuances, she expressed, took time, dedication, respect, and above all love, because without the latter, nothing flows. I had to feel like I was a mother without being one in real life; in addition, I had to focus and immerse myself in the plot, experiencing firsthand what betrayal means for a woman and losing her family overnight.

Only in this way can a character emerge, from the inside out, so that the audience believes in the actor and his performance gets through, she emphasized.

“Nothing is easy, and for me, Silene has been a challenge, from the recording process to my personal life; because if I had shared the role with another actor, I would still be nervous, but with Enrique, it's been doubled or tripled.

“I feel that the closeness makes the situation more complicated. Not only are you working with someone with vast experience, but they also happen to be your real-life partner, and they're going to demand more from you to ensure the performance lives up to what the production team needs and the viewer expects.

"Every time I filmed a scene, I drove Enrique crazy asking him how it turned out, what he thought of my character, constantly seeking his opinion because I'm very dissatisfied. I always feel I can give more, and that feeling, ultimately, is what helps you improve."

In each episode, we see a real Silene. Dalia made the character her own and believed in an everyday situation that sometimes we don't know how to deal with, and life forces us to learn.

For this young woman, who proudly displays her 34 years, the acceptance Silene has had among the population is incredible. She thanks all those who trusted her and others who sent their comments on social media, demonstrating how much the Cuban family is involved with television and shows empathy for each actor or actress.

Talking with Dalia is pure magic. Her tone of voice, her politeness, and her subtlety of expression reveal all her professions; and that's who she is: a passionate woman who limits herself when defining herself.

However, in response to a question, she preferred to describe herself with the word "freedom"; that's precisely what she said she feels when she dances, poses, or acts in front of a camera.

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSi Translation Staff