National Ballet to celebrate relations between UK and Cuba

Havana, May 30 (Prensa Latina) With a repertoire marked by choreographies by Ben Stevenson, from the United Kingdom, the National Ballet of Cuba has called a season of performances in salute to the 120th anniversary of relations between the two countries.

The National Ballet of Cuba (BNC) has proposed celebrating the anniversary of bilateral ties from June 10 to 19 at the National Theater in Havana, where it will stage choreographies by Stevenson, an officer of the British Empire and a prominent dancer in recent decades.

The choreographer, who is currently the director of the Texas Ballet Theater, will lead a work team in Cuba made up of the associate director of the school attached to that US institution, Kathryn Warakomsky-Li, and Assistant Artistic Director Li Anlin.

The delegation of foreign artists is also includes dancers Valentin Batista, David Schrenk and Henry Winn, who will perform as guest artists of the National Ballet of Cuba, which has been acknowledged as Cuba’s Cultural Heritage.

The shows, also dedicated to Her Majesty Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee (70 years of her reign), will include The Queen’s Steeds, created by Stevenson especially for the occasion.

They will stage the renowned version of the Emerald pas de deux and Three Preludes, by Stevenson, according to a joint statement by the prima ballerina Viengsay Valdes.

They will also perform Requiem, inspired by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Requiem, in which the Cuban company will share the stage with soloists and the choir of the National Lyric Theater, together with the Alicia Alonso Symphony Orchestra of the Grand Theater of Havana, under the direction of Yhovani Duarte.