Cuban director, dance teacher, and choreographer Lizt Alfonso was distinguished with the International Gaviota Award at a ceremony recently held in Mexico City, the company led by this unique creator revealed today.

On the base of the award, an inscription highlights the brilliant career of the artist, who founded Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba 35 years ago in her native Havana and the homonymous academy one year later, as well as her career as a choreographer, director, academic, and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. It also highlights her as a "winner of various stage productions in multiple countries."

According to the president of the Latin Music Institute, Daniel Martín, the award — belonging to the Latin Awards Academy — has recognized since 1995 the social commitment, talent, perseverance, results, and career trajectory of outstanding personalities.

Among its most notable recipients are His Holiness John Paul II and, from Cuba, beloved figures such as historian Eusebio Leal and artists Edesio Alejandro, Daniel Martín, and Carlos Alberto "Tin" Cremata.

Two Cuban women have just received the award in 2026 for their successful careers: the extraordinary actress Eslinda Núñez and Lizt Alfonso, who received it with deep gratitude for highlighting the impact of her work, which embraces dance as a bridge of identity, hope, and beauty.