New Book Praises Distinctness of Cuban Alicia Alonso in Giselle

Essayists and dance critics recall on Saturday the debut of Alicia Alonso in Giselle in Cuba with the presentation of a book that compiles testimonies of the artist''s distinctive mark on that vital character.

The 26th International Ballet Festival of Havana Alicia Alonso celebrated that event on Friday with a performance of the masterpiece of Romantic ballet, performed by the first dancers of the National Ballet of Cuba Viengsay Valdes, Sadaise Arencibia, Grettel Morejon, Dani Hernandez, Rafael Quenedit, and Raul Abreu.

As part of the collateral activities of the event, on Saturday the Cuban poet, essayist, and critic Roberto Mendez will present the book Alicia Alonso o la eternidad de Giselle (Alicia Alonso or the eternity of Giselle), by Mayda Bustamante, published by Editorial Cumbres, of Madrid, Spain.

The compendium, profusely illustrated, is the most complete anthology of critical texts on the subject and the authors, experts from different countries, reflect the contributions of Alonso to the leading role of Giselle.

The activity will take place at 11:00, local time, in the popular Calle de Madera in the Plaza de Armas, in Old Havana, within the historic center of this capital.

Alonso debuted in Giselle on November 2, 1943, at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, along with the prestigious English dancer Anton Dolin as Albrecht and the cast of American Ballet Theatre (ABT), company of which she was one of its stars.

Bustamante's book also allows us to appreciate how the dancer's contributions extend beyond her extraordinary interpretation, since the choreographic version she created of that work still captivates the specialists in multiple scenarios and, in 1966, she received a prize at a festival in Paris, France.

The first dancers of the ABT, Hee Seo and Cory Stearns, will be the stars of the Giselle show on Saturday, scheduled to take place at 17:00, local time, in the Avellaneda hall of the National Theater of Cuba, together with the company of the Caribbean country.