Announced in Cuba 25th International Meeting of Ballet Academies

Students and ballet teachers from a dozen countries will exchange in Cuba about the teaching of this art, from April 13 to 27, the organizing committee announced today.

The International Meeting of Academies for the teaching of ballet is a unique event of its kind in the world and the 25th edition will take place in this capital, at the Fernando Alonso National Ballet School. The appointment will be inaugurated on April 13 with a gala at the National Theater that will be dedicated to the prima ballerina assoluta Alicia Alonso, as announced at a press conference by the director Ramona de Sáa.

Our school has opened in recent years to a diversity of dance genres to broaden the artistic horizon of our students and that can be seen in this meeting, he said.

For 10 days, apprentices enrolled in the event can take classes of physical preparation, tips, repertoire, choreographic composition, character dances and classical duo, among various subjects.

Meanwhile, the optional workshops will include complementary disciplines for any artistic profession such as acting, make-up, dance criticism, folklore, physical preparation, jazz, Spanish dances, sports dances, dance therapy and character dances.

The present event contemplates galas dedicated to the 500 years of the foundation of Havana (April 18), the ballet schools of the country (April 19), the pedagogical legacy of maestro Fernando Alonso (April 20), the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the National Ballet of Cuba (April 27), all in the National Theater.

Within the event, from April 22 to 26, two competitions will be held: one for children and one for young ballet students, chaired by Ramona de Sáa.

The juries will also be composed by first dancers of the BNC, Viengsay Valdés and Anette Delgado; and teachers Roberto Machado and Diana Farias, from Mexico; Tom Bosman, from Holland; Liana Tosín, from Colombia; Carlos Paolillo, from Venezuela; Sofía Sajac, from Uruguay; and Lino Labate, from Italy.