Program
Giselle (Adam/Alonso) based on Coralli and Perrot
Program Notes
- Freihofer’s Live at the Jazz Bar (Hall of Springs Jazz Bar), 10pm – Learn more
- National Ballet of Cuba, 8pm
- Pre-Performance Talk, 7pm – See below for details
National Ballet of Cuba (BNC) dancers are known around the world for their exuberant flair and uniquely Cuban style. Admired for their beautiful footwork, strong dancers, and impeccable technique, the company has embraced a tradition of romantic and classical excellence since Alicia Alonso, Fernando Alonso, and Alberto Alonso (the first professional dancer in Cuba) founded it in 1948. BNC will bring their passion for three performances on June 6, 7 and 8 of the romantic and visually striking story ballet, Giselle.
Based on a fairy tale about a peasant girl who falls in love with a dashing prince disguised as a commoner, Giselle follows its heroine through a haunting story of betrayal, heartbreak, forgiveness and redemption. The title role of Giselle has been called “the ballerina’s Hamlet” and is regarded as one of the most difficult in ballet due to the intensely dramatic nature of the role as well as the physical stamina required to dance the lead throughout the full-length production.
Director of the National Ballet of Cuba and one of the most important personalities in the history of dance, Alicia Alonso is the leading figure of classical ballet in the Ibero-American sphere. Alonso’s deeply humanistic interpretation of Giselle is considered the epitome of the romantic ballet tradition. Taking a French masterpiece based on a German poem, once best known through Russian interpretations, Alonso’s spectacularly re-created Giselle now defines the classic work.
Pre-Peformance Talk, 7pm
30 minute talk with Toba Singer, dance writer; author of First Position: A Century of Ballet Artists and Fernando Alonso: The Father of Cuban Ballet
Pre-Performance Talks are free for performance ticket holders thanks to generous support from Siena College
REGISTERYou must be attending the performance following the Pre-Performance Talk to attend the talk.
Fun Facts
- In Cuba, the art of ballet carries more weight than an outside observer might expect. Cuban ballet dancers are arguably the country’s most prized export, they often earn more money than doctors, and perform locally to the types of crowds that most would expect to see only for pop stars.
- Despite only being founded in 1948, the National Ballet of Cuba is now regarded as one of the leading ballet organizations in the world. Each year the company undertakes a series of tours, both domestically and internationally, demonstrating just why it is widely appreciated.
- Earning worldwide acclaim, the National Ballet of Cuba has performed in 58 countries and received hundreds of international awards. Additionally, Cuban-trained dancers are now marquee names in top ballet companies throughout the world.
- Alicia Alonso, legendary ballet dancer and co-founder of the National Ballet of Cuba, was the first dancer of the Western Hemisphere to perform in the Soviet Union, and the first American representative to dance with the Bolshoi and Kirov Theaters of Moscow and Leningrad.
Read more here:
- Cuban National Ballet Information: https://www.cuba-culture.com/cuban-national-ballet/
- Alicia Alonso and the National Ballet of Cuba: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/mirrordance/balletcuba.html
- Ballet Nacional de Cuba: https://web.archive.org/web/20050317051654/http://www.icmtalent.com/musperf/profiles/60015.html
Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/album/04gsDrJmABcnESg7pcErNA