RevistaIslasEnglishSept09 11/10/09 8:44 PM Page 59 Art and Literature The Royal in : A Blessing and Tribute Rogelio Montesinos Historian and political scientist , Cuba

The blessing unknown on the island, demonstrated the highest level of achievement yet to be attained espite my hazardous return home, in dance around the world. which is situated in a dodgy, marginal This famous troupe delivered an incredi- Dneighborhood of the darkest and ble performance of the highest quality possi- hottest city in the hemisphere, I traversed a ble, and impressed specialists and fans with the crowded and impenetrable Havana night with superiority of its designs, scenery, and cos- the sense that few things had ever given me as tumes. Above all, though, the greatest impact much satisfaction as my daughter and I having came from the sustained and balanced nature been able to see the ballet Manon, by Kenneth of the interpretive quality of the leading MacMillan, at the Karl Marx Theatre. With dancers, the soloists, and the whole troupe. The leading dancers and Tarama Royal Ballet’s sojourn to Cuba was a blessing Rojo, and the entire London Royal Ballet for lovers of dance. Moreover, we congratulate Company, the performance’s beauty, unflawed ourselves for being able to see the brilliant and professionalism, and the thousands of hearts incomparable Carlos Acosta. united there to witness them, made for an aes- He is a star and the company’s undeniable icon thetic joy hard to forget. in the twenty-first century’s dance world. It is I believe that neither those of us who fascinating to see how despite the difficult somehow had the luck to obtain some of the obstacles he had to face during his childhood, nearly inaccessible tickets to this grand and during the adolescent period of his artistic for- exclusive venue located in the Miramar neigh- mation and growth, Acosta has reached the borhood, or those who enjoyed the perform- top. Moreover, he decided to continue with ance on screens situated outside the theatre, ballet and be both a universal Cuban and an itself, will ever forget the technical rigor and island one, sharing his talent and greatness on interpretive excellence with which those stages everywhere. His performances have gar- dancers from that prestigious cultural embassy nered him acclaim and pampering. He has regaled us. In five performances, the company’s earned merit and prestige sufficient enough to principal dancers, who came to Cuba from all bring to Havana an artistically exceptional corners of the planet, and moved with an troupe that none of the arrogant, hegemonic impressive expertise spanning from the most powers often vilified by the Castros, or even the classical forms to the freest, modern moves yet

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Carlos Acosta as

Cuban National Ballet’s , could Director, has tirelessly expressed her satisfac- get in the same way. tion and pride at having Carlos Acosta as a Only this man’s greatness was able to principal dancer. She has also repeatedly bring to a country whose economy is so impov- explained that his presence and leadership in erished an artistic spectacle of this great level. the company are primarily responsible for the Monica Mason, ’s General troupe’s historic visit to Cuba.

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For their part, the authorities, official This experience also shows us the low press, and Alicia Alonso, one of our national artistic potential of the Cuban , history’s most committed and widely known which has been decimated by the continuous racists, have abstained from acknowledging the stampede out of Cuba of young talent that is great divo. Despite this, when this principal struggling to shake off a yoke that rejects and dancer went out with his friends to greet peo- ignores its efforts to seek new horizons relative ple after his memorable performance on to its personal and artistic realization. Wednesday, July 15th, at Havana’s Gran Teatro, Cuban lovers of ballet are delighted to and at the Karl Marx, on the 17th, he revealed have received this gift from Carlos Acosta and that he was still just a simple and noble Cuban, the Royal Ballet. It is the fulfillment of a long in spite of his successes and laurels. One cannot awaited dream. No doubt the political and cul- help but admire him even more for this humil- tural authorities have been left with the bitter ity. taste of once again having confirmed the fact While not surprising, the way in which we are too poor to be able to afford a perform- the government and cultural authorities have ance such as this in a country where stars like reacted to or received the gift this great compa- Caruso, Ana Pavlova, Aran Jachaturian, and ny has given us leaves a great deal to be desired. Nat King Cole once shined. In addition to not explicitly and profusely expressing the merited acknowledgment and Tribute gratitude warranted by this situation, they also missed a marvelous opportunity to honor To see Carlos Acosta become a paradig- Carlos Acosta, Monica Mason, and the whole matic figure in global dance, leading one of troupe with well-deserved academic, artistic or the most prestigious companies in world, and governmental awards or recognition, which being acclaimed by a Cuban public (and prac- would have done much to raise the profile of tically ignored by the official press) can also be our nation. Yet, conspicuously absent from this taken as a deserved and long awaited tribute to visit were any of the titles reserved for illustri- that group of outstanding black dancers that ous guests, the keys to the city, the Giraldillas has had to endure rootlessness and nostalgia to (insignias of distinction, from Havana), hon- be able to free themselves from the racist ways orary doctorate degrees, a Premio del Gran with which the has Teatro (an award from the most important the- closed or made difficult the road for them. atre), or any other prizes that would make this They have had to shine at other latitudes, with- list unbearable long. The visitors had to accept out the cultural authorities or media recogniz- only the highest prize possible; the infinite ing even their names or successes, which gratitude of Havana’s public. deprives Cuban—particularly younger The Royal Ballet’s sojourn to our city ones—of enjoying and being proud of the once more shows the simplicity and humility of goals and achievements of people who are vir- those who are truly great, how far behind we’ve tually unknown in their own country. fallen with regard to the evolution of modern Whether on stage or in the hearts of tried ballet, and that Cuba is the only country with and true ballet aficionados, other stars have a dance tradition that has to accept as charity shined on memorable nights of torrid Havana an artistic gift like these performances. Julys besides Carlos Acosta’s. Among them was renowned dancer and choreographer Jorge

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Tamara Rojo and Carlos Acosta Lefebre (Santiago de Cuba, 1936-1990), who great Maurice Béjart. Two other people whose in squandering his temperament, vitality, and talent and devotion to global dance belong in Cubanness still made it in the Academic Ballet the company of these other stars but are rarely Theater, the Ballet del Siglo XX, and the or never mentioned in Cuba, are Julio Ballet Royal de Wallonie (Belgium), where he Arozarena and Amilcar Moré. was director till the day of his premature To see Carlos Acosta, from his position at death. Another is Caridad Martínez, who thir- the very top, appear before his public and take ty years ago emerged as one the most excep- into account the heights to which those Afro- tional ballerinas of Cuba’s history. How could Cuban dancers, who are unjustly ignored by one forget her incomparable interpretation of political and cultural authorities, have elevated Muñecos, the ballet-pantomime by choreogra- the name of Cuba can also serve as a symbolic pher Alberto Méndez? In the mid 1980s, tribute to so many unknown black children Martínez burst onto the national scene with and adolescents who for so long have had their her Ballet Teatro de la Habana, a very highly aspiration to show off their talent and devo- rigorous company as far as technique and style tion to the art of dance frustrated. go. Currently, she currently directs the The Royal Ballet’s visit to Cuba is already Brooklyn Ballet. Catherine Zuaznabar history. It is a history that those of us who are charmed her public and critics in the second grateful for its influence will never forget half of the nineties with her excellent interpre- because it has served to show or reaffirm for us tive skills in the most famous roles of classical just how behind we are in the realm of eco- ballet. Then she later went on to distinguish nomics and culture. Above all, it has shown us herself as a principal dancer on the world’s how much we need to change on human, ethi- most coveted stages, under the direction of the cal, and artistic levels.

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