Stories
Cuba's Ballet Endures: Dancers Defy Blackouts, Shortages to Chase Dreams
- •Despite daily blackouts, water shortages, and scarce resources, 178 young students attend Cuba's National Ballet School, combining rigorous dance training with academic classes.
- •Aspiring prima ballerina Roxana Pérez de La Mora, 14, travels 20 kilometers daily, demonstrating the immense dedication required to pursue ballet amidst national crises.
- •Ballet remains a significant source of national pride in Cuba, producing internationally renowned dancers and choreographers, with tickets to the Cuban National Ballet costing less than $1.
- •Principal dancer and National Ballet School director Dani Hernández navigates daily challenges like persistent blackouts and food spoilage, highlighting the personal sacrifices made by professionals.
- •Hernández expresses concern that the ongoing crises could negatively impact future generations of artists and professionals across all fields in Cuba, yet ballet maintains its internationally recognized standards and broad appeal.
Key Questions Answered
Despite daily blackouts lasting hours, water shortages, and scarce transportation, about 178 students gather every morning at the National Ballet School in Old Havana to combine rigorous classical dance training with academic classes.
The Cuban National Ballet was founded in the 1940s by revered ballerina Alicia Alonso and her husband Fernando Alonso. Tickets for the company's performances cost less than $1.
Principal dancer and teacher Dani Hernández commutes daily on an electric motorcycle and has had to sleep on his apartment building terrace due to heat and blackouts, while worrying about food spoiling in his refrigerator. He notes that current mounting crises threaten to impact an entire generation of students across dance, music, visual arts, and other professional fields.
