The event, which will be held from April 11 to 20, will be dedicated to Cuban ballet master Ramona de Saá.
EFE (via 14ymedio), Havana, 1 April 2025 — Nearly 300 teachers, choreographers, critics, and students from dance schools in twelve countries will participate in the 30th International Meeting of Ballet Academies from April 11 to 20 in Havana, its organizers announced Tuesday.
The event, with few international equivalents, seeks to exchange experiences and methodologies among teachers and experts, as well as stimulate the creativity of dancers and choreographers.
The director of Cuba’s National Center for Art Schools, Elizabeth Castro, explained at a press conference that the event will be dedicated to Cuban maestro Ramona de Saá (1939-2024), one of the most notable figures in dance pedagogy in the country.
It will also pay tribute to Cuban filmmaker Alfredo Guevara (1925-2013), who founded and chaired the state-run Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industries (ICAIC) for several years.
“It will be an opportunity to view the film productions about ballet that are in the ICAIC film archives.”
Castro added that “it will be an opportunity to view the film productions about ballet that are in the ICAIC film archives.”
British choreographer Ben Stevenson is one of the international guests at the event, which aims to be “a continuation of the Cuban ballet school and has also allowed us to develop our school’s potential,” the Cuban official said.
“This will be an ambitious event with multiple venues and events such as workshops, conferences, and cultural galas,” commented Dani Hernández, director of the National Ballet School.
Hernandez, who is also the principal dancer of the Cuban National Ballet (BNC), announced that another goal is to become a “regional benchmark for other ballet academies, as well as to raise the technical and artistic quality of the international competition for ballet students that will also be held.”
The program includes classes, conferences, workshops, courses for teachers, and also competitions in the children’s, youth, and choreography categories, with judges including BNC dancer and director Viengsay Valdés and Lizt Alfonso, leader of the Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba company.
The Cuban ballet school, founded by legendary dancer Alicia Alonso (1920-2019) along with brothers Fernando and Alberto Alonso, has set a standard for style and mastery in ballet and has been internationally recognized for its defined personality and unique characteristics.
The BNC, the island’s most important classical dance company, was declared a National Cultural Heritage in 2018 for being the “highest expression of the Cuban school of ballet.” This status extends to the company’s repertoire, its image archive, and objects and documents related to the institution.
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