HAVANA.- La plataforma Beyond Borders Ballet (BBB) reached Havana, and revolutionized the dance community of Cuba with presentation galas, competitions of various genres, master classes and meetings with international teachers and students from various nations.
In halls of the Company of Danza Lizt Alfonso, the host of the event, everything was boiling: several dozen students of the American Kasper The Saint performed hip hop with precise movements, a little more rigid than the sensual undulations to which Cubans are accustomed.
A day before, another group of young dancers beat traditional Chinese fans and ribbons guided by teacher Ming Yan Davis and on the previous day, one of the hosts, salsa teacher Miguel Ángel Herrera shook everyone with a class that ended in the middle of the street
“It’s an all-inclusive event where everyone from all over the world comes together to share their dances and their stories,” Charlene Carey, BBB lead organizer and president of Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre, told reporters. “We have dancers from Ukraine and Russia. We have dancers from China and the United States. We have dancers from Palestine and Israel. That’s all part of ballet beyond borders.”
The festival and competition began on Tuesday and will end on Saturday. It seeks to promote, in addition to excellence in this art, a cultural and human exchange, placing emphasis on the diversity of cultural traditions.
Reality of Cuba
The presence of BBB in Cuba became more notable both due to the context of the severe economic and immigration crisis that the country is experiencing, as well as the difficulties of approaching American dance and commercial companies in general, in the heat of the sanctions increased by the North American government against the Caribbean nation in recent years.
“We don’t know what we can do to help, but we are here and we are open to learning what we can do, not just this week, but in the future. And neither I, nor my dancers, come to the event and leave. We come to the event and “Our family is getting bigger, we are a real family,” Carey added to The Associated Press.
Created in 2017, the BBB platform has visited places as diverse as Italy, China, Pakistan and Russia. In this edition, in Havana, it brought together about 300 participants — of which 160 are Cuban and the rest from more than a dozen countries, including dancers, choreographers and teachers.
“We are a fabulous country, full of artists everywhere, therefore, the most logical thing is that we bring BBB to Cuba (…) To share it with all the people and so that they understand that there is much beyond their borders,” he commented. her part is the teacher Lizt Alfonso, the director of the company that bears her name. For her, the meeting is a good way to “build bridges.”
The experience
During the conference, in addition to the presentations and theoretical events, as well as workshops, competitions were held for professionals and amateurs in categories as varied as ballet, contemporary, choreography, ballroom dancing and flamenco, among others. Among the jurors were the former prima ballerina of the Rome Opera, Claudia Zacarry and the American artist specialized in musical theater Leslie Stevens.
The days were not only competition, they also brought out the emotion as in the master class dedicated to hip hop by The Saint in which there was no shortage of laughter and improvised choreography, while the hits of jumps and pirouettes resonated on the boards in a room from the headquarters of Alfonso’s company.
“I have the responsibility to ensure that we convey the message to everyone. Hip hop is young, but very positive,” The Saint explained to the AP.
Cuban dancer Keyla Cruz, 19, who participated in the hip hop class, expressed her excitement after a morning that almost left her exhausted.
“This week for me meant fun, learning, freedom,” said Cruz. “These events give the opportunity to many people who are not dancers to learn about the world of dance; and for me personally it gives me growth, knowledge about other types of dance, with world-renowned teachers.”
Source: AP
