Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
Havana, Sep 2.- The National Ballet of Cuba (BNC for its Spanish accronym) reported today that on September 14 it will hold a gala for the 30 years of professional artistic life of the prima ballerina Viengsay Valdés, general director of the company.
As reported today by the BNC, the performance will take place that Saturday, at 8:30 p.m., local time, in the Avellaneda room of the National Theater in Havana, where tickets will be on sale starting Tuesday, September 10. In addition, they can be purchased online on the website of that facility.
Viengsay Valdés will perform a group of works along with other figures from the company, such as the first dancer Dani Hernández and the principal dancer Ányelo Montero.
The program will include the waltz and the rose adagio from “The Sleeping Beauty of the Forest”, choreographed by Alicia Alonso based on the original by Marius Petipa, with music by Tchaikovsky; and “After the Deluge”, choreography by Alberto Méndez with music by Camille Saint-Säens.
The solo “Non, je neregretterien” by Ben van Cauwenbergh with music by Charles Dumont will also be presented; the pas de deux “Loss,” and the finale of “Love, Fear, Loss,” by Ricardo Amarante, also with music by Dumont.
Other pieces will be the suite from the ballet “Don Quixote”, choreography by Alicia Alonso (artistic-choreographic direction), Marta García and María Elena Llorente, based on the original by Marius Petipa and the version by Alexander Gorski, and music by Ludwig Minkus.
The first dancer and general director of the BNC was born in Havana, began her studies at the “Alejo Carpentier” Elementary Ballet School, and concluded them at the National Ballet School - currently “Fernando Alonso” -, where she graduated in 1994 with honors.
That year she joined the National Ballet of Cuba, a company with which she immediately gained the public's favor for his brilliant interpretations of both classical ballets and contemporary works.
In 1996, Valdés rose to the categories of Corypheus, Soloist and Principal Dancer, and in 2001 to First Dancer. In 2019 she was appointed deputy artistic director of the BNC and in 2020 its general director.
In 2019, she obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Ballet from the Faculty of Dance Art of the University of the Arts of Cuba (ISA), graduated with honors and the high teaching center chose her as the most outstanding student in her class.
Together with the group she has performed in numerous countries, and has been invited as the lead figure in the emblematic ballets of the Bolshoi and Mariinski theaters in Russia, as well as other companies. Among the numerous awards and decorations received from her, both during her student and professional years, the Distinction “For National Culture”, the “Alejo Carpentier” Medal and the Félix Varela Order, awarded by the Government of the Republic, stand out. (Text and photo: PL)
