Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
Havana, Nov 14.- The first visit of the Cuban National Ballet (BNC, by its acronym in Spanish) to a Vietnam in the midst of war was remembered here today with the opening of a photographic exhibition that includes some of the most important moments of the historic trip.
The BNC arrived on December 14, 1964 in Hanoi, where it stayed for a week, which was a milestone in bilateral and cultural relations, said Cuban ambassador Orlando Hernández Guillén at the opening of the exhibition.
On that occasion, the dance company, directed by prima ballerina assoluta Alicia Alonso, was invited to share a breakfast with President Ho Chi Minh, who stated that in the not too distant time the Vietnamese people would make it possible for Cuban dancers to perform not only in North Vietnam, but throughout the country.
https://www.prensa-latina.cu/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/BALLET-1.jpg
The premonition of the father of Vietnamese independence came true in 1978, when the BNC returned to then dance in a liberated Saigon and receive the Medal of Friendship.
In 2016, the third visit to the Indochinese nation of the National Ballet of Cuba took place, then with the presentation of the prima ballerina and current director of the company, Viengsay Valdés, who will return at the end of this month to perform in this capital and in the port city of Hai Phong, announced the ambassador.
When referring to the close presence of the BNC, Hernández Guillén stated that it is an expression of the collaboration between the Ministries of Culture of both nations and will constitute the first activity framed within the Vietnam-Cuba Year of Friendship 2025.
After thanking the Nahn Dan newspaper and the VNA news agency for their collaboration in the production of the exhibition, which also includes moments from the BNC's other visits, he pointed out that the inauguration of the exhibition takes place "in the context of a moment as special as the one our people are living today."
In this regard, he stressed that, after the State visit made by the general secretary of the Communist Party and then president of Vietnam, To Lam, at the end of last September, there is a deepening and accelerated development of the special bilateral ties towards new horizons.
On the occasion, a Joint Declaration was issued according to which "the visit marks an important milestone in the relationship between the two countries, by introducing Vietnam-Cuba relations into a new phase of substantial and sustainable development for the benefit of its people, of socialism, of peace, cooperation and development in each region and at the global level.
It also highlights that it was also a reflection of the appreciation, deep affection and unwavering support of the Vietnamese Communist Party, State and people for the noble revolutionary cause of Cuba.
The text also includes the decision to declare 2025 as the “Year of Vietnam-Cuba Friendship” and to jointly organize practical activities to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, an event that occurred on December 2, 1960. (Text and photos: PL)
