Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
Vietnam, July 1 – The Cuban National Ballet (BNC) concluded its tour at the Ho Guom Opera Theater in Hanoi, which its general director, Viengsay Valdés, considered one of the company's most successful in the last three decades.
Begun in mid-May in China, where they offered 18 performances of "Swan Lake" in Alicia Alonso's renowned version of the Petipa and Ivanov original, the tour offered the BNC "the opportunity to bring, for the first time, audiences in several cities to an art form that is so elite in other parts of the world," she said.
"We had the opportunity to perform in the most wonderful theaters we have performed in recently," Valdés told Prensa Latina, before stating that the recently concluded tour confirmed that ballet can reach many spectators in different ways, even without prior knowledge of this art form.
“It's the aesthetics, the combination of strength and technique with virtuosity, and above all, the interpretive quality of the Cuban dancers, the elements that, without a doubt, most impact the audience, whether they are connoisseurs or not,” reaffirmed the winner of the 2025 Cuban National Dance Award.
Regarding their stay in Vietnam, she pointed out that this time they offered two performances with a program that combined pieces from the universal classical repertoire with neoclassical and other styles, which made the show more attractive, not only musically, but also choreographically and technically.
Valdes highlighted the great performance of the 11 dancers of the company who, she said, "we gave it all, because they were special functions for an audience that is also special".
We felt very welcomed here, and the audience's reaction to the performance of each of the pieces in the program showed that the appreciation for the art of Cuban ballet was growing, she emphasized.
The prima ballerina also admitted to feeling surprised when, at the end of the first performance, while she was signing autographs, a little girl approached her to tell her that her favorite piece was The End of Time (by the British Ben Stevenson).
That was another way of saying that our art, regardless of who the author is, is capable of reaching all hearts, she emphasized.
On the other hand, she emphasized, a longer stay in this capital allowed them to visit emblematic places, walk around the city, interact with people, and experience the deep and sincere affection they feel for Cuba, and to taste a varied cuisine that is gaining worldwide recognition.
"They have welcomed us with warmth and enthusiasm and, of course, they want us to come back," Valdés stated, before noting that whenever they return to perform in Asia, they will have to make efforts and arrangements to perform in Vietnam again, and hopefully then with the full company.
The BNC director announced that they will have to fulfill other major commitments in the second half of 2025, including the company's debut with Don Quixote at The Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen, a very important venue in the ballet world, and a short tour of the Dominican Republic.
In October, she continued, we will complete the production of A fuego lento (Over low heat) by Ricardo Amarantes, we will be performing a work with Canadian choreographer David Jonathan, and another about the famous Cuban singer Celia Cruz. (Text and Photo: Cubadebate)
