Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
Havana, Dec 26 - Cuban dancer and guest artist of London's Royal Ballet, Patricio Revé, today fuses his rich international experience with the memory of the child who learned it in Cuba, in the male lead role of Don Quixote.
The character of Basilio has grown in me over the years and my international experiences, but I try to preserve that part of the child who performed it here many years ago, as I enjoy it quite a lot, acknowledged the also principal dancer of the Queensland Ballet (Australia) at the headquarters of the National Ballet of Cuba (BNC).
The young talent flourished precisely in this company, to which he has returned on more than one occasion to share the stage, but this time it will be very special as he brought by the hand the Argentine star of London's Royal Ballet, Marianela Núñez, to perform on December 28 and 30 at the National Theater.
With her, he feels he can fully enjoy ballet; moreover, he has idolized her since childhood, when he watched her videos dancing with the Cuban idol Carlos Acosta. "Having the pleasure of partnering with her, I feel as if I had to retire tomorrow, I would do so happy."
In the opinion of the talented artist, the fact that someone like Núñez has the dream of dancing in Cuba as something essential within her career fuels his pride, makes him aware of the greatness of ballet here and the importance of the school founded by Alicia, Fernando, and Alberto Alonso.
"The Cuban ballet school for me has been everything because it allows me to have an identity, and anywhere on the planet, without me needing to speak, people know where I come from; it's something very beautiful, a treasure we must strive to maintain and continue expanding because it constitutes a privilege," he emphasized.
In the summer, he danced Don Quixote with Núñez at the Teatro Colón in Argentina and recounts that he felt like in a soccer stadium, as the audience there adores her so much that the press has even called her "the Messi of ballet."
Revé highlighted the chemistry, the connection, and the priority both give to enjoyment, above the technical perfection for which they work, day after day, religiously, and assured that each of his previous experiences at the BNC marked him, laid the foundations of the dancer he is today.
In particular, he highlighted his beginnings alongside the experienced prima ballerina Viengsay Valdés, current general director of the National Cultural Heritage company, with whom he debuted in great classics, including Don Quixote.
As he told Prensa Latina, Valdés was fundamental in his growth as a partner, “the handling of the dancer, learning where to place her, gaining in precision, sensations, she is a consecrated one who knows the way everything flows.”
During the past Havana International Ballet Festival (2024), he had the fortune of dancing Swan Lake (the full work) alongside another BNC principal dancer he admires: Anette Delgado, whose courage in performances he praised.
He also danced this year with Natalia Osipova (of Russian origin), a principal dancer of the Royal Ballet of London, when he already embraces a certain maturity despite his youth, and perceived an awakening in the sense of freedom, coupled with an interpretative level that blurs with reality.
Now, taking the stage with Núñez seems magical to him, and "going home is always special because you can dance anywhere in the world, but nothing compares to dancing in your own country," he emphasized. (Text and photo: PL)
