Cuban dancer Yankiel Vázquez becomes principal dancer of the BNC after suffering from Guillain-Barré Syndrome

August 24, 2022

Dancer Yankiel Vázquez came to think that his dream of remaining with the Ballet Nacional de Cuba had been cut short when a rare autoimmune disorder paralyzed him for several years.

His career seemed to have ended. But the 29-year-old from the rural town of Mantua, in the western Pinar del Río, Cuba, overcame the condition that had caused muscle weakness threatening to paralyze his body.

"I entered the company (Ballet Nacional de Cuba) in 2011 and shortly after I suffered from Guillain-Barré Syndrome which left me incapacitated. First I had to start learning to walk again for several months, enduring an intense process of physical and mental rehabilitation," he told Reuters.

Physical effort and unparalleled willpower were tools that shaped Vázquez's agenda, who today has become Principal Dancer of the company, one of the symbols of the Cuban nation.

"Becoming a Principal Dancer is what one dreams of since childhood," he noted.

Yankiel thought his hours on the tips of ballet had ended... and he had to delay his dream of becoming principal dancer of Cuba's ballet.

Years later, he returned to the ballet bars, began his recovery and achieved his goal. "It was hard because I came back with my illness and they labeled you as if you were still weak, but thanks to rehabilitation I was able to continue and I became the principal dancer," Yankiel Vázquez recounts.

The Ballet Nacional de Cuba emerged in 1948 with the late Alicia Alonso as founder and leading figure. The institution, which has graduated thousands of dancers, was supported by Fidel Castro's revolution since 1959.

Around 70 dancers make up the company, said Viengsay Valdés, principal dancer and director of the Ballet Nacional. "A dancer is like an athlete, the importance of having physical preparation is essential," Valdés told Reuters. "Having that muscular control, the ability to reposition your body (...)are cardinal aspects when undertaking the academic technique of ballet," she stated.

From Chile, a team of physiotherapists arrived this week at the Ballet Nacional for an exchange with local experts.

"We have been able to help with core control for dancers when they carry weight loads to the extremities," explained kinesiologist Mauro Medel, who manages injuries to ankles, feet, knees and hips.