Iván Tenorio

Tenorio was a distinguished dancer, choreographer, and professor of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, and has been considered the dramatist of ballet on the island.

Born in Jovellanos, Matanzas, into a family of Spanish origin. A student of distinguished professors such as Fernando Alonso, Joaquín Banegas, Azari Plisetski, José Parés, and Yuriko, he began his artistic career as a member of the Grupo Teatro Estudio de La Habana.

In 1963 he joined the Conjunto de Danza Contemporánea as a dancer and choreographer. Two years later he became part of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, for which he created, among other works, Adagio para dos (1967), Rítmicas (1973), La casa de Bernarda Alba (1975), Leda y el cisne (1978), La corona sangrienta (1980), Estudios para cuatro (1981), Hamlet (1982), Fedra (1984), Los amantes de Verona (1986), Viva Lorca (1989), Casiopea (1992), Tiempos de amor (1994), Tocata y fuga (1995), Luna rota (2002), Piezas del tiempo (2004), Teseo y el Minotauro (2006). Some of his works are part of the repertory of several international companies, among them, the Ballet Nacional Eslovaco, the Ballet du Rhin in France, the Ballet de Cali in Colombia, the Ballet Ecuatoriano de Cámara, the Ballet del SODRE of Montevideo, Uruguay, the Ballet de Santiago de Chile, and the Joven Ballet de Cámara de Madrid.

Since almost its inception, the Ballet de Camagüey saw its repertory enriched by the creative work of Iván Tenorio. Among them are Pavana para una infanta difunta (1970), Juegos profanos (later called Cantata), which from its premiere in 1971 became one of the company's most solid triumphs; Momentum (1972), Sensemayá (1975), among others.

He has been the recipient of important awards, such as the Second Prize in Modern Choreography with the ballet Rítmicas at the Tokyo Ballet Competition in Japan, 1976. Mention at the First Choreographic Competition of the Performing Arts Section of UNEAC with La casa de Bernarda Alba, 1980. He also holds the Medal of Distinguished Artist in the Performing Arts of the Republic of Czechoslovakia (1981). He obtained in 1983 the Second Prize with the ballet Hamlet at the Choreography Competition of the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC). "Nina Verchinina" Prize for Best Modern Choreography for his ballet Rítmicas at the First Latin American Ballet and Choreography Competition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1983). Likewise, the Cuban Ministry of Culture awarded him the Distinction "For National Culture" (1982). He also received the "Raúl Gómez García" Distinction from the Union of Culture Workers in 1983.

He was Professor of the Dance Chair "Alicia Alonso" at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and is Associate Professor of the School of Performing Arts at the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA).
In 2003 he received the "Alejo Carpentier" Medal, awarded by the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba.
In 2007 he received the National Dance Prize, awarded by the National Council of the Performing Arts of the Ministry of Culture and UNEAC.

The Ballet Nacional de Cuba expressed "its deep sorrow at such an enormous loss." Tenorio, together with Alicia Alonso and Eduardo Blanco, made up the team of Cuban choreographers of the BNC at the 24th Ballet Festival. He died at age 73 from cancer.

Author of "transcendental" pieces for the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, Tenorio died six days before one of his famous choreographies, "Hamlet," was to be presented at the XXIV International Ballet Festival of La Habana.