José Antonio Chávez

Born in the city of Holguín, but adopted as an exceptional son in the City of the Tinajones, Chávez has built a life of creation and pedagogy in the Ballet de Camagüey, his home for more than forty years.

To his company he dedicated works of great dramatic force such as Ofelia, as well as works of great lyricism and pure enjoyment of movement such as Vivaldiana, among a long list of titles that gave the Agramonte group pieces of its own for a repertoire that maintains a style, basically, of contemporary ballet. He also contributed the staging of pieces such as Paquita with elements of the highest academicism.

Chávez belongs to a generation of choreographers that included Francisco Lam and Lázaro Martínez, three creators who sustained their own stable repertoire for a good time for a company that persisted against all odds, to continue a path of permanence.

Throughout his extensive career he has been a constant collaborator with Cuban performing groups. He helped found the Ballet de Cámara de Holguín and Ballet Santiago, in the midst of rough terrain for classical dance. He collaborated with companies such as Codanza, Danza Libre, Babul, Fragmentada, among many others.

His participation is always remembered in events such as Solamente Solos or Danza en Construcción, where he taught ballet classes or conducted the action Todos a la barra, in the middle of a park or in a room full of young people who were infected with his joy, but also with his keen irony.

Also memorable is his delightful Mamá Simone in La fille mal gardée of the Ballet de Camagüey, a character he performed for years, always imprinting it with a very particular touch of comedy.

Master to several generations of dancers, Chávez continues to be in love with life.

Auxiliary professor at the Camagüey branch of the Universidad de las Artes, teaching choreographic composition, dance history, dance theory and repertoire since 1995, Chávez has been a great pedagogue for many generations of Cuban dancers.

At almost 78 years old, his presence in Cuba and in his beloved Camagüey has served as a bridge, as a connecting thread between dancers and teachers of diverse eras, has been a pillar of knowledge and energy to enrich the dance of the nation that, in its insistence, continues dancing.