María Elena Llorente

María Elena Llorente (Havana, May 20, 1946 – September 21, 2026) was a prima ballerina and maître of the Cuban National Ballet. Trained at the Pro-Arte Musical Society school and the Alicia Alonso National Ballet Academy, she joined the company in 1962, became a soloist in 1967 and a prima ballerina in 1976.

She shone in the classical repertoire (Giselle, Coppélia, Swan Lake, Don Quixote) and in Cuban creations such as Tarde en la siesta. She received Cuba’s National Dance Prize in 2015, the Alejo Carpentier Medal and the Félix Varela Order. She also taught in Cuba and Spain.