Carlos Acosta will perform a show dedicated to his late mother in Spain

August 5, 2022

World-renowned Cuban dancer and choreographer Carlos Acosta has created a show to honor the memory of his late mother, which the artist will perform at the Castell de Peralada Festival next Saturday, August 6 in Spain.

It is the most personal work created and performed by Carlos Acosta, titled On Before. The maternal figure is the common thread of the solos and duets, and Acosta will dance alongside Laura Rodríguez, accompanied by the choir Ensemble O Vos Omnes.

The show features choreography by world-renowned artists such as Will Tuckett, Russell Maliphant and Kim Brandstrup, as well as some pieces by Acosta himself and by Cuban choreographer with major international projection Raúl Reinoso.

Laura Rodríguez is a member of the Acosta Danza company, founded in Cuba by the renowned dancer in 2015. On Before is a show created in 2010, but now Acosta presents a new version alongside Rodríguez.

The artist participated in the aforementioned festival for the first time in 2017. The Peralada audience enjoyed the great talent of the Cuban again, one of the most outstanding performers on the international dance scene, in 2019, performing choreography by Goyo Montero, Sidi Larbi Chekaoui, Russell Maliphant and Jorge Crecis.

Currently, Acosta combines his role as director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet with that of his own company, based in Havana. He is also part of the jury of the Carmen Mateu European Award, whose winner will do a residency with Acosta Danza to prepare a piece that will be presented at the Peralada Festival.

Acosta studied ballet at the National School of Ballet of Cuba. In June 1991, he graduated with the highest grades and a gold medal. He has danced with numerous companies, including the Cuban National Ballet, English National Ballet, Houston Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre.

In 2014, he received from Queen Elizabeth II of England the Commander's Medal of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE). In 2020, he began directing the Royal Ballet of Birmingham (BRB), one of the most prominent ballet companies in the United Kingdom alongside the Royal Ballet and the English National Ballet.

Acosta succeeded British choreographer David Bintley in the position, who served as artistic director of the BRB since 1995. "I want the level of the dancers to rise dramatically, and the repertoire I bring is crucial," he said at that time about the challenges he set for himself at the helm of the company.

"I want a company that is strong, that is not predictable, that is energetic, that takes risks, but that remains faithful to tradition at the highest level. I am prepared for big crazy ideas. I will never say no to anything new and bold," he argued.

"Ballet is my best friend. It was my refuge; it is what I had when nothing made sense. It was not just a job. I have had the privilege of performing with many companies and gaining this great amount of knowledge that I want to pass on," he stated.

Acosta's humble origins in Cuba and the obstacles he had to overcome to become one of the universal references in ballet were documented in the film Yuli, which won awards at several international festivals.