The National Ballet of Cuba is declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation

July 6, 2018

The National Ballet of Cuba was declared this Thursday a Cultural Heritage of the Nation, the company reported in a statement.

The declaration is recorded in a resolution from Cuba's Ministry of Culture signed by the sector's head, Abel Prieto, who honors the long trajectory of the dance ensemble and the prestige gained on stages throughout the world.

The document recognizes the National Ballet of Cuba as "the supreme expression of the Cuban school of ballet, which has achieved its own physiognomy where the tradition of theatrical dance merges with the essential features of National Culture".

Founded in 1948 by maestro Fernando Alonso and Alicia Alonso, the company has been since its very beginning the paramount reference for classical ballet on the Island, and after seven decades of uninterrupted work it is today one of the most prestigious of its kind in the world.

From its ranks came several of the most prestigious figures in ballet, among them the so-called four jewels: Loipa Araujo, Mirta Plá, Josefina Méndez and Aurora Bosch.

Among the men stand out Alberto Alonso, Alberto Méndez, and Carlos Acosta, among many others.

But without a doubt the supreme figure of the National Ballet of Cuba is the prima ballerina assoluta Alicia Alonso, considered one of the greatest dancers of all time.