Tribute to Alicia Alonso on International Dance Day

April 27, 2020

The entire world has witnessed the artistry of Alicia Alonso, an artist who elevated dance to the supreme expression of art; for this reason, the Council of Europe of the International Theatre Institute, World Organization of the Performing Arts/UNESCO in its ordinary meeting in April agreed to pay tribute on International Dance Day to the figure of Prima Ballerina Assoluta on the occasion of the centenary of her birth and in recognition of her extraordinary artistic work and as UNESCO World Ambassador.

The international tribute was scheduled to be held publicly on July 16 at the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid, and its organization was in charge of the Spanish Delegation of the ITI/UNESCO and the Alicia Alonso Dance Foundation in collaboration with other national and international institutions. However, given the global emergency caused by Covid 19, it is unlikely that this event can take place in all its global dimension. For this reason, the ITI/UNESCO Secretariat decided to organize a virtual international tribute disseminating the life and work of the distinguished dancer.

The ITI/UNESCO Newsletter for International Dance Day will be dedicated to the figure of Alicia Alonso where the link to the website specially created to pay tribute to Alicia Alonso on this world Dance day will appear. The material made available is a compilation of Alicia Alonso's trajectory as a dancer and choreographer, in addition to presenting a Photo Gallery of her most acclaimed performances and alongside personalities with whom she shared throughout her life. The realization of this anthology has been made possible thanks to the existing collaboration between the Spanish Delegation of ITI/UNESCO, the Alicia Alonso Dance Foundation in Madrid and the National Dance Museum of the Republic of Cuba.