Liliam Padrón Chávez Receives Cuba's 2026 National Dance Prize

May 3, 2026

Cuban dancer, choreographer, and pedagogue Liliam Padrón Chávez was awarded the 2026 National Dance Prize on April 29, 2026, the highest distinction granted by Cuba's National Council of Scenic Arts (CNAE).

The award jury — chaired by Miguel Iglesias Ferrer (National Dance Prize 2008) and comprising Johannes García Fernández (2020), María Elena Llorente (2015), Rosario Cárdenas Prieto (2013), and researcher Yuris Nórido Ruiz Cabrera — made the decision unanimously in favor of Padrón Chávez.

A 1975 graduate of Cuba's National School of Art, Liliam Padrón continued her training in the former Soviet Union, specializing in choreography and dance pedagogy. In 1987 she founded the Danza Espiral Company in Matanzas, a collective that has trained several generations of dancers and is considered a pioneer of contemporary dance in the province.

Throughout her career she has crafted a distinctive stage language that weaves classical, folkloric, and contemporary techniques together with elements of literature, theater, and visual arts. Among her most acclaimed works are El No, Aire Frío, Aproximación a la adivinación, Pase a bordo, Clave cubana, Un estudio sobre Hamlet, Otelo, La consagración de la primavera, and Eclipse.

Padrón Chávez is also the founder of the DanzanDos Choreography and Interpretation Competition, a platform for Cuban dance that has been running for 35 years. Her earlier distinctions include the Jury Prize for choreography and interpretation at the 1997 International Monologue Festival, the Codanza Prize, the Premio Brene 2014 for lifetime work, and the Villanueva de la Crítica Awards in 2018 and 2025.

The CNAE expressed gratitude to all nominees — Regina Balaguer Sánchez, Berta Armiñán Linares, Rafael Hernández Fauret, and Dani Hernández Acosta — for their contributions to Cuban scenic arts.