José Zamorano Dies, an Indispensable Figure of Cuban Ballet

December 12, 2020

Last December 10th, the sad news of the death of José Zamorano became known, one of the most relevant male figures in Cuban dance, who was a principal dancer of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba (BNC).

His artistic career in the company founded by Alicia Alonso achieved international recognition for his dedication and prominence in each role he assumed, thus constituting one of the most beautiful pages in the company's history.

Trained at the Escuela Nacional de Ballet under the principal guidance of maestro Ramona de Sáa, he subsequently joined the ranks of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba in which he honored numerous works of the company under the guidance of important maestros such as Alicia Alonso and Fernando Alonso.

His commitment and dedication to ballet made it possible for him to achieve the rank of principal dancer and thus he conquered numerous stages in Cuba and the world, for the virtuosity and elegance he imparted to each character he assumed, bringing prestige to Cuban ballet and the Cuban school of ballet.

Numerous pieces from the repertoire of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba bear his mark. His singular style is evident in the roles performed in works such as Giselle, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, La fille mal gardée, and others from the company's contemporary repertoire such as Les Sylphides, Carmen, Canto Vital, El poema del fuego, Leda and the Swan, Evasión, Cinderella, Pas de trois and Lilac Garden, among many others.

When age no longer allowed him to continue a career as a performer on the stages, he maintained an inseparable bond with ballet through his work as a teacher, rehearsal director and maitre.

As a defender of Cuban ballet and faithful exponent of the BNC, he received multiple recognitions such as the distinction "Por la Cultura Nacional", and others that attest to him as an artist of great stature in the scenic panorama of the Island. His death leaves a profound mark on Cuban ballet and on Cuban culture.