Cuban Ballet

by Roca, Octavio

• ISBN13: 9781423607588
• ISBN10: 1423607589
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-08-15
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith

Summary

The unique style of Cuban ballet is galvanizing the world of dance in the United States, Europe, Latin America, and beyond. This beautifully illustrated book explores the history of Cuban ballet by focusing on the life and career of the indomitable Alicia Alonso. It also spotlights many of the young dancers who are changing the face of ballet with their superb technique, impeccable work ethic, and spectacular performances: Lorena , Joan Boada, Taras Domitro, Manuel Carre, Rolando Sarabia, and Carlos Acosta to name but a few.While focusing on the artistry and spirit of Cuban dancers, both within and out of Cuba, Octavio Roca deftly explores the political realities artists face in Cuba and why so many need to leave their beloved home to reach their full potential, taking their grace, beauty, strength, and style with them. Cuba's loss has become the world's gain.A widely respected authority on the arts, Roca has served on the juries of dozens of international festivals and performing arts competitions, including the International Ballet Festival in Havana, his native city. Octavio Roca studied at Emory University and Georgetown University, has taught philosophy at the University of Miami and Barry University, and is now chair of the Arts and Philosophy Department at Miami Dade College. He lives in Miami Beach.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. 8
Foreword	p. 14
Acknowledgments	p. 16
Introduction: Cuban Memories	p. 18
Alicia	p. 29
Interlude: Before the Alonsos	p. 56
Ballet Nacional de Cuba: A New Company for a New World	p. 59
Interlude: Theme and Variations	p. 110
Cuca's Story and the Paris Incident	p. 114
Interlude: Alicia Alonso, Dancemaker	p. 124
Lorena, Lorna, and the Feij Effect	p. 135
Interlude: Four Jewels, Three Graces, and a Rebel	p. 164
All Those Cuban Men	p. 177
Giselle	p. 200
Dancing with a Cuban Accent	p. 221
Notes	p. 238
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

There are moments in the Theatre, and they are really very rare, that come as sudden and tender reminders of what art is all about: the best in all of us, the hopes and the dreams, the brutal limitations of time on human life and the majestic transcendence of the human spirit. Saturday afternoon brought such an unforgettable moment to the War Memorial Opera House. Lorena Feijóo danced her first Giselle, and it was clear that her whole life had been leading up to this role.