Cuban designer Yailín Alfaro made it into a stage during a function of the National Ballet of Cuba (BNC) and from this strange perspective that the scenes facilitate, shot the picture recently chosen by the organizing committee of the International Ballet Festival of Havana as image representative of the next event.
She decided to show dancers behind the curtains of the theater, waiting for the exact second they hit the scene just as the nerves can play tricks and when older unforeseen occur as a button or a dislocated unstitched part in the locker room among many variations that can send to run more than one person out without anyone knowing.
That moment, the opportunity to go dancing that people are waiting and not everyone gets, has also for the photographer a particular charm and, in her view, is a key function of time, interest in the amount of tension out of public sight.
“I like the idea of what no one can commonly see from the outside and have worked for years, rehearsals, classes, training routines, as it goes beyond pictures of dancers known to all,” the 30 year old designer said.
In the last edition of the Festival, in 2012, the graduate from the Institute of Industrial Design presented works on this topic at the Centre for the Development of Visual Arts. In the eight years of work with the BNC, she stressed the responsibility of the graphic design campaign of the 21 Festival in 2008.
Choosing a photograph of hers as a leader image of the next Festival took her by surprise, but she says she worked a lot for this dream come true. “I had to shoot many pictures and repeat a few times because when I submitted my first proposal they like the intention, but the dancers were waiting the time to go out sitting and Alicia Alonso told me that should not be because the artists lose warming, muscles get cool and that’s part of the discipline of ballet, a rigorous art “, she said.
From the observation of the director of BNC, Yailín was given the task of capturing a more convenient time, went to each of the functions of the Nutcracker last season until in one of them she achieved the purpose. Then she added to the image a typographical work that she defines as quite simple and clean.
“The old saying those who perseveres makes it, or at least I happened to me,” she says unable to stop laughing. “Also, honestly, this year I prepared more. I got a little seen picture and I took a chance, “she added.
“Whether the ballet was Nutcracker or another because what matters is the sense of waiting to go on stage, the mystery of what may happen, the announcement of the Festival, a great function to start,”.
“The dancers also are hard to tell apart in the photo because the idea is not to highlight a particular figure; the meaning of the poster is that they are all in it. In the end, ballet without the dancing corps is nothing, and precisely those waiting are two girls in that category. Anyone who knows anything about dance becomes aware because they are the Snowflakes of the Nutcracker observed between curtains while snow queen with her partner is dancing, “she said.
The 24th edition of the International Festival, directed by Cuban prima ballerina Alicia Alonso, will take place from October 28 to November 7 this year, and will have as headquarters the National, Mella and Karl Marx Theatres in Havana.
According to the organizing committee, the first figures and the famous dance corps of the BNC will star in the shows, along with stars and guest from other countries.
In parallel, the Cuban company will offer ballet technique courses for professionals, teachers and advanced students. In addition, the public will have dance exhibitions in various galleries, lectures, book, film and video presentations.
More than 50 years of history and the presence of the best artists of the world support the prestigious festival.
It is now time for Yailín to help promote the celebration in 2014, with a campaign that will include poster, invitations and other documents in sync.
The designer likes the tension prior to the show, the surprise of what might happen or appear. That is the proposal she will move to all graphic projects of the 24 Festival, to invite all to share emotions.
Author
Martha Sánchez
