Again the bell tolls by Viengsay Valdes and the stellar ballerina instead of calling the press to provoke it with technical displays she cultivates as a religion, she puts her shoes away, wears a dress in keeping with the tropical climate and asks permission to thank the spirits that helped her in her formation, even in times when many were wary of her. The prima ballerina of the National Ballet of Cuba (BNC by its Spanish acronym) presented the electronic version of a book about her life , authored by Carlos Tablada, with a title illustrating the needed mettle in a career like hers, “De acero y nube .”
The sociologist and 1987 Casa de las Americas Award met Viengsay in 2001 when she sculpted her body with physiotherapist Miguel Capote and at the doctor’s house he proposed her writing a book about her artistic experience. The girl, who had not yet reached the rank of prima ballerina and who saw herself as petit, thought the man was joking or hallucinating , because she thought she was worthy of such a thing and forgot the proposition.
The author of “Che’s economic thought” proved once again his visionary capacity. That tenacious girl whom he often greeted at the physiotherapist house became what he had expected: a professional highly recognized inside and outside Cuba.
To Tablada that was predictable, not only by the improvement of Viengsay´s technical capabilities, but by the overwhelming scenic personality. “Viengsay´s dance has angel, has a soul ,” he confessed from Brazil in a message sent to the presentation of the work in the 23rd edition of Cuba International Book Fair.
The intellectual, assiduous to ballet functions, saw several ballerinas playing the same characters, but none managed to convey Viengsay´s spirituality. However, he did not wrote a book to lavish praises but to delve into a singular career, expose how a respected professional was born, the decisions she had to take, the attitudes she assumed and the ways of approaching each working stage. Of course, he had to wait for the world press to consider Viengsay among the best ballerinas in the world and to repeat it many times before she finally accepted that her story could be useful and interesting for others.
“De acero y nube” emerged from subsequent meetings with the ballerina. It is a book which in the opinion of BNC historian, Miguel Cabrera, has the virtue of not singing praises. “Tablada nicely explains the genesis of an artist who with the passage of time has not been content with her achievements and sees in each win a new starting point,” he said.
According to Cabrera, Viengsay managed to be famous and popular in her native island because even those who have not seen her dancing know her as the heir of a quality inaugurated by Alicia Alonso and followed by other great dancers whom Viengsay also met in person.
In the opinion of the historian, the ballerina rescued some characteristics of the Cuban school of ballet which with the generational change in the late twentieth century seemed lost, as fouettés executed stand in a place; Alicia Alonso did it that way, and long balances.
Pedro Simon, director of the National Museum of Dance, agreed with Cabrera in that Viengsay´s determination and discipline have not diminished by her success as she continues working with the same effort of years ago when she was not yet the artist she is today. For these values he considered her an example for new generations.
In addition to praising Viengsay´s attitude towards work and art, Simon urged to Viengsay´s technical power not to make to forget her great theatrical qualities, especially her demonstrated talent for drama in plays that sometimes do not require any complex academic step but an interpretation according to a story.
In the opinion of this dance scholar, Viengsay is a ballerina who when bursting onto the scene no one can ignore her due to her very special charisma that is part of a strong and attractive personality.
Meanwhile, Cuban journalist Yuris Nórido commended the book by not avoiding controversial issues in the ballerina’s trajectory and offering a comprehensive view of the nature of the energetic woman applauded in theaters by many.
The critic and photographer claimed that it was an unfinished biography as it had been written with Viengsay in top form, who keeps many samples of good art for the future, he predicted.
Nórido recognized the will of the dancer through the years in terms of polishing her technical arsenal and recommended presenting the book to students at the National Ballet School so that they can know an extraordinary sense of discipline, devotion with no limits to the profession, a constant desire for improvement and strength to overcome obstacles. He a lso pondered the artist’s interest in reading, theater, plastic arts and other dance companies.
The journalist recalled the social context in which Viengsay studied ballet because the so-called Special Period forced her to reinvent her pointe shoes and make Herculean efforts before transport shortage, among other shortcomings.
Despite having known the main ballet enclaves in the world and having lucrative offers, Viengsay always made decisions in favor of her company. This commitment to develop herself in Cuba means development for the country itself, he noted.
On the occasion of the presentation of the book, the artist broke her tough day trials to explain to the press the values of a play that humanizes her and offers the public a chance to meet her beyond the scene.
Viengsay highlighted four witnesses of the book which she described as invaluable gifts: the one of her father Roberto Valdes, her grandmother Amparo Rivero, who took her to the aptitude tests to study ballet, the professor of the National School Mirta Hermida, who trusted on her from the beginning and teacher Fernando Alonso, whom she thanked by so many invaluable tips.
The ballerina considered these four persons, already deceased, as essential beings in her career because without them it would not be the same. She added to that list her physiotherapist Miguel Capote, who still works with her daily and provides her emotional support.
Valdés stressed the importance of a psychologist and a physical trainer to accompany the dancer everyday so this could regain strength every morning and technically and artistically excel. Based on her experience with the specialist who was for almost 40 years Dr. Salvador Allende hospital physiotherapy department head, Viengsay revealed plans to write a book about how Capote guides the patient towards recovery and the method they both have privately developed for 15 years of work.
The first chapter of the digital version of the biography is available to Internet users in a space provided for free download on Ruth Publishing House website.
This release on the 23rd International Book Fair was the prelude to the presentation of the printed work, scheduled for October, in the days of Havana International Ballet Festival.
Needless to say that at the end of the appointment, the ballerina ran to change her dress for a leotard and heels for pointe shoes in order to continue with her usual trials day.
After a presentation like this one it is hardly someone to get surprised, Viengsay is not only a consecrated professional but an artist with memory and to keep it alive she always keeps closer the postcard given by her beloved teacher Mirta on the school graduation day with a dedication that has been her motto since then: success consists in constancy of purpose.
Author
Martha Sánchez
