The 20th International Meeting of Ballet Academies was concluded in Havana after several days of exchanges with different current styles.
Visiting the National Ballet School (ENB by its acronym in Spanish) around these days is finding a different space. The walls are the same, as well as the glances at the mirrors; however, there is a different exchange environment where trends are blended on the occasion of the 20th International Meeting of Ballet Academies, which has recently come to an end.
The program of the event, which ended his Saturday and was organized by the National Center of Art Schools and ENB, included lectures on Methodology in Physical Training, Teaching by the Cuban ballet academy, as well as composition, children’s theater, choreography, among others.
This year’s highlights were Dance Criticism workshops, “very well received” as stated by the Cuban professor from ENB, Marta Vera Álvarez. Furthermore, the event arranged for the first time the workshop Designing dance along with audiovisual aids, and the Contest for young art critics.
For the first time, children were allowed to participate in the international contest taking place in parallel with the academic program. Vera Alvarez explained that they had 39 participants in this category, out of which 16 qualified for next round, revealing the rigor of the contest.
More than 500 dancers arrived from 14 different nations eager for learning and showing their talents and techniques. Many of them dream about studying in Cuba, others are pleased with such exchanges.
This year’s edition, which paid homage to the founder of the Cuban school, late Fernando Alonso, “has had an incredible participation; it has received the largest number of academies regardless of the celebration in parallel of a similar event in New York”, noted Vera Alvarez.
Mexico has brought the largest number of participants; Argentina and the United States considerably increased their participation. South Africa was also represented in this event by a couple specially invited; as well as, Brazil, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Ecuador, Italy, Guatemala, Peru, and Venezuela.
According to Vera, it is worth noticing that “many dancers come without an academy to represent because it is important for them to have a certificate by the Cuban ballet school which is recognized worldwide”.
Most of the 86 parents accompanying their children want them to study and complete their training here, “which reveals the significance of having a certificate by the Cuban ballet school internationally”, said ENB’s professor.
Carla Peralta, a Mexican mother attending the meeting for the first time stated that “this is an enhancing experience for everyone, mainly for girls, given the intensity of the training. We have been trained by the Cuban ballet –which, in my opinion, is the best–; our daughters’ professors in Mexico are Cuban, and their technique is unrivaled”.
Mexican dancer Bardo Cardona agrees: “the Cuban levelis unique; one must live it in order to understand it. Sharing knowledge is fruitful; we can combine subtleties of different techniques to improve styles”.
The event is not only attended by students, Arpa Rodriguez, a Dominican professor from Santiago de los Caballeros, has attended this meeting since 2000. “I have had the opportunity to be here nine times and that has changed the perspectives of enjoying and making dance in my country. We come here because this is the way to teach our girls, though obviously we don’t rely on Cuba’s achievements as a nation, but we are trying to reachits level”.
However, this meeting is not only positive for guests, for Cuba it is an opportunity to expand its horizons as to dance given that it is aware of the fact that there are many different ways of making sound ballet. Cuban professor Laura Camaraza is of the opinion that sharing experiences is the best because “we feedback from one another”.
There are many things to improve yet, for instance, Mexican student Georgina Soria Robledo considers that “there is not a good arrangement of time schedules”. Cardona believes that the event should increase practices in order to be able to stage what they are taught. Nonetheless, in every edition of the meeting its organizers will try to improve such flaws so as to “providing best conditions to guarantee the success of the event”, expressed Vera Alvarez.
Thus, reflecting on what needs to be improved, the 20th edition of the International Meeting of Ballet Academies came to an end with an infinite number of interesting experiences shared, which will be portrayed in the future.
By Carolina Rodríguez Castellanos
