Interview with Dayesi Torriente and Monica Gomez, ballerinas of the National Ballet of Cuba, regarding their debut this weekend in the leading roles of traditional pieces of the company’s repertoire.
The enchantment of ballet has its mysteries, and it is that beyond the technique and experience, passion and perseverance are qualities that really guarantee success. The proof is in young dancers Dayesi Torriente and Monica Gomez, who this weekend had their debut in major leading roles in the show The Magic of the Dance.
Monica Gomez, 21, stars Coppelia for the first time, while Dayesi, 22, debuts in The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. After an intense month of work, days before taking the stage of Havana’s Avellaneda Hall of the National Theater of Cuba, the young dancers stopped rehearsing to talk to OnCuba at the Ballet National School.
They both began their training at Prodanza Center and continued their secondary education at Alejo Carpentier Elementary School of Ballet and later at the National Arts School (ENA by its Spanish acronym). Today they are members of the renowned National Ballet of Cuba.
Monica smiling tells she always wanted to be a ballerina. “I was in dancing groups since I was a child, I remember myself showing all those visiting my house that I was able to .Then some experts went to my school making recruitments, they discovered my skills and it all started more seriously. Being in this school is the dream of every child studying ballet but I do not imagine myself getting so far. “
“I was never really fond of dancing, but I was always involved in school activities, singing and sometimes I even made choreographies. A friend of my mom was the one who first took me to the ballet; she always said I had conditions, “Dayesi says.
With a breathtaking vitality and a brief time, marked by intense preparation, they also talked about their dreams, concerns and aspirations.
What does it mean for you to debut in the leading roles of recognized pieces?
Monica: This is a great opportunity for any young dancer. It is also a major step in our careers, so we must strive very much. The way to prove to the public that we can, is doing a good performance in these roles, to thus ascended to greater challenges in the future.
Dayesi: The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake are two very important ballets in the world repertoire. Right now I’m working on the styles, and listening to all the advice and corrections to do my best.
Are you prepared, edgy…?
Monica: So far we are quiet, maybe when we get a little more nervous when the function begins because nerves will always betray. The difficult steps should not be thought too much because if you do it, they go wrong.
Dayesi: We’ve had good preparation and plenty of time to practice, to add details to our interpretation. It is normal that sometimes nerves to betray you; that has happened to everyone always. I once got my mind in blank, not knowing what to do. Music continues until you suddenly do what continues. It’s hard because you rehearse a month, two months or the time required, and when the function comes, not everything goes as expected but, there is no more nights, it’s just one.
What is your favorite ballet?
Monica: Every ballet has its own; each is difficult in its own way, some technical and other interpretively. I very much like Don Quixote by the energy that demands and the complexity of the steps.
Dayesi: My favorite is The Swan Lake, in which I debut this Sunday. I have never done it, but I imagine it, I love the second act, the story and the splitting in two very different roles, it is quite a challenge.
Any role model or people you admire in the world of ballet?
Monica: Viengsay Valdés, she is a great example, is very, very hard worker, she’s always rehearsing. I love her dedication; the interpretation she puts on all roles, she has great inner strength and technically she is spectacular.
Dayesi: My role model is Svetlana Sajárova, prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater; I’m continually seeking everything she does. I also love the Royal Ballet of London; I like to be updated with everything related to ballet worldwide.
Expectations regarding the 24th Havana International Ballet Festival…
Dayesi: We are still not rehearsing but there are much new choreography and other surprises. We just hope that everything goes well as in previous years.
As young ballerinas, what are the present and the future of the current Cuban Ballet?
Dayesi: We young people are the relay; our highest aspiration now is dancing. We still have a lot to do, we are in diapers. But I believe that with the emergence of new ballet figures, the future is guaranteed.
Written by: Maria Teresa Hernández Martínez
