Ballet Lizt Alfonso.
Many people have called Cuba the “Island of Music”, which is certainly true, but some others, myself included, also consider it the “Island of Dance”, for its multiple and varied forms. The companies that have historically dedicated themselves to typically Spanish dance forms have always been popular.
But it is the Ballet Lizt Alfonso that goes one step beyond. It began in 1991 as a Spanish dance troupe within the Centro Pro Danza in Havana, with the goal of teaching and promoting Spanish dance, though its founder and director, the young dancer and choreographer Lizt Alfonso wanted to do more.
The corps of dancers is made up entirely of women, which lends the company a certain uniqueness, since the dancers bring strength and an exquisite elegance to contemporary and classic dance. They lend this singular style to Spanish, Cuban, and Afro-Cuban dance, and it is the key to their international success. The American critic Hedy Weiss noted that the company unites “the perfectionism of the group with the strong individual expression, a unique heat with a natural sensuality- it is impressive.”
The company performs with the musical accompaniment of 7 virtuosos: they include the keyboardist Denis Peralta, the classical guitarrist Yuniel Rascon, who moves seamlessly between jazz and salsa, and the internse flamenco stylings of Zita Smoliakova.
The most representative works of Ballet Lizt Alfonso are "De Tierra y Aire", "Fuerza y Compas", "Entre palmas y cantares", "¡Viva la fiesta!", "Sinceramente FGL (Federico García Lorca)", "Elementos" y "Alas", and these last few have been highly acclaimed both in Cuba and abroad.
Special mention must be made of the costumes, which are more of a protagonist than a complement to the stage performances, marked by their simplicity, sensuality, functionality and beauty, and this draws attention to the refinement and precision of the dancers.
El Ballet Lizt Alfonso has toured in Spain, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Egypt, The Netherlands, and France- and this is just a partial list.
If Ballet Lizt Alfonso is performing when you’re in Havana, I recommend that you make an effort to see them, so that you have the chance to see the elegance and artistic rigor of this troupe.
