Balanchine's THEME AND VARIATIONS At The Gran Teatro de La Habana This Fall

George Balanchine's famous ballet THEME AND VARIATIONS will be performed at Gran Teatro de La Habana in October. The ballet premiered in New York in 1947, and features the music of the legendary Tschaicovsky. The ballet will be performed by The National Ballet of Cuba. Designs and lights are by Salvador Fernandez.

The National Ballet of Cuba was founded by Alicia Alonso in 1948. During her time with the Ballet Theatre of New York in 1940 she worked with greats like Jerome Robbins, Leonide Massine, and George Balanchine.

From balanchine.com, "An intensive development of the classic ballet lexicon, Theme and Variations was intended, as Balanchine wrote: 'to evoke that great period in classical dancing when Russian ballet flourished with the aid of Tschaikovsky's music.' The final movement of the composer's third orchestral suite consists of 12 variations. The ballet opens to reveal a corps of twelve women and a principal couple. As the ballet moves from variation to variation, the solo performances of the ballerina and her cavalier are interspersed among the corps performances. As in all classical ballets, there is a central pas de deux. A grand polonaise builds to the climactic finale for the entire cast of 26 dancers."

The National Ballet of Cuba features premiere dancers Sadaise Arencibia, Anette Delgado, Dani Hernandez, Grettel Morejon, and Viengsay Valdes. Principal dancers include Jessie Dominguez and Ginett Moncho, with first soloists Ivis Diaz, Aymara Vasallo, and Rafael Quenedit.

For more information on The National Ballet of Cuba and THEME AND VARIATIONS click here!

Photo: Paul Kolnik