The Cleveland Havana Ballet Project to Return to Cuba

Verb Ballets has announced a tour to Havana, Cuba, in February 2020 to continue a four-year collaboration with ProDanza. As part of The Cleveland Havana Ballet Project, Cuban dance legend and Director of ProDanza, Laura Alonso returns to Cleveland in January to reunite with the dancers of Verb Ballets and stage the full-length classical ballet, Romeo and Juliet. The dancers of Verb Ballets will travel to Cuba in February to join ProDanza for combined performances at The Teatro Nacional de Cuba running February 27 - March 1, 2020.

The project began in 2016 when Verb Ballets was invited to participated in Creative Fusion: Cuba Edition, an international artist residency program through The Cleveland Foundation. As a part of a tour visiting Cuban artists, Producing Artistic Director, Dr. Margaret Carlson met with world renowned dancer and director of ProDanza, Laura Alonso. There, they began the first steps in creating The Cleveland Havana Ballet Project to join the companies for one of a kind artistic exchanges.

In 2017, Alonso came to Cleveland for two months to train the dancers of Verb Ballets in the Cuban ballet method. In the spring of 2018, this groundbreaking partnership toured Cuba for two weeks with performances at The Alicia Alonso Gran Teatro of Havana and the El Teatro Nacional by the combined companies. This significant international collaboration was featured in Pointe Magazine and encompassed performances of traditional Cuban ballets and American repertory viewed by thousands.

Last February, Alonso and principal dancer from ProDanza, Luz Martinez, returned to Cleveland for the third year of the project exchange to reunite with the dancers of Verb Ballets. This residency continued the exchange of Cuban and American repertory.

The 2020 season will comprise the second tour of Cuba and teacher training in Cleveland conducted by Alonso. The company will learn the Cuban ballet method and create a curriculum for the youth program of the Verb Ballets Center for Dance. Verb Ballets will become the second officially approved Cuban ballet school in the country.

Laura Alonso, daughter of world-famous ballerina Alicia Alonso, is known as teacher, coach and an expert at staging the classics. Ms. Alonso had a 25-year performing career with Ballet Nacional de Cuba. As an award-winning teacher and coach, she travels the world teaching and staging the classics. Ms. Alonso has served as an international coach, jury member and teacher at the Jackson International Ballet Competition, the Concours Internationale de Dance de Paris, France, the Alicia Alonso International Ballet Competition and others. Alonso founded the international dance school, Centro ProDanza and directs the professional company, ProDanza. Laura Alonso will be in residence in Cleveland at Verb Ballets on January 6-27, 2020.

Opportunities to witness this cultural exchange in Northeast Ohio:

Friday, January 17, 2020 at Noon - Live @ Noon with Laura Alonso

Tickets $15 / Verb Ballets Center for Dance 3558 Lee Rd. Shaker Heights OH 44122
Verb Ballets opens the doors to the studio for audiences to observe as Laura Alonso stages Romeo and Juliet on the dancers of Verb Ballets. Learn about the Cuban ballet method and why it is so unique.

Saturday, February 8, 2020 at 8PM - 4X4: 4 Works by 4 Female Choreographers

Tickets $10-35 / Breen Center for the Performing Arts 2008 W. 30th St., Cleveland, OH 44113
This performance presents the work of four female choreographers, each bringing their distinctive style to this diverse repertory program. Laura Alonso restaged Diana y Acteon, the classical pas de deux that showcases the dancers' immense strength and technical confidence.

Friday, March 13, 2020 at 7PM - The Cleveland Havana Ballet Project Return Celebration

Tickets $50 / Verb Ballets Center for Dance 3558 Lee Rd. Shaker Heights OH 44122
Presentation of the excerpts of Romeo and Juliet as staged by Laura Alonso. This unique opportunity will provide an intimate studio performance of premières followed by a reception with the dancers of Verb Ballets.

Sunday, March 15, 2020 at 2PM - The Cleveland Havana Ballet Project

Tickets $10 / Akron-Summit County Library Auditorium 60 S. High St. Akron, OH 44326
Verb Ballets presents The Cleveland Havana Ballet Project in Akron with a performance featuring works from Cuban repertory.

Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite at verbballets.org. Box office handling fees apply.

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