Annia Hidalgo and Cristian Laverde König to Guest Star in Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet's THE NUTCRACKER

The Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet will welcome former Milwaukee Ballet principal dancers Annia Hidalgo and Cristian Laverde König as guest artists in its 2025 production of THE NUTCRACKER, to be performed December 13 (evening) and December 14 (matinee) at the Riverview Theatre in Shreveport, Louisiana.

About Annia Hidalgo

Born in the province of Holguín, Annia Hidalgo began her ballet training in Cuba, studying at the Cuban National Ballet School in Havana under Professor Ramona de Saa. In 2004, she received the Gold Medal at the International Ballet Competition and joined the Cuban National Ballet as a soloist under the direction of Alicia Alonso. Her repertoire included leading roles in La Fille Mal Gardée, Coppélia, Giselle, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Paquita, The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadère, Scheherazade, and Prince Igor.

Hidalgo later performed as a principal dancer with Media City Ballet and as a soloist with the Los Angeles Ballet, appearing in Balanchine’s Prodigal Son, Violin Concerto, The Nutcracker, and La Sylphide.

From 2010 to 2023, she was a principal dancer with the Milwaukee Ballet, performing nearly every featured role in Michael Pink’s repertory, including Musetta in La Bohème (created for her), Odile in Swan Lake, Lucy and Mina in Dracula, Snow White in Mirror Mirror, Clara and the Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and the title roles in Giselle, Cinderella, and Septime Webre’s ALICE (in wonderland).

Hidalgo has also appeared as a guest artist with Rockford Dance Company, Traverse City Dance Project, Madison Ballet, Engage Dance Academy, and Ballet Juvenil Costarricense, among others, and is an active guest teacher nationwide.

About Cristian Laverde König

Cristian Laverde König, a native of Colombia, began his training at Incolballet (Colombian Institute of Ballet) in Cali and received a full scholarship to the National School of Ballet in Havana, Cuba, where he was a finalist in the school’s first and second international ballet competitions. He joined the National Ballet of Cuba upon graduation in 1996 and later danced with Ballet de Cali, Hartford Ballet, Ballet Internationale, and Maximum Dance Company as a soloist and principal dancer.

His repertoire includes principal roles in Don Quixote, Le Corsaire, Giselle, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadère, Coppélia, and The Nutcracker, as well as works by George Balanchine, Antony Tudor, Twyla Tharp, Martha Graham, and Nacho Duato.

In 2005, König joined the Milwaukee Ballet as a principal dancer, where he performed roles including Jonathan Harker in Michael Pink’s Dracula. Since 2007, he has appeared internationally as a freelance guest artist with companies such as the National Ballet of Slovakia, Oakland Ballet, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, and Armitage Gone! Dance.