© Ballet Nacional de Cuba Class with Alica Alonso Anjuli Bai recalls being in class with the great ballerina in 1977. Ballet Nacional de Cuba Reviews Anjuli Bai reviews

Margaret Marshall interviewed Alicia Alonso in the auditorium of the Civic Theater before the evening performance of Ballet Nacional de Cuba on the November 13, 2003. The ballerina was seated on the stage and eagerly shared many of her thoughts with an enthusiastic audience...

Do you remember being here 25 years ago and dancing Giselle?

The ballerina's face lit up with a surprised smile.... "Of course I do! Even walking on this stage brings back wonderful memories of San Diego and San Diego Ballet. As soon as I got here I asked about how all the wonderful people I got to know, the directors, and everyone else is doing and I am happy everyone is doing well and healthy. You know, I was bitten by a mosquito shortly before I was scheduled to perform and I came down with a fever, I don't remember the name, but I was very sick. I thought I would have to go home, but they were able to postpone the performance and talked me into staying until I was well. Everyone was so kind and so wonderful to me. Then when I actually danced I was still weak but I could feel the audience was with me and they gave me strength. Yes, I have wonderful memories of being here. Maybe some of the people here tonight remember me dancing "Giselle." (There was responsive applause from the audience.)

And tonight, I am so happy again to be here. And, I am happy whenever I am on the stage. The stage is where a dancer should be, even if it's only to walk or sit. I am at home on stage.

"Giselle" is your most famous role, but was there anything else you really enjoyed dancing?

Everything I danced I loved! I got something out of everything and I had to give everything I had inside me back. It is necessary to give the dance life and then it gives me back life. A dancer's life is communicating with others, touching them through dance. When I reach out my hand I feel the audience, I reach toward them and I can feel them reaching back to me. It's all about communication. (As the ballerina said this she reached out toward the audience with her hand and there was a responsive gasp at the loveliness of even that small movement.)

Tell us about your school.

At first in 1948 there was great difficulty. Even if we trained anyone there was no where for them to dance in Cuba, no where to have a professional career. A career in dance in Cuba didn't exist. Our students come from everywhere, everywhere in Cuba and abroad. When we train we train them so they can then go out and dance everywhere. At first I had to keep going back and forth between America and Cuba, we didn't have anything and I had to keep going back to get more money and bring it to Cuba. Then in 1959 we were able to make a real professional school. I was given studios and a theater, nothing great, but enough. We started touring all over Cuba and would dance in all sorts of places and for everyone, rural people, the military, farmers. We needed to show, to demonstrate what ballet was. They had no idea; we had to open their eyes.

And now if anyone in this audience is a ballet teacher, I am going to make you all jealous. At this time we have 13 schools all over Cuba. In Havana we have 700 students who come but are not professional. They just come to learn because they love it and now their parents are very proud when they perform. In the professional school in Havana, we have 300 pupils. We keep it half girls and half boys. Then we bring others in to study some ballet and art history, some music - we have 4400 of them.

Alica Alonso - Prima Ballerina, Artistic Director
and Founder of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba.
Photograph © Ballet Nacional de Cuba

In the company at this time we have 120 dancers, half are here on tour and half are performing in Cuba. People in Cuba love to dance, they move very naturally to rhythm and music. It's our tradition. It's the tradition here, too.

You danced - your career was so long.....(the interviewer drew out the phrase "so long")

Well, that is true....wait (Alonso laughed).....it worries me that you say "soooooo long!" (The audience broke into appreciative laughter).

Well, you had such commitment; did you have a secret?

I just love dancing; it's my life. No secret. When I was little all my talking was dancing. My playing was dancing. I was choreographing my little friends, moving them about. (She chuckled at the memory). Then growing a bit more serious.....When you are fortunate enough to find what you love you are a very lucky and happy person your whole life. I am such a person. I found what I loved, I am very fortunate.

I grew up in America, professionally, as a dancer. This is where I got my training, my dance life. And, I still dance inside me. Sometimes I close my eyes. I see the curtain open, I absolutely see it. And then I see the entire ballet I am dancing, absolutely. When I choreograph I see the entire ballet, too. It's all in my head like a computer. My latest choreography is "Shakespeare and His Mask, I did that in Spain in July.

When did you last perform?

My last performance was when I was 72. I choreographed it, called "The Butterfly." I danced with strong support from my male dancers. I danced it and then I flew away. (Her hand imitated a butterfly) That was the last time. But I still dance inside me.

Where are you going next?

We are going back to Cuba to celebrate 55 years of the company. We are doing "Giselle," "Nutcracker" - you are all familiar with that! And, "Shakespeare's Mask" and then to China to do "Swan Lake," then Mexico and Spain and in between to Cuba.

You had some famous choreographer's choreograph for you .....

Oh yes! Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Tudor. Many famous ones.

And you were on Broadway...

Yes, and I met a lot of famous people like Jimmy Durante, Ethel Merman, Rita Hayworth. I was in a lot of shows. Then I joined Ballet Caravan, which became New York City Ballet and then I went on to ABT (American Ballet Theatre).

At this point the interviewer leaned over and touched Alonso's shoulder and the ballerina said:

"Is it time to stop now?"

"No," the interviewer said, "I just wanted to touch you and feel the magic."

The audience responded appreciative and sustained applause.

On a personal note: I was fortunate enough to have been present at the ballerina's performances and rehearsals of "Giselle" in San Diego in 1977. To see her again brought back memories of this exquisite dancer in the full knowledge and maturity of her art and role. Now, in this interview she treated us to another side of her: a delightful quick sense of humor, and a broad smile. She really needed no formal interviewer, she was talkative and happy to share, still eagerly communicating with her audience. The magic is still potent.