• Submitted by: admin
• Arts and Culture
• Caribbean
• culture an traditions
• Dance
• Destinations
• Education
• national
• personalities
• Society
• 01 / 13 / 2009

---

The company received several nominations for the Dora Awards, which honors the best theater and dance productions of Canada, for “Vida” (Life)(image), its latest choreographic creation. Finally, it walked off with Canada’s Dora Award for Scenic Arts in the category of Best Choreography in a Musical Show. Furthermore, the video clip of the musical number, created by X Alfonso for the Havana premiere of “Vida”, was selected as Best Video Clip of the Year at the 2008 Lucas Awards Festival of Cuban video clips and received the top awards in several categories in competition.

And precisely, January had opened for the troupe with the presentation in Havana of the musical show “Vida”, premiered in Canada, in 2007. Seventeen shows at Mella Theater, with sellouts in every presentation and reviews praising its quality, made it possible to record the music of “Vida” live in a phonogram, as well as the whole show with its staging in Cuba.

During 2008, once again Canada hosted the presentations of the Lizt Alfonso Ballet Company with an intensive tour through some 14 cities of that northern country. In November, they returned there, because the troupe was honourably selected as one of the four dance groups in the world to take part in the International Conference for the Performing Arts “CINARS 2008”, with venue in Montreal.
At that event, attended by some 1000 artists and impresarios from all latitudes, the Cuban dancers presented a selection of their shows “Fuerza y Compás” (Strength and Time) and “Elementos” (Elements).

But, in 2008, this ballet was also acknowledged as a teaching unit, attached to the National School of Art (ENA). For several years, the dancers, led by Lizt herself, have developed an intensive work with the vocational dance workshops and summer courses. Currently, those workshops, founded in 1992, have 1,300 students and constitute the major reserve for the permanent renewal of the company and make several special presentations throughout the year.

Likewise, in 2008, the troupe held the 14th edition of its annual choreography contest, in which non-professional choreographers compete in three categories: children’s, youth and adult.

Lizt Alfonso’s Ballet closed the year with the premiere of documentary “Vida y Danza- Cuba” (Life and Dance- Cuba), made by Veronica Tennant, former Prima Ballerina of the National Ballet of Canada and producer of art videos and documentaries, as well as with a concert program presented at the Great Theater of Havana. It included the participation of her musical group, the Youth and Children’s Ballets and the Vocational Workshops.

Lizt Alfonso, director of the company and choreographer, announced that in the first quarter of 2009 they would present in Havana again, fragments of the musical show “Vida”, with performances at the Karl Marx Theater.

Founded by its director and choreographer, Lizt Alfonso in 1991, the troupe makes dynamic shows, characterized for the artistic elegance and rigor. Its choreographic stagings mix an excellent production with the particular way of dancing the Cuban people, which makes them truly unique.


(www.cubasi.cu)