Moments of the Cuban Ballet Seduce in Public Places of Havana

Moments starred by dancers from Cuba and immortalized by photographers from around the world seduce today in public spaces in this capital, in tribute to the 101^st anniversary of the birth of the prima ballerina assoluta Alicia Alonso.

The exhibition catalog includes the winning works in the first edition of the International Dance Photography Contest dedicated to the iconic dancer, which put together more than 1,700 snapshots taken by nearly 250 artists from five continents.

As reported by the president of the jury of the contest Gabriel Dávalos, all the photos that obtained prizes and mentions will be part of the public exhibition, which pays tribute to Alonso, because in 2020 the centenary could not be celebrated due to the impact of Covid-19 in Cuba.

During the press conference to announce the winners it was informed that throughout 2022, the exhibition will move to other provinces, not only in the main cities, but in small towns that have a rich cultural life.

Therefore, the exhibition is inserted into the city scene, modifies its aesthetics and interacts with the public, without stopping the flow of daily routines, as shown by the tour in the island of Dávalos’ creative project Matria, in charge of organizing the event.

The work of Brian Canelles stands out in the selection, he won the grand prize for his photography capable of capturing movement, light and Cuban identity through the image of a young man dancing waving the flag of the Caribbean nation on a street of Havana.

There are also pieces by the Argentine Alicia Sanguinetti, the Brazilian Pedro Vidal, the South African Nanette Melville, the Cubans Yoel Carreño, Yoandry Sardiñas, Frank Domínguez, and Ariel Cecilio Lemos, as well as other artists from Mexico, Australia, Peru, Italy, Spain, Germany and Brazil.

The meeting distinguished "For the Life’s work" to Josep Guindo (Spain), Nancy Reyes, Graciela Gómez, María Eugenia Bode and Francisco Paco Bou, from Cuba and posthumously to Tonatiuh Gutiérrez (Mexico), Alfredo Cannatello (Italy) and José Luis Estrada Betancourt (Cuba).

The contest, which awarded 37 mentions, was supported by the José Martí Cultural Society, UNESCO and its Cuban National Commission, the Cuban Fund for Cultural Assets and the Ministry of Culture on the island.

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff