CAIRO: The Ballet Nacional de Cuba is presenting "The Magic of Dance in Cairo and Alexandria over the next coming few days. Considered to be one of the most prestigious dance companies worldwide, the troupe will be performing in its characteristic style of merging a respect for the romantic and classic traditions of ballet with the creativity of its choreographers. "The Magic of Dance is a spectacle that allows us to appreciate the wealth accumulated in centuries of development of the classic ballet. The program is made up of excerpts from the top works of the great classical repertoire of the 19th century. The troupes leading dancers assume the main characters of excerpts from Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Don Quixote and Swan Lake to name a few. This compilation ballet is choreographed by Prima Ballerina Assoluta Alicia Alonso and set to music by North American composer Louis Moreau Gottschalk. In Cairo, the Cairo Opera House Orchestra will perform the music. Alonso is considered to be one of the most outstanding personalities in ballet's history, and is the top figure of classic ballet in the Hispano-American world. Her choreographic rendering of the great classics are famous worldwide and have been performed by prominent companies such as The Opéra de Paris, the Vienna Opera and the Prague Opera. As the general director and principal figure of the Nacional Ballet de Cuba, Alonso has been an inspiration and guide in training a new generation of Cuban dancers. The Cuban company was founded in 1948 and, in its early stage, performed complete versions of ballet classics, such as "Giselle, "Swan Lake and "Coppelia. But they also presented the innovative works of Diaguilev's Russian ballets "Petruschka or "The Nap of Faun, as well as ballets created by national choreographers. The Cuban Revolution in 1959 brought on a new era for the national ballet troupe. The company was reorganized and dubbed Ballet Nacional de Cuba. From that moment on, it flourished, enriching its repertoire and promoting and developing new dancers, choreographers, professors and creators. The troupe has received international acclaim for their dancers: "Brilliant young dancers appear to be the norm in the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, which regularly produces international stars, writes Jennifer Dunning of The New York Times in 2003. A flattering review of "The Magic of Dance published in the St. Petersburg Times following a performance in the United States reads: ". Alonso s choreography, combined with the near-perfect performances of a large and handsome company, used the classical ballet vocabulary in ways that seemed crisp and fresh. Such an intriguing review, and one of the reasons you don't want to miss this performance. The Ballet Nacional de Cuba will hold performances of "The Magic Dance at the Cairo Opera house on the Thursday, September14 through Saturday, September 16 and at the Alexandria Opera House on the Sunday, Sept. 17 and Monday, Sept. 18. For further information please call the Cairo Opera House on (02) 739 8144-739 8132.
