Throwback Thursday and Alicia Alonso
Alicia Alonso was born in Havana, Cuba in 1920. She trained in Cuba, New York and London. In 1940 she joined American Ballet Theatre and
performed with them until 1960.
She was not only a great technician, but also an “intensely
dramatic dancer”, according to an account in www.ballerinagallery.com. She is probably best known for her portrayal
of Giselle, but she danced many other
roles as well, such as Anthony Tudor’s Undertow,
George Balanchine’s Theme and
Variations, and Agnes de Mille’s Fall River Legend. She also developed a famous partnership with Igor
Youskevitch.
As time went on, her eyesight began to fail but she
continued to perform. She made slower
exits and used extra strong lights indicate center stage so she could find it. She gave her last performance in 1995 when
she was 75 years old.
Today Alicia Alonso remains the director of the National Ballet of Cuba, and when she
was asked what she would like her legacy to be she replied: “I don’t want to be remembered. I just don’t want to be forgotten.”
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Dance History Factoid #43:
“Alicia Alonso was a famous ballet dancer known for her dramatic and
technical portrayals.”
Link of the Day:
Quote
of the Day:
“My mother always told me that as you
go through life, no matter what you do, or how you do it, you leave a little
footprint, and that's your legacy.
-
Jan Brewer
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