Lyric Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre
September 30^th 2010

By Dolce Fisher

To be honest, I am completely biased when it comes to Don Quixote, as it is my favourite ballet. The last production I saw of the ballet classic was performed by the Australian Ballet with guest artist Ethan Steifel, so the benchmark was set high when I entered the Lyric Theatre to watch the National Ballet of Cuba’s rendition.

QPAC were a fabulous host for the company, getting into the Cuban vibe and offering a special Cuban bar outside the theatre complete with a live band and plenty of space to salsa. The venue worked well to set the scene even before the show began.

The ballet has a rich history, as does the National Ballet of Cuba, founded by the famous Alicia Alonso. This Don Quixote was choreographed by Alonso in collaboration with Maria Elena Llorente and Marta Garcia, after Petipa’s original version. The choreography felt like it had been adapted to show off the dancer’s Cuban flare and virtuosity, rather than the work being re-choreographed. I did, however, find the loss of the trademark fan in ‘Kitri’s’ Act 3 solo puzzling.

The dancers are some of the world’s best. Viengsay Valdés, playing the role of ‘Kitri’, stole the show. She performed with joy and vibrancy, truly bringing ‘Kitri’ to life, whilst displaying superb control and performing balances with almost super human strength. The dancers in the company seem to turn differently to us, executing multiple turns with such ease and control and truly finishing their pirouettes on balance. I want to know their secret! Valdés whizzed through her fouettés in Act 3 with triple pirouettes on every fourth turn with such ease.

‘Basilio’ was performed by Elier Bourzac. He danced the role well but lacked a little charisma for his character. The partnership created some amazing moments, particularly in the Act 3 pas de deux, where Bourzac let go of Valdés after a series of assisted pirouettes and continued unassisted for another four or so turns. The male dancers gave a praiseworthy performance in the bullfighters dance, showcasing their strength and agility. Amaya Rodriguez as ‘Mercedes’ and Yonah Acosta as the young gypsy in Act 2 were flawless.

Unfortunately I felt that the costumes and sets by Salvador Fernandez lowered the quality of the production. The set in Act 1 was too big for the stage and it encroached on the dancers, however, the sets in Acts 2 and 3 opened the stage and allowed the dancers to make the most of the space. The costuming, although it kept to the Spanish heritage of Don Quixote, at times was unflattering, particularly for the male dancers. The headdresses and the over abundance of lace were distracting and just too much for the eye. It would have been nice to see a more modern twist on the costume designs.

Overall, the National Ballet of Cuba’s Don Quixote was delightful. The company rightfully received many curtain calls, standing ovations and bravos from the packed audience.

So did the Cubans match my expectations? Yes, but for different reasons than I had anticipated. The dancers exuded an energy that just seemed to come deep from their Cuban culture, magnified by an ideal choice of ballet. Don Quixote is a perfect story to show their energy. The Spanish heritage of the ballet encapsulates the essence of the company itself and shows off dancers for who they really are. The virtuosity displayed, the steps and the execution were something we don’t see every day in Australia. Hopefully their next visit will take the company to more cities, so their Cuban energy can rub off on all of us.

Photo: Sadaise Arencibia. Photo by Jacques Moatti

By Grace Edwards.

Queensland balletomanes will find a familiar face in Cuban National Ballet principal dancer Sadaise Arencibia, who performed the role of Kitri in the company’s recent production of Don Quixote at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre.

Originally trained at the provincial ballet school “Alejo Carpentier” in Havana, Arencibia won numerous awards in Cuba before joining the the national company in 1999. In 2002, Arencibia was awarded the “Villanueva” Critic’s Prize, granted by the Performing Artists Association of the Cuban Union of Artists and Writers (UNEAC) for her performance in the Agon pas de deux by Balanchine.

Though Arencibia has been much praised for her ethereal softness and sensitivity, the role of Kitri, she insists, requires something else entirely. “The most important thing is to give the role the ‘Spanish touch’ that it deserves,” Arencibia informs me. “That means vivacity, expressivity and happiness. Oh yes, and lightness!”

Sadaise Arencibia. Photo: Nancy Reyes

Choreographed by company founder and ballet icon Alicia Alonso, and based on the original by Marius Petipa, the Cuban version of Don Quixote reclaims the spotlight for the title character, who is often minimised in other productions. “This version of Don Quixote definitely treats the Quixote with more seriousness and more relevance,” says Arencibia. “The most important differences concern the relationship between Don Quixote and Kitri, and the character of Dulcinea from the novel. The dream-like nature of their relationship is quite important in this version.”

Such careful attention to detail is indeed one of the hallmarks of the Cuban National Ballet, which is recognised as one of the world’s leading ballet companies.  Arencibia attributes the success of the company directly to the influence of Alonso, who founded the Cuban National Ballet with her husband and brother-in-law in 1948.

“Alicia Alonso has put her own indelible mark on ballet in Cuba and has a firm belief in the development of a very strong technique,” says Arencibia. “I have always tried to follow Alicia’s example myself. In terms of the interpretation of characters and detail, Alicia’s memory is quite important, and this is fundamental for any dancer to be able to do a good job.”

Thanks both to Alonso and Cuba’s free system of public education and training, ballet has been an accessible and important part of Cuba’s rich cultural life for decades. Like many children in Cuba, Arencibia was exposed to ballet regularly as a young child. “Since I was very little, I watched a lot of ballet on Cuban television, and that excited me. Equally importantly, my family used to take me to the theatre quite often, and I developed a curiosity for ballet and started dancing.”

Arencibia’s idol, Alicia Alonso, is by far the most important ballet icon in the history of Cuba.  Extraordinarily, despite being 89 years old and partially blind since the age of nineteen, Alonso continues to personally direct the Cuban Ballet. “Although I’ve only had interactions with Alicia in a professional way, as a person I’ve been inspired by her perseverance,” says Arencibia.

When asked of her favourite roles to dance, Arencibia expresses a love for the classics. “There are so many – Giselle, Odile/Odette in Swan Lake, Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty and many, many others. They’re my favourites because they are the roles that all principal dancers aspire to dance, some of which I have already preformed.”

Returning to Havana immediately after her time in Queensland, Arencibia will perform at the International Festival from the 28^th of  October to the 7^th of November, taking full advantage of every opportunity – something which she encourages all dancers to do. For the time being, however, Arencibia is content to enjoy her time in Australia as Kitri in this acclaimed production by Cuba’s dynamic dance hero, Alicia Alonso.

Top photo: Sadaise Arencibia. Photo: Jacques Moatti

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