CBYE Media Releases - November 25, 2007

Alicia Is Coming! Alicia Is Coming!

Enthusiasm Overflows in Hamilton with visit of
Alicia Alonso, National Cuban Ballet

By:  Pastor Valle-Garay
Senior Scholar, York University

Hamilton, Ontario – They call it Steel town. In the shadow of cosmopolitan Toronto, Canada’s finance capital, and steps from the majesty of Niagara Falls, Hamilton is a blue collar city. Ordinary citizens. Friendly. Honest people. Steelworkers in better days. Extraordinarily optimistic as the local economy takes a down turn. But, above all, a people gifted with unbreakable community spirit.

Hamilton is fiercely proud of McMaster University, of her football team, of her impressive Hamilton Place theatre and of her unconditional love for the arts. Of passionate individuals like Belma Diamante, whose obsession for bringing over the Cuban National Ballet turned a dream into reality for the Canadian Ballet Youth Ensemble, hosts of the Cuban dancers. Belma accomplished her dream. And then some. 

Such was her dedication to the Project that she travelled to Cuba repeatedly until she managed to generate the enthusiasm of Alicia Alonso, Prima Ballerina Assoluta and Artistic Director of Cuba’s National Ballet. Belma’s dream dovetailed nicely with Alicia’s passion: to promote ballet as an art meant to reach everyone without elitist distinctions. Two women forged with wills of steel would meet in triumphant celebration in the city of steel. It sounds like a fairy tale. It is. 

It has been 37 years since the Cuban National Ballet’s last performance in Canada.  Its return to Hamilton already shows legendary characteristics. The entire city is involved in welcoming the artists with open arms, with respect, and with the admiration they so richly deserve. Children, particularly the children, fan out through neighbourhoods resembling little worker ants. Tirelessly they run around schools, businesses and community centres. All along they distribute thousands of flyers announcing the stellar performance of the Nutcracker Suite and sell cookies door to door in an effort to raise funds that would help with the expenses associated with a visit of such magnitude. Mothers lovingly saw costumes for the children who have been carefully chosen to share the limelight with the Cuban dancers. Fathers, relatives and friends volunteer as drivers, messengers and any chores required for such a massive undertaking.    

At a forum held to coordinate the arrival of the Cuban Ballet one of the parents voiced his opinion to the community “I did not put our money on the table because (I expected) that my daughter Sierra (a student of ballet) would star as a little princess. I did it because for 10 days in December Sierra will be in the presence of greatness. There is no money in the world that can buy what these people (the Cuban dancers) bring to the stage.”

“I had the pleasure of playing baseball against Cuban teams. Two years ago I also coached my son’s baseball team when they played against Cuba. Without exceptions every Cuban baseball player inspired us. They competed with a furious passion not matched by any other baseball player in the world. Children in Cuba learn to play the game in rocky fields with old shoes, if any. I am sure that the Cuban dancers learn first position in old shoes, if any. I expect to see the same furious passion for dance that I experienced with Cuban baseball. They have overcome extraordinary obstacles through discipline, sacrifices and dedication and when they reach our stage, they will make it theirs. As a father it will be my privilege to witness the indomitable artistic spirit of these marvellous human beings. You too will also enjoy that experience. It will be unique. Unforgettable,” concluded Sierra’s father.      

This spirit of cooperation drives the commitment of the community volunteers. They are determined to turn the presence of the Cuban National Ballet and their performance in Hamilton into an unqualified success. They will not fail. A team of Cuban and Canadian filmmakers, coordinated by television personality Jo Jo Chinto, is busy documenting every step of the journey from Havana to Hamilton. It will be aired on Cuban and Canadian television as well as world wide. Such is the impact of the visit. National television stations and journalists from the Canadian and Cuban media demand air time and interviews with the visitors. The news of their arrival spread like wildfire. At the organizers’ headquarters cell phones and telephones just do not stop ringing. The interest is contagious. Everywhere. It surpasses all expectations. 

At the Gala Reception on December 8, Evelyn Hart, Canada’s great Prima Ballerina Evelyn Hart, formerly with the Royal Ballet of Winnipeg and now Artistic Advisor of the Canadian Youth Ensemble, will welcome to Hamilton her colleague Alicia Alonso and the Cuban National Ballet. Immediately after the welcoming ceremony the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra will play a Christmas Concert in honour of Alicia Alonso.

From December 10 to December 13 the Cuban National Ballet holds rehearsals and workshops with the members of the Canadian Ballet Youth Ensemble. On December 13 Alicia Alonso will give the opening speech at the Great Hall in Hamilton Place inaugurating a series of conferences on the “Legends of Ballet.”

Between December 13 and December 16 the 45 dancers of the Cuban National Ballet will perform for the public the Nutcracker Suite by Russian composer Peter Iliych Tchaikovsky, a work traditionally associated with the Christmas festivities. On the afternoon of December 13 and in the morning of December 14, the Nutcracker will be performed for Hamilton’s school children. It will be a most appropriate icing on the cake. Just as the cold Canadian winter approaches, Belma and Alicia, two ladies of steel will melt the hearts of Steeltown. Thus Alicia Alonso’s passion will have beautifully accomplished her vision that ballet must always overcome the barriers of time, of age and, above all, of economic means. Hamilton is the perfect host and scenario in fulfilling such grand commitment.

To arrange media interviews, please contact Megan Bidwell, Hellingman Communications,
905-527-2985, ext. 14.