Miami audiences will meet a recently arrived group of young Cuban dancers when the Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami presents a banquet for ballet lovers on Saturday, May 11 at the Fillmore in Miami Beach.
Ten dancers abandoned the National Ballet of Cuba while in Puerto Rico in March with six of them later arriving in Miami, according to Eriberto Jimenez, the artistic director of CCBM. Four will dance in the May 11 program.
In 2014, seven Cuban ballet dancers who defected while on tour in Puerto Rico made international headlines when they debuted with CCBM.
With history repeating itself, Jimenez says the program once again has dancers realizing their dreams of making a debut in the United States.
鈥淲e have the dancers who recently left the National Ballet of Cuba when they were on tour in Puerto Rico. Six of them are here in Miami. The idea is to allow each one of them to shine.鈥�
The company, directed by Jimenez since 2018, which makes its home at the Miami Hispanic Cultural Arts Center, has prepared a program with some works already favorites of Miami鈥檚 audiences. The highlight is expected to be the revival of 鈥淎urora鈥檚 Wedding,鈥� a spectacular staging based on the third act of the ballet 鈥淪leeping Beauty,鈥� with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
鈥淪leeping Beauty鈥� premiered at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg in 1890, with Marius Petipa choreographing. It is one of the longest ballets in the classical repertoire, lasting almost four hours, including intermissions.
Due to its duration and the expense of its production, the ballet is almost always performed in 鈥渃ut鈥� or 鈥渟ynthesized鈥� versions. The most famous is 鈥淎urora鈥檚 Wedding,鈥� which went on stage for the first time in 1921 when the legendary impresario Serge Diaghilev (creator of the famous Ballets Russes) was forced to fulfill a contract and did not have the means to present the complete work.
Jimenez took time out between a class and rehearsal to discuss the upcoming CCBM production.
鈥淭he program presents 鈥楢urora鈥檚 Weddings鈥� in its second part,鈥� he says. 鈥淥ur version lasts a little over an hour. For the first part, we have the pas de trois from 鈥楽wan Lake,鈥� the solo 鈥楴arcissus鈥� and the pas de deux from 鈥楻aymonda.鈥�
鈥淪wan Lake鈥� has music by Tchaikovsky (it was his first ballet); the music of 鈥淣arcissus鈥� is by Nikolai Tcherepnin, and the composer of 鈥淩aymonda鈥� music is Alexander Glazunov.
鈥淥ne of the recently arrived Cuban boys, Ariel Morilla, is going to do the pas de deux of 鈥楻aymonda鈥� with Natalie 脕lvarez,鈥� explains Jimenez. 鈥淚n the pas de trois of 鈥楲ago,鈥� there will be one of the girls (Yelenia River贸n) and another of the boys (Yandy 脕lvarez), along with Eleni Gialas. In the second part of the program, Yandi will be 鈥渢he bluebird鈥� with Eleni, and the witch Carabosse will be played by Carlos Caballero Hopuy, who danced with the Trockadero Ballet for several years and now resides in Miami.鈥�
Narcissus will be performed by Brazilian dancer Kaique Barbosa, who made quite an impression in CCBM鈥檚 鈥淕iselle,鈥� presented in February at the Miami-Dade County Auditorium.
The leading role in 鈥淎urora鈥檚 Wedding鈥� is the North American first appearance of Mar铆a Luisa M谩rquez (Havana, Cuba, 2003). A dancer 鈥渂eautiful, confident and strong,鈥� proclaims Jimenez, she had a meteoric career in Cuba, where, at 17 years old, she entered the National Ballet of Cuba. In 2022, she was promoted to the soloist category, and in October 2023, she was named principal dancer. Accompanying her as Prince D茅sir茅 will be Ihosvany Rodr铆guez, a favorite of Miami audiences primarily due to his acclaimed performances at several International Ballet Festival of Miami editions.
So why bring back 鈥淎urora鈥檚 Wedding鈥� now?
鈥淭he company has been working with different titles that we return to repeatedly, every five years or so,鈥� he explains. 鈥淲e have in our repertoire the suite from 鈥楾he Corsair,鈥� 鈥楧on Quixote,鈥� 鈥楪iselle,鈥� and 鈥楽leeping Beauty.鈥� We repeat those 鈥榗lassic works鈥� because the public remembers them with pleasure and wants to see them again.鈥�
The artistic director says this will be the last time for audiences to see CCBM until the fall.
鈥淲e will not perform again until October . . . We have to dedicate ourselves to preparing for the (the XXIX International Ballet Festival of Miami).鈥�
This year, the festival will be held from July 20 to Aug. 11 at the Miami Dade County Auditorium. Jimenez has been bringing world-class ballet companies to Miami with the festival since 1996.
What: 鈥淎urora鈥檚 Wedding鈥� by the Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami.
When: 8 p.m., Saturday, May 11
Where: Fillmore Miami Beach, 1700 Washington Ave., Miami Beach
Cost: $65, $55, $45, and $35
Information: 561-310-5925 or
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