The National Ballet of Cuba (BNC), founded on October 28, 1948, celebrates its 75th anniversary today in Havana with a gala at the National Theater.

The special show will begin at 7:00 p.m., local time, in the Avellaneda room of the theater, and will include the pieces Giselle, Canto vital and Seventh Symphony.

It will be the culmination of the Jubilee Season held from October 6 to 28 in greeting to the founding anniversary, with the staging of classics and famous creations performed by the dance group.

The creation of the National Ballet of Cuba by Alicia, Fernando and Alberto Alonso was an event that marked a milestone in the field of stage dance and in the history of national culture.

According to BNC historian Miguel Cabrera, since its debut the first professional ballet company in the history of the nation showed its great concern for enriching the dance culture of Cubans, a task it successfully accomplished.

The company managed to develop a broad choreographic line that included the most important works of action ballet from the 18th century and the great romantic-classical tradition of the 19th century, and stimulated a movement of contemporary creation that included the most diverse themes.

The BNC occupies a high place in the national culture and in the international dance movement as the greatest exponent of the Cuban school of this art.

It has made more than two hundred tours that have included performances in more than sixty countries on five continents, and presentations in more than a hundred towns and cities on the Island.

The company is also supported by the creation of a vast and versatile repertoire that exceeds 700 titles, which are the result of the contributions of 200 choreographers. The most prestigious composers, designers, theater artists and technicians on the country's stage have been involved in the effort to give prestige to the BNC.

From the beginning, this group focused on training Cuban professional dancers and thus served as the base pedagogical laboratory of the now world-renowned Cuban ballet school.

The history of the BNC is supported by editions of books and specialized publications; dozens of awards obtained in competition events at the highest level in Europe, Asia and America; and more than a thousand distinctions of a cultural, social and political nature, both national and foreign, in addition to recognition from global critics.

On June 19, 2018, the Cuban State, through resolution number 31 of the Ministry of Culture, decided to declare the BNC Cultural Heritage of the Nation. (Source: PL)