Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre has a slew of brand new corps dancers this season - among them Damien Martinez and Cynthia Castillo of Cuba. Martinez's dangerous escape from Cuba by boat to a deserted island off Key West and his and Castillo's struggle to find professional work in the U.S. are described in a wonderful article by Jane Vranish in today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Although Martinez has a twin, David, who is still in the company, Martinez and Castillo were much more daring. They were heartened when Castillo won a visa lottery and was permitted to emigrate to Florida near Miami. But Martinez was left behind. One day he began talking with a man he encountered in the street and learned that he was building a boat to make the 90-mile voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to Key West. "I've got to do this," he remembers thinking. He broke contact with his family and helped finish the boat. It was a dangerous proposition -- some Cubans have lost their lives in the process. "The weather was so bad," Martinez recalls of his 21-hour trip. "The sea was crazy." The group of men landed on a deserted island in Key West where they spent three days before the Coast Guard found them. The Coast Guard called Castillo, who arranged to pick him up. She was elated, but the couple had no money and spoke little English. Except for an occasional ballet lesson, they had to give up dancing for a year-and-a-half to find work. The couple worked nine hours a day at a supermarket, where Martinez was a butcher and Castillo worked in the bakery. In their spare time they took English classes.
Fortunately, the story ends happily thanks to Vladimir Issaev, former ballet master at the Ballet Nacional de Caracas, and Terry Orr, PBT's Artistic Director.
Although Martinez has a twin, David, who is still in the company, Martinez and Castillo were much more daring. They were heartened when Castillo won a visa lottery and was permitted to emigrate to Florida near Miami. But Martinez was left behind.
One day he began talking with a man he encountered in the street and learned that he was building a boat to make the 90-mile voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to Key West.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09232/991982-325.stm#ixzz0OixNnmPi
Thanks and compliments to writer Jane Vranish, described as a former critic for the paper, may be sent to: jvranish1@comcast.net
Although Martinez has a twin, David, who is still in the company, Martinez and Castillo were much more daring. They were heartened when Castillo won a visa lottery and was permitted to emigrate to Florida near Miami. But Martinez was left behind.
One day he began talking with a man he encountered in the street and learned that he was building a boat to make the 90-mile voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to Key West.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09232/991982-325.stm#ixzz0OixNnmPi
Although Martinez has a twin, David, who is still in the company, Martinez and Castillo were much more daring. They were heartened when Castillo won a visa lottery and was permitted to emigrate to Florida near Miami. But Martinez was left behind.
One day he began talking with a man he encountered in the street and learned that he was building a boat to make the 90-mile voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to Key West.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09232/991982-325.stm#ixzz0OixNnmPi
Although Martinez has a twin, David, who is still in the company, Martinez and Castillo were much more daring. They were heartened when Castillo won a visa lottery and was permitted to emigrate to Florida near Miami. But Martinez was left behind.
One day he began talking with a man he encountered in the street and learned that he was building a boat to make the 90-mile voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to Key West.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09232/991982-325.stm#ixzz0OixNnmPi
Although Martinez has a twin, David, who is still in the company, Martinez and Castillo were much more daring. They were heartened when Castillo won a visa lottery and was permitted to emigrate to Florida near Miami. But Martinez was left behind.
One day he began talking with a man he encountered in the street and learned that he was building a boat to make the 90-mile voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to Key West.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09232/991982-325.stm#ixzz0OixNnmPi
Although Martinez has a twin, David, who is still in the company, Martinez and Castillo were much more daring. They were heartened when Castillo won a visa lottery and was permitted to emigrate to Florida near Miami. But Martinez was left behind.
One day he began talking with a man he encountered in the street and learned that he was building a boat to make the 90-mile voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to Key West.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09232/991982-325.stm#ixzz0OixNnmPi
Although Martinez has a twin, David, who is still in the company, Martinez and Castillo were much more daring. They were heartened when Castillo won a visa lottery and was permitted to emigrate to Florida near Miami. But Martinez was left behind.
One day he began talking with a man he encountered in the street and learned that he was building a boat to make the 90-mile voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to Key West.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09232/991982-325.stm#ixzz0OixNnmPi
Although Martinez has a twin, David, who is still in the company, Martinez and Castillo were much more daring. They were heartened when Castillo won a visa lottery and was permitted to emigrate to Florida near Miami. But Martinez was left behind.
One day he began talking with a man he encountered in the street and learned that he was building a boat to make the 90-mile voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to Key West.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09232/991982-325.stm#ixzz0OixNnmPi
Although Martinez has a twin, David, who is still in the company, Martinez and Castillo were much more daring. They were heartened when Castillo won a visa lottery and was permitted to emigrate to Florida near Miami. But Martinez was left behind.
One day he began talking with a man he encountered in the street and learned that he was building a boat to make the 90-mile voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to Key West.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09232/991982-325.stm#ixzz0OixNnmPi
Although Martinez has a twin, David, who is still in the company, Martinez and Castillo were much more daring. They were heartened when Castillo won a visa lottery and was permitted to emigrate to Florida near Miami. But Martinez was left behind.
One day he began talking with a man he encountered in the street and learned that he was building a boat to make the 90-mile voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to Key West.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09232/991982-325.stm#ixzz0OixNnmPi
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