Haglund's Heel

WSJ @ the International Ballet Festival in Havana

The Wall Street Journal continues its excellent coverage of events at the International Ballet Festival in Havana with this article.  Pia Catton reports on the news conference held today by ABT at Hotel Palco in Havana.

When asked about the political impact that the company's visit could have on the relationship between America and Cuba, Mr. McKenzie deflected the question with his response, but drew a round of applause.

"We come equipped with a cultural depth to reach across all differences to a culture of like minds," he said. "There is nothing that can judge a civilization's imprint clearer than the artwork it leaves behind. So it is not our purpose here to do anything but to speak of our cultural sameness. That dialog is what will expand to brighter, more positive horizons."

Thanks to the WSJ for its great coverage of this important cultural and diplomatic event.

NYT finally finds the International Ballet Festival in Havana

Thanks to Marie for searching out the story by Victoria Burnett that the New York Times just planted on its website and will appear in tomorrow's print edition.  Since dancers from both of New York's and the country's preeminent ballet companies are performing at the festival, one would think that the major New York newspaper, which aspires to be a national newspaper, would send a dance critic to cover the festival performances.

ABC News reports on the International Ballet Festival in Havana

ABC News is broadly covering the International Ballet Festival in Havana on its website via this great story on ABT from the Associated Press.  There are also three pictures from NYCB's Monday evening performance:  Megan Fairchild and Andrew Veyette in Stars and Stripes, Fairchild and Tyler Angle in In the Night, and a group photo from Who Cares?

Let's do the tally:  CNN, The Wall Street Journal, ABC News, Reuters and the Associated Press are all covering this international dance event that has huge cultural and diplomatic importance.  So, where is The New York Times?  Hey, maybe they're working on a big front page follow-up story about Ellen DeGeneres quitting American Idol from last summer.

 

WSJ @ the International Ballet Festival in Havana

The Wall Street Journal found itself invited to a reception for ABT at the estate residence of John Farrar, the chief of mission at the U.S. Interests Section in suburban Havana.  Sounds like a party not to have missed. 

On Monday night, New York City’s American Ballet Theatre gathered for a reception in this improbable outpost of grand Federalist style in the capital of Communist country. The ballet company’s visit to Cuba – its first in 50 years — is part of the International Ballet Festival of Havana, which this year is celebrating Alicia Alonso, the Cuban ballerina and founder of the National Ballet of Cuba.

With a run of performances, classes and rehearsals ahead, the mojitos at the reception were for sipping, not chugging. Dancers and guests from political and cultural sectors politely mingled on the terrace. And because the party came at the end of ABT’s first full day in Cuba, talk turned easily to first impressions.

And here's a recap of the first evening of performances at the Festival from Escambray.  Alicia Alonso attended with Raul Castro:

The Garcia Lorca Hall of the Gran Teatro of Havana vibrated with a packed audience ready to give back, to pay homage to her determination, her courage and the tenacity with which she nurtured a school and a dance company whose hallmark has been recognized worldwide.

Cuban President Raul Castro accompanied her in the royal box from which she symbolically opened the doors to a festival that attracts to Cuba very important companies and dance performances every two years.

 

Exclusive to HH: Unplanned excitement on the way to Havana!

Haglund's anonymous sources report that ABT's flight to Cuba was the Havana-bound plane that was diverted to Baltimore for an emergency landing yesterday after reports of an odor of smoke in the cabin.  Everyone's okay.  Thank goodness.  Here's the Washington Post report.  SURELY this will turn up in Eric Tamm's blog on the ABT website. 

Man oh man, like the dancers weren't already excited enough about the trip!