"Viva Alicia!" The legendeary Cuban ballerina with her students at the Bolshoi Theater

Last Tuesday, the Bolshoi Theater honored the famous Cuban ballerina Alicia Alonso. The dancer, who recently turned 90 years old, is the symbol of national ballet and culture in Cuba.

Alicia Alonso’s appearance in the Bolshoi's central box caused quite a stir in the audience which immediately rose, as if on command, to greet the legendary ballerina with a long storm of applause. Photo: Alicia Alonso (left) backstage with members of the ballet company.

The gala concert, "Viva Alicia!" in honor of the ballerina, featured leading soloists of the Cuban National Ballet and the Bolshoi Theater. Svetlana Zakharova and Andrei Uvarov performed an excerpt from “Carmen Suite.” Photo: Bolshoi Theater soloists Svetlana Zakharova and Andrei Uvarov.

Bolshoi Theater soloist Svetlana Zakharova performs at a gala concert given by the Cuban National Ballet company in honor of ballerina Alicia Alonso.

Alonso founded the Cuban National Ballet in 1948, and in 1959, after the victory of the Cuban revolution, she returned to Cuba to stay.

Today, the Cuban ballet school is considered to be one of the strongest in the world.

The gala concert in Moscow featured only a small part of the Cuban National Ballet’s company…

… dancers possessing virtuoso technique and vivid temperaments performed excerpts from “Swan Lake,” “Coppélia” and “Don Quixote.”

The audience was also shown original choreographies, such as “The Thunder and Lightning,” which features three dancers.

Dancer Alejandro Virelles struck the Moscow audience with his virtuoso performance as the male version of the classic “Dying Swan.”

Alicia Alonso plans for the Cuban National Ballet company to make another trip to Moscow to perform at the Bolshoi Theater, after which the Bolshoi's company will come on a guest tour to Cuba.
Photo: The founder of the Cuban National Ballet Alicia Alonso talking with Bolshoi Theater soloist Svetlana Zakharova backstage.