Nunez and Reve’s performance evoked, to a great extent, memorable times for dance on this island and reaffirmed the beauty of the principles of the school that emerged from the dedication of Alicia, Alberto, and Fernando Alonso.

For Fernando, an eminent teacher, the sensuality of expression, the meticulousness of line, the way the dancers moved as if caressing the music with their steps, and the gentle communication between the couple were his preferred poetry.

These characteristics, mentioned by maestro Alonso in every interview and enshrined in the foundations of the Cuban school of ballet, stood out at the Teatro Nacional de Cuba on December 28 and 30, in the artistry of Nunez and Reve, who were invited by the National Ballet of Cuba (BNC) to perform the classic Don Quixote.

Nunez, principal dancer of the Royal Ballet of London, and Reve, guest artist from that renowned British company and also a principal dancer with the Queensland Ballet in Australia, worked in perfect harmony and natural elegance, as if the characters conceived by Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes sprang from their souls.

The Argentine ballerina knew teacher Loipa Araujo, one of the jewels of Cuban ballet, since she was 14 years old and danced for a long time with Carlos Acosta, another great of this country’s dance.

The BNC, directed by prima ballerina Viengsay Valdes and declared a Cultural Heritage of the Nation in 2018, concluded a complex year for Cuba, but with the good fortune of continuing to attract the best of world dance to the island and, in doing so, refreshing the foundations of its own school, a source of pride for Latin America.

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