There’s a dance school in Cuba called ProDanza, but its specialty isn’t Rumba or Salsa –it teaches ballet, and it’s revered by many. There’s just one problem; ballet shoes aren’t sold in Cuba.

ProDanza3

The following guest post written by Tori Hogan explains. Tori is an author, filmmaker, and educator with an endless curiosity about the world and a heart for exploration.

ProDanza Ballet Company

Whether it’s an impromptu salsa party on the street or a traditional show in one of the country’s many performance venues, Cuba is undoubtedly a place that has a reverence for dance. It’s the birthplace of both the cha-cha and the mambo, and it seems nearly impossible to find a Cuban who doesn’t have a little rhythm in their hips when the music starts to play.

Pro-Danza-1In fact, when I stumbled across a neighborhood dance party in Havana one afternoon, it was only a matter of minutes before I was getting twirled around the dance floor by 65-year-old Antonio, who made me realize that all those salsa classes I’d taken in the past weren’t nearly enough to bring me up to the Cuban level of proficiency. Fortunately he was a good lead… and I only stepped on his toes once.

When most people think about Cuban dance, it’s usually the range of melded African and Latin American rhythmic traditions that come to mind. However, what I soon discovered is that Cubans also have a long-standing love and appreciation for ballet, and the country is home to some of the best ballet dancers in the world.

During my visit, I had the honor of being invited to experience one of Cuba’s premier ballet schools in action. The group is called ProDanza and it’s run by the intensely passionate Laura Alonso, former prima ballerina and daughter of Cuba’s most famous ballet dancer, Alicia Alonso. In the early 80s, Laura had a vision to create a ballet school that would not only give young children exposure to the art of ballet, but would also nurture the extraordinary talent of older students, enabling them to perform at a professional level.

ProDanza2On the day of my visit, the ProDanza ballet company, which consists of 37 dancers between the ages of 18 and 26, were taking part in a final dress rehearsal for a big performance the next night. The program they were rehearsing included a wide range of styles from traditional to modern, and even some Cuban folkloric pieces thrown in. As I sat there watching the performances, I was blown away by the talent of the dancers who exhibited such grace, creativity, and technical ability.

However, at one point during the rehearsal a young man name Christian started to do a complicated lift, but lost his balance and had an unfortunate fall. He sat on the stage holding his feet, mumbling something to himself, looking quite disheartened. I didn’t know the cause of his frustration until after the rehearsal when he came out into the lobby looking for Laura and said in an exasperated voice to Public Relations Director, Miguel Betancourt, “I can’t dance tomorrow night in these shoes! They don’t fit. It’s impossible.”

When I asked director, Laura Alonso, about it she said, “There are no ballet shoes to be had in Cuba. I have to bring them from the U.S. whenever I can.” It turns out that while ProDanza is a highly regarded program in Cuba, its funding from the Cuban government is extremely minimal. The money they receive only covers salaries, and the group is forced to scrape by on donations to cover the costs of shoes, costumes, and other expenses. However, a major problem, as Laura pointed out, is that ballet shoes aren’t available to purchase in Cuba. Dancers like Christian are forced to wear whatever old shoes are available, even if they’re not the right fit.

Cubans are in need of donated ballet shoes

Cubans are in need of donated ballet shoes

Fortunately, Altruvistas has identified this as a wonderful opportunity to help support one of Cuba’s treasured cultural assets. Some of the upcoming Cuba tours will include a visit to the ProDanza school and will give interested visitors a chance to bring new or used donations with them. The school is currently looking for soft ballet shoes (size 4 to 14), point shoes (size 5 to 9), and men’s ballet tights, which apparently are also nearly impossible to find in Cuba. Thanks to this new partnership, visitors will not only get the chance to learn more about Cuba’s love affair with ballet, but will also be able to help dancers like Christian continue to pursue their art and share Cuban ballet with the world.

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TAKE ACTION!

ProDanza Donations Now Being Accepted
Feel like putting a little pep in someone’s step? If you’d like to donate ballet shoes or tights, simply email us via our Contact Us page. Altruvistas is coordinating the donations and will make sure your donated item(s) get to ProDanza. Again, here’s what’s needed most:

  • Ballet Shoes  for Men  (HALF TOE  OR SOFT SHOES): 4 to  14
  • Point Shoes for Men  5  to  9
  • Ballet Shoes for Women 6 to 9
  • MENS TIGHTS  S, M, L

Upcoming Journeys to Cuba
Are you interested in learning more about upcoming journeys to *Cuba? Here are some of the Altruvistas tours coming up.

*Altruvistas offers consultation services and in the case of journeys to Cuba, operates in a limited capacity and with only legal and licensed TSPs (Travel Service Providers issued by the US Treasury Department’s OFAC).