Alicia Alonso
Alicia Alonso was a Cuban prima ballerina assoluta and choreographer known for her portrayals of Giselle and the ballet version of Carmen.
Dancer
December 21, 1921
October 17, 2019
97
Alicia Alonso (born Alicia Ernestina de la Caridad del Cobre MartÃnez del Hoyo; 21 December 1920 â 17 October 2019) was a renowned Cuban prima ballerina assoluta and choreographer. She co-founded the Cuban National Ballet, which later transformed into the Ballet Nacional de Cuba in 1955. Alonso gained fame for her performances in ballets such as Giselle, Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Carmen, The Nutcracker, and Sleeping Beauty. Throughout her career, she received numerous accolades, including the Legion of Honor from France, the National Dance Award from the United States, and Spain’s highest cultural honor, the Gold Medal for Fine Arts, in 1998. Alonso’s extraordinary contributions to dance and her efforts in fostering cultural exchange between Spain and Cuba were widely recognized. She passed away on October 17, 2019, at the age of 98.