HAVANA, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Cubans celebrated on Sunday the 64th anniversary of the country's socialist revolution with a ballet performance here at the National Theater of Cuba.
During the evening performance, leading dancers from the country's largest dance company the National Ballet of Cuba (BNC) staged famous classics like Giselle, Don Quixote, Coppelia, The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake.
"The success of the Cuban ballet should not be measured only by the talent of its dancers and choreographers but by its popular access," Cuba's Vice Minister of Culture Fernando Rojas told Xinhua.
On Jan. 1, 1959, the uprising army led by Fidel Castro captured the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba and the central city of Santa Clara, forcing military dictator Fulgencio Batista to flee to the Dominican Republic.
The events marked the triumph of the revolution and the beginning of social and economic reforms that led to the establishment of socialism on the Caribbean island.
Founded in 1948, the BNC gained government support after the socialist revolution. It returned to the stage in December 2021 after a 19 month-hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and will perform in Havana over the next two weekends.
"I feel honored to be part of this ballet program, which opens the 2023 season for our company," Cuban leading ballerina Sadaise Arencibia told Xinhua. ■
