Origins & Early Life

Alicia Alonso (born Alicia Ernestina de la Caridad del Cobre Martínez del Hoyo; 21 December 1920 – 17 October 2019) was a Cuban prima ballerina assoluta and choreographer whose company became the Ballet Nacional de Cuba in 1955. She is best known for her portrayals of Giselle and the ballet version of Carmen. From the age of nineteen, Alonso was afflicted with an eye condition and became partially blind. Her partners always had to be in the exact place she expected them to be, and she used lights in different parts of the stage to guide herself.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Alonso was born "on the outskirts" of Havana in 1920, the fourth child of Antonio Martínez de la Maza Arredondo, lieutenant veterinarian of the army, and Ernestina del Hoyo y Lugo, a dressmaker. Her parents were of primarily northern Spanish descent on both sides. Alonso began dancing as a child. At the age of nine in 1929, the family moved to Spain where Alonso stayed for a year and half, there she studied and learnt typical Spanish dances, such as the Jota, Malagueñas and Sevillanas among others. In June 1931 returning to Cuba she began studying ballet at Sociedad Pro-Arte Musical in Havana with Nikolai Yavorsky.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

She performed...

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