BALLET NACIONAL DE CUBA COMPANY
SADAISE ARENCIBIA (Premier
Dancer) Born in Havana, Arencibia began
her ballet training in that city in 1991 at
the Alejo Carpentier Provincial School
of Ballet, and continued training at the
National Ballet School. In 1999, she joined
the Ballet Nacional de Cuba and has danced
worldwide with the company. In 2005, she
was promoted to Principal Dancer and
in 2009 to Premier Dancer of the Ballet
Nacional de Cuba.
DANI HERNÁNDEZ (Premier Dancer)
Born in the city of Remedios, Villa Clara
province, Hernández began his ballet
training in 1998 at the Olga Alonso
Vocational Art School and continued
it in Havana at the National School of
Ballet, under the guidance of outstanding
professors, among them Fernando Alonso,
Ramona de Sáa, Mirta Hermida and Marta
Iris Fernández. He joined Ballet Nacional
de Cuba in 2006. He was promoted to First
Soloist in 2009 and to First Dancer in 2011.
He has performed worldwide with BNC.
Dance Europe magazine selected him as
one of the 100 best dancers in the world for
the season 2010-2011.
GRETTEL MOREJÓN (Premier
Dancer) Born in Havana, Morejón began
her ballet training in 1998 at the Alejo
Carpentier Provincial School of Ballet,
with teacher Sara Acevedo and continued
it in the National School of Ballet, under
the guidance of Fernando Alonso and
Adria Velázquez, among other outstanding
professors. In 2007, Morejón joined the
Ballet Nacional de Cuba and has performed
with the company worldwide. She has been
a Guest Artist with the Festival Women
in the Dance, Quito and Cuenca, Ecuador
in 2007 and to the Days of the Jose Marti
Culture in Mexico, 2014. In 2009, she
was promoted First Soloist, and, in 2013,
to Principal Dancer; she was promoted to
Premier Dancer in 2016.
36 CENTERBILL • APRIL/MAY 2018
VIENGSAY VALDÉS (Premier Dancer)
Valdés was born in Havana and began
her ballet training in the Alejo Carpentier
Elementary School of Ballet and nished
at the National School of Art. In July 1994,
she graduated with a Gold Diploma from
the National School of Art with a degree in
Dance and Choreography and the award as
best student. She joined the Ballet Nacional
de Cuba in 1994. She was promoted to
Principal Dancer in 1996 and to Premier
Dancer in 2001. She has performed in
numerous countries worldwide.
ERNESTO DÍAZ (Premier Character
Dancer) Born in Havana, Díaz began
his ballet training at the Alejo Carpentier
Provincial School of Ballet, and continued
in the National School of Ballet under the
guidance of professors Adria Velázquez,
Marta Iris Fernández and Mirtha Hermida.
Upon graduating in 1999, he joined Ballet
Nacional de Cuba. In 2001, Díaz was
promoted to Choryphee; in 2008 to First
Soloist and in 2011 to Principal Dancer.
In 2013, he was promoted to Premier
Character Dancer. He has performed
around the world with BNC.
FÉLIX RODRÍGUEZ (Premier
Character Dancer and Maître) Rodríguez
began his ballet training in 1964 at the
National School of Ballet in Havana, under
the direction of outstanding professors,
among them Rosa Elena Álvarez, Adolfo
Roval, Menia Martínez, Aurora Bosch and
Joaquín Banegas. In 1971, he joined the
Ballet Nacional de Cuba. He was promoted
to Soloist in 1980 and to First Soloist in
1984. In 2005, he was promoted to Principal
Dancer and in 2014 to Premier Character
Dancer. Since 1996, Rodríguez has served
as Maître of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba
and for several years, he has developed
valuable pedagogic work in Italy, French
Guyana, Belize and Brazil.