ELY REGINA (First Soloist) Regina
began her ballet training at the Alejo
Carpentier Elementary School of Ballet
before moving on to the National Ballet
Academy where she completed her
professional training. She has studied
with many prestigious teachers including
Fernando Alonso, Ramona de Sáa, Martha
Iris Fernandez, Adria Velázquez, Mirtha
Hermida and Martha Bosch. She joined
Ballet Nacional de Cuba in 2007. In 2009,
she was promoted to Soloist and in 2015,
she was promoted to First Soloist. With
the company, she has participated in tours,
cultural exchanges and ballet festivals
around the world. Between 2015 and 2017,
she joined the Acosta Danza Company and,
in 2017, she returned to the Ballet Nacional
de Cuba.
YANLIS ABREU (Soloist) Born in
Havana, Abreu began her ballet training in
the Special Training/Education Department
of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba and at
the Alejo Carpentier Elementary School
of Ballet. In 2007, she moved on to the
National School of Ballet under the
guidance of outstanding professors Marta
González, Marta Iris Fernandez, and
Yuneisi Rodriguez, Ana Julia Bermudez
and Ramona de Sáa. She joined the Ballet
Nacional de Cuba in 2011. In 2016, she was
promoted to Soloist.
CHANELL CABRERA (Soloist) Born in
Havana, Cabrera began her ballet training
at the Alejo Carpentier Elementary School
of Ballet. In 2011, she continued at the
National School of Ballet in Havana, under
the guidance of Raquel Gonzalez and Sarah
Acevedo with Ramona de Sáa, Yuneisy
Rodríguez, Esther Garcia and Martha Iris
Fernandez, among other distinguished
professors. She joined the Ballet Nacional
de Cuba in 2014. With BNC, she has
performed in Canada and Puerto Rico. In
2015, she was promoted to Choryphee and
in 2016 to Soloist.
MAUREEN GIL (Soloist) Born in Havana,
Gil began her ballet training at the Alejo
38 CENTERBILL • APRIL/MAY 2018
Carpentier Elementary School of Ballet and
nished it at the National School of Ballet,
under the guidance of Margarita Naranjo,
Raquel Agüero and Esther Garcia, among
other distinguished professors. Upon
graduation in 2004, she joined the Ballet
Nacional de Cuba under Alicia Alonso’s
artistic-technical direction. With BNC, she
has performed in Europe, Latin America,
the United States, the People’s Republic
of China and Australia. In 2013, she was
promoted to Soloist.
YILIAM PACHECO (Soloist) Born in the
province of Pinar del Rio, Pacheco began
her ballet training at the National School
of Art in her hometown and continued it at
the Alejo Carpentier Elementary School of
Ballet and at the National School of Ballet,
both in Havana, under the guidance of
Esther Garcia, Mirtha Hermida and Ramona
de Sáa. In 2006, she joined the Ballet
Nacional de Cuba. With BNC, she has
performed in several countries of Europe,
Latin America, Canada, the United States
and in the People’s Republic of China. In
2016, she was promoted to Soloist.
MERCEDES PIEDRA (Soloist) Born in
Havana, Piedra began her ballet training at
the Elementary Ballet School and nished
it at the National School of Ballet, under
the guidance of Ibis Montoto, Marta Iris
Fernández, Gloria María and Ramona
de Sáa, among others. Upon graduation
in 1999, she joined the Ballet Nacional
de Cuba under Alicia Alonso’s artistictechnical
direction. With BNC, she has
performed in countries of Europe, Latin
America, Canada, the United States, the
People’s Republic of China and Australia.
In 2016, she was promoted to Soloist.
YANKIEL VÁZQUEZ (Soloist) Born
in Mantua, in the Pinar del Rio province,
Vázquez began his ballet training at the
Pedro Raul Sánchez Vocational Art School
and continued at the National School of
Ballet, in Havana under the guidance of
Ramona de Sáa, Yuneisy Rodríguez, Mirta
Hermida, Marta Iris Fernández and Elena