Cuban Dance Legend Laura Alonso to Take Part in Weeklong Residency at Verb

Verb, "Ohio Contemporary Ballet" will welcome Cuban dance legend Laura Alonso for a weeklong residency. The daughter of world-famous ballerina Alicia Alonso, Laura is an award-winning teacher and coach. Ms. Alonso performed for 25 years with Ballet Nacional de Cuba, and now travels the world teaching and staging the classics. She is also the director of ProDanza in Havana, Cuba, which is part of the Cleveland Havana Ballet Project, an international partnership with Verb, "Ohio Contemporary Ballet." Ms. Alonso will deliver Verb's company class every day during the week and coach the dancers on classical style. She will also be sharing the Cuban method with community students through a tour of master classes in Northeast Ohio at the following locations; Verb Ballets Center for Dance, Canton Ballet, University of Akron Dance Institute, Kent State University and Cleveland City Dance.

The Verb Center for Dance will be offering a community master class for ages 14 to adult taught by Alonso on Saturday, August 20, 2022, at 10:00am. The cost is $25 to participate. The class will be geared toward intermediate to advanced students ages 14 and up. Register in advance on Verb's website as space is limited. The Verb Center for Dance is located at 3558 Lee Road in Shaker Heights behind The Dealership. Verb is one of the only professional dance companies in the area that has an affiliated studio that crafts classes exclusively for adults to explore a love of movement at any age or ability level.

Saturday, August 20, 2022
10:00-11:30am Ballet with Laura Alonso
Classes designed for ages 14 through adult
https://verbballets.org/alonso-masterclass-22/

Verb Ballets utilizes dance to build community at home and abroad. In addition to touring regionally, the company has traveled internationally to Cuba and Taiwan and built lasting partnerships that provide opportunities for cultural exchange. This partnership with Laura Alonso and ProDanza began in 2016 with Creative Fusion: Cuba Edition, an international artist residency program through The Cleveland Foundation. From that point forward the companies have come together in training and performance opportunities in Cleveland and Havana for this one-of-a-kind artistic exchange. We are glad the community can experience the wealth of dance knowledge passed down through her family generations.

Laura Alonso

Laura Alonso, daughter of world-famous ballerina Alicia Alonso and renowned teacher and coach Fernando Alonso, is herself known as a teacher, coach and an expert at staging the well-known classics. For seven years she served as the personal coach and teacher for international prima ballerina assoluta, Alicia Alonso. Dance Theatre of Harlem artistic director, former prima ballerina and former editor of Pointe magazine, Virginia Johnson, calls her an "international master teacher extraordinaire."

Ms. Alonso's 25 year performing career with Ballet National de Cuba included soloist work in all of the traditional classics. Today she travels around the world teaching and staging the classics for pre-professional as well as professional companies such as London's Royal Ballet School and The Royal Danish Ballet.

Although born in the United States, Alonso is a resident of Havana where she has an international dance school, Centro Pro Danza, which welcomes 1,500 students, and a professional performing company, The Ballet Classic of Havana.

A teacher of world-class experience, Ms. Alonso has taught for professional ballet companies all over the world including Cuban National Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, the Australian Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, the Cleveland/San Jose Ballet, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Tokyo Ballet, the Toronto Ballet, the Alberta Ballet. She was a member of the faculty at the Regional Dance America's National Festival in 1997 as well as at the RDA/NE Festival 1998 and the RDA/SE 1999. For seven years, she served as the personal coach for international ballerina Alicia Alonso.

Ms. Alonso was honored with an award as the best coach at the Jackson International Ballet Competition in 1990. Her student, Jose Manuel Carreno, won the Grand Prix de Ville, the highest award possible. Ms. Alonso has served as coach, jury member and teacher at the Jackson IBC and as jury member of the Concours International de Dance de Paris, France, the Alicia Alonso International Ballet Competition and other competitions around the world.

Along with her expertise in working with professionals and aspiring professionals, Ms. Alonso is extremely gifted at working with young dancers of all ages and experiences. She is willing to instruct anyone who wants to learn and has transformed students in just a few classes. Alonso's mission is to bring the highest quality dance to students everywhere.

About Verb

Verb, "Ohio Contemporary Ballet," presents bold works and builds community through dance. The company honors the roots of pioneer ballet companies in the Great Lakes region. Today, the company is under the leadership of Dr. Margaret Carlson, former principal dancer for Cleveland Ballet, and Richard Dickinson, MFA, former Ohio Ballet dancer. The company strives to commission choreographers that elevate marginalized voices and reflect our times. Building community and offering opportunities to learn through dance are at the core of Verb's mission. Verb aims to bring programs out to the public, meeting people where they live, work, and learn. The company's children's programs explore topics such as arts appreciation, literacy, STEM, and cultural diversity. Verb also offers programs for seniors that emphasize movement to encourage socialization and wellness. The professional company is comprised of dancers from across the nation and globe. In addition to touring regionally, the company has toured internationally in Cuba and Taiwan and has built lasting partnerships that provide opportunities for cultural exchange. Verb Ballets aims to support art that is reflective of our current societal landscape and relevant to our dancers, communities, and dance enthusiasts in Ohio and abroad. More information can be found at www.verbballets.org.

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