SACRED LEGACY ARCHIVES™

Alicia Alonso

1920-12-21 – 2019-10-17

Portrait of Cuban ballerina Alicia Alonso by Annemarie Heinrich.Credit: Annemarie Heinrich

Life & Legacy

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.

Occupation & Career

choreographer, ballet dancer, businessperson, ballet master, dancer, ballerina, ballet teacher

Education

School of American Ballet

Accomplishments, Inventions & Publications

Order of José Martí; Commander of the Order of Isabella the Catholic; Order of Vasco Núñez de Balboa; Officer of the Legion of Honour; Order of the Aztec Eagle; Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres‎; prima ballerina assoluta; National Order of Merit Carlos Manuel de Céspedes; honorary doctorate of the Polytechnic University of Valencia; Order of Isabella the Catholic‎; Order of Merit of Duarte, Sanchez and Mella; Giselle

Legacy Highlights

Honors & Awards

Commander of the Order of Isabella the Catholic · Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres‎ · honorary doctorate of the Polytechnic University of Valencia · National Order of Merit Carlos Manuel de Céspedes · Officer of the Legion of Honour · Order of Isabella the Catholic‎ · Order of José Martí · Order of Merit of Duarte, Sanchez and Mella · Order of the Aztec Eagle · Order of Vasco Núñez de Balboa · prima ballerina assoluta