The prestigious Cuban dancer, Carlos Acosta, current star of the Royal Ballet of London in the UK, confirmed this Tuesday his determination to found a dance company in the country where he was born and raised.
To this end, the future director invited professionally trained dancers from all over Cuba interested in joining the project to appear for auditions on August 10 and 11 at the Fernando Alonso National School of Ballet in Havana.
The new company, attached to the Havana Dance Center, will offer contracts to a total of 12 dancers, six men and six women, who demonstrate the capacity to assume the demands of classical and contemporary dance techniques.
In keeping with this vision, the auditions will consist of classes in both dance forms, in order to measure the skills of those participating.
Acosta is currently preparing to retire as a classical dancer at the Royal Ballet and aspires to pursue a career in contemporary dance.
This year, the UK’s Critics’ Circle awarded Acosta the National Dance Award in recognition of his achievements during a lifetime devoted to dance, and U.S. critics recently warmly applauded his version of Don Quixote for the British company.
The artist’s immediate plans include a new version of Carmen for the Royal Ballet, scheduled to premiere in September, while at the same time he intends to take the first steps with his company in Cuba.
At 42 years old, Acosta’s days on the stage are numbered, but his career in other facets of this art is just beginning. As well as having received the National Dance Award, he was recognized with a CBE in 2014.
