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Rhythm of the night: Ballet Rakatan artists at the Teatro Nacional. — File Photos |
HA NOI — The Cuban Ballet Rakatan dancers are set to enthrall audiences in Ha Noi tonight with their repertoire of Latin American dances.
The performance tour features 19 dancers who arrived in Ha Noi on Monday.
The dancers will perform nine dances including the bolero, son, guaracha, cha cha cha, manteca, rumba, and salsa styles. A mambo-jazz dance will open the show featuring music by composers Chano Pozo and Dizzie Gillespie.
Founded in 2001 by dancer and choreographer Nilda Guerra, Ballet Rakatan is regarded as one of the most talented and versatile groups of dancers to emerge from Cuba in many years.
They have performed throughout Cuba in some of the countries most prestigious venues and events, including the Playa Municipal Theatre, the Havana Street Festival, and the National Theatre of Cuba as well as performing five televised summer seasons in Havana in 2006.
Most of the dancers are graduates of the renowned Escuela Nacional de Arte de la Habana, combining contemporary dance training with every aspect of Cuban dance and Latin styles; including classic, folklore, popular, salsa and flamenco.
It was the first Cuban group to perform at the World Salsa Congress in Zurich, Switzerland.
Ballet Rakatan's 2006 performances at the Edinburgh Festival received the Five Star Award, and were the most talked-about and press-covered company at the festival.
During summer 2007 they performed a five-week run at London's West End Peacock Theatre.
After their performance in the city's Opera House, the dancers will perform in Hai Phong City and Thai Nguyen Province on Friday and Sunday at 8pm and 7.30pm, respectively. — VNS