Visiting the Prodanza Ballet Studio in Havana

We walked into the courtyard, surrounded by concrete buildings, as counting and music rained down from a nearby window. I looked up to see ballet dancers gracefully swaying in front of an open window. As the group moved forward to ascend a set of stairs, I veered to the right to take a few photos of the building. I looked over and the group I was with was gone. I walked to where I had last seen them and saw a woman mopping the walkway in front of the stairs. She stopped mopping and moved to the side. I smiled and said, “Lo siento mucho.” I walked over her wet floor and headed up a set of stairs.

While visiting Havana, Cuba, my photography group shot some amazing places and activities. One of my favorite places to photograph was the Prodanza Ballet Studio.

Prodanza was founded in 1988 by Laura Alonso, a former ballerina with the National Ballet of Cuba and daughter of ballet legends Alicia and Fernando Alonso. She brought to the school not only a love of ballet and dance, but also a passion to educate and train new generations of dancers.

After walking up the stairs, I turned a corner where ballet dancers limbered up in front of a mirror. Some ballerinas adjusted their ballet shoes as a coach walked around the room, instructing various dancers. I stood in the doorway, taking photos of various dancers. I turned around and noticed the cleaner had moved to the hallway and was swishing her mop back and forth. I walked into another room to look around, and when I came back, the elegant cleaner was sweeping in front of the doorway.

While the other photographers snapped photos of the ballerinas inside the classroom, I was captivated by the graceful movements of the lady with the broom. I lifted my camera and began taking photos. She noticed me taking photos and stopped sweeping and stepped aside. “No, por favor continue,” I asked. She looked puzzled, but went back to sweeping the floor.

After taking some photos, I stepped into the classroom, doing my best not to interfere with the dancers’ movements. Occasionally, I had to dodge a foot or a hand as I got into various stances. Over the next couple of hours, I alternated between the women’s class and the men’s class. Towards the end of our stay, Ms. Alonso told us we were in for a treat because we were going to get a glimpse of a program the ballerinas had been working on.

While the dancers conversed with one another and stretched, Ms. Alonso told us that a recent illness that had swept over Cuba had affected her dancers. Many of the dancers in the class were feeling the terrible effects of the virus, but continued to study and perform despite their illness.

Music began, and a ballerina extended her arms into the air and tiptoed around the room. Sweat dripped off my head just sitting, and I couldn’t imagine how the ballerina felt dancing in the heat while not feeling well. You couldn’t tell she was sick while her movements were fit to grace any stage in the world. Once her performance ended, another ballerina elegantly positioned herself in the center of the room and awaited her music. Once the music started, she leaped from one side to the other, extending her legs and pointing her toes.

A puddle of sweat had gathered below my camera, and a male dancer took center stage to dance a duet with the first ballerina. An occasional stream of cool air would whisper through the room as the male dancer hoisted his female counterpart into the air. The two graceful dancers embraced one another, and Elton John’s Tiny Dancer sprang up in my head:

“Oh, how it feels so real
Lying here with no one near
Only you and you can hear me
When I say softly, slowly

Hold me closer, tiny dancer
Count the headlights on the highway
Lay me down in sheets of linen
You had a busy day today. ”

Once their routine finished, the ballerina stayed in the center while a new partner checked himself in. With a flourish, the new dancer jumped high into the air, then reached for the ballerina. The strength and grace of the dancers were amazing to witness in such a close setting.

Once the dance was over, we applauded the dancers and thanked them for providing us with an incredible show. Handshakes and hugs were passed around, and we exited the classroom. I looked off to the side and saw the cleaning lady walking down the hallway. I gave her a goodbye wave, and she returned the gesture.

As I looked through the photos of the dancers, I frequently went back to my photos of the elderly woman sweeping the floors. I wondered what her story was. Was she a former student? Did she have a love of ballet, and this was a way for her to stay in touch? Or was it just a job to pay the bills?

Before visiting Cuba, I was aware of its rich history with cigars, boxing, baseball, and classic cars. I was not familiar with the grace and beauty found within the ballet schools. While visiting Cuba, one layer after another opened itself up for me to photograph.

I have more photos on my photography site. Here are the links:
The Men of Prodanza Ballet Studio
Havana Ballerinas 
For more photography from Cuba, visit my photography site www.OneGoodShot.com.
More Cuba Stories:
Visiting the Rafael Trejo Boxing Gimnasio, Cuba’s Oldest Boxing Gym
Baseball in Havana
Visiting Churches in Havana

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