Gran Teatro de La Habana

Template:Infobox Arena The Great Theater of Havana (Gran Teatro de La Habana), was officially opened in 1838 in Havana, Cuba, although its first presentation occurred on November, 1837. Located in Paseo del Prado, in a building known as the Palacio del Centro Gallego. Today it is the permanent headquarters of the National Ballet of Cuba and the main stage for the International Ballet Festival of Havana. It has rooms of theaters, concert, conferences and video, as well as, galleries of visual, a choral center, several halls test for danzarias groupings and dancing arts.

History

The building was demolished in 1914 to open the way to the one that currently exists, an exponent in the German neo-baroque architecture style in Havana. The theater is adorned with a stone and marble statue. There are also sculptural pieces by Giuseppe Moretti, representing allegories depicting benevolence, education, music and theatre.The current building construction began in 1908, was opened in 1915 with an opera season offered by important lyrical figures of the time. It was not until 1985, and as initiative of the prima ballerina Alicia Alonso that the building was renamed and became the Great Theater of Havana.

The principal theatre is the García Lorca Auditorium, with seats for 1,500 and balconies, it provides a magnificent stage for the Cuban National Ballet Company, as well as other dance and musical performances. During the 19th and 20th century arrived to Cuba to perform in its stage personalities of the highest rank, such as Enrico Caruso, Fanny Elssler, Anna Pavlova, Antonia Mercé, Ruth Saint Denis, Ted Shawn, Vicente Escudero, Maya Plisetskaya, Sarah Bernhardt, Carla Fracci and Alicia Alonso, as well remarkable companies such as the American Ballet Theatre, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Antonio Gades ballet, the Ballet of the Colón Theater of Buenos Aires, the Ballet Folclórico of Mexico, and other many personalities and ballet companies of high international relief of XIX and XXcenturies. The theater also houses the seasons of the Center Pro-Art Lírico with its operas performances, zarzuelas, operetas and concerts, as well as Spanish Ballet of Havana and from the Center of Promotion of the Dance (PRODANZA), it is in addition the International seat of the Arte Lírico, the Practical Courses of the National School of Ballet-CUBALLET, the Festival the Track of Spain, and as well the International Festival of Scenic Oral Narration, and several other festivals.

Gallery

• Images of the Great Theater
• Interior of the theater
  Interior of the theater
• Ballet Nacional de Cuba performing in the Theater
  Ballet Nacional de Cuba performing in the Theater
• Neoclassical façade of the building
  Neoclassical façade of the building
• View from Central Park
  View from Central Park
• Across the street from Gran Teatro next to El Capitolio
  Across the street from Gran Teatro next to El Capitolio
• Angels on the corner towers
  Angels on the corner towers
• Balcony
  Balcony
• Cuban ballet dancers practicing in the theater
  Cuban ballet dancers practicing in the theater

References

• El GRAN TEATRO DE LA HABANA es una de las más importantes instituciones culturales de América Latina.
• Radio Habana Cuba Article on The Great Theater of Havana

External links

• The Great Theater of Havana at the National Ballet of Cuba homepage

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