The award was received during a ceremony by prima ballerina Barbara Garcia, since Alicia Alonso is currently on a tour of Europe with part of the company.

Currently the seat of the BNC, the Gran Teatro is the oldest theater in use in Latin America. Since its inauguration as Teatro Tacon in 1838, it has hosted world class personalities such as Russian ballerina Ana Pavlova, Mexican actor and singer Jorge Negrete, and Italian opera singer and one of the greatest tenors in history Enrico Caruso.

The Gold Diplomas, granted for the first time in 170 years of work, went to other personalities of Cuban culture, among them Cubas
number one "vedette" Rosita Fornes, soprano Maria Eugenia Barrios, and soloist and founder of Havanas lyrical theater Angel Menendez.

Other names in the selective list included those of Luis Carbonell (show
man), Manuel Suarez del Villar (artistic director), Nestor Montenegro
(stage designer), Maria de los Angeles Santana (actress), Ada Oramas
(journalist), Francisco Rey Alfonso (Gran Teatro historian), and Jose
Ramon Artigas and Roberto Fergurson (television directors).

The celebrations to mark the 170th anniversary are still on at the Gran
Teatro de La Habana, located in the Old Section of the city.
Presentations on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday feature modern music and dance in several performances by junior members of the BNC.

(ACN)