Havana, Jul 9 (Prensa Latina) Spanish choreographers Elias Aguirre and Alvaro Esteban and Cuban Maysabel Pintado shared first prize in the 7th Alicia Alonso Latin American Choreography Competition.

  The jury, with Alonso as honourary president, decided to award the prize to all three as an exception after highlighting the quality of competing works from Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Spain, Mexico and Venezuela.

Aguirre and Esteban were awarded for their piece "Entomo," showing a solid conceptual maturity.

The piece is based on an investigation into the movement of insects, and the two choreographers created original, daring choreography that arouses several existential and philosophical implications.

Pintado was awarded for the eloquence with which she uses the language of dance, supported by music and light.

The 6,000-euro prize also includes the staging and production of the winning pieces by the National Ballet of Cuba, and a premiere during Havana's 22nd International Ballet Festival, set for October 28-November 7.

Spaniard Angel Rodríguez, for "Dulce memoria" (Sweet Memory), and Eduardo Martinez and Sergio Bernal, for "Te lo juro yo" (I swear you), were awarded special mentions.

The Alicia Alonso Latin American Choreography Competition is organized by the General Society of Authors and Editors, the AUTOR Foundation and the National Ballet of Cuba, and has been a biennial event since 1998.