• Submitted by: manso
• Arts and Culture
• 06 / 14 / 2011

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By Giorgimer  Gold Star Critiquer and Silver Workshop Editor/ The Great Theatre 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 Cuban National Ballet and the main stage for the International Ballet Festival of Havana. It has rooms of theatres, concert, conferences and video, as well as, galleries of visual, a choral centre, 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 theatre 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 Theatre 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, Clorinda Corradi, 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 Theatre of Buenos Aires, the Ballet Folclórico of Mexico, and many other personalities and ballet companies of high international relief of the 19th and 20th centuries.

The theatre also houses the seasons of the Centre Pro-Art Lírico with its operas performances, zarzuelas, operettas and concerts, as well as Spanish Ballet of Havana and from the Centre 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.

Source: http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Central_America/Cuba/