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{{short description|Cuban ballerina (born 1977)}}
{{Infobox Biography
{{Infobox person
| subject_name = Viengsay Valdes
| image_name = [[Image:Viengsay Valdes.jpg|right|350px|thumb|]]
| name = Viengsay Valdés Herrera
| image_size = 250px
| image = Viengsay Valdes.jpg
| alt = Viengsay Valdés
| image_caption = Viengsay Valdés in Madrid 2007
| caption = Valdés in Madrid 2007
| place_of_birth = Havana
| occupation = Ballet dancer
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 10 November 1976
| parents = Clara Herrera Rivero and Roberto Valdés Muñóz
| birth_place = Havana, Cuba

| education = Alejo Carpentier Provincial Ballet School, <br/> [[National Art Schools (Cuba)]], <br/> [[Ballet Nacional de Cuba]]
| occupation = Ballet dancer
| parents = Clara Herrera Rivero,<br/> Roberto Valdés Muñóz
}}
}}
'''Viengsay Valdés''' is a [[Cuba]]n [[ballerina]]. Since 2003, Valdés is the [[Prima ballerina]] and since 2019 she is the Artistic Director of the [[Cuban National Ballet|National Ballet of Cuba]] (in Spanish: Ballet Nacional de Cuba).<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.dancemagazine.com/viengsay-valdes-2641014548.html|title=Ballerina in Chief: Viengsay Valdés Takes the Reins at Ballet Nacional de Cuba|date=2019-10-18|website=Dance Magazine|language=en|access-date=2019-12-03}}</ref>
'''Viengsay Valdés''' is a [[Cuba|Cuban]] [[ballerina]].


Valdés developed a reputation as a dancer for her interpretations of the female lead roles in the ballets, ''[[Carmen]]'', ''[[Giselle]]'', ''[[Swan Lake]]'',<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=http://www.danceviewtimes.com/dvny/reviews/2003/cuba1.htm|title=Breathtaking Virtuosity, Unabashedly Itself|last=Taub|first=Eric|date=2004-02-29|website=DanceView Times, New York edition|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040229005443/http://www.danceviewtimes.com/dvny/reviews/2003/cuba1.htm|archive-date=2004-02-29|access-date=2019-12-03}}</ref> ''[[Blood Wedding (play)|Blood Wedding]]'', ''[[Don Quixote (ballet)|Don Quixote]]'',<ref name=":4" /> ''[[Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev)|Romeo and Juliet]]'', ''[[The Sleeping Beauty (ballet)|The Sleeping Beauty]]'', ''[[Cinderella (Prokofiev)|Cinderella]]'', ''[[Coppélia]]'', ''[[La Fille Mal Gardée]]'', and ''[[The Nutcracker]]''.<ref name=":1" /> She also danced in notable [[pas de deux]] from ''[[Le Corsaire]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ballet.co.uk/magazines/yr_07/aug07/ip_rev_carlos_acosta_0707.htm|title=Carlos Acosta and the Danza Contemporanea de Cuba Review from Ballet.co|date=2007-09-20|website=www.ballet.co.uk|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070920210455/http://www.ballet.co.uk/magazines/yr_07/aug07/ip_rev_carlos_acosta_0707.htm|archive-date=2007-09-20|access-date=2019-12-03}}</ref> ''[[Diana and Actaeon]]'', ''Silvia,'' and ''Black Swan (El Cisne Negro)''.<ref name=":4" />
==Early Life==


== Early life and education ==
Born in Havana, Viengsay Valdés moved at three months to Laos, where her father was the Cuban Ambassador. At age three, her family moved to the Seychelles. At six, she moved back to Havana, Cuba, where her grandmother continued her education.
'''Viengsay Valdés Herrera'''<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.milenio.com/cultura/viengsay-valdes-hoy-puedo-decir-yo-soy-giselle|title=Ballet Nacional de Cuba y Viengsay Valdés, en México con Giselle|website=Milenio.com|language=es|trans-title=Viengsay Valdés: Today I can say 'I am Giselle'|access-date=2019-12-03}}</ref> was born in [[Havana]], [[Cuba]] in 1976.<ref name=":9" /> Valdés and her family moved when she was three months old to [[Laos]], where her father served as the Cuban Ambassador.<ref name=":5">{{cite book|url=http://www.ruthcasaeditorial.org/libroslibres/?p=191|title=De acero y nube. Biografía de Viengsay Valdés (fragmento promocional)|last=Pérez|first=Carlos Tablada|publisher=Ruth Casa Editorial|year=2014|location=Panama|language=es|trans-title=Steel and cloud. Biography of Viengsay Valdés (promo snippet)|access-date=2014-02-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226123933/http://www.ruthcasaeditorial.org/libroslibres/?p=191|archive-date=2014-02-26|url-status=dead}}</ref> Her name Viengsay means “victory” in [[Laos|Laotian]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.dancemagazine.com/cubas-golden-girl-2306871519.html|title=Cuba's Golden Girl|last=Willis|first=Margaret|last2=Martinez|first2=Reny|date=2009-03-23|website=Dance Magazine|language=en|access-date=2019-12-03}}</ref> At age three, her family moved to the [[Seychelles]]. At age six, she moved back to Havana, Cuba, where she continued her education.<ref name=":2" /> She has suffered from severe [[asthma]], since her early childhood.<ref name=":1" />


Viengsay began artistic gymnastics at age six. She put her first ballet shoes on at the age of nine, [http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y03/feb03/26e2.htm]which is when she began her ballet studies at the Alejo Carpentier Provincial Ballet School in Havana. At age 15, she continued her studies at the Escuela Nacional de Arte (ENA). [[Ramona de Sáa]] and Mirtha Hermida were her main ballet professors, the latter being her main inspiration. While she was still a student she won numerous prizes and distinctions. [http://www.ballerinagallery.com/valdes.htm]
Valdés put her first ballet shoes on at the age of nine,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y03/feb03/26e2.htm|title=State-funded Cuban ballet company produces world class dancers|last=Roman|first=Mar|date=February 25, 2003|website=CubaNet.org|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030501071632/http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y03/feb03/26e2.htm|archive-date=2003-05-01|access-date=2019-12-02}}</ref> which is when she began her ballet studies at the Alejo Carpentier Provincial Ballet School (''Escuela Nacional de Ballet Alejo Carpentier'') in Havana.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias/2010/10/101029_cuba_ballet_viengsay_entrevista_rasverg_az|title=Viengsay Valdés, la "victoria" del Ballet Nacional de Cuba|last=Ravsberg|first=Fernando|date=2010-10-31|website=BBC News Mundo|language=es|access-date=2019-12-03}}</ref> At age 15, she continued her studies at the [[National Art Schools (Cuba)|National Art Schools]] (Escuela Nacional de Arte or ENA).<ref name=":0" /> Ramona de Sáa was her main ballet professors.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ballerinagallery.com/valdes.htm|title=Valdés|date=2006|website=ballerinagallery.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070108131129/http://www.ballerinagallery.com/valdes.htm|archive-date=2007-01-08|access-date=2019-12-02|quote=Viengsay Valdés began her studies at the Alejo Carpentier Provincial Ballet School and finished them at the National School of Arts, both in Havana. Ramona de Sáa was her main ballet professor.}}</ref> While she was still a student she won numerous prizes and distinctions.<ref name=":0" />


Legendary ballet director and educator, [[Alicia Alonso]] spotted Valdés' talent, and invited her to join the [[Ballet Nacional de Cuba]] in 1994, when she was 17 years old.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":9" />
An acute asthma sufferer, Valdes was warned by teachers and doctors not to pursue professional ballet, because of its physical challenges. Valdes was determined to transcend her ailment and continued to fight for her chosen career. Her work was made even harder by the economic crisis into which Cuba descended after the loss of Soviet aid in 1989. Acute food shortages made her intense physical training extremely tough.


Every year since 1994, Valdés has been a participant in the prestigious [[International Ballet Festival of Havana]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2019}} She was named the most outstanding dancer in the XVIII International Festival of Ballet of Havana (October 20–28, 2002).{{Citation needed|date=December 2019}}
In July of 1994, Ms. Valdes graduated from the National School of Art (ENA) with a degree in Dance and Choreography, and gold honors.


== Principal dancer ==
==Professional Ballet Career==
Valdés had a series of fast promotions with the National Ballet of Cuba, in 1995 to Principal Dancer, and in 2001 to Premier Dancer.<ref name=":9" /> In the mid-1990s many ballet dancers while on tour were defecting to other countries, this provided more advancement in dance opportunities within the National Ballet of Cuba for dancers, like Valdés that stayed in their home country.<ref name=":7" />


In 2003, Alicia Alonso made Valdés the company's [[Prima ballerina assoluta|Prima Ballerina Assoluta]], the highest position for a dancer in Cuba.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-0610-happs-20110609-story.html|title=Cuban ballet touching down in O.C.|date=2011-06-10|website=LA Times|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-03|quote=Valdés became prima ballerina for the company in 2003}}</ref> From then on, she took the leading roles in all the company's major galas and she has performed and toured internationally.<ref name=":8" />
Legendary director Alicia Alonso spotted Valdés' talent, and invited her to join the [[Ballet Nacional de Cuba]]. She was 17. A year later, she was promoted to the position of 'principal dancer'.


Valdés ballet partners have include leading figures of world dance such as, [[Carlos Acosta]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2012/09/08/160619254/plan-for-cuban-ballet-school-a-dance-of-art-politics|title=Plan For Cuban Ballet School A Dance Of Art, Politics|website=NPR.org|language=en|access-date=2019-12-03}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/12/arts/dance-this-week-baseball-dulce-de-leche-and-ballet.html|title=DANCE: THIS WEEK; Baseball, Dulce de Leche and Ballet|last=Dunning|first=Jennifer|date=2003-10-12|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-12-03|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> [[Leonid Sarafanov]], [[Thiago Soares]],<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|url=http://newshopper.sulekha.com/topic/slideshow/performing-arts/897063.htm#selection-537.8-537.9|title=Viengsay Valdes, Thiago Soares, Dancers of the Royal Ballet of London, Cuba's Viegnsay Valdes, front, and Brazil's Thiago Soares perform "El Cisne Negro"|date=2012|website=newshopper.sulekha.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714183550/http://newshopper.sulekha.com/topic/slideshow/performing-arts/897063.htm#selection-537.8-537.9|archive-date=2012-07-14}}</ref> Alexei Tyukov, [[Ivan Vasiliev]], Denis Matvienko, Joel Carreño,<ref name=":10" /> [[Ivan Putrov]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cubasi.cu/cubasi-noticias-cuba-mundo-ultima-hora/item/33339-viengsay-valdes-e-ivan-putrov-magistral-lago-de-los-cisnes-a-teatro-lleno|title=Viengsay Valdés e Iván Putrov, magistral Lago de los Cisnes a teatro lleno (Fotos)|date=2014-11-05|website=cubasi.cu|language=es|trans-title=Viengsay Valdés and Iván Putrov, masterful Swan Lake to full theater|access-date=2019-12-03}}</ref> among others.
In July 2001, Alonso promoted Ms Valdés to the category of first dancer (primera bailarina), becoming one of the four top female dancers in the company. She toured to important theatres in Spain and the United States.


In July 2012, she performed in the special Homage Gala dedicated to Alicia Alonso, sharing the stage with The Royal Ballet of London in the [[Gran Teatro de La Habana]].<ref name=":6" /> On this occasion, she danced the famous 'Black Swan' pas de deux with the ballet star [[Thiago Soares]], premier dancer from the Royal Ballet.<ref name=":6" />
Ms. Valdés developed a reputation for her interpretations of the female lead roles in the ballets [[Carmen]], [[Giselle]], [[Swan Lake]], [[Blood Wedding]], [[Don Quixote]], [[Romeo and Juliet]], [[Sleeping Beauty]], [[Cinderella]], [[Coppelia]], [[La Fille Mal Gardee]], and [[The Nutcracker]]. She also danced in notable [[pas de deux]] from the Corsair, [[Diana and Acteon]], Silvia, and Black Swan.


== Dance performances ==
Every year since 1994, Ms. Valdés has been a participant in the prestigious International Ballet Festival in Havana. She was named the most outstanding dancer in the XVIII International Festival of Ballet of Havana (October 20-28, 2002). This was thanks to her starring performances in Giselle, and her performance as Kitri in Don Quixote. Her partner in Don Quixote was premier dancer [[Carlos Acosta]].
Valdes' performances have received outstanding reviews from the world's leading dance critics, including [[Anna Kisselgoff]] and [[Jennifer Dunning]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'', and Lewis Segal of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]],'' among others.<ref name=":4" />


=== Swan Lake ===
Ms. Valdés performed at the World Stars Ballet Gala in Budapest, September 14, 2002. In February of 2003, Ms Valdés was a guest for the Closing Gala of the Dessau Ballet-Festival in Germany. She was invited to dance in the Real Place of San Lorenzo of The Escorial for second time in 2003 and 2005 during her tour of Spain. In September of 2003, Ms Valdes participated as a guest in the World Gala, “Les Étoiles du XXIe Siècle,” which took place on the Champs Elysées in Paris. Ms. Valdés first partner for the Gala was the Italian ballet star Giusseppe Picone and also her next partner was the Russian star Alexei Tyukov.
{{Quote|text=A few days ago, someone gave me a filmed version of 'Swan Lake', a subject about which I am far from being an expert, but which in the current circumstances constitutes a very agreeable way of forgetting almost all the time. I observed for almost two hours the incredible performance of the greatest interpreter of this ballet in the world: Viengsay Valdes, daughter of a Cuban diplomatic couple, who gave her the name in honor of a region of Laos where they were representing Cuba. One European critic described it as an unrepeatable performance. I think the same. I never conceived of such amazing elegance and flexibility, with perfect precision.|sign=[[Fidel Castro]], March 2008|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.granma.cu/espanol/2008/marzo/lun3/reflexiones.html|title=Christians without Bibles|last=Castro Ruz|first=Fidel|date=March 3, 2008|website=Granma International Digital|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080305203925/http://www.granma.cu/espanol/2008/marzo/lun3/reflexiones.html|archive-date=2008-03-05|access-date=2019-12-02}}</ref>}}


=== Don Quixote ===
In October of 2002, Ms. Valdes was invited to guest star as Kitri for a performance of Don Quixote with La Scala in Milán, but she could not participate because she had a prior commitment to tour in the USA, with the Ballet Nacional de Cuba. In January of 2004, she participated in the 1st Festival of Ballet of Beijing with [[Swan Lake]].
At the age of 19, Valdés debut in the role of Kitri in [[Don Quixote (ballet)|Don Quixote]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-112212763.html|title=Viengsay Valdes, A Passion for Technique|last=Hunt|first=Mary Ellen|date=2004-01-01|website=Dance Magazine|publisher=Contra Costa Times|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071225102806/http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-112212763.html|archive-date=2007-12-25}}</ref>{{Quote|text="Two exceptional young dancers, Joel Carreño and Viengsay Valdés, led the exuberant version of "Don Quixote" that opened a run by the Ballet Nacional de Cuba on Wednesday, continuing through Sunday at City Center. New York has seen enough of this company over 30 years to do away with facile stereotypes. Alicia Alonso, now 82, was on hand for a standing ovation at the end of the evening, and it is worth remembering that the company is an outgrowth of the troupe she founded in 1948 in Havana with members of American Ballet Theatre, where she was a star. As Kitri, Ms. Valdés can bring the house down with her phenomenal balances on one leg, and she is very much a turner. Yet these are technical feats that are only part of the complete picture she gives. She relates to her partner and everyone onstage, fusing characterization with style and technique. Her Kitri is not a pouting poppet but a strong-minded heroine with a brain whose love for Basil radiates throughout the performance."|sign=Anna Kisselgoff, The New York Times, 2003|source=<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/17/movies/ballet-review-latin-passion-and-drama-meet-academic-precision.html|title=BALLET REVIEW; Latin Passion and Drama Meet Academic Precision|last=Kisselgoff|first=Anna|date=2003-10-17|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-12-03|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>}}
In September 2006, Valdés and the National Ballet of Cuba performed Don Quixote in London.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/critic/review/0,,1866530,00.html|title=Ballet Nacional de Cuba, Sadler's Wells, London|author=Judith Mackrell|website=Arts.guardian.co.uk|access-date=2017-01-13}}</ref>


She traveled to Washington DC, to work as a guest artist in the 2009–2010 season opening performance for [[The Washington Ballet]], ''[[Don Quixote (ballet)|Don Quixote]]'' in the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theater. Dancing the lead role of Kitri, this was a new staging of the classic ballet by internationally recognized choreographer [[Anna-Marie Holmes]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.washingtonballet.org/BlogRetrieve.aspx?BlogID=4352&PostID=88205|title=TWB Opens it's 09.10 Season with Don Quixote|date=2009-09-23|website=The Washington Ballet (TWB)|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091022022619/http://www.washingtonballet.org/BlogRetrieve.aspx?BlogID=4352&PostID=88205|archive-date=2009-10-22|access-date=2019-12-02}}</ref>
In 2003, Alicia Alonso made Valdés the company's prima ballerina, the highest position for a dancer in Cuba. From then on, she took the leading roles in all the company's major galas.


== Artistic director ==
In September 2004, she was invited for a second time to participate in the World Stars of Ballet Gala in Budapest. The dancers, managers, personalities and other distinguished personages, voted to choose Ms Valdés as their favorite dancer of this World Gala, and she was subsequently awarded the Prize for Popularity.
In January 2019, Valdés was advanced by the Cuban ministry of culture and Alicia Alonso to the role of Deputy Artistic Director of the National Ballet of Cuba.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pointemagazine.com/viengsay-valdes-2626757555.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1?rebelltitem=1|title=Cuban Prima Viengsay Valdés Named Deputy Artistic Director of Ballet Nacional de Cuba|date=2019-01-22|website=Pointe|language=en|access-date=2019-12-03|archive-date=2019-12-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203060723/https://www.pointemagazine.com/viengsay-valdes-2626757555.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1?rebelltitem=1|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/15/arts/dance/ballet-nacional-de-cuba-viensgay-valdes.html|title=A New Leader, at Last, to Bring Cuban Ballet Into the Future|last=Seibert|first=Brian|date=2019-05-15|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-12-03|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In October 2019, after Alonso died at age 99, the Cuban [[Culture minister|ministry of culture]] promoted her to the Artistic Director.<ref name=":3" /> She is now in charge of all the artistic and technical aspects of National Ballet of Cuba, including the casting, organizing ballet tours, and programming.<ref name=":3" /> National Ballet of Cuba's 2020 home ballet performances will be Alonso-focused in commemorations of Alonso's [[centennial]] and starting in 2021, Valdés will have full control.<ref name=":7" />


As of May 2019, Valdés intendeds to continue dancing with the troupe.<ref name=":7" />
In the summer of 2005, Ms. Valdes danced throughout Spain. She was invited on July 23, 2005 to appear in Cannes at the Etoiles du Ballet 2000 Festival, an association of the world’s most important dance critics. In August 2005 she starred in a four-day run of [[Giselle]] at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London and she received outstanding reviews from several dance critics.


==Choreography==
In the summer of 2006, Ms. Valdes participated in the World Ballet Festival in Tokyo, and also starred as Kitri at Sadler`s Wells Theatre in London, receiving outstanding reviews from several critics.
[[Image:Balanceofice.jpg|thumb|200px|Valdés in ''Balance of Ice'' (2007)|alt=Valdés in Balance of Ice (2007)]]


In June 2007, Valdes branched out into contemporary dance choreography, working with the British director [[Sebastian Doggart]].<ref name=":9">{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/oxforddictionary0000crai_a8h2/page/466|title=The Oxford Dictionary of Dance|last=Craine|first=Debra|last2=Mackrell|first2=Judith|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2010|isbn=9780199563449|location=Oxford, UK|pages=[https://archive.org/details/oxforddictionary0000crai_a8h2/page/466 466]}}</ref> They created a performance called ''Balance of Ice'', which combined three elements: a piece of music by Canadian composer [[Andrew Staniland]] that was inspired by the sounds of ice sheets calving; a dance performance by Valdes that fragmented her usual balletic virtuosity; and moving images of the polar ice caps and the threats facing them.
She participated in the Prague Ballet Gala and in the International Danze Gala in Lisbon in 2007.


==Awards and recognition==
She has performed leading roles in the major theatres of Europe, Asia, Latin America and North America; she has toured in Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Cyprus, Czech Republic Hungary, Portugal, United Kingdom, Germany, Holland, China, Laos, Venezuela, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Panama , Brasil, Argentina, Chile, Tunisia, Egypt , Japan and other countries.
*1993 - First Prize in the National Competition of Dance for the Union of Artists and Writers of Cuba (UNEAC).
*1993 – Gold Medal in the Vignale Festival of Dance, Italy.
*1994 – Grand Prize in Ballet for the National Competition of Dance, Union of Artists and Writers of Cuba (UNEAC).
*1999 – National Medal of Culture from Cuba
*2003 – Valdés was awarded the Medal "Alejo Carpentier" by the Ministry of Culture of Cuba.
*2004 - Named one of Dance Magazine's [[Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch"|"25 to Watch"]].
*2005 - Awarded the Les Ètoiles de Ballet 2000 prize at the Palais des Festivals, Cannes.


In April 2009, the Union of Artists and Writers of Cuba (UNEAC) awarded her the Dance Prize for outstanding female performance during the 2007–2008 season.
==Critical Reviews==


== Publications ==
Ms. Valdes' performances have received outstanding reviews from the world’s leading dance critics, including [[Anna Kisselgoff]] and Jennifer Dunning of the [[New York Times]], and [[Lewis Segal]] of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' and others.[http://www.danceviewtimes.com/dvny/reviews/2003/cuba1.htm]


* {{Cite book|title=De Acero y Nube. Biografía de Viengsay Valdés|last=Tablada Perez|first=Carlos|publisher=Ruth Casa Editorial|year=2014|location=Cuba|trans-title=Steel and Cloud, Viengsay Valdés Biography|asin=B01HGG9VNC}}<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.trabajadores.cu/20170421/presentan-hoy-biografia-viengsay-valdes-casa-del-alba/|title=Presentan hoy biografía de Viengsay Valdés en Casa del Alba|date=2017-04-21|website=Trabajadores|language=es|access-date=2019-12-03}}</ref>
Judith Mackrell, writing about her performance in September 2006 at Sadler's Wells in [[the Guardian]]: "Valdes, apparently in league with the devil - or with ball bearings fitted in the pointes of her shoes - whirled through countless fouettées before pulling off a series of phenomenal balances. Smiling wickedly as she disdained Carreno's supporting hand, she made time stand still as she perched on one unwavering toe, even sustaining her balance as she lifted and folded her leg through a teasing adage of arabesque and attitude. The audience, barely able to believe what they were seeing, bayed like a football crowd." [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/critic/review/0,,1866530,00.html]


==References==
[[Clement Crisp]], the distinguished Dance Critic of [[The Financial Times]] wrote a 2007 article entitled: "Pariah Island where the classical virtues thrive". In this article he wrote, "The artists of the ballet believe utterly in what they are doing. I thought Viengsay Valdes a lovely and touching Giselle, moving from beguiling innocence to heart-torn tragedy and then to vaporous compassion with sweetest grace and displaying radiant technique throughout". [http://search.ft.com/ftArticle?queryText=Viengsay&y=9&aje=true&x=12&id=050822000686]
{{Reflist|30em}}


==External links==
Mary Ellen Hunt wrote in Dance Magazine: "Cuban ballerina Viengsay Valdes could be justly famous for her rock-solid eternal balances, thrilling multiple turns, and bravura technique. But in an age of superlative technicians, it's the passion and heart that Valdes brings to her dancing that has captivated audiences from Havana to Paris. Whether playing an effervescent Swanhilda in Coppelia or a biting Black Swan, Valdes' every move emerges as a natural expression of her zest for dancing. One of the youngest of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba's primeras ballerinas, Valdes made an auspicious debut as Kitri in Don Quixote at the age of 19, under the demanding tutelage of [[Alicia Alonso]]. Since then, she's polished all international reputation, partnering with such danseurs as Carlos Acosta, [[Jose Manuel Carreno]], and [[Giuseppe Picone]], and winning enthusiastic critical praise." [http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-112212763.html]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120302175505/http://www.viengsayvaldesdance.com/ Official website]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/world_news_america/8539069.stm State-Sponsored Culture within Modern Day Cuba] - video report by ''[[BBC News]]''


===Video performances===
The Stage wrote: "In Don Quixote the ballerina role of Kitri was outstandingly danced by Viengsay Valdés with thrilling balances."
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K15twr9IWPM As Odile in ''Swan Lake''] (2006) on YouTube
[http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/9282]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcO696t2-7Y As Diana in ''Diana and Acteon''] on YouTube
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub3yUMwbKo8 As Kitri in ''Don Quixote''] (2006) on YouTube
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSRmc2OKOiU As the lead in a Buena Fe music video] (2008) on YouTube


{{Authority control}}
==Awards==


{{DEFAULTSORT:Valdes, Viengsay}}
1993 - First Prize in the National Competition of Dance for the Union of Artists and Writers of Cuba (UNEAC).<br>
[[Category:Prima ballerinas]]
1993 – Gold Medal in the Vignale Festival of Dance, Italy. <br>
[[Category:Cuban ballerinas]]
1994 – Grand Prize in Ballet for the National Competition of Dance, Union of Artists and Writers of Cuba (UNEAC). <br>
[[Category:Cuban ballet dancers]]
1999 – National Medal of Culture from Cuba <br>
[[Category:Dancers from Havana]]
2003 – Ms. Valdes was awarded the Medal "Alejo Carpentier" by the Ministry of Culture of Cuba. <br>
[[Category:Living people]]
2005 - 23 July, Ms.Valdes was awarded the Les Ètoiles de Ballet 2000 prize at the in Palais des Festivals, Cannes. <br>
[[Category:1977 births]]

==Trivia==

'Viengsay' is the Laotian word for Victory.

==External links==
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub3yUMwbKo8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K15twr9IWPM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pCrRarAeWc

Latest revision as of 20:48, 29 June 2024

Viengsay Valdés Herrera
Viengsay Valdés
Valdés in Madrid 2007
Born10 November 1976
Havana, Cuba
EducationAlejo Carpentier Provincial Ballet School,
National Art Schools (Cuba),
Ballet Nacional de Cuba
OccupationBallet dancer
Parent(s)Clara Herrera Rivero,
Roberto Valdés Muñóz

Viengsay Valdés is a Cuban ballerina. Since 2003, Valdés is the Prima ballerina and since 2019 she is the Artistic Director of the National Ballet of Cuba (in Spanish: Ballet Nacional de Cuba).[1]

Valdés developed a reputation as a dancer for her interpretations of the female lead roles in the ballets, Carmen, Giselle, Swan Lake,[2] Blood Wedding, Don Quixote,[2] Romeo and Juliet, The Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Coppélia, La Fille Mal Gardée, and The Nutcracker.[3] She also danced in notable pas de deux from Le Corsaire,[4] Diana and Actaeon, Silvia, and Black Swan (El Cisne Negro).[2]

Early life and education

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Viengsay Valdés Herrera[3] was born in Havana, Cuba in 1976.[5] Valdés and her family moved when she was three months old to Laos, where her father served as the Cuban Ambassador.[6] Her name Viengsay means “victory” in Laotian.[7] At age three, her family moved to the Seychelles. At age six, she moved back to Havana, Cuba, where she continued her education.[7] She has suffered from severe asthma, since her early childhood.[3]

Valdés put her first ballet shoes on at the age of nine,[8] which is when she began her ballet studies at the Alejo Carpentier Provincial Ballet School (Escuela Nacional de Ballet Alejo Carpentier) in Havana.[9] At age 15, she continued her studies at the National Art Schools (Escuela Nacional de Arte or ENA).[10] Ramona de Sáa was her main ballet professors.[10] While she was still a student she won numerous prizes and distinctions.[10]

Legendary ballet director and educator, Alicia Alonso spotted Valdés' talent, and invited her to join the Ballet Nacional de Cuba in 1994, when she was 17 years old.[3][5]

Every year since 1994, Valdés has been a participant in the prestigious International Ballet Festival of Havana.[citation needed] She was named the most outstanding dancer in the XVIII International Festival of Ballet of Havana (October 20–28, 2002).[citation needed]

Principal dancer

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Valdés had a series of fast promotions with the National Ballet of Cuba, in 1995 to Principal Dancer, and in 2001 to Premier Dancer.[5] In the mid-1990s many ballet dancers while on tour were defecting to other countries, this provided more advancement in dance opportunities within the National Ballet of Cuba for dancers, like Valdés that stayed in their home country.[11]

In 2003, Alicia Alonso made Valdés the company's Prima Ballerina Assoluta, the highest position for a dancer in Cuba.[12] From then on, she took the leading roles in all the company's major galas and she has performed and toured internationally.[12]

Valdés ballet partners have include leading figures of world dance such as, Carlos Acosta,[13][14] Leonid Sarafanov, Thiago Soares,[15] Alexei Tyukov, Ivan Vasiliev, Denis Matvienko, Joel Carreño,[14] Ivan Putrov,[16] among others.

In July 2012, she performed in the special Homage Gala dedicated to Alicia Alonso, sharing the stage with The Royal Ballet of London in the Gran Teatro de La Habana.[15] On this occasion, she danced the famous 'Black Swan' pas de deux with the ballet star Thiago Soares, premier dancer from the Royal Ballet.[15]

Dance performances

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Valdes' performances have received outstanding reviews from the world's leading dance critics, including Anna Kisselgoff and Jennifer Dunning of The New York Times, and Lewis Segal of the Los Angeles Times, among others.[2]

Swan Lake

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A few days ago, someone gave me a filmed version of 'Swan Lake', a subject about which I am far from being an expert, but which in the current circumstances constitutes a very agreeable way of forgetting almost all the time. I observed for almost two hours the incredible performance of the greatest interpreter of this ballet in the world: Viengsay Valdes, daughter of a Cuban diplomatic couple, who gave her the name in honor of a region of Laos where they were representing Cuba. One European critic described it as an unrepeatable performance. I think the same. I never conceived of such amazing elegance and flexibility, with perfect precision.

— Fidel Castro, March 2008, [17]

Don Quixote

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At the age of 19, Valdés debut in the role of Kitri in Don Quixote.[18]

"Two exceptional young dancers, Joel Carreño and Viengsay Valdés, led the exuberant version of "Don Quixote" that opened a run by the Ballet Nacional de Cuba on Wednesday, continuing through Sunday at City Center. New York has seen enough of this company over 30 years to do away with facile stereotypes. Alicia Alonso, now 82, was on hand for a standing ovation at the end of the evening, and it is worth remembering that the company is an outgrowth of the troupe she founded in 1948 in Havana with members of American Ballet Theatre, where she was a star. As Kitri, Ms. Valdés can bring the house down with her phenomenal balances on one leg, and she is very much a turner. Yet these are technical feats that are only part of the complete picture she gives. She relates to her partner and everyone onstage, fusing characterization with style and technique. Her Kitri is not a pouting poppet but a strong-minded heroine with a brain whose love for Basil radiates throughout the performance."

— Anna Kisselgoff, The New York Times, 2003, [19]

In September 2006, Valdés and the National Ballet of Cuba performed Don Quixote in London.[20]

She traveled to Washington DC, to work as a guest artist in the 2009–2010 season opening performance for The Washington Ballet, Don Quixote in the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theater. Dancing the lead role of Kitri, this was a new staging of the classic ballet by internationally recognized choreographer Anna-Marie Holmes.[21]

Artistic director

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In January 2019, Valdés was advanced by the Cuban ministry of culture and Alicia Alonso to the role of Deputy Artistic Director of the National Ballet of Cuba.[22][11] In October 2019, after Alonso died at age 99, the Cuban ministry of culture promoted her to the Artistic Director.[1] She is now in charge of all the artistic and technical aspects of National Ballet of Cuba, including the casting, organizing ballet tours, and programming.[1] National Ballet of Cuba's 2020 home ballet performances will be Alonso-focused in commemorations of Alonso's centennial and starting in 2021, Valdés will have full control.[11]

As of May 2019, Valdés intendeds to continue dancing with the troupe.[11]

Choreography

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Valdés in Balance of Ice (2007)
Valdés in Balance of Ice (2007)

In June 2007, Valdes branched out into contemporary dance choreography, working with the British director Sebastian Doggart.[5] They created a performance called Balance of Ice, which combined three elements: a piece of music by Canadian composer Andrew Staniland that was inspired by the sounds of ice sheets calving; a dance performance by Valdes that fragmented her usual balletic virtuosity; and moving images of the polar ice caps and the threats facing them.

Awards and recognition

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  • 1993 - First Prize in the National Competition of Dance for the Union of Artists and Writers of Cuba (UNEAC).
  • 1993 – Gold Medal in the Vignale Festival of Dance, Italy.
  • 1994 – Grand Prize in Ballet for the National Competition of Dance, Union of Artists and Writers of Cuba (UNEAC).
  • 1999 – National Medal of Culture from Cuba
  • 2003 – Valdés was awarded the Medal "Alejo Carpentier" by the Ministry of Culture of Cuba.
  • 2004 - Named one of Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch".
  • 2005 - Awarded the Les Ètoiles de Ballet 2000 prize at the Palais des Festivals, Cannes.

In April 2009, the Union of Artists and Writers of Cuba (UNEAC) awarded her the Dance Prize for outstanding female performance during the 2007–2008 season.

Publications

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  • Tablada Perez, Carlos (2014). De Acero y Nube. Biografía de Viengsay Valdés [Steel and Cloud, Viengsay Valdés Biography]. Cuba: Ruth Casa Editorial. ASIN B01HGG9VNC.[6][23]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Ballerina in Chief: Viengsay Valdés Takes the Reins at Ballet Nacional de Cuba". Dance Magazine. 2019-10-18. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
  2. ^ a b c d Taub, Eric (2004-02-29). "Breathtaking Virtuosity, Unabashedly Itself". DanceView Times, New York edition. Archived from the original on 2004-02-29. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
  3. ^ a b c d "Ballet Nacional de Cuba y Viengsay Valdés, en México con Giselle" [Viengsay Valdés: Today I can say 'I am Giselle']. Milenio.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-12-03.
  4. ^ "Carlos Acosta and the Danza Contemporanea de Cuba Review from Ballet.co". www.ballet.co.uk. 2007-09-20. Archived from the original on 2007-09-20. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
  5. ^ a b c d Craine, Debra; Mackrell, Judith (2010). The Oxford Dictionary of Dance. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. pp. 466. ISBN 9780199563449.
  6. ^ a b Pérez, Carlos Tablada (2014). De acero y nube. Biografía de Viengsay Valdés (fragmento promocional) [Steel and cloud. Biography of Viengsay Valdés (promo snippet)] (in Spanish). Panama: Ruth Casa Editorial. Archived from the original on 2014-02-26. Retrieved 2014-02-19.
  7. ^ a b Willis, Margaret; Martinez, Reny (2009-03-23). "Cuba's Golden Girl". Dance Magazine. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
  8. ^ Roman, Mar (February 25, 2003). "State-funded Cuban ballet company produces world class dancers". CubaNet.org. Archived from the original on 2003-05-01. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  9. ^ Ravsberg, Fernando (2010-10-31). "Viengsay Valdés, la "victoria" del Ballet Nacional de Cuba". BBC News Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2019-12-03.
  10. ^ a b c "Valdés". ballerinagallery.com. 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-01-08. Retrieved 2019-12-02. Viengsay Valdés began her studies at the Alejo Carpentier Provincial Ballet School and finished them at the National School of Arts, both in Havana. Ramona de Sáa was her main ballet professor.
  11. ^ a b c d Seibert, Brian (2019-05-15). "A New Leader, at Last, to Bring Cuban Ballet Into the Future". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
  12. ^ a b "Cuban ballet touching down in O.C." LA Times. 2011-06-10. Retrieved 2019-12-03. Valdés became prima ballerina for the company in 2003
  13. ^ "Plan For Cuban Ballet School A Dance Of Art, Politics". NPR.org. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
  14. ^ a b Dunning, Jennifer (2003-10-12). "DANCE: THIS WEEK; Baseball, Dulce de Leche and Ballet". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
  15. ^ a b c "Viengsay Valdes, Thiago Soares, Dancers of the Royal Ballet of London, Cuba's Viegnsay Valdes, front, and Brazil's Thiago Soares perform "El Cisne Negro"". newshopper.sulekha.com. 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-07-14.
  16. ^ "Viengsay Valdés e Iván Putrov, magistral Lago de los Cisnes a teatro lleno (Fotos)" [Viengsay Valdés and Iván Putrov, masterful Swan Lake to full theater]. cubasi.cu (in Spanish). 2014-11-05. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
  17. ^ Castro Ruz, Fidel (March 3, 2008). "Christians without Bibles". Granma International Digital. Archived from the original on 2008-03-05. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  18. ^ Hunt, Mary Ellen (2004-01-01). "Viengsay Valdes, A Passion for Technique". Dance Magazine. Contra Costa Times. Archived from the original on 2007-12-25.
  19. ^ Kisselgoff, Anna (2003-10-17). "BALLET REVIEW; Latin Passion and Drama Meet Academic Precision". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
  20. ^ Judith Mackrell. "Ballet Nacional de Cuba, Sadler's Wells, London". Arts.guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-01-13.
  21. ^ "TWB Opens it's 09.10 Season with Don Quixote". The Washington Ballet (TWB). 2009-09-23. Archived from the original on 2009-10-22. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  22. ^ "Cuban Prima Viengsay Valdés Named Deputy Artistic Director of Ballet Nacional de Cuba". Pointe. 2019-01-22. Archived from the original on 2019-12-03. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
  23. ^ "Presentan hoy biografía de Viengsay Valdés en Casa del Alba". Trabajadores (in Spanish). 2017-04-21. Retrieved 2019-12-03.
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Video performances

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