Cuba’s cherished ballet tradition endures through daily blackouts and
shortages
[September 29, 2026]
By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ
HAVANA (AP) — For months, two-thirds of Cuba had no electricity at
night. Some neighborhoods in the capital of Havana have been without
running water for more than two weeks. Transportation is scarce and
eggs, bread and cooking oil are hard to find.
Yet every morning, about 178 young students gather for classes at the
National Ballet School in the capital. Housed in an imposing Art Nouveau
building in the heart of Old Havana, the school combines rigorous dance
training with academic classes in math, Spanish, history and science.
Training to become a top-tier classical dancer demands discipline and
sacrifice anywhere. In Cuba today, where blackouts and shortages of
fuel, water and food complicate daily life, those demands extend far
beyond the dance studio.
For 14-year-old Roxana Pérez de La Mora, that means waking up before
dawn and traveling about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from her home to the
school.
“Sometimes I tell my mom I don’t feel like going, but missing it could
cause problems for me later in training,” she said. “I’ve always said
that my dream is to be a prima ballerina.”
Ballet remains a source of pride for troubled island
Despite Cuba’s ongoing crises, classical ballet remains a celebrated
part of the country’s culture, nearly as popular on the island as
baseball. Over the decades, Cuba has produced internationally renowned
dancers and choreographers whose careers are closely followed by a
knowledgeable ballet audience.
The Cuban National Ballet, founded in the 1940s by revered ballerina
Alicia Alonso and her husband Fernando Alonso, is considered one of the
world’s most prestigious companies. Tickets cost less than $1, while
comparable performances elsewhere can cost as much as $300.
For its season-ending gala in August, the company presented “Canto
Vital,” a work by Russian choreographer Azari Plisetski to music by
Gustav Mahler. The performance starred Dani Hernández, a principal
dancer who also directs the National Ballet School, where Roxana trains
each day.
Fuel shortages had left the streets nearly empty that night, but the
Avellaneda Hall at the National Theatre of Cuba was packed with
elegantly dressed patrons, their hair and makeup styled for the
occasion. The audience gave a standing ovation, shouting “Bravo!”
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Ballet student Roxana Perez de la Mora, center, attends National
Ballet School in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP
Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
 The combination of demanding
leadership at the National Ballet and rigorous training at a public
school has helped produce dozens of prominent dancers. Some have
gone on to become principals at leading companies including the
Paris Opera Ballet, the Royal Ballet in London and American Ballet
Theatre in New York.
Crisis tests resolve of aspiring dancers and seasoned
professionals
Hernández, the professional dancer and teacher, rides an electric
motorcycle every day from his apartment in Havana to ballet class,
which is a risky commute for someone whose career depends on
avoiding injury.
During recent persistent blackouts, heat and mosquitoes forced
Hernández, 37, to sleep on the terrace of his apartment building.
“Whether I have electricity or not, I have to be in the studio,” he
said. “But I keep thinking: Will the food in my refrigerator spoil?”
Hernández expressed his worry about how the country's mounting
crises could affect future generations of dancers.
“The entire situation we’re experiencing today could affect a
generation of students training in ballet, dance, music, the visual
arts,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press. “And it’s
been the same for all other fields: engineering, medicine,
education, everything else.”
Yet classical ballet remains a source of national pride while
maintaining its internationally recognized standards, an endurance
that is reflected in the discipline's broad appeal across Cuban
society.
“It’s one of those things where you go out on the street and say,
‘Hey, I saw the ballet,’ and everyone starts talking to you about
ballet,” he said.
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