Prima Ballerina Viengsay Valdés : Gran Teatro de La Habana
For many reason photographing ballet especially the extraordinary Viengsay Valdés, prima ballerina and now director of the Cuban National Ballet has been one of the most joyful and inspiring experiences of my life. The music, the colors, the costumes, the movement and the expressive beauty of the human form all come together in a kind of magic that speaks directly to my spirit.
When I returned to Havana to photograph Swan Lake, performed by Viengsay Valdés and Patricio Revé, it felt like coming full circle. The performance was more than just another production, it was a luminous expression of everything I had come to love about ballet, music and about Cuba itself.
I had remarkable access, in front of the curtain, behind it, in the wings, the dressing rooms, during rehearsals and in those quiet, focused moments of preparation that often go unseen. I wasn’t just photographing a show, I was immersed in an intimate world. Everything I witnessed, the discipline, the artistry, the sheer physical poetry moved me deeply.
The company performs at the Gran Teatro de La Habana, a cultural gem in the heart of the city. Ornate and historic, it’s a place where marble staircases, stained glass and elegance frame the brilliance of human movement. The grandeur of the theater and the layered history of Havana offered the perfect backdrop, not just for the performance, but for the photographs themselves.
When the curtain rose on Swan Lake, the air inside the theater was electric. Viengsay as Odette appeared, fragile, trembling, impossibly expressive. Revé met her movement with power and grace, his partnering both bold and tender. Together they told a story that needed no words.
I wasn’t merely documenting a ballet. I was capturing a moment of transcendent beauty of artistry honed over decades, of Cuban soul rendered in music and motion.
My connection with Cuba began more than twenty years ago on a National Geographic trip. It was then I met Daniel and Alina Torres, who became dear friends. Daniel, a Dean at the University of Fine Arts and Alina a scholar of archaeology and anthropology, helped open the doors to a deeper understanding of Cuban life and culture. We shared unforgettable moments, from the Rolling Stones concert that brought half a million into the streets, to the quiet mourning that swept Havana after Fidel Castro’s death. But none of it touched me quite like being invited into the world of Viengsay and the ballet.
That invitation was a gift. With the trust of the company and freedom to observe, absorb and create, I was able to photograph from the heart. Every frame I captured reflects not only admiration for Viengsay, Patricio and the other dancers, but a profound love for the enduring spirit of Cuba.
Viengsay, with love.
