" The Director of the Cuban National Ballet, Prima Ballerina Assoluta Alicia Alonso, will travel to Santo Domingo next month as part of a special performance for the festivities marking the third period of President Leonel Fernandez.," the DT reports.

Prima Ballerina Assoluta Alicia Alonso is one of the world's supreme artists. Not just good or great, but supreme. Her performances in Giselle and Carmen were above human. They are forever divine.

Her only equal as an artist in LA/C is Gabriel García Márquez.

"Since its first visit to the country, back in 1976, this will be the sixth time that the Cuban National Ballet performs in the Dominican Republic," DT reports.

The Cuban National Ballet boasts what many dance critics consider the world's greatest performing dancer in the amazing Viengsay Valdes.

Hopefully, Viengsay Valdes will perform in August in Santo Domingo.

When the Cuban Ballet dances perhaps the artists see the glorious and heroic FARC who are and will win a final victory over the the foul and vile US imperialists and their quislings in the current death squad regime in Bogota.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTRJgS-1WIY&NR=1

Arise, you prisoners of starvation!
Arise, you wretched of the earth!
For justice thunders condemnation:
A better world's in birth!

No more tradition's chains shall bind us,
Arise you slaves, no more in thrall!
The earth shall rise on new foundations:
We have been nought, we shall be all!

'Tis the final conflict,
Let each stand in his place.
The international soviet
Shall be the human race

'Tis the final conflict,
Let each stand in his place.
The international working class
Shall be the human race

Hope the Sarabia brothers were still in the Cuban Ballet. Such promising fugures... Rolando Sarabia, the Cuban Nijinsky.

With Cuba slow to change, defections rise

The defections of artists and athletes from Cuba have become more prevalent since the power shift on the island

Ballet dancers. Boxers. This week, soccer players.

A flurry of young athletes and artists from Cuba has sought asylum in the United States since an ailing Fidel Castro ceded power 20 months ago -- slipping away from minders, leaving behind families and striking out for new lives across the Florida Straits.

While high-profile defectors from Cuba have systematically wound up in the United States in the five decades since Castro's rise to power, the most recent wave arrives against the backdrop of his departure from the political stage.

Seven Cuban soccer players defected in Tampa this week -- all members of the under-23 national team -- slipping away from the team's hotel. Five players managed to sneak away Tuesday on the heels of a surprising 1-1 tie with the United States in an Olympic qualifying match. Two more bolted on Wednesday and said they planned to join their teammates and fellow defectors in Lake Worth -- eventually, they hope, signing on with a professional soccer league, either in the United States or elsewhere.

The notable defections also mirror a larger trend: Overall migration from Cuba has been on the rise since Castro initially turned over power to his younger brother in July 2006.

Last year, 3,197 Cuban migrants were intercepted at sea -- the highest number in a single year since the 1994 rafter crisis, when 37,191 Cubans were interdicted.

Experts say Raúl Castro's ascent to power has sparked widespread expectations for change -- and that impatience for reform may be among the reasons behind the recent defection

That frustration can span both philosophical and practical concerns, said Issac Delgado, a celebrated Cuban salsa singer who defected in November 2006.

He cited a sense of disillusionment among artists, but also an inability to travel freely outside the island to perform and a lack of access to the Internet -- a necessary creative outlet in an increasingly digital marketplace -- as especially galling.

"A flurry of young athletes and artists from Cuba has sought asylum in the United States since an ailing Fidel Castro ceded power 20 months ago -- slipping away from minders, leaving behind families and striking out for new lives across the Florida Straits" GC propagandizes.

oooo

GC, since you are so fond of Marielitoes , why don't you get your slimy Stephen Harper or your filthy George Bush or somebody where ever you're from .... at any given moment ... to take Marielitoes.

Since you're scum and they're scum the union between the two of you should be raptuous.

The Cuban Ballet is so rich in artists and talent, perhaps Viengsay Valdes will not dance in Santo Domingo in August.

She is in great demand in the Europe and Asia [where her father, the former Cuban ambassador to Laos, served for a number of years.]

In the capitalist world, Carlos Acosta ... not Viengsay Valdes ... is the star of Cuban dance.

Carlos danced for the Houston Ballet for a number of years but he had the habit of frequently returning to Cuba and appearing of Cuba TV, even though slime and scum, like GC, call Acosta a "defector."

Bush tried to censor Acosta's activities, so, Acosta took a position as the principal at the London Ballet which, surprisingly, encourages the cooperation between Acosta and the Cuban dance world.

But Viengsay Valdes is really the sensation in Cuban dance.

Fernando Bujones
ballet dancer
Born: : March 9, 1955
Birthplace: Miami, Florida

One of the world's greatest male ballet dancers, Fernando Bujones was born in Miami, Florida. His early ballet training began at age eight at the school of the famous Cuban ballerina Alicia Alonso in Havana. Later, he received a scholarship to George Balanchine's School of American Ballet in New York. Bujones joined the American Ballet Theatre, one of the world's preeminent dance companies, in 1972. By the following year he became a soloist, and in 1974 a Principal Dancer—at 18, he was one of the youngest principal dancers in the world. He appeared as a guest artist with various major ballet companies, including the Boston Ballet, Royal Ballet

this was a great dancer and a great Cuban American who did not have to defect

Long live the revolutionary alliance of the world's greatest artists Gabriel García Márquez. and Alicia Alonso and our brothers and sisters of FARC, the greatest fighters for justice and liberty.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTRJgS-1WIY&NR=1

FARC=curtains

"One of the world's greatest male ballet dancers, Fernando Bujones was born in Miami, Florida. His early ballet training began at age eight at the school of the famous Cuban ballerina Alicia Alonso in Havana. Later, he received a scholarship to George Balanchine's School of American Ballet in New York. Bujones joined the American Ballet Theatre, one of the world's preeminent dance companies, in 1972. By the following year he became a soloist, and in 1974 a Principal Dancer—at 18, he was one of the youngest principal dancers in the world. He appeared as a guest artist with various major ballet companies, including the Boston Ballet, Royal Ballet"

oooo

Among male dancers, there is today quite a battle involving Argentines, Brazilians, Russsians, Cubans, and, surprisingly, UKs.

The Cuban males are good, but the Argentines are something else.

But nobody even comes close to Viengsay Valdes in either gender.

You guys are arguing over which country makes the better male ballet dancers?

How Gay is that?

BTW Gabby Marquez makes Stephen King look like Shakespere.

Gabby Marquez is he related to Gabby Hayes ?

Cuba has the reputation of being a bit of a mystery team at the IBAF World Junior AAA Championships, but the team is doing its best to drop that reputation.

According to Cuban officials, Cuba has lost over 200 players in the past five years when it travels to international tournaments.

Cuba has had a tendency of putting a cloud of secrecy around its players, but one of baseball's biggest powers is trying to change its ways.



Every year a handful of Cuba's best players leave the country, often lured by the prospect of freedom and multi-million dollar contracts in North America.

"It's happened in every aspect of our sport," said Cuban baseball director Tony Castello, through an interpreter.

"We do our best to stop our players from defecting, because it takes its toll on our program. What we've been trying to do is have an A and B team.

"If for some reason the A player has an injury or runs away, they will bring in the other guy."

The last time Edmonton hosted this tournament in 2000, three Cubans defected, including Seattle Mariners shortstop Yunieky Betancourt. Other notable major leaguers to defect from Cuba are Chicago White Sox ace Jose Contreas in 2002, and Minnesota Twins pitcher Livan Hernandez.

Star Cuban boxers Yan Barthelemy, Yuriorkis Gamboa and Odlanier Solis defected while their team visited Venezuela in December 2006.

Baseball player Alexei Ramirez defected in September 2007 and signed with the Chicago White Sox.

In December alone, defectors included three top dancers from the Cuban National Ballet, four members of the Cuban National Circus, six members of the musical group Los Tres de La Habana and seven young members of the Spanish Ballet of Cuba -- who defected during an arts festival in Mexico, with several winding up in Miami.

That same month brought the defection of famed TV personality Carlos Otero, who quickly found work in Miami hosting a comedy and musical show on AméricaTeVe Channel 41 titled Pellízcame que Estoy Soñando.

In Cuba, people in the arts, medicine, the professions, sports are tired of waiting for change that never comes,'' said Otero, who defected while in Canada. He came up with the show's name while driving on Interstate 95 after arriving, when he asked his wife to pinch him because he felt he was in a dream now living in the United States.

''There is widespread expectation for change,'' Otero added. "But people see that Cuba is suspended in time since Fidel fell ill.''

High-profile defections from Cuba are, of course, nothing new. Baseball players like Orlando ''El Duque'' Hernandez, musicians such as singer Albita Rodríguez and dancers, among them ballerinas Lorena Feijoo and Joan Boada, have left Cuba over the years seeking freedom and lucrative careers.

Taras Domitro, one of the three leading dancers who defected from the Cuban National Ballet in December, said dancers have been leaving Cuba for as long as he can remember.

''A lot of dancers have left, on all levels,'' Domitro said from his mother's home in Pompano Beach, where he's living as he waits for his work permit so he can start a job with the San Francisco Ballet. "It's been happening all my life.''

But while contemplating a defection may be commonplace, discussing it remains strictly taboo, he said.

''We never talked about it in the company,'' he said. "Those are things you can't say. To talk about abandoning the country -- that's not OK.''

defections defections defections defections defections defections defections defections defections defections= FREEDOM

"defections defections defections defections defections defections defections defections defections defections= FREEDOM"

oooo

Just because Carlos Acosta is the lead dancer at the London Ballet doesn't mean he's a defector.

He has a nice home in Cuba.

If Obama wins, a lot of Cuban Americans say they will do the same thing, spitting on the stupid opinions of narrowminded people like GC.

Dont hold your breath for that amigito even if the partially white guy wins

''A lot of dancers have left, on all levels,'' Domitro said from his mother's home in Pompano Beach, where he's living as he waits for his work permit so he can start a job with the San Francisco Ballet. "It's been happening all my life.''

oooo

They have to say these things or else the Cuban American lunatics and Miami mafia will throw bomb into their homes, steal their children [like Elian], framed them in a US court [like the Cuban
Five], or plant a bomb in their car.

The Miami mafia can't wait for the election of Obama because it believes its loot is no longer secure in the DR and Panama. I don't think the Cubans want anything to do with the loot the Cuban Americans get from selling dope, people and medicare fraud.

"In Cuba, people in the arts, medicine, the professions, sports are tired of waiting for change that never comes,'' said Otero, who defected while in Canada. He came up with the show's name while driving on Interstate 95 after arriving, when he asked his wife to pinch him because he felt he was in a dream now living in the United States."

oooo

Perhaps, Bush will ask him to participate in the massacre or butchery of 2,000,000 Iraqi citizens whom Bush tells lies on about WMDs and 9/11.

"Baseball player Alexei Ramirez defected in September 2007 and signed with the Chicago White Sox."

oooo

The possibility of a juicy million dollar major league contract is tempting. Nobody should assume that runaways are on the low moral and ideological level of US reactionaries simply because some runaways crave money.

After all, nobody assumes that Mexican who swims across the river and climbs the wall is moral or ideological degenerate simply because he longs for a higher standard of living available in the USA, a rich capitalist country.

The same can be said of Dominicans who enter PR without papers.

You better start learning Korean belial .....It is coming to and end...Hugo and raul better start looking for a country that will take them in

"BTW Gabby Marquez makes Stephen King look like Shakespere."

oooo

With art, different folks, different strokes.

Thank God, Gabriel García Márquez can find something more interesting to write about than devils.

Given King's national, cultural, and social origin, we understand his obsession with devils. He write very well about devils however.

"Defect ... to leave one situation (as a job) often to go over to a rival"
http://reference.aol.com/dictiona....o&startindex=1&detail=yes



Every year about 60,000 US citizens give Bush the finger and defect to Cuba or go there illegally.

The number of Cubans who come without paper is nothing compared to the number of US defectors to Cuba.

Cuba allows to US defectors to return to the USA if they want to.

But USA throws Cuba defectors into US prisons for up to 10 years and fines them up to $250,000 if the US catches them retuning to Cuba.

Obama however promises to change the rules and let Cuban Americans and Cuban residents in the USA return to Cuba without the threat of prison sentences, torture, and fines.

"Defect is hardly the word . more like curiosity seekers," GC opines.

A 10 year US prison sentence, torture, and $250,000 fine is a high price to pay for seeking curiosity.

Gabby Marquez is he related to Gabby Hayes ? defect is hardly the word . more like curiosity seekers

The lying US imperialists and their allies say Cuba is their rival.

And, they say, the travel of US citizens and residents to Cuba economically helps this alleged rival of the US imperialists.

If an illegal trip to Cuba is not a defection, why throw US citizens and residents in prison where they are sure to be tortured for merely going to Cuba?

Going to Cuba in most cases is not only a defection, but also a felony for US citizens and residents.

When 60,000 USAs sneak in and out of Cuba every year, they give Bush and his filthy GOPs the finger.

The big finger!

It's a kind of statement, like "You sticking GOP, go to Hell."

Dance lovers all over the world flock to Cuba by the thousands for the annual dance festivals and competitions and not just the festivals in Havana.

They want to see the best in the world, not that trash called "dancin' with the stars" which is all the craze in the USA.

Did you see Marie Osmand when she fell, trying to make a turn on the dance floor?

I saw a bunch of fools doing something ... you can't call it dance ... behind Britney Smears and Shakira.

They all should be medicated.

Perhaps it's the bourgeois ideology in them that drives them lunatic.

Bourgeois artists in the USA are trying to develop a whole new concept in dance.

They go out on the stage and kick each other.

The bourgies will bury you

"The bourgies will bury you"
We already are!

belials theme song...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wS6m7nw-RFc&feature=related