A Dancing David: Cuban Performers in Europe after 1959

Scholars of the Cold War have long noted Cuba’s considerable influence on international affairs after Fidel Castro and his 26^th of July Movement took power in the 1959 Cuban Revolution. They detail how Cuba, despite its relatively small geographic size and minimal economic resources, defiantly sent military missions to Latin America and Africa and loudly denounced U.S. imperialism. However, Cuba was not just an aggressive David fighting Goliath as so often emphasized, but also a dancing David, providing choreography and instruction to friends and foes alike.

This paper examines how Cuban dance makers—particularly ballet choreographers, performers, and teachers—collaborated as equals with counterparts in more powerful European countries with different ideological leanings after 1959. These collaborations built on networks forged in the decades before 1959, when Cuban ballet dancers spent months and years performing and teaching in Western Europe, New York, and the Soviet Union. After Castro came to power, Cuban ballet dancers activated these connections. They participated in international dance festivals, staged Cuban choreography on European companies, and taught Cuban ballet methods across the continent. For Cubans, these contracts attested to their ballet achievements. They also generated much needed hard currency for the Castro regime. Moreover, exchanges challenged geopolitical divides. As one Cuban diplomat noted, even in a polarized world, all parties seemed to agree that Cuban ballet dancers had much to offer.