Fernando Alonso (17 December 1914 – 27 July 2013) was a Cuban

ballet dancer A ballet dancer ( it, ballerina fem.; ''ballerino'' masc.) is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet; however, dancers have a strict hierarchy and strict gender roles. They rely on yea ...

. He is a co-founder of the

Cuban National Ballet The Cuban National Ballet ( es, Ballet Nacional de Cuba) is a classical ballet company based at Great Theatre of Havana in Havana, Cuba, founded by the Cuban prima ballerina assoluta, Alicia Alonso in 1948. The official school of the company is ...

and was part of the

American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant, it is recognized as one of the world's leading classical ballet companies. Through 2019, it had an annual ei ...

company between 1940 until 1948.

Biography

Born as Fernando Juan Evangelista Eugenio de Jesús Alonso Rayneri in

Havana, Cuba Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

in 1914 to Matías Alonso Reverón and Laura Rayneri Piedra. His father worked as an accountant and his mother worked at a local cultural institution, Sociedad Pro-Arte Musical, within their household the arts were valued. By 1929, at age 15 both Fernando and his younger brother Alberto were sent to

Mobile Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile ( ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

in the United States, due to the country's political instability. He returned to Cuba in 1935 at the age of 21, and began his dancing career that year by enrolling in dance classes. In 1937 he married Alicia Martínez del Hoyo, a teenage ballet dancer. The new couple and Alonso's brother moved to New York City, hoping to begin their professional careers in the United States. In 1938, their child Laura was born. He and Alicia joined the

in 1940, where they remained until 1948. They returned to Havana and were part of a group called the ''Alicia Alonso Ballet Company,'' where his wife co-founded her own company with him. It later became the

Ballet Nacional de Cuba The Cuban National Ballet ( es, Ballet Nacional de Cuba) is a classical ballet company based at Great Theatre of Havana in Havana, Cuba, founded by the Cuban prima ballerina assoluta, Alicia Alonso in 1948. The official school of the company is ...

. He separated from Alicia in 1974. In 1975, after he and Alicia divorced. He took control of the Ballet de Camagüey in the city of

Camagüey Camagüey () is a city and municipality in central Cuba and is the nation's third-largest city with more than 321,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Camagüey Province. It was founded as Santa María del Puerto del Príncipe in 1514, by S ...

, where he remained until 1992. In 2000, he was awarded Cuba's National Dance Prize for lifetime achievement. On 27 July 2013, Cuba's state television announced his death at the age of 98. No cause was specified, however his daughter Laura reported it was due to

kidney failure Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as eit ...

References

1914 births 2013 deaths Cuban male ballet dancers Prix Benois de la Danse winners Cuban National Ballet dancers People from Havana {{ballet-bio-stub

Biography

See also

References