Vicente Balbino Nebreda Arias (Caracas, Venezuela, March 31, 1920 – ibid, May 26, 2002) was a choreographer and dancer who was considered a Venezuelan pioneer for dance during the 1940s. He was part of the Cátedra de Ballet del Liceo Andrés Bello, the first attempt at a formal dance school in the country. Later on, he danced with Ballet Nacional de Venezuela, the first long term professional company. Nebrada was also one of the first Venezuelan dancers to have an international career, he worked with

Roland Petit Roland Petit (13 January 192410 July 2011) was a French ballet company director, choreographer and dancer. He trained at the Paris Opera Ballet school, and became well known for his creative ballets. Life and work The son of shoe designer Ros ...

’s company in France, the

Joffrey Ballet The Joffrey Ballet is one of the premier dance companies and training institutions in the world today. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the Joffrey regularly performs classical and contemporary ballets during its annual performance season at Lyric O ...

, the

Harkness Ballet The Harkness Ballet (1964–1975) was a New York ballet company named after its founder Rebekah Harkness. Harkness inherited her husband's fortune in Standard Oil holdings, and was a dance lover. Harkness funded Joffrey Ballet, but when they re ...

in the United States, and

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 ...

. His extensive career as a choreographer began in 1958, when he began his professional career, and ended with the creation of his version of The Nutcracker in 1996. He created 61 original choreographies and adaptations of universally classic repertoires for diverse companies all over the world. In 1975 Nebrada helped found the International Ballet of Caracas and became their artistic director and resident choreographer in 1977. In 1984 he became the artistic director of the National Ballet of Caracas where he remained until his death due to

leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ' ...

in 2002. His dances have been performed by

Ballet Hispanico Ballet Hispánico is an American dance company based in Manhattan, New York. It was founded by the Puerto Rican-Mexican-American dancer and choreographer Tina Ramirez in 1970 and presents dances reflecting the experience of Hispanic and Latino ...

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 ...

of Chicago,

National Ballet of Canada The National Ballet of Canada is a Canadian ballet company that was founded in 1951 in Toronto, Ontario, with Celia Franca as the first artistic director. A company of 70 dancers with its own orchestra, the National Ballet has been led since 2022 ...

, Berlin Opera Ballet,

English National Ballet English National Ballet is a classical ballet company founded by Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin as London Festival Ballet and based in London, England. Along with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Northern Ballet and Scottish ...

Australian Ballet The Australian Ballet is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was founded by J. C. Williamson's, J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1962, with the English-born dancer, teache ...

and the

Universal Ballet The Universal Ballet was founded in Seoul, South Korea in 1984. One of only five professional ballet companies in South Korea, the company performs a repertory that includes many full length classical story ballets, together with shorter contempora ...

of Korea.

A distinctive style

His style is undeniably Neoclassical. His duets or

pas de deux In ballet, a pas de deux (French language, French, literally "step of two") is a dance duet in which two dancers, typically a male and a female, perform ballet steps together. The pas de deux is characteristic of classical ballet and can be fo ...

are known for their plasticity, expressiveness and intricate lifts. His partnering style shows a great deal of upper-body freedom while the ballerina moves on and off-balance. His spatial designs are symmetrical, harmonious and often organic, with dancers moving across the stage, while lending a visceral sense of ownership to his dances. Many of his narrative ballets are filled with colors and dramatic effervescence. This approach is inherent to Latin American idiosyncrasy, and his existence is perhaps a residue from the classic ballets of the romantic era. Some of his best known narrative ballets or classical adaptations are ''The Nutcracker'', ''Romeo and Juliet'', ''FireBird'', ''Don Quijote'', ''Copelia'', ''Cinderella'', ''Inés de Castro'', ''Van Gogh'', and ''George Sand. He also imprinted his signature style to many abstract or non-narrative ballets. Some of them present some scenes based on stories or imagery, but they are still considered non-narrative as they do not follow a plot or a script. Examples include ''Our Waltzes'', ''Lento a Tempo e Apassionato'', ''La luna y Los híjos que tenía'', ''Una Danza para ti'', ''A Haendel's Celebration'', ''Pentimento'', ''Double Colchea'' and ''Fever'', among others. Allan Ulricht, writer of the Dance examiner for the ''San Francisco Chronicle'', said: "…'Fever' is clearly an export ballet…" "…The choreography is structured like a classical diversion and Nebrada affirms the women's communal purpose with repeated circular forays. Some of the women struggle, others yield and one is raised aloft like the spirit of feminism triumphant. Thanks to the eight fearless dancers, the effect was intensely visceral. As La Lupe kept singing, 'Adios, adios, adios', I wanted to shout, 'Bienvenido, bienvenido, bienvenido…' (1995)

International career

Cuba

In 1952 he received an invitation from Alicia Alonsato join her dance company 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.

. After almost a year of work, he injured his knee and decided to return to Venezuela in 1953 in order to recover. After his recovery he joined the recently created company, . With this company he adapted and interpreted ballets from classic repertoire and began to create choreographies; his adapted pieces of ''

Les Sylphides ''Les Sylphides'' () is a short, non-narrative ''ballet blanc'' to piano music by Frédéric Chopin, selected and orchestrated by Alexander Glazunov. The ballet, described as a "romantic reverie","Ballet Theater", until 1955. A compact disk ...

'', Aurora Wedding (act III), and an original work: Concerto in Warsaw, are from this time. On November 15, 1953 the television station

Radio Caracas Televisión Radio Caracas Televisión (RCTV) was a Venezuelan free-to-air television network headquartered in the Caracas neighborhood of Quinta Crespo. It was sometimes referred to as the Canal de Bárcenas. Owned by Empresas 1BC, Radio Caracas Televisió ...

was founded and on the 16 broadcasts began, Ballet Nena Coranil was part of the first broadcast with Vicente’s adaptation of the ballet ''Les Sylphides'', where he performed the principal role with

Irma Contreras Irma Contreras (born 1928) is a former dancer, choreographer, and ballet teacher. She is part of the 1940s generation of Venezuelan dancers. She created and founded the National Ballet of Venezuela with her sister . Career Contreras began h ...

and Graciela Henríquez. He also was part of the first professional show that the company performed in

Teatro Municipal of Caracas The Teatro Municipal of Caracas is an opera house in Venezuela. It was inaugurated by President Guzmán Blanco in 1881. The theatre was initially named after the president. Construction The building was designed by Esteban Ricard, a French arc ...

France

After two years of work with the Nena Coronil company, Nebrada along with his inseparable friends of the time, Irma Contreras and Graciela Henríquez, realized that to continue their professional careers they should travel outside of the country. It was then that Irma Contreras, using her close contacts to

Marcos Pérez Jiménez Marcos Evangelista Pérez Jiménez (25 April 1914 – 20 September 2001) was a Venezuelan military and general officer of the Army of Venezuela and the dictator of Venezuela from 1950 to 1958, ruling as member of the military junta from 195 ...

,got an appointment with him and asked for a scholarship for the three to study outside of the country. Pérez Jiménez granted them the scholarships and paid their airfares. In 1955 they resigned from Ballet Nena Coronil and traveled to France, funded by the Venezuelan government, and settled in Paris. Ballet Nena Coronil closed shortly after this. A main factor of the closure was that , Irma’s sister, left the company and started a new ballet school, and , opening its doors to the prior students and dancers from Nena Coronil. The same year Vicente joined Roland Petit’s company, in Paris. In addition to dancing he created two small pieces for the company, Pas de Deux and Dance of the Adolescents. A year later he moved to the company Las Estrellas de Montecarlo. Little more than a catalog or program is known about his involvement in this company. In 1957 he returned to Venezuela with Irma Contreras, who joined Ballet Nacional de Venezuela together with her sister, Margot. Vicente worked in the new company as a soloist and choreographer. He created two works for this company, Fifth Symphony with

Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...

’s music and The Waltz with

Maurice Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composers rejected the term. In ...

’s music.

United States

Determined to continue his international career and seeing The United States as his goal, he auditioned for the

in 1958. This company was funded by billionaire

Rebekah Harkness Rebekah West Harkness (née Semple West; April 17, 1915June 17, 1982) also known as Betty Harkness, was an American composer, socialite, sculptor, dance patron, and philanthropist who founded the Harkness Ballet. In 1947, she married William Hale ...

who inherited her husband’s fortune, he owned shares in the holdings of

Standard Oil Standard Oil Company, Inc., was an American oil production, transportation, refining, and marketing company that operated from 1870 to 1911. At its height, Standard Oil was the largest petroleum company in the world, and its success made its co-f ...

and, thanks to her investment, the Joffrey company paid the dancers, hired choreographers, and performed shows and tours. Rebekah called for more participation in the artistic decision making and for the company to be named in Harkness’ honor. Robert Joffrey, who was the director and founder of the company, did not accept Rebekah’s demands and the Harkess Foundation withdrew its sponsorship. Then in 1964 Rebekah founded Harkness Ballet, and hired many of the dancers who formed Joffrey Ballet, including Vicente. The

had its premiere outside of the United States in 1965, in

Cannes Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions I ...

,with George Skibine as director and a repertoire composed of works by

Alvin Ailey Alvin Ailey Jr. (January 5, 1931 – December 1, 1989) was an American dancer, director, choreographer, and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT). He created AAADT and its affiliated Alvin Ailey American Dance Cente ...

, George Skibine,

Erik Bruhn Erik Belton Evers Bruhn (3 October 1928 – 1 April 1986) was a Danish danseur, choreographer, artistic director, actor, and author. Early life Erik Bruhn was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, the fourth child and first son of Ellen (née Evers), o ...

, Brian Macdonald, and Stuart Hodes. The company’s work was initially overseas and they were immediately successful. In 1967, tired of dance, with an injured body, and feeling like he was at the age of retirement, he decided to speak with Rebekah and asked her for the opportunity to begin his career as a choreographer and for a smooth transition. Rebekah accepted his proposal and allowed him to begin his choreographic work with the junior company. Vicente started to create the work Caín that was revised and evaluated in the studios by the company’s direction, which earned him the opportunity to continue working in the choreographic realm. Thanks to this opportunity in 1969 he created, what would be his first international success, Percussion for Six Men with the music of Lee Gurst. This piece was presented in 1969 and immediately became part of the company’s professional repertoire, which it took to a festival in Germany, receiving great reviews from the judges. This success definitely opened the doors for Harkness Ballet to dedicate itself to choreography and stop interpretation. He retired as a dancer in 1970, at 40 years old. He created a total of 8 pieces for the company: Percussion for six men, Schubert Variations, Percussion for Six Women, Geminis, Moonlight, Sebastian, and Shadows and Memories. Being in the company he established his relationship with the dancer Zane Wilson, who would become his good companion and dedicated assistant for more than 30 years and who would accompany and support him in all of his companies. The company dissolved in 1975 and many of the dancers were incorporated into different companies around the world, among these Ballet Internacional de Caracas, under the artistic direction of Vicente Nebrada and Zhandra Rodríguez.

Legacy

Nebrada's extensive body of work brought a sense of distinctiveness and relevance to Venezuela's cultural heritage. His choreographies continue to be performed around the world as they emerged during a particularly prosper era of Neoclassical ballet in the 20th century. He sought after dancers with both expressivity and technical abilities, and most of his male dancers also needed to be skilled partners. His choreographic style gave an identity to the National Ballet of Caracas, which became the resident ballet company of the Teresa Carreño Cultural complex in 1984. Despite frequent interruptions due to government cuts, the company's funding is subsidized mostly by the Venezuelan government. As with many other companies in the world, the National Ballet of Caracas continue to struggle to maintain its season, pay its dancers and remain viable.

Awards

Nebrada has been the recipient of numerous awards. Among them: *1976: Fokine Award, for the choreography Shadows awarded by the Dance University in Paris *1984: CONAC Award of Classic Dance, awarded by the National Cultural Council. Venezuela. *1986: Diego de Lozada award in its first class, awarded by the Venezuelan government. Venezuela *1991: National Artist Award: For his choreography “Swan Lake", awarded by Fundación Casa del Artista. Venezuela. *1991: National Artist Award: as choreographer of the year, awarded by Fundación Casa del Artista. Venezuela. *1992: National Dance Award, awarded for the first time in Venezuela. *1992: National Artist Award: as choreographer of the year, awarded by Fundación Casa del Artista. Venezuela *1993: Andres Bello Order in its First Class. Venezuela *1995: The Official Order of Simon Bolivar, celebrating 50 years of Artistic Achievements. Venezuela *1995: Municipality of Dance, awarded by local el libertador’s Council. Caracas, Venezuela. *1996: National Artist Award: as choreographer of the year, awarded by Fundación Casa del Artista. Venezuela. *2001: Monseñor Pellín Award in its XII edition: for The Nutcracker as best choreography for children. VenezuelaLobo, Belen. ''Nebreda-Nebrada''. Printed by Editorial Arte in Caracas-Vzla., 1996

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nebrada, Vicente People from Caracas Ballet choreographers Venezuelan male ballet dancers 1930 births 2002 deaths Death in Caracas Venezuelan choreographers