(Ballet) Building Imaginary Castles in the Air

Grettel Morejón dances like an angel, works like a demon and talks with charismatic clarity, it is an utterly bewitching combination. Gabriel Davalos builds the imaginary castles in the sky outside of the ballet theatre for her and several other dancers from Cuba’s premier ballet company who conspire to show that ballet can be beautiful, brilliant and universal – not just an elitist activity in the refined atmosphere of the Gran Theatre of Havana, but along the Malecon, in Parque Almendares, on the railroad tracks and in run down corners of Havana you have never heard of. Gabriel’s images are breath-taking, spectacular. One day last month we went with him and Grettel to see how they did it. What we realized amongst the mosquitoes and the dirt and the random passersby was that this body of work, which has grown and flourished out of talent, dedication and friendship is even more impressive than it first appears…