Fernando Alonso (dancer) facts for kids

Fernando Alonso (born December 17, 1914 – died July 27, 2013) was a famous ballet dancer from Cuba. He helped start the Cuban National Ballet. He also danced with the American Ballet Theatre from 1940 to 1948. In 2008, he won the Prix Benois de la Danse for his amazing work in ballet.

Fernando Alonso's Life and Career

Fernando Alonso was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1914. His full name was Fernando Juan Evangelista Eugenio de Jesús Alonso Rayneri. His father was an accountant, and his mother worked at a cultural place called Sociedad Pro-Arte Musical. Art was very important in their family home.

In 1929, when Fernando was 15, he and his younger brother Alberto moved to Mobile, Alabama in the United States. They moved because of difficult times in Cuba.

Fernando came back to Cuba in 1935 when he was 21. That year, he started taking dance classes. In 1937, he married Alicia Alonso, who was also a talented ballet dancer. Fernando, Alicia, and Fernando's brother then moved to New York City. They hoped to start their professional dance careers there. In 1938, their daughter, Laura, was born.

Fernando and Alicia joined the American Ballet Theatre in 1940. They danced with this company until 1948. After that, they returned to Havana. There, they helped create a dance group called the Alicia Alonso Ballet Company. This company later became the famous Ballet Nacional de Cuba.

Fernando and Alicia later divorced in 1975. After their divorce, Fernando took charge of the Ballet de Camagüey. This ballet company was in the city of Camagüey. He stayed there until 1992.

In 2000, Fernando Alonso received Cuba's National Dance Prize. This award was for his lifetime of great achievements in dance. On July 27, 2013, Cuban state television announced his death. He was 98 years old. His daughter Laura said he passed away due to kidney failure.

See also

• Cuban National Ballet