Havana/The prestigious pedagogue of the National Ballet of Cuba (BNC), Ramona de Sáa Bello, considered one of the great pillars of the island’s ballet school, died this Wednesday in Havana at the age of 85.
Cherieas she was known among her students and relatives, was a disciple of the legendary Alicia Alonso, and for many years she directed the Fernando Alonso National Ballet School, a job she shared with that of professor at the Higher Institute of Art (ISA) and methodologist at the Center National Schools of Art (CNEArt).
For his merits he received, among other distinctions, the Honoris Causa doctorate in Dance Art from the ISA in 2000. Six years later, he was awarded the National Dance Prize, the highest award conferred by the Cuban National Council of the Performing Arts, for the work of a lifetime.
“These gifts, together with an extraordinary capacity for teaching, made her one of the essential names in the field of ballet teaching”
He also received international recognitions such as the Vignale Danza Award, in Italy; the award for Best Maitre at the Jeonville Festival in Brazil, and the Grand Prix as best international pedagogue in her specialty, at the Regio Danza Festival held in Calabria, Italy.
The BNC highlighted the contributions of Ramona de Saá as a teacher, methodologist and organizer, essayist, lecturer and repertoireist, in a note published on social networks.
“Intelligence, selflessness and talent always distinguished her. These gifts, together with an extraordinary capacity for teaching, made her one of the essential names in the field of ballet teaching in Cuba and Latin America,” he added.
For his part, the president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, regretted the death and stated that Saá “dedicated a good part of his life to teaching and his work is multiplied today in each of his students.”
