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What made Alicia Alonso blind?

What made Alicia Alonso blind?

She is best known for her portrayals of Giselle and the ballet version of Carmen. From the age of nineteen, Alonso was afflicted with an eye condition and became partially blind….

Alicia Alonso
Spouse(s) Fernando Alonso ​ ​ ( m. 1937; div. 1975)​ Pedro Simón Martínez ​ ​ ( m. 1975)​
Children 2

What was Alicia Alonso famous for?

Alicia Alonso was famous for her choreography Among her most notable creations, the following are especially remembered: “La fille mal gardée” for the National Ballet of Cuba (1952). Choreographic version of the ballet “Giselle” (1972). “Grand pas de quatre” for the Paris Opera House (1973).

When did Alicia Alonso go blind?

1941
Late in 1941 Alonso began to have troubles with her vision. She was diagnosed with detached retinas in both eyes and became temporarily blind. Three surgeries to restore her vision left her confined to bed for nearly a year unable to even to turn her head, much less practice her art.

How did Alicia Alonso lose her sight?

The school would go on to train dancers who would be leaders in the art form all over the world. Most impressively, Alonso did all of this with persistent vision problems. After the surgery to correct her retina in 1943, she lost all peripheral vision.

Why did Alicia Alonso have to undergo three surgeries?

Alonso and her first husband appeared in two short-lived Broadway musicals, “Great Lady” (1938) and “Stars in Your Eyes” (1939). She underwent three surgeries to try to correct a detached retina, the last of which required her to stay in bed for a year, lying practically motionless with her eyes covered by bandages.

What eye condition did Alicia Alonso have?

When she eventually went to be tested, she was diagnosed with severe retinal detachment. During the following two years, Alonso was forced to undergo three major eye operations with long periods of recovery during which she was unable to leave her bed.

Has Alicia Alonso died?

October 17, 2019
Alicia Alonso/Date of death

How long did Alicia Alonso dance for?

Over the next 14 years Alonso danced with many companies, including the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo from 1955 to 1959.

What was Alicia Alonso last performance?

Alonso gave her final performance in 1995, when she danced “The Butterfly,” a piece she had choreographed.

What awards did Alicia Alonso win?

As Director and leading figure of the Cuban National Ballet, Alicia Alonso was an inspiration to a new generation of Cuban dancers who gained a notable place in international ballet. In June 1999, she was awarded the UNESCO Pablo Picasso Medal for her extraordinary contribution to dance.

What is the real name of Alicia Alonso?

Alicia Alonso life and biography. Alicia Alonso biography. Alicia Alonso, also known as Alicia Ernestina de la Caridad dei Cobre Martinez Hoya born December 21, 1921 in Havana, Cuba is a Cuban artist, ballet dancer and choregrapher and dance director.

What kind of ballet did Alicia Alonso dance?

Alicia Alonso, née Alicia Ernestina de la Caridad del Cobre Martínez y del Hoyo, (born December 21, 1921, Havana, Cuba), Cuban ballerina highly regarded for her convincing portrayals of leading roles in the great works of classical and Romantic ballet. She was best known for her lively, precise Giselle and for her sensual, tragic Carmen.

Who is Alicia Alonso of Giselle married to?

Alicia Alonso was born on December 21, 1920 in Havana, Cuba as Alicia Ernestina de la Caridad del Cobre Martínez y del Hoyo. She was an actress, known for Giselle (1965), Alicia Alonso y El Ballet Nacional de Cuba (1979) and Alicia (1977). She was married to Pedro Simón Martínez and Fernando Alonso.

Who was Alicia Alonso married to in Cuba?

Early in her career in Cuba, she danced under the name of Alicia Martínez. Progress in her lessons came to an abrupt halt in 1937 when Alonso fell in love with a fellow ballet student, Fernando Alonso, whom she married at age 16. The couple moved to New York City, hoping to begin their professional careers.