Defected Cuban dancers adjust to U.S., seek work
Jun 14, 2013, 3:26 PM
MIAMI (AP) – They practice in the back of a dance studio next to a Wendy’s restaurant in a strip mall in Miami. Six ballet dancers leap across the floor, hidden from view from the mothers watching their daughters in pink leotards in a front room.
The dancers move in sets of two, their pointed toes and outstretched hands a hint of the grand stages where they have performed. In the background plays a recording of “La Bayadare,” the French choreographed ballet they are practicing.
These dancers could be among the young talent of any ballet company, but for now they are something else: Immigrants in the United States trying to land dancing opportunities while navigating cultural differences. The ballerinas fled from the Cuban National Ballet while on tour in Mexico.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
