Valdes, Viengsay

Viengsay Valdes Photos

Viengsay Valdes Biography

Notable: Ballet Nacional de Cuba

Viengsay Valdés began her studies at the Alejo Carpentier Provincial Ballet School and finished them at the National School of Arts, both in Havana. Ramona de Sáa was her main ballet professor. While studying, she won numerous prizes and distinctions, including being named a Principal Dancer of Ballet Nacional de Cuba. In 1993 she won the Gold Medal in the Vignale Festival of Dance, Italy. In 1994 she graduated with a degree in dance and choreography, with gold honours, and joined the company.

She has performed widely in Europe, the Americas and Asia. She is best known for her interpretations of the female lead roles in the ballets Carmen, Giselle, Swan Lake, Blood Wedding, Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Coppelia, La Fille Mal Gardee, and The Nutcracker, among others, as well as pas de deux from the Le Corsaire, Diana and Acteon, Silvia, etc. She has also performed in contemporary works by Cuban and foreign choreographers.

Since 1994, Ms. Valdes has been a participant in the International Ballet Festival in Havana. In July 2001, she was promoted to the category of Premier Dancer in the Company. In 2002 and 2004, she performed at the World Stars Ballet Gala in Budapest and was awarded the Prize for Popularity in 2004. In 2003, she was a guest in the World Gala, “Les Étoiles du XXIe Siècle,” which took place on the Champs Elysées in Paris. That year she was awarded the Medal “Alejo Carpentier” by the Ministry of Culture of Cuba. In 2004, she danced Swan Lake in the 1st Festival of Ballet of Beijing. In 2005 she was awarded at the Etoiles du Ballet 2000 Festival in Cannes. In 2006, she participated in the World Ballet Festival in Tokyo.