Consejo Nacional de Cultura (Esteban Ayala), "Giselle '77: Alicia Alonso," 1977. Offset poster, 20" × 30"

This is a beautiful poster by Cuban artist Esteban Ayala from 1977, advertising a performance of the ballet Gisellefeaturing the renowned Cuban prima ballerina Alicia Alonso.

About Alicia Alonso: Alicia Alonso (1920-2019) was one of the most celebrated ballerinas of the 20th century and a cultural icon in Cuba. Despite being legally blind for much of her career due to a detached retina, she continued to perform at the highest levels, becoming particularly famous for her interpretation of Giselle.

Significance:

• Alonso founded the Ballet Nacional de Cuba in 1948, which became one of the world's premier ballet companies
• She was instrumental in establishing Cuba as a major center for ballet in Latin America
• Her performances of Giselle were legendary and considered among the finest interpretations of this classic romantic ballet
• The Cuban government strongly supported ballet as a cultural achievement, making it accessible to all citizens

The Poster: Ayala's design captures the ethereal, romantic quality of Giselle with its soft, dreamlike photography showing the ballerina in a graceful pose. The elegant typography and muted tones reflect the ghostly, supernatural elements of the ballet's second act. This poster represents the intersection of Cuban revolutionary culture's embrace of classical arts and its promotion of national cultural heroes like Alonso.