Miami ballet school with Venezuela past draws exiled dancers
1 / 12Venezuelan Exiled DancersPaola Nava, 17, laughs on stage during a rehearsal of Vladimir Issaev's rendition of The Nutcracker ballet on Friday, Dec. 13, 2019, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. More than 20 dancers of Venezuelan origin were playing various roles on a recent performance of the holiday favorite “The Nutcracker.” Some of these dancers are here seeking asylum after fleeing their crisis-torn nation, which is plagued by shortages of food and medicine.
Some of these dancers are seeking asylum with their families. Others, such as Hernandez, have secured visas and green cards through the company or their parents’ work. Famous for adding a modern theatrical style to ballet, Nebrada heavily influenced Issaev. And Issaev says he, in turn, persuaded Nebrada to create versions of classic ballets the Venezuelan initially shunned such as “Romeo and Juliet,” “Swan Lake” and “Coppelia.”
Despite late President Hugo Chavez’s initial intentions to expand access to the arts, critics say the leftist government was inconsistent and raised tensions with artists, which kept audiences away. Dance companies have been closing their doors as cultural institutions have received less state funding. Professional dancers have left for Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and the U.S.
Back in South Florida, Issaev stood in the back of a theater in Fort Lauderdale facing the stage during a rehearsal and spoke to the dancers through a microphone in a Russian-accented Spanish. Not all are Hispanic. Some are U.S.-born or from countries like Brazil and China.
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