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Among the major attractions of the ninth edition of FAE 19, the Performing Arts Festival of Panama, held last March under the leadership of the efficient manager Roberto Enrique King, was the participation of David Roussève at the head of the very diverse group of dancers of the company Reality, with “Halfway to Dawn,” a splendid celebration of the legend of jazz that was and still is Billy Strayhorn.

Strayhorn (1915-1967) was a brilliant musician, composer, arranger and principal writing partner of Duke Ellington, author and co-author of key themes such as A Train, Satin Doll and Lush Life, but remains largely unknown. Being a black and gay man from Harlem, he chose to keep his artistic work always in a low profile, preventing social rejection, and Ellington took the credit for all his merits for many years, and much of the rights. And only now, with initiatives like this, a genius of American music comes to light.