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CARLOS ACOSTA

I continue to be the same man, a friend of my friends and of goodhearted people. If one day you see me refusing to spend time with my people, I wouldn’t be a good artist anymore, says Cuban dancer and Doctor Honoris Causa of the London Metropolitan University, Carlos Acosta
For some people it’s hard to believe that the great world-class ballet dancer Carlos Acosta could have been “benched” by the London Royal Ballet. But if this Cuban man born in the Havana neighborhood of Los Pinos in Arroyo Naranjo hears that, he jumps out to get the record straight. “It wasn’t exactly that way. I wasn’t rather exploited the way I wanted to be. It’s a whole lot easier to get pigeonholed, you know, “you’re the jester or perform the guaguanco, but you won’t be the prince. And I thought I wasn’t there just to jump. I’m an artist.”
Therefore, I had to straighten things out. When Romeo and Juliet was the ballet of choice, I was called to play Mercurio. It was not that I had something against that character, but it bothered me that I wasn’t picked to perform Romeo. And I was never expected to dance in the opening night. That was given to a lesser dancer, but the moment came when I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I explained myself away, they gave me the chance and that’s how they were screwed up (he smiles).”

Many years have gone by since then and Acosta, who managed to win the coveted Grand Prix of Lausanne in Switzerland and the Paris Dance Biennial; the Merit Prize in the Young Talent Contest in Italy’s Positano, and the Vignale Dance, is now Doctor Honoris Causa of the London Metropolitan University. 

How high is the bar for Carlos Acosta?
“I haven’t raised any bar. I keep learning; I keep doing what makes me feel good. I’m not the kind of person who lives with his eyes glued on a bar. What will come next? I don’t know. I’d like to help my country and those who need me in the world. I know I’ve garnered some prestige I could tap into in that respect.
“I continue fully involved in my career, but I’ll do it for sure in the future because my story inspires people. I’m a person deeply clung to my roots, someone who recognizes the greatness of our nation, our history, our culture. And the world needs people with credibility, people who can be listened to.
“This is a powerful weapon that, if used for the benefit of others, can be wonderful. People are thirsty for art, they need to dream and you can help them make their dreams come true. So, we must move on, especially to keep the fire of hope burning among my people, who continue to give their love, their solidarity and their only cup of coffee in spite of all the hardships. That’s my Cuba and its people, and for them I have to carry on.”
The performance of the Royal Ballet in Havana back in 2009 was no doubt a major cultural event…
“I’m honored for having been part of the Royal Ballet’s presentation in Havana. People still talk about what happened in those days when the United Kingdom’s greatest ballet company, under the leadership of Monica Mason, dazzled the Cuban people with plays they’d never watched before, like Chroma, A Month in the Field, Romeo and Juliet, and Kenneth McMillan’s Manon. I was so lucky to dance in tribute of Alicia Alonso and for this people, my people that I always carry in my heart. You know, my greatest ambition is to make people enjoy my art. I wish that people who come to the theater to see me could leave their daily problems behind for a fleeting moment.
For me, making this happen is priceless. All this time I’ve been determined to be the best I can be, to make the most of my conditions. I’ve got no concerns at all about whether I make the world ranking or not. My thing is to connect people with what I do.”Are you still engaged in your objective of bringing Cuba and the UK closer to one another from a cultural standpoint?
“That’s right. A good case in point is the presentations of Cubania in the British capital. I’m sort of that show curator, an event that came through thanks to UK-based producer ¡Como No! I was the one who thought out the composition and summoned the participating artists, both in Cuba –musicians as well- and renowned dancers and choreographers who live in the UK and belong to such companies as The Royal Ballet and Rambert, I mean, people like Zenaida Yanowsky and Pieter Symonds.

How much is left of that boy born in Los Pinos?
“I’m the kind of guy who hangs out with friends on a street corner and drink cheap booze. But that boy doesn’t work in other fields. You must understand you can’t stop getting better, because if you let that happen you become vulgar. And I’m a humble man from Los Pinos, but I’m not vulgar. I continue to be the same man, a friend of my friends and of goodhearted people. If one day you happen to see refusing to spend time with my people, you can scold hard me because that wouldn’t be me, Carlos Acosta. I wouldn’t be a good artist.”

I’m not the kind of person who lives with his eyes glued on a bar. What will come next? I don’t know. I’d like to help my country and those who need me in the world