Ballet students train on despite blackouts, scarce food and fuel

By the Editorial Team · Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Cuba’s National Ballet School in Havana continues to train around 178 students daily despite severe power outages, water shortages, and transportation challenges affecting much of the country. This perseverance highlights the enduring cultural importance of ballet in Cuba and raises concerns about how ongoing crises might hinder the development of future artists and professionals.

In the midst of widespread power outages, water shortages, and scarce transportation and food supplies, Cuba’s National Ballet School in Havana continues to train young dancers with unwavering dedication. Despite challenging conditions—including two-thirds of the country enduring nightly blackouts and some Havana neighborhoods lacking running water for over two weeks—approximately 178 students attend daily classes in the historic Art Nouveau building located in Old Havana.

The school offers a dual curriculum that balances rigorous ballet training with academic subjects such as math, Spanish, history, and science. For students like 14-year-old Roxana Perez de La Mora, the commitment to this discipline requires early mornings and long commutes, as she travels about 20 kilometers from her home to the school. Roxana acknowledges the difficulties but remains resolute in pursuing her dream of becoming a prima ballerina.

Cuba’s long-standing cultural reverence for classical ballet endures despite current hardships. The Cuban National Ballet, which originated in the 1940s through the efforts of Alicia Alonso and Fernando Alonso, remains one of the world’s most prestigious ballet companies. Performances are affordable for the local population, with tickets costing less than one U.S. dollar, while similar events abroad can command prices exceeding $300.

In August, the company’s season finale featured the internationally acclaimed piece Canto Vital, choreographed by Azari Plisetski with music by Gustav Mahler. Principal dancer and National Ballet School director Dani Hernandez led the performance at Havana’s National Theatre, which drew a full house amid empty streets caused by fuel shortages. The audience responded with enthusiastic standing ovations.

Hernandez, 37, who commutes daily on an electric motorcycle, faces significant challenges balancing his safety and professional demands amid the country’s crises. Persistent blackouts have forced him to sleep on his apartment building’s terrace to escape heat and mosquitoes. He voiced concerns about the broader impact of Cuba’s difficulties on the arts, warning that the ongoing situation could impede the development of future generations in ballet, music, visual arts, and other fields such as engineering, medicine, and education.

Despite these hardships, ballet remains a potent source of national pride and cultural identity in Cuba, upheld through demanding leadership and student commitment. Hernandez noted the discipline’s deep connection to Cuban society, reflected in the widespread public engagement and admiration for ballet across the island.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.