What comes to mind when thinking of Cuba?

For many, the vibrant rhythms of salsa and the rich aroma of Cuban cigars are some of the first things that come to mind. Others may envision the colorful colonial architecture of Havana, the vintage cars cruising along the Malecón, or the pristine beaches of Varadero. Cuba’s rich cultural heritage, deeply rooted in music, dance, and art, blends seamlessly with its complex history marked by revolution and resilience. This island nation, with its warm and welcoming people, offers a unique tapestry of experiences that captivate the hearts of all who visit.

I never imagined ballet would be so prominent with the Cuban National Ballet being a world-renowned company and a symbol of national pride, supported by state funding (started by Fidel Castro) and a strong tradition of dance education. Cuban ballet dancers are highly sought after by international ballet companies, and many Cuban dancers have achieved international acclaim, further solidifying Cuba’s reputation as a center for ballet training.

Ballet has never interested me as an art form and have only seen one live performance – “The Nutcracker” back in my college days.  But the opportunity to photograph a young ballerina was too enticing to let my personal biases get in the way. Enter Jennifer, a 16-year-old diva to be. She is stunning! Where does our guide Tristan find these people? We had just two hours with her, and we made the most of it.

Our first spot was at an old building that houses La Guarida, a fabulous rooftop restaurant where we would dine at on our last night of our trip. To get to the rooftop we would have to ascend many a stair. Luckily, we picked the first set of stairs for our shoot location.

Notice the beautiful light over the stairway which gives rich and saturated colors.

Jennifer’s posing was exquisite.

What an amazing photo shoot. We thought we were done when Kathryn mentioned she didn’t get a good enough shot. We all quickly regrouped and readied ourselves. We had one more chance to perfect the shot. Jennifer jumped, cameras firing away, and perfection.

Now notice the perfect light on her face, Fidel painted on the wall, and Jennifer positioned similarly to the headless statue, Amazing.

Now we had to rush to our next location, The Grand Theater of Havana, just a short taxi ride away. We rode in a coconut to the Theater, arriving just as it opens at 10:00am. It is currently closed for performances due to renovation but still allows touring of the inside. We were pleasantly surprised that Tristan had reserved a short time for us without any other tourists. Our first stop was at the grand entrance.

A light and airy feeling. Special thanks to Tristan for this idea.

Then, upstairs to the grand ballroom. When restored it will be magnificent. Still, today, it is wonderful for photography with beautiful lighting, great porticos, chandeliers, and fabulous columns.

An interesting composition with the Capitolio in the background.

One great leap after the next. She never seems to get tired – must be the 16-year-old body.

You can see the beauty of the grand ballroom accentuated by our ballerina.

An interloper. Another diva on a photoshoot. I stole a quick shot.

It would have been nice to photograph Jennifer on the main stage. But when restoration is in progress, some parts of the building will be in shambles. This turned out to be the case with the main stage. Ah, well, our shoot with Jennifer was a major success anyway,

A post shoot group photo of us trying out one of Jennifer’s moves. Jennifer’s mom and dad, Jennifer, Kathryn and myself. (photo by Tristan)

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As mentioned in our last post, Tristan Quevilly was our guide. He was fantastic at setting up amazing photo shoots. We reommend him for any tours to Cuba which you can find on his business website: Remote Expeditions.