The event was attended by his friends, relatives, and former students. Alonso was presented with an honorary diploma from the Superior Art Institute, as well as gifts from the representatives of the Chinese embassy in Havana and the National Council of Performing Arts.
Alonso, who was one of the charter members of American Ballet Theatre in the 1940s, co-founded the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, along with its resident school, with his then-wife Alicia Alonso, who still directs the company.
Ricardo Alarcon, president of the Cuban parliament, told AIN that the Alonsos are credited not only with giving the country a reputation of world-class ballet but also with creating a popular art widely enjoyed in Cuba: unlike ballet's more exclusive nature in other countries.
Through their school, the Alonsos are also responsible for training some of the world's great dancers.
