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.