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Yahoo! March 28,
2003.
Cuba, Ukraine discuss trade issues
KIEV, Ukraine, 28 (AP) - Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque met with
Ukraine's Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych Friday, ending three days of talks
aimed at spurring trade, investment and humanitarian ties with the former Soviet
republic.
Yanukovych called Cuba "a traditional partner" and stressed that
his government is working to create "optimal conditions" for foreign
investors, according to a statement. The two also discussed Ukraine's bid to
join the World Trade Organization and revitalizing tourism.
Perez Roque called bilateral economic ties "insufficient," citing
a 10-fold decline in trade turnover with Ukraine, after meeting with Foreign
Minister Anatoliy Zlenko Thursday, the Interfax news agency reported.
President Leonid Kuchma discussed deepening cultural ties with Cuba and
thanked Perez Roque for his country's ongoing help treating Ukrainian children
still affected by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
State-funded Cuban ballet company produces world class dancers
By MAR ROMAN, Associated Press Writer Thu Mar 27, 7:53 PM
ET
HAVANA - It's hot and muggy in the dance studio at Cuba's National Ballet,
but the aspiring ballerinas don't seem to notice as they twirl and execute their
moves to the piano music with scrupulous precision.
Only a few of these dancers will be chosen to be the next Sleeping Beauty or
Cinderella at Havana's elegant Gran Teatro. But all remain hopeful, keeping up
their daily ballet classes and rehearsals.
"My childhood dream was to be a ballerina, like any Cuban girl,"
says 26-year-old Viengsay Valdes, her hands on the barre.
After slipping into her first ballet slippers at age 9, Valdes went on to
become one of the few top ballet dancers in a country where the masses, not the
elite, are the true classical dance aficionados and the ballet company is among
the best in the world.
As Valdes leaves the studio, dozens of girls between 5 and 8 years old file
into the room in their colorful leotards, forming lines to await their first
ballet steps — and their first taste of the discipline that classical dance
requires.
"In Cuba, dancing is so important because it is part of our culture,"
Valdes says, referring to the island's mix of African and Spanish roots.
Funded by the island's communist-run government, Cuba's classical dance
program is world-class, training dancers for a company that has performed in 58
countries and received about 300 international awards.
Founded by Cuban's living ballet legend, Alicia Alonso, in 1948, the
National Ballet of Cuba has managed to forge its own style out of old Russian
and Western techniques.
Alonso, an 82-year-old former prima ballerina who was a principal dancer
with American Ballet Theater and the New York City Ballet, retains a strong grip
over the company, even though she now has trouble moving and can barely see.
A familiar figure with her proud, turban-wrapped head and wide mouth, Alonso
erected Cuba's classical dance program from the ground, training several
generations of dancers highly sought by some of the world's best ballet
companies.
After having been the company's director, choreographer and teacher, Alonso
still decides what the dancers will wear, who will go abroad, with whom they
will dance, what they will dance.
And she has counted on the support of President Fidel Castro and his
revolutionary government since the early years.
"After the revolution triumphed in 1959, Fidel knocked on Alonso's door
to offer the new government's help and he promised that he would make (ballet)
available to all social classes," says Miguel Cabrera, ballet school
historian. "The government paid for everything from the building to
rehearsals, salaries and ballet shoes."
As a top dancer, Valdes receives a government salary similar to that of an
important scientist or doctor: about $25 a month, as well as food, housing and
other government subsidies. She has toured with the Cuban ballet and as a guest
with foreign companies, giving part of her foreign earnings to the government.
"Now my target is to achieve international recognition," Valdes
says. "But I will always be linked to this ballet and to my country."
Alonso, who had worked with such great choreographers as Georges Balanchine,
Antony Tudor, Agnes de Mille and Jerome Robbins, started the Ballet Alicia
Alonso in 1948 in Havana. The company was renamed the National Ballet of Cuba in
1959 when it received support from the government.
The company is regarded as one of the top troupes in the world and Cuban
dancers consistently win at international competitions. Former stars include
Jose Manuel Carreno who became a principal with the British Royal Ballet and
ABT.
Trinidad, Cuba come away with victories in Gold Cup qualifiers
Thu Mar 27, 2:06 AM ET
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad - Guadeloupe fell 3-2 to Cuba while Trinidad and
Tobago got the best of Antigua and Barbuda in a 2-0 victory Wednesday in Group B
of the CONCACAF Gold Cup qualifiers.
Goals by German-based Evans Wise in the third minute and Stern John in the
55th lifted a sluggish Trinidad squad over Antigua before a crowd of about 8,000
at Hasely Crawford Stadium.
In the second half, central defender Marvin Andrews sustained an upper thigh
injury and hobbled off the field clutching his leg.
Antigua and Barbuda never let up from its hard-nosed style of play, tackling
with force — a tactic that seemed to unsettle the Trinidadians.
But the early goal, which was off a deflected shot from Wise, was the
perfect start for Trinidad. John'S fierce drive, which hit the roof of the net
from close range, sealed the win and gave the prolific striker his 19th goal in
regional tournaments and his 39th overall for Trinidad.
It didn't help Antigua's cause when defender Rackley Thomas picked up his
second yellow card of the night and was shown the showers early for a crunching
tackle on Carlos Edwards.
In the earlier match, Maykel Galindo opened Cuba's scoring in the 15th
minute, as he ran onto a long ball from the back and slammed it past an
advancing Fabrice Mercury in goal for Guadeloupe.
Cuba doubled the scoring ten minutes later through Lazaro Dalcourt, but
Laurent Farnabe pulled one back in the 43rd minute for Guadeloupe, to cut the
lead in half by the interval.
Seven minutes into the second period, Farnabe leveled the score at two
apiece, only for the Cubans to steal it nine minutes from time when Galindo
scored the team's third, which held up to the end.
The teams get the day off on Thursday but will be back in action Friday,
when Cuba faces the Antiguans and Trinidad goes against Guadeloupe.
Meanwhile, in Group 'A' matches in Jamaica Wednesday, the home team whipped
St. Lucia 5-0 while Haiti came from behind to beat Martinique 2-1.
The two group winners will gain automatic qualification to the Gold Cup
finals in the United States in July. The runners-up in each group will then join
Honduras in a further three-team playoff to determine which additional two teams
will go to the finals.
CONCACAF, which sanctions the Gold Cup, is the soccer confederation for
North America, Central America and the Caribbean. | 
