A scene from Ballet Nacional de Cuba’s performance of Don Quixote at the Shanghai Grand Theatre. photo by Nancy Reyes / for China Daily

Following years of contact and multiple invitations, the Ballet Nacional de Cuba's classic production Don Quixote finally graces the city

The 20th China Shanghai International Arts Festival (CSIAF) came to a close on Nov 22 following the Ballet Nacional de Cuba's performance of Don Quixote at the Shanghai Grand Theatre.

This year's festival, which kicked off on Oct 19, consisted of 45 plays and operas, 25 of which were from abroad. Aside from theater shows, artists presented more than 300 public performances and educational programs. With the help of online streaming platforms, more than 5 million people watched the shows or participated in the CSIAF this year, according to the organizers.

This year, the festival opened with a new symphony production Hidden Tapestries – Myths of Creation by Chinese composer Ye Xiaogang. As such, organizers decided to close the show with a well-established classic like Don Quixote, said Wang Jun, president for the center of CSIAF.

This was the first time the prestigious ballet company from Cuba visited Shanghai, and also the first time it was staging Don Quixote in China. A well-established modern classic, this production was created in 1988 by legendary dancer and choreographer Alicia Alonso who is the founder of the dance troupe.

Alonso, who used to be one of the most prominent ballerinas in Cuba, founded her own ballet company in 1948 which later became the Ballet Nacional de Cuba in 1955. Despite having undergone several eye surgeries, Alonso continued dancing till she was in her 70s, guiding the company to global acclaim. The 98-year-old was not present at the CSIAF due to her health condition.