Cuba is well known in the world for countless reasons, be it the country's cuisine, music, or famous style of salsa dancing. 

The characteristics that make Cuba unique are vast and plenty, but there is something you may find surprising: The Caribbean island nation arguably produces some of the best ballet dancers in the world.

It's been said that Cuban ballet dancers are the country's most "esteemed export," earning the same amount or more than doctors. 
 
The Ballet Nacional de Cuba was first founded in the 1960s by Alicia Alonso during the Cuban Revolution. It's popularity throughout the country is primarily due to her success as an international prima ballerina and the success of the ballet school she founded with her husband. 

Even as Cuba's economy began to drastically decline, the National School of Ballet thrived and dance became a point of pride and morale boost for the country's people. 

Former Cuban President Fidel Castro was a major advocate for Alonso's school, as it was part of his goal to make the arts available to all people despite their social class. This led Castro to giving Alonso's school $200,000, and government funding for the school continues even today. This money enables administrators of the school to travel around, scouting dancers and inviting only the best into their program.

Ramona de Saa, the current director of the National School of Ballet, looks back on her training in the program fondly.

"We would dance from 7 AM to 1:30 PM, and we would have to do character dances and French language and piano," de Saa told Latina in 2015. "We learned how to read music, folklore, African dances, historical dances, and salon dances. It was a very complete dance education."

The training for today's inducted dancers is much the same. Being selected to join the National School of Ballet is a big deal for families, as the financial security and elevated status of dancers is well known among Cubans. For this reason, boys are encouraged just as much as girls to audition for the program.

Since its inception under Alono's guidance, the Ballet Nacional has created a form of dancing unique to Cuba. In Havana, you can find the dancers of the  Ballet Nacional de Cuba practicing their positions to Afro-Cuban music, a far stretch from the the classical tracks commonly used in a traditional ballet classes.

Although Alonso is now 96 years old, she is still a major influence and inspiration in training some of the world's best ballet dancers, and her contributions to the legacy of dance in Cuba will forever be remembered. 

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