Hello, im john wilson, welcome to this cultural life, the radio 4 podcast in which i talk to leading creative figures about the key moments of their life and the most important cultural works that have fired their imagination and had a profound impact on their own art. My guest is carlos acosta, the cuban born ballet star who, over a 30 year career, is now regarded as one of the greatest dancers of all time, becoming the first black principal of the royal ballet and set new standards of grace and athleticism in theatres around the world. Having retired from the classical stage, he set up his own cuban dance company, and is also a director of the berlin royal ballet. Welcome. Lets start in cuba, with your family, your upbringing. A happy childhood . Very happy, i must say, although in the 80s in cuba, our family was i would say, it was poorer than most families but still there was a big big sense of community. It was a good time for cuba anybody could participate, do everything that so
Hello. Imjohn wilson. Welcome to this cultural life, the radio 4 Podcast Series in which i talk to leading creative figures about the key moments of their life and the most important cultural works that have fired their imagination and had a profound impact on their own art. My guest is carlos acosta, the cuban born ballet star who, over a 30 year career, is now regarded as one of the greatest dancers of all time. He became the first black principal of the royal ballet and set new standards of grace and athleticism in theatres around the world. Having retired from the classical stage, he set up his own cuban dance company, acosta danza, and is also director of the birmingham royal ballet. Welcome. Lets start in cuba, with your family, your upbringing. A happy childhood . Very happy, i must say, although in the 80s in cuba, still, our family was on the. I would say it was poorer than most families, but still there was a big, big sense of community. It was a good time for cuba anybody c
And set new standards of grace and set new standards of grace and athleticism in theatres around the world. Having retired from the classical stage he set up his own cuban dance company, and is also a director of the berlin royal ballet. Welcome. Lets start in cuba, with your family, ballet. Welcome. Lets start in cuba, with yourfamily, your upbringing, a happy childhood . Very happy, i must say, although in the 80s in cuba, ourfamily was i although in the 80s in cuba, our family was i would say, it was poorer than most families but still there was a big big sense of community, it was a good time for cuba, anybody could participate, do everything that society offers, obviously education was free, there was a lot of community parties that brought the community together. I was very restless as a kid and it was in the 80s where the Breakdancing Movement started in cuba and everything, so i was into breakdancing, obviously, later on in my family, my mother started to have some problems and
Hello. Imjohn wilson. Welcome to this cultural life, the radio 4 podcast in which i talk to leading creative figures about the key moments of their life and the most important cultural works that have fired their imagination and had a profound impact on their own art. My guest is carlos acosta, the cuban born ballet star who, over a 30 year career, is now regarded as one of the greatest dancers of all time. He became the first black principal of the royal ballet and set new standards of grace and athleticism in theatres around the world. Having retired from the classical stage, he set up his own cuban dance company, acosta danza, and is also director of the berlin royal ballet. Of the birmingham royal ballet. Welcome. Lets start in cuba, with your family, your upbringing. A happy childhood . Very happy, i must say, although in the 80s in cuba, still, our family was on the. I would say it was poorer than most families, but still there was a big, big sense of community. It was a good ti
Society offers. Obviously education was free, there was a lot of community parties that brought the community together. I was very restless as a kid and it was in the 80s where the Breakdancing Movement started in cuba and everything, so i was into breakdancing, obviously, later on in my family, my mother started to have some problems and then i started to experience some problems with my father being injail and things like that, but i felt the most part it was a very very good time for cuba. An artistic family . You are youngest of 11 kids. Thats right, on my fathers side. He was a truck driver, and before he met my mother he had other affairs and as a result he had 11 kids with different women. I was the youngest of his offspring. How many of those kids were all living together at any one time . We were not all living together, from my father, from my mothers side there were just the three of us, my two sisters and myself, but we kept in contact with my half brothers, say, who were i