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
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
there was this major exodus happening in 1994, you probably recall, where everybody was taking to sea in anything out of desperation. before that, we had not witnessed anything like that, it was a big rupture in cuban society at that point, and we re still talking about those times as one of the hardest times. but as you have already acknowledged, you have communism, in a way, to thank for the free ballet school, all of those things. did you meet fidel castro? i met him a couple of times, he was somebody that turned up to ballet events, and events of all kinds of artistic things. an amazing figure, very tall man, everybody was afraid of him, i was afraid of him. too much power in one man, but my father loved the man because also he lived in the time before. he went and he got to meet him as well.
there was this major exodus happening in 1994, where everybody was taking to sea in anything out of desperation. before that we had not witnessed anything like that, it was a big rupture in cuban society at that point and we re still talking about those times, one of hardest times. as you have already acknowledged, you have communism to thank for the free ballet school, all of those things. did you meet fidel castro? i met him a couple of times, he was somebody that turned up to ballet events, and events of all kinds of artistic things. an amazing figure, very tall man, everybody was afraid of him, i was afraid of him, too much power in one man, but my father loved the man, because of he lived in the time before.