A selection of 20 billboards are on display in Vedado’s busy corner of Calle L and 23rd avenue, to introduce passersby to Havana’s soul through the art of internationally-famous ballet dancers.
Grettel Morejón and Rafael Quenedit (Ballet Nacional de Cuba) . Image by Gabriel Dávalos
Cuban photojournalist Gabriel Dávalos, creator of the pictures, chose ten color and ten black-and-white shots of his most known collections, Habana Pasión and Habana Sensual, to showcase the city in its “rawness and genuineness”, as he told Lonely Planet News. “Havana doesn’t need makeup, it shines as it is: a surviving city, authentic and full of faith”, he added.
Daniela Cabrera (Den Norske Operan & Ballet) and Javier Rojas (Acosta Dance). Image by Gabriel Davalos
The billboards are scattered along the gardens of the popular Coppelia ice-cream parlor (yes, as in the ballet) featuring Cuban ballet-dancers in striking, awe-inspiring postures. Some of the artists are principal dancers in the Ballet Nacional de Cuba, like Viengsay Valdés, Grettel Morejón and Rafael Quenedit, and others are working in ballet companies worldwide.
Thousands pass these billboards every day. Image by Diana Rita Cabrera
Thousands of passersby walk by Coppelia’s busy corner daily, and some even wonder if the photos are photoshopped to place the dancers on such contrasting landscapes. “If someone thinks it’s impossible to take a photo like that, I’m happy to feel like I did the impossible”, smiles Dávalos. “This expo only means something to me if it is useful, if it mirrors Cubans’ daily lives, if it soothes and motivates those who interact with it”, he said.
Gravity-defying images may look photo-shopped, but they’re not! Image by Gabriel Davalos
According to Dávalos, who has been photographing ballet dancers since 2010, dance can communicate some essential truths to people from all walks of life, ideologies and cultures. “I want to tell the story of who we are through another language, that of the art”, he explains. “The city is our home and mother. It might elevate us, neglect us, it might hurt at times, but you always have to go back to it to discover yourself”. Combining the dancers’ classic poses with decaying, timeworn backgrounds, the photos highlight the contrasts of a 500-year-old city.
Katherine Ochoa and Diego Tápanez (Ballet Nacional de Cuba). Image by Gabriel Davalos
If you like to know more about Dávalos’ work, follow his social media handles here and here.
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