The London Ballet Circle was honoured to host Loipa Araujo, one of the Four Jewels of Cuban Ballet and renowned ballet teacher, in conversation with dance writer and critic Sarah Crompton.
Loipa recalled how she started ballet because her “father didn’t know how to keep her quiet!” But this hobby soon turned into a passion for dance that saw her sent to ballet school and acquire a corps de ballet position at Cuban National Ballet by the age of 16.
In a wide-ranging conversation, Loipa discussed her fascinating life and career, including her work with Fernando Alonso, establishing a Cuban ballet style and working at the Bolshoi. Roland Petit invited her to join his company in Marseille and created several works on her and Maurice Bejart invited her to join him in Lausanne. She also discussed how technique has changed, and how to push the boundaries of what people expect from ballet. Loipa has taught ballet from a young age so shared her experiences not only of stage, but studio too. She said “I adore the sensation of being able to see how people develop and become better.”
Loipa has been at ENB for 12 “wonderful” years now, where she is Associate Director and concluded the talk by saying: “You love ballet. I love ballet. That is something that unites us!” We are grateful to Loipa for talking to us and sharing so many fascinating insights into the world of ballet.