CAMAGÜEY.- How far can someone go without having “the ideal conditions”? Viengsay Valdés wasn't born with the perfect body for ballet. She had a receding hairline due to alopecia caused by hair pulling in gymnastics, feet that didn't naturally open outward, and misaligned muscles from pedaling a bicycle—a transportation solution that ended up working against her. She was told she had the hands of a pianist, and perhaps that's why she loves the violin and piano. But dance was her thing.
During her training, she faced one of the toughest times in Cuba. She ate whatever she could—sometimes, too much egg—and food poisoning was part of the story. She even prepared to study biology, in case dance didn't work out. But she persisted. Wearing shoes she modified herself, she went from a size 3 to a 5. She trained without fats or carbohydrates, unaware that this was weakening her. But she persisted.
She didn't have "the ideal foot," nor "the extensions I dreamed of." But she had something rarer: a stubborn will, the kind that transforms bodies and destinies.
Today she directs the Cuban National Ballet. And her story—as full of fragility as it is of strength—is beautifully told in the book "Of Steel and Cloud," written by Carlos Tablada. A book that reconstructs her career with a profound and moving perspective.
This week, Viengsay Valdés was recognized with the 2025 National Dance Award, and it's a perfect time to learn more about her story. More than a biography, it is the portrait of a woman who has made ballet her destiny, defying adversity with character and grace.
Last March, during her visit to Camagüey, she was welcomed with the presentation of the biography "De acero y nube" (Of Steel and Clouds), written by sociologist Carlos Tablada, in a moving encounter where she shared personal anecdotes and overcame challenges. The book, available in bookstores, is essential reading for those who wish to understand not only the evolution of a great dancer, but also the interweaving of historical, ethical, and personal circumstances that shape her legacy. It is especially valuable now that the country is celebrating her career with the highest award in national dance.
Published by Letras Cubanas in 2014, it is a notable contribution to the biographical genre, as it masterfully addresses a recurring problem in historiography: the balance between the individual and their context. From an epistemological perspective, Tablada succeeds in constructing a narrative in which the figure of Viengsay Valdés is not isolated as an exceptional entity, but rather is organically inserted into the historical, political, and cultural processes that surround her.
The work moves away from the usual schematism of many biographies to approach literary narrative, imbuing the events with dramatic depth and the characters with complex modeling. Through rigorous documentation, contrasts, and testimonies, the author constructs a life story that harmonizes major events with the subjectivity of its protagonist. This approach not only contextualizes Valdés's career but also offers a critical and in-depth view of the historical processes that have influenced her.
Structurally, the book consists of three parts, each accompanied by an image gallery that visually complements the narrative. It also includes a detailed account of Viengsay Valdés's repertoire from 1994 to 2013, the roles she has played throughout her career, and the awards and distinctions she has received. With 302 pages, it is a comprehensive work that allows one to delve into the dancer's career from different perspectives.
It is worth noting that its impact even reaches younger generations: I know at least one young girl reader who was fascinated by Viengsay's story and continues to admire her because she also studies ballet.
Biography, as a genre, has been widely cultivated in Latin America, shaping the literary production of the 19th and 20th centuries. In this sense, Of Steel and Clouds is part of the tradition of works that seek to understand the interaction between the subject and its time. Following the three vectors that Michel Foucault identified to determine the weight of the individual in History, the book examines the resilience of the individual to their environment (external individuality), the tension between private and public life, and the work of the individual on themselves as the construction of their own destiny. Thus, the figure of Viengsay Valdés is presented as a being shaped by their context, but also as an active will who has been able to transform her destiny.
As in his biographical writings about figures such as José Martí, Tablada demonstrates a particular interest in the ethical dimension of the human being. His story not only portrays a brilliant career but also invites reflection on character, discipline, and determination as driving forces of personal and collective history. In this way, Of Steel and Cloud becomes a biography that not only documents but also challenges and enriches the reader's understanding of the relationship between the individual and society.
The distinguished Cuban dancer Viengsay Valdés has been the subject of a biography written by renowned sociologist Carlos Tablada, author of The Economic Thought of Che (1987), a work for which he received the Casa de las Américas Extraordinary Prize. When he won this Extraordinary Prize about an immense man like Ernesto Guevara, he had no idea that the girl who would become the protagonist of another extraordinary work by Tablada was just beginning to study ballet.
Tablada met Valdés in 2001, during a period when she was sculpting her body under the guidance of physical therapist Miguel Capote. It was at the doctor's home that the writer proposed the idea of documenting her artistic experience in a book.
According to historian Miguel Cabrera, Viengsay Valdés achieved great fame and popularity in her homeland, to the point that even those who had never seen her dance recognized her as the heir to a tradition of excellence established by the legendary Alicia Alonso. Furthermore, Valdés had the opportunity to meet other great figures of Cuban ballet in person, who have left an indelible mark on the history of dance.
In Cabrera's opinion, Valdés played a fundamental role in preserving certain characteristics of the Cuban school of ballet that seemed in danger of disappearing with the generational change at the end of the 20th century. Among these, the fouettés performed without moving—as performed by Alicia Alonso—and the prolonged balances, distinctive signs of Cuban technique, stand out. In his assessment, the historian also included her inseparable physiotherapist, Miguel Capote, as a key figure in her artistic development.
Viengsay Valdés's biography reflects her example for new generations of dancers. Her entry into the Cuban National Ballet in 1994 coincided with the crisis of the so-called Special Period, in which the scarcity of resources affected even the practice of ballet. Without adequate slippers, she was forced to use improvised footwear from local workshops. At school, she faced food problems, suffered food poisoning, and dealt with transportation difficulties. However, these adversities did not prevent her from becoming one of the most important figures in Cuban ballet.
Since the book's publication more than a decade ago, Viengsay Valdés's life has continued to be marked by extraordinary moments, such as motherhood and her appointment in 2020 as general director of the National Ballet of Cuba, assuming the leadership of the institution once headed by Alicia Alonso. It is unclear whether sociologist Carlos Tablada continues to document her career, but her legacy undoubtedly continues to be enriched with every step she takes on and off stage.
Classical ballet is a discipline that constantly challenges the natural laws of the human body. Dancers train to make the impossible seem natural: they defy gravity with leaps that seem suspended in mid-air, they challenge balance with infinite turns, and they challenge physical endurance with grueling routines that combine strength and grace.
In Viengsay Valdés's case, her mastery of balance and non-moving fouettés are clear examples of this challenge. Staying on one foot while rotating at high speed without losing its axis requires extraordinary muscular control and body awareness. And beyond technique, there's the ability to make everything seem effortless, as if the effort weren't even there.
But there's something even more challenging: longevity in ballet. A classical dancer's body faces extreme wear and tear, and age is often a limiting factor. Viengsay, 30 years into her career, continues to challenge that barrier, something only the greatest have achieved.
Translated by Linet Acuña Quilez