Reviews
"She may be the prima ballerina assoluta, but Madame Alicia isn’t the only Alonso to have shaped Cuban ballet. Toba Singer’s biography of master teacher, dancer, and administrator Fernando Alonso reveals why he’s regarded as the father of Cuban ballet."
--Cubanartnews.org
"Toba Singer does much to reframe our understanding, helping to correct lingering historical misconceptions."
--Dance Magazine
"A timely tribute to an incredible man whose vision and dedication to his art has established one of the world’s finest classical ballet systems...it also finally and firmly establishes Fernando Alonso in his rightful place in historical annals as one of the world’s greatest ballet teachers."
--DanceTabs
“Fernando Alonso: The Father of Cuban Ballet is a detailed portrait of an important contributor and visionary in the development of ballet in Cuba… Through illuminating the life and work of Fernando Alonso, this book celebrated the critical significant of pedagogy in building a school and company to international renown.”
--Attitude: The Dancer's Magazine
The story of the Alonsos’ performing career in the United States is, essentially, the story of the birth of American ballet....The book illuminates part of ballet history largely hidden from the West by the Cold War. A riveting read.
--Dance Europe
Offers the first full-length examination of [Fernando Alonso’s] career in English. . . .Succeeds in illuminating the life, work, and personality of a master teacher and in offering valuable lessons about the art and science of ballet.
--New West Indian Guide