Ana Lourdes Novoa began her training in La Escuela
Nacional de Arte in Havana. She graduated eight
years later in 1976, and was immediately admitted
into the National Ballet of Cuba. In 1982, she was
promoted to first soloist and in 1990 to principal
dancer. Her repertoire included all the classics
in the company such as Giselle in Giselle,
Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Swanilda in Copellia,
Princess
Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, Kitri in Don Quixote,
Lisette in Fille Mal Gardee, Nikiya and Gamzatti in
La Bayadere, Medora in Le Corsaire and others. Along
with the classics, she performed many modern
pieces from Cuban and international choreographers.
Her partner for most of the roles in her
professional career was Jose Manuel Carreno. In
1992, she became a Principal Dancer for the English
National Ballet. She performed all her roles
alongside partner Jose Manuel Carreno and Carlos
Acosta.
She returned to the Cuban National Ballet and toured
the globe while performing in many renowned
stages. She danced in several US cities including
LA, NY and Boston. She also danced in many European
countries such as Italy, France, Spain, Greece,
Germany, Switzerland, and others. In 1997, she
retired after dancing for 22 years and began to
teach at the National Ballet of Cuba. Her career as
a
teacher continued in the US as she taught advanced
classes at Dance Center in New Jersey for over a
year, and also instructed Tony Award winner Kiril
Kulish as he played the leading role in the
Broadway production of Billy Elliot the Musical.
