Dance in Cuba: Photographs by Gil Garcetti

April 22, 2006 – June 4, 2006

Noted urban photographer and former prosecutor and Los Angeles District Attorney Gil Garcetti captures the essence of dance in Cuba in this selection of forty-nine images, most from his new book Dance in Cuba. Garcetti’s rich black-and-white photographs reveal that dance is uniquely embedded in the culture and spirit of Cuba, where Afro-Cuban dance, classical ballet, contemporary dance, flamenco, and street performance co-exist to include everyone. Garcetti had unprecedented access to professional dance studios by collaborating with Alicia Alonso (director), Miguel Cabrera (official historian), and prima ballerina Viengsay Valdes of the famed Ballet Nacional de Cuba as well as with Miguel Ferrer, director of Danza Contemporánea de Cuba, and others. He has masterfully used his camera to freeze dramatic moments and chronicle this enigmatic country with its flourishing dance traditions.

Exhibition in Depth

In 2001, photographer Gil Garcetti traveled to Cuba for the first of what would be several visits to the country. Captivated by how essential dance is to daily life in Cuba, Garcetti photographed dancers in various contexts, from professional ballerinas to street performers. Dance in Cuba: Photographs by Gil Garcetti is the first museum exhibition of his images from the country and features a selection of approximately forty striking photographs, most from his new book, Dance in Cuba (Balcony Press).

Garcetti captures the essence of dance in Cuba. His rich black-and-white photographs reveal that dance is uniquely embedded in the culture and spirit of Cuba, where Afro-Cuban dance, classical ballet, contemporary dance, flamenco, and street performance co-exist to include everyone. Garcetti had unprecedented access to professional dance studios by co-llaborating with Alicia Alonso (director), Miguel Cabrera (official historian), and prima ballerina Viengsay Valdes of the famed Ballet Nacional de Cuba as well as with Miguel Ferrer, director of Danza Contemporánea de Cuba, and others. He has masterfully used his camera to freeze dramatic moments and chronicle this enigmatic country with its flourishing dance traditions.

Known for his long career as a prosecutor and a Los Angeles District Attorney, Garcetti has spent more than forty years as an urban photographer. His photography books, Iron: Erecting the Walt Disney Concert Hall and Frozen Music have received critical praise in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Oregonian, The Washington Post and other publications. In 2003, his photographs were the subject of an exhibition at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. and American Photo Magazine named Garcetti one of the nation’s master photographers.

Press Release

Dance in Cuba