Alicia Alonso started dancing in Cuba at the age of Nine, her nickname was 'Unga' (short for Hungarian) was the first Latin American (Cuban) to achieve worldwide recognition as a classic ballerina. Became a Prima Ballerina with the European Ballet Theaterin 1946. Alicia was the youngest of four children. One of the first dancers she learned was the Flamenco dance with Castanets.

    Alicia would learn ballet at the 'Sociedad Pro Arte Musical' - School of Ballet studying with Nicolai Yavorsky.

It was here she meet Danseur Fernando Alonsowhom she married at the age of fifteen, then moving to New York in 1937.

    In her prime it was discovered that she had a problem with seeing which was diagnosed as "detachment of the Retina" and was said after the operation to correct her vision she would never dance again, she proved everyone wrong. After her surgery she finally returned to dancing and got a big break to dance "Giselle" after Alicia Markova became Ill.

    In 1948 Alicia formed the "Academia Nacional de Ballet Alicia Alonso" in Havana. The Havana Press donated land forthem to build their school. She Formed her own troupe called Alicia Alonso Company.