What does a superstar like Carlos Acosta do after bidding farewell to his career in classical ballet? In Acosta’s case, he returns to his native country, Cuba, to funnel his fame, connections and prodigious energies back into the dance scene that formed him. Because of its top-notch, state-supported training programs and popular embrace of the […]
The ’90s were an exciting time at Houston Ballet. Lauren Anderson, who became Houston’s first African–American principal dancer in 1990, reigned as its queen of virtuosic technique; a few years later, a young Cuban wonder named Carlos Acosta joined the company and became one of her regular partners. The results were nothing less than explosive, […]
This story originally appeared in the August/September 2016 issue of Pointe. Carlos Acosta’s Carmen, a co-production with London’s Royal Ballet, Australia’s Queensland Ballet and Texas Ballet Theater, arrives in Dallas, September 16–18, and in Fort Worth, October 7–9. TBT artistic director Ben Stevenson met Acosta when the international star was only 18 years old. As […]
Former Royal Ballet principals Tamara Rojo and Carlos Acosta are notably one of the best couples to perform together. In this clip of Manon, it’s clear that Rojo and Acosta have an unadulterated chemistry, even with the pas de deux’s technically exhaustive demands. Like Romeo and Juliet, Manon tells the story of star-crossed lovers. Though […]
After 17 years at The Royal Ballet, Carlos Acosta is ready to begin his next chapter. The principal dancer retired from the company last night after performing in his new production of Carmen, which he choreographed and starred in. According to The Telegraph, after receiving a 20-minute standing ovation last night, Acosta offered a few […]
Carlos Acosta. The name is almost synonymous with great male dancing, calling up an image of a performer whose combination of athletic dynamism, refined classicism and onstage magnetism have made him a superstar from just about the start of his career. Born and raised in Cuba, he began performing at 18 with English National Ballet […]
When Carlos Acosta sees me backstage, he walks toward me smiling, his arms open wide. We met briefly the night before at a reception, but he embraces me and kisses me on both cheeks like we’re old friends. It’s 11:15 am one morning in mid-March, and he’s warming up onstage, preparing for the 11:30 class. […]
Carlos Acosta, a principal at The Royal Ballet and one of the most well-known dancers ever, will retire from the classical stage during the summer of 2016. However, he’s already begun to lay his next plans: Running his own dance company. Acosta told the London Evening Standard that he plans to split his time between […]