DistantNews
Support us
Panama Ballet Festival Concludes Week of International Dance
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Culture & Society

Panama Ballet Festival Concludes Week of International Dance

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Outcome reported
  • The Panama Ballet Fest 2026 concluded a week dedicated to international dance, honoring legendary ballerina Margot Fonteyn.
  • The festival featured prominent figures from over a dozen countries, including companies, teachers, and dancers.
  • Awards were presented to several teachers for their contributions to classical ballet, and a new piece by choreographer Eduardo Blanco premiered.

The Panama Ballet Fest 2026 has concluded a week-long celebration of international dance, paying tribute to the iconic British ballerina Margot Fonteyn. The festival brought together distinguished artists from more than ten countries, encompassing dance companies, esteemed instructors, and talented dancers.

Fonteyn, widely regarded as one of history's most important ballerinas, spent her final years in Panama until her passing in 1991. Her legacy served as the inspiration for the festival, which was organized by the Ministry of Culture and held at the Teatro Aurea B. Torrijos in Panama City's City of Arts. The event also honored a group of "legends" and rising stars who have dedicated their lives to the advancement, teaching, and management of dance.

who have consecrated their lives to the development, teaching and management

— Ministry of CultureDescribing the 'legends' and promising figures honored at the Panama Ballet Fest 2026.

The festival's highest distinction, the Margot Fonteyn Medal for Exceptional Career in Ballet, was awarded to teachers Raisa Gutiérrez, Brenda Arias, Josefina Nicoletti, and Alberto González. The Ministry of Culture recognized them for their "extraordinary careers and invaluable contribution to classical ballet." Panamanian Minister of Culture María Eugenia Herrera praised the honorees, emphasizing the "value of their perseverance and the sense of community that unites the guild," while encouraging them to "continue inspiring new generations."

The closing gala featured the premiere of a new work by choreographer Eduardo Blanco and the presence of international figures such as Viengsay Valdés, General Director of the National Ballet of Cuba. The week's program showcased classical, neoclassical, and contemporary repertoire performed by renowned international companies and artists from countries including Colombia, Cuba, Uruguay, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Ukraine, Venezuela, El Salvador, and Panama. Notable participants included representatives from the Metropolitan Ballet of Medellín, the Colombian Institute of Classical Ballet, artists from Ukraine's Gran Kyiv Ballet, members of Uruguay's National Ballet of Sodre, and Panamanian dancer Manuelita Navarro.

an experience to celebrate the beauty, technique and emotion of dance, bringing the public closer to great exponents of world ballet and consolidating Panama as a cultural benchmark in the region.

— OrganizersStating the aspirations for the Panama Ballet Fest.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog