“The story of the Alonsos’ performing career in the United States is, essentially, the story of the birth of American ballet....The book illuminates part of ballet history largely hidden from the West by the Cold War. A riveting read.”- Dance Europe ""A riveting look into the life and times of a great dance artist. From a small island shrouded in mystery, Fernando Alonso changed the face of ballet for the world. Bravo! A standing ovation for a great read about a fantastic life.""- Ben Vereen, Tony Award winner; ""One of the most fascinating books I have ever read. Cuba is a mystery to so many of us, and this book gives an insight into the making of a great ballet style and company. A must-read for dancers, students, and balletomanes.""- David Howard, Broadway Dance Center; ""A long-overdue book about one of the most influential figures in the making of the Cuban ballet miracle.""- Lynn Garafola, author of Legacies of Twentieth-Century Dance; ""A greatly informative- and unusually structured- account of one of ballet's most influential and impressive teachers from the past hundred years. The English-speaking dance world has lost track of him owing to two cold wars; that between the United States and Cuba and that between Alonso and his former wife and inspiration, Alicia. The interviews Singer conducts here unflinchingly take stock of both.""- Mindy Aloff, author of Dance Anecdotes; ""An illuminating biography of one of the most important pedagogues in twentieth-century ballet. Fernando Alonso not only codified the formidable Cuban ballet technique, but he trained many of the extraordinary Cuban dancers who grace the international stage today.""- Suki John, Texas Christian University; ""Alonso's philosophies are gems for ballet dancers.""- Miko Fogarty, Gold Medalist, World Ballet Competition, and star of the award-winning film, First Position