Photo: Shutterstock; illustration by Nuestro Stories.<\/i><\/p>\n\n
Much has been said about the contributions of Latinos to the history of the 20th century. From <\/span>physicians<\/span><\/a> to <\/span>activists<\/span><\/a>. … and when it comes to the arts, we have also been a community full of unparalleled talent.<\/span><\/p>\n\n Just look at the story of Fernando Bujones, a Cuban-American dancer considered one of the best of the 20th century and one of the greatest dancers of his generation.<\/span><\/p>\n\n Born in Miami, Florida, in 1955, Fernando Bujones moved with his mother to Havana when he was five. There, he began learning ballet at six at the school of iconic ballerina Alicia Alonso.<\/span><\/p>\n\n As Anna Kisselgoff wrote in Bujones’ 2005 <\/span>obituary<\/span><\/a>, Bujones’ mother, who had also been a dancer, enrolled him in dance classes because of his poor constitution as a child.<\/span><\/p>\n\n In 1964, Bujones returned to Miami with his mother, who introduced him to the New York City Ballet star dancer Jacques d’Ambroise touring at the time.<\/span><\/p>\n\n In 1967, thanks to d’Ambroise’s support, Bujones <\/span>won a scholarship<\/span><\/a> to the School of American Ballet, the official school of the New York City Ballet Company. Bujones stayed there for five years and studied with teachers such as Andr\u00e9 Eglevsky, Stanley Williams, and Jos\u00e9 Imendez, who would become his coach.<\/span><\/p>\n\nAn innate talent<\/span><\/h2>\n\n
Fernando Bujones makes his way into professional dance<\/span><\/h2>\n\n