‘Mirror Dance’ documentary preview at UD Oct. 25

Identical twins Margarita and Ramona de Saá both became acclaimed ballerinas with the National Ballet of Cuba. But after one sister left for America while the other embraced the Cuban Revolution, they were separated for decades.

3:50 p.m., Oct. 17, 2005--UD’s Latin American Studies Program will cosponsor an advance showing of Mirror Dance, a PBS documentary about twin sisters who danced with the Cuban National Ballet before one of the women defected to the U.S. and left her sister in Cuba. The preview screening is set for 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 25, in the Trabant University Center Theater.

The screening will be followed by a question-and-answer session and an informal panel discussion. Panelists include Margarita de Saá, one of the subjects of the documentary, her husband, John White, and film coproducers, Frances McElroy and Maria Rodriguez. Light refreshments will be served during the event, which is free and open to the public.

Jeanille Tumey, assistant director of University development, recently completed a master’s degree thesis, "John White, the Cuban Revolution and Classical Ballet," which tells John White's story through oral history about being invited by Cuban ballerina Alicia Alonso to help create and dance for the National Ballet of Cuba.

The program also is cosponsored by UD’s Master of Arts in Liberal Studies Program, the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Latino and Latin American Heritage Office,
Raven Press and HOLA.

The broadcast premiere of Mirror Dance is slated for 10:30 p.m., Nov. 15, on most PBS stations.

Article by Martin Mbugua

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