No Complaints as Teatro Miramar Receives Grand Donation of Ballet Shoes

Havana, Cuba, May 16, 2010 –(PR.com)– Girls huddled together before class gossiping or complaining, as teenagers typically do. Teachers arriving for work. It was a regular morning at Teatro Miramar in Havana, Cuba. But by mid-morning, a grand celebration was about to erupt in the hallways disrupting classes for the remainder of the day.

Around 10 a.m. Tuesday morning, a delivery of a few large boxes arrived without warning, the postage indicated the origin was within the UK. The office secretary opened the first of 3 boxes to reveal its pink and satiny contents. Brand new ballet shoes in sealed see-through bags. After opening the other two boxes, confirming they all had the same contents, Alicia Flores decided that disrupting the dance class to show the girls the boxes was necessary.

She walked down the hallway of the once grand theatre, a relic from the forgotten golden era of Havana. Now with it’s peeling paint, broken windows, and fatigued exterior the Teatro Miramar is starting to show its age. None of this matters to the students of the Teatro Miramar’s art school, they are just happy to be under the tutelage of Havana’s finest art teachers.

Practicing for the end of semester performance, the girls in Teatro Miramar’s dance class aspire to dance professionally in one of the many resorts that provide employment to the local economy. Alicia Flores knew the students would be thrilled to hear of the parcel that arrived minutes ago.

With almost 30 curious students in-tow, Se�ora Flores returned to the front entrance of the Miramar. As she looked behind her shoulder, she saw the smiles of the girls she has come to know during the school year. Nobody complained as the elderly woman slowly made her way back to the front of the school.

Once the first few girls saw the boxes, and the contents within, pandaemonium erupted as cheers and screams echoed the hallways. Curious to see the source of the commotion, the halls quickly filled with the students and teachers of other classes.

As the dance class tore into the parcels with fervor, a packing slip was discovered and the origin of the package was now known. The ballet shoes were sent from Birmingham and Royal Ballet (London). Some of the students became so emotional that they started to cry. Such a grand gesture of kindness is something rare in the lives of students attending Teatro Miramar. All the students are from the poorest neighborhoods in Havana. Up until this point the girls often practiced barefoot, too grateful to complain about the pain.

As the end of the semester approaches, the girls of Teatro Miramar are thankful for the unexpected but welcome gift from Birmingham and Royal Ballet (London). The shoes will be put to good use as the girls practice for the school-wide performance for friends and family, ending the school year.

For more information on Teatro Miramar or to make a donation, visit http://www.cuba-solidarity.org.uk/.

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