ProDanza, founded and helmed by Laura Alonso, is based in Havana, Cuba. Cuba is currently in the midst of what has been called the country’s largest economic and humanitarian crisis to date. Citizens frequently experience power outages—like the one during ProDanza’s recent performance—that can last more than 30 hours. Food is at high risk of spoilage and residents are battling extreme heat. Despite it all, Alonso’s company continues to rehearse and perform.

“During the Second World War, the artists that stayed during the siege of Leningrad performed at night for the troops and the public. In England, the Royal Ballet danced under the bombardment of the Nazis,” Alonso said during a phone interview from her home in Havana. “It is the artist’s duty to perform to the public and to at least make them forget for a moment, so that their brains can rest.”

Alonso is the daughter of pioneering Cuban ballet dancers Alicia and Fernando Alonso, who founded what is now the Cuban National Ballet. She spoke with Fjord Review about how her company is meeting the current moment, the decision to dance in times of trouble, and making her trailblazing ancestors proud.

It’s such a powerful image, your company continuing to persevere and perform despite the ongoing difficulties in Cuba. How are the dancers faring?

The dancers have the same problems as the people of Cuba—no electricity for 30 or more hours, water shortages, there’s no transportation because there’s no gas. The dancers walk from their homes to work and back. We do it because we love ballet. If there’s no electricity, we sing the music and we rehearse.