Cuban Connection

Gil Garcetti is practically a Los Angeles institution. With
three decades of experience in the district attorney’s
office, his name is familiar to most Angelenos. While his career as
a prosecutor made him a household name, most people do not realize
that Garcetti is also a critically acclaimed photographer.

Garcetti’s most recent collection, “Dance in
Cuba,” is currently at the Fowler Museum of Cultural History.
On Sunday, Garcetti treated visitors to an exhibit walkthrough and
lecture.

“I’ve been a photographer all my life. As long as I
can remember I’ve been taking photographs. Even when I was a
DA I always had a small point-shoot camera in my pocket. Suit and
tie ““ wherever I was, I would pull it out,” Garcetti
said.

Inspired by his first trip to Cuba in 2001, Garcetti’s
work explores the tremendous influence of dance on Cuban culture.
His photographs capture the laborious rehearsals of the Ballet
Nacional de Cuba as well as the jubilant crowds of street
performers dancing for Haitian gods. Garcetti’s collection is
an homage to the Cuban respect and love for all kinds of dance.

“There’s music and dancing everywhere. The people
were dancing in the street,” Garcetti said. “It’s
spontaneous and inbred. Cubans kid about this but there’s
truth in it when they say, “˜It’s in our
blood.'”

When asked if ballet to Cuba was like the NBA or NFL to
Americans, Garcetti added, “(The NBA and the NFL) put
together ““ and the World Series. People know their dancers.
They know ballet. If you’re a Cuban ballet star you’re
really something.”

“Dance in Cuba” is a study on the island’s
favorite pastime but more importantly it is about the Cuban
population. Garcetti reveals Cuba’s character through the
energy, emotion and personality of individual dancers.

“This is more than ballet ““ this is about the spirit
of the Cuban people. They are desperately poor, they really have
nothing, but when they dance they forget about that. Their spirit
just comes alive,” Garcetti said.

During his multiple trips to Cuba, Garcetti established rapport
with the National Ballet. He dined with Alicia Alonso, the
company’s director, and became friends with the principal
dancers.

Such a relationship is unusual for American visitors. While at
first his attempts to gain access to company grounds were futile,
eventually his patience paid off and he found the right
connections.

“You can’t get into the Cuban National Ballet.
I’d been trying and I couldn’t get permission, so I
finally did it the Cuban way and talked to people who knew
people,” Garcetti said. “I finally got permission to
visit one class for one hour. It turned out that I stayed for four
hours; they didn’t kick me out.”

One surprising element of the photographs is the poor conditions
in which the dancers rehearse. The old wood floors are missing
boards, and the studios are bare except for a few barres and
mirrors. Garcetti’s photos do not represent the same ballet
world as Degas’ paintings; such ideal scenes are
inconceivable for the under-funded Cuban National Ballet.

“I’m trying to show the grittiness of the
conditions. This is the National Ballet, it doesn’t get any
better than this. Americans wouldn’t step a foot on
it,” Garcetti said.

Despite the subpar facilities, the National Ballet has become
one of the world’s foremost companies.

This accomplishment is a testament to both the dedication of the
dancers and the ongoing support from the public.

Garcetti’s collaborative relationship with the ballet has
benefited both parties as Garcetti brings prints to the company
with each successive visit.

“The national ballet loves the photographs I take of
them,” Garcetti said.

In addition to ballet images, the collection also features
scenes of Afro-Caribbean, contemporary and folkloric dance troupes.
One series focuses on the July celebration of Carnival. In Cuba,
the holiday is not associated with Lent, but rather Fidel
Castro’s ascension to power.

“It celebrates Castro’s arrival in Cuba after he had
been exiled. It’s the beginning of the revolution,”
Garcetti said.

The collection aims to capture the essence of the dancer as
opposed to the more technical or athletic aspects of dance.

“Most dancers just show the perfect line, and it’s
static,” Garcetti said.

In pursuit of translating the more emotional side of dance,
Garcetti elected to use black-and-white prints.

“All this is in black and white because I want people to
see their faces, I want them to feel their energy. Color will take
that away,” Garcetti said.

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