World ballet legend Alicia Alonso died on Thursday at the age of 98, the National Ballet Cuba Foundation said in a statement.
Because of her cardiovascular disease, Alonso was taken to the Havana Center for Clinical and Surgical Research early on Thursday, where she died.
The Alonso Dance Foundation turned into the National Ballet of Cuba, and served as its director.
Alonso was a living legend in the ballet world, known for the performances of Giselle and Carmen, as well as her work to promote the Cuban School of Ballet worldwide.
Alonso founded her own dance company in 1948, and in the wake of the 1959 Cuban Revolution, the late Cuban President Fidel Castro increased the funding of the arts and encouraged Alonso to establish the award-winning Cuban National Ballet.
