Lydia Diaz Cruz is a Prima Ballerina who started dancing in Havana

Havana

Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...

, Cuba

Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...

, and trained with Fernando Alonso and Alicia Alonso

Alicia Alonso

Alicia Alonso Martínez is the Cuban prima ballerina assoluta and choreographer. Her company became the Ballet de Cuba in 1955....

. As a young dancer, she was talent-spotted by a well-known British dancer and teacher from an earlier era, Dame Phyllis Bedells

Phyllis Bedells

Phyllis Bedells was an English ballerina and teacher. She studied with Bolm, Cecchetti, and Pavlova. From 1907 she was a dancer at the London Empire Theatre and became the first British prima ballerina there in 1914. She left in 1916 to dance in West End musical revues and in opera ballets at...

, who traveled to Cuba and regarded her as the most naturally gifted dancer she'd seen since Margot Fonteyn

Margot Fonteyn

Dame Margot Fonteyn de Arias, DBE , was an English ballerina of the 20th century. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest classical ballet dancers of all time...

. Early marriage and exile from Cuba in the wake of the Castro

Fidel Castro

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...

 revolution put a halt to her career, which she resumed after the birth of her third child in the early sixties. She went on to dance in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 with Ballet Concerto in Miami, became principal dancer with the National Ballet of Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

, and has performed in principal guest roles with the National Ballet of Venezuela, Washington Ballet

Washington Ballet

The Washington Ballet is an ensemble of professional athletic classical ballet dancers. It was founded in 1976 by American ballet pioneer Mary Day, and has been under the artistic directorship of Septime Webre since 1999.-The Mary Day years :...

, Ballet Spectacular. She danced alongside many of the great artists of the day, including Margot Fonteyn and Melissa Hayden

Melissa Hayden (dancer)

Melissa Hayden was a Canadian ballerina at the New York City Ballet.-Early life:...

, among many others.

She is probably best known for her role in The Dying Swan, a version that is closer to that of Maya Plisetskaya

Maya Plisetskaya

Maya Mikhailovna Plisetskaya , born is a Russian ballet dancer, frequently cited as one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century. Maya danced during the Soviet era at the same time as the great Galina Ulanova, and took over from her as prima ballerina assoluta of the Bolshoi in 1960...

 than the famous early one by Anna Pavlova; many who've seen it proclaim it as even more memorable that those of her illustrious predecessors. It was her signature performance, and she danced the piece to the end of her career with undiminished skill and fulsome acclaim from audiences. She has been partnered by many of the greatest male dancers of the 20th century, including Fernando Bujones

Fernando Bujones

Fernando Bujones was an American ballet dancer.Born in Miami, Florida to Cuban parents, Bujones is regarded as one of the finest male dancers of the 20th century and hailed as one of the greatest American male dancers of his generation.Bujones' first formal ballet classes were in Alicia Alonso's...

, Peter Martins

Peter Martins

Peter Martins is a Danish ballet dancer and choreographer. Martins was named man of the year by Danish American Society, 1980...

, Jacques D'Amboise, Edward Villella

Edward Villella

Edward Villella is an American ballet dancer and choreographer, frequently cited as America's most celebrated male dancer at the time....

, Ivan Nagy

Ivan Nagy

Ivan Nagy may refer to:* Ivan Böszörményi-Nagy , Hungarian-American psychiatrist* Ivan Nagy , Hungarian-American film director...

, and Royes Fernandez. She has been honored in the United States Congressional Record and by Miami City Ballet

Miami City Ballet

Miami City Ballet is an American ballet company based in Miami Beach, Florida. It was created in 1986 by former New York City Ballet principal dancer Edward Villella and flourishes today as one of America's most respected ballet companies...

, of which she is a founding Board member. She lives in Miami.