Dance legends Alonso, Mason meet in CubaVisiting Dame Monica Mason Monica Mason O.B.E. is a ballet dancer and has been the Director of the British national ballet company, the Royal Ballet, since 2002. Early life Mason was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1941. , director of the Royal Ballet Royal Ballet, the principal British ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. It is noted for lavish dramatic productions, a superbly disciplined corps de ballet, and brilliant performances from its principals. of London, met in Cuba Tuesday with dance legend Alicia Alonso Noun 1. Alicia Alonso - Cuban dancer and choreographer (born in 1921) Alonso , head of the Cuban National Ballet company Noun 1. ballet company - a company that produces ballets troupe, company - organization of performers and associated personnel (especially theatrical); "the traveling company all stayed at the same hotel" , state-run media reported. Alonso, 88 and partially blind, hosted Mason at the headquarters of the National Ballet company, which she founded and has led since 1948. The meeting came hours ahead of a Royal Ballet performance in Havana late Tuesday, the first of three performances at Havana's Karl Marx theater The Karl Marx Theater (Spanish: Teatro Karl Marx) is a theater in Havana, Cuba, formerly known as the Teatro Blanquita, and renamed after the Cuban Revolution of 1959, the venue has an enormous auditorium with seating capacity of 5500 people, and is generally used , holds up to 5,000 audience members. Tuesday's performance was to include a tribute for Alonso. Mason told Cuban TV news that she did not want to say much about her first-ever conversation with Alonso, but described the meeting as "historic." It is the first time the Royal Ballet is to perform in Havana in its 78-year-old history. The storied British classical ballet company and its 96 dancers arrived late Friday in Cuba accompanied by 50 technicians for five performances. Mason earlier told reporters she was honored to be in Cuba, where, she said, dance is at the heart of the people and the culture. Cuba's National Ballet is scheduled to perform in Britain next year, Cuban officials said. 
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