Maria Antonietta Berlusconi Beretta has lived the world of ballet with that dedication and discretion that naturally translated into a sign of elegance and commitment. Far from any clamour in the news and close to the beating heart of artistic education, young people and their world, in relation to this world, Mrs. Etta has “listened to”, to grasp its expectations, thoughts, difficulties, dreams. Ballet was HER dream ever since, sublime instrument of training even firstly of the human being and then of the dancer.

The MAB Award is dedicated to her and it was created by the association after her name, therefore it intends to offer a testimony of her work in the promotion of art, culture and human growth through art, continuing on the path laid with the foundation and direction of the school Principessa Danza in Milan and, more generally, with a systematic attention to young people, their potential and their training.

Key figures of the project have always been: quality, professionalism and good taste. It is a precise path of excellence aimed at young people and aimed at carrying forward the ideas of those who knew how to love them, exhort them and simply stand by, “leaving like this, on tiptoe”.

Founder of Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba | Director | Choreographer | Teacher | UNICEF Ambassador | BBC 100 Women 2018 | CAF Ambassador | CID Member | MAB Award Artistic Director 2024
Lizt Alfonso founded in 1991 the Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba (LADC), a resident company at the Gran Teatro de La Habana Alicia Alonso, which has become one of the most popular and prestigious in the world of dance and music for its innovative style.
Lizt Alfonso began to approach the art world at the age of four, when she attended her first ballet class. From then on, his training took place at the National School of Ballet of Cuba and at Spanish dance academies, Dance Theatre, Folklore and other schools, until he graduated in Theatre and Dramaturgy at the University of Arts of Havana (ISA) in 1990.
He designed, choreographed and directed all the LADC shows. Under her direction, LADC has performed on hundreds of stages around the world, participating in major dance festivals, regular dance seasons and commercial theaters. Her vision and perseverance led LADC to be the first Cuban dance company to have seasons of performances in New York, at the New Victory Theater. She was invited to explain her creative process and staging her work in the Work and Process series of the Guggenheim Museum in New York and took LADC to the Fall for Dance Festival of the New York City Center and the Luminato Festival in Toronto, among many others.
With LADC he developed a new line of entertainment, creating dance musicals and staging them in long seasons, such as his show “Vida” at the Royal Alexandra Theater in Toronto and “Amigas” at the Thalia Theater in Hamburg. It made history by presenting LADC as the first Cuban dance company to perform at the 2015 Latin Grammy Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. She is the choreographer of the music video of the famous song “Bailando” by Enrique Iglesias, one of the most watched videos on Youtube. She is one of three jurors of “Bailando en Cuba”, the most popular dance competition on Cuban TV. He is a jury member of the Grand Prix Danza Activa, International Dance Competition, held in Panama City, as well as the Ballet Beyond Borders in the United States.
She has gained great prestige and is constantly acclaimed as artistic director of special and multidisciplinary gala evenings for international summits and organizations, world leaders, special events, heights, etc. such as the opening of the Havana Film Festival, the Dance Gala for the King of Spain, special celebrations of international banks and many others.

Her constant dedication to the education of children and young people to the best human and artistic values led her to found and direct her own Dance School, a Ballet for Children and Young People, as well as Summer Courses and Choreographic Competitions, all with her imprint, bringing education and hope to the new generations. The results of this work have made her UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, leading the “25 leaders, 25 voices for children” campaign, organised by UNICEF on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
He has received several awards around the world: the Official Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic, delivered by the King of Spain, Don Felipe VI. The BBC list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world in 2018; the International Spotlight Award of the Committee of the President of the United States for the Arts and Humanities, presented at the White House by First Lady Michelle Obama in 2016; the National Order of Culture of Cuba; Ambassador of the Cuban Artists Fund of New York; the Dora Mavor Moore Award of Canada in the category Best Choreography of a Musical for his show “Vida” in 2008; the First Choreography Award of the Association of Cuban Artists and Writers in 2006 and 2008 and the Cuban Artists Fund of New York Award in 2001, as well as many others. More recently, she was invited to talk about her life and work at major events such as Ballet Beyond Borders in Los Angeles CA; the Regional Conference of the Organization of Young Presidents (YPO) in Havana and Talks at Google in New York. Now artistic director of the MAB Prize 202, nominated by the director coming out M the. Julio Bocca.

She studied classical and modern dance with the masters Rosa Varriale and Francesco Imperatore, then continued her training in London at the Royal Ballet School (Upper School).
He began his career in 2007 with the English National Ballet, in 2008 he danced with the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, while in 2009 he was a soloist at the Arena di Verona. He won the first MAB Award in 2010. Since 2011 he has been part of the Ballet Corps of the Teatro di San Carlo, playing Soloist and Principal roles including: Il Cigno in ‘Carmina Burana’ (S.Wei), Il Giovane in ‘Mozart Requiem’ (B.Eifman), the Prince of Sugar in the ‘Nutcracker'(L.Chang), ‘Lo Spettro della Rosa'(M.Fokine), the Prince in the ‘Nutcracker'(C.Jude), the White Rabbit in ‘Alice in Wonderland'(G.Schiavoni), the Prince in the ‘Nutcracker'(G.Picone), the Prince in ‘Cinderella'(G.Picone), ‘Grand Pas Classique’ (V.Gsovsky), Puck in ‘Dream of a Midsummer’s Night’ (P.Chalmer), Prince Siegfried in the ‘Swan Lake'(P.Bart), Main Man 1st Movement in ‘Concerto'(K.MacMillan), ‘In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated'(W.Forsythe), ‘Delibes Suite'(José Carlos Martínez), Infiorata a Genzano pas de deux in ‘Napoli'(A.Bournonville), Jean de Brienne in ‘Raymonda – Act III'(M.Petipa).
He participates in numerous shows and galas of international importance such as the ‘XVIII, XX and XXIII International Ballet Festival’ in Miami, Florida, the ’24 International Opera Festival de la Habana’ under the general direction of Alicia Alonso and ‘The 3 International Silk Road Festival Gala-Ballet’ in Astana under the general direction of Altynai Asylmuratova.