The Sodre National Ballet (BNS) celebrates 90 years since its creation on August 27, 1935, when the Ministry of Education and Culture founded it under the name of the Sodre Dance Corps. The first director was Alberto Pouyanne, a Uruguayan dancer and pianist trained in Europe, who poured his experience and his academy in Montevideo into the formation of the company. His students were the first performers in that cast.
The debut took place on November 23, 1935, with "Nocturno nativa," a work by Pouyanne with music by Vicente Ascone, performed by the Symphony Orchestra. This proposal, which blended folklore and European aesthetics, raised the question of the unique identity of classical dance in Uruguay. In this initial stage, the company sought to consolidate its style with the contributions of foreign teachers and choreographers.
Between 1958 and 1970, the BNS experienced its first golden age, marked by the arrival of Argentine artists , many from the Teatro Colón. It was a period of massive recognition, with figures who achieved international status. Sara Nieto joined the company at the age of 16 in 1964 and was named principal dancer in 1970. She remembers this period as the first great golden age, alongside performers such as Tola Leff, Raúl Severo, Tito Barbón, and Eduardo Ramírez, in a context of packed houses and loyal audiences.
The venue in those years was the Estudio Auditorio, located at the intersection of Mercedes and Andes Street, a theater with a large stage, leather seats, and the famous "chicken coop." It was there that one of the greatest tragedies in Uruguayan culture : on September 18, 1971, the building burned down. Sandra Giacosa, a member of the dance troupe, recounted the flames, the musicians trying to save instruments, and the total loss of the stage. That disaster marked a turning point, leaving ballet without its central space.
Today, 90 years later, the Sodre National Ballet continues to be a cultural icon for the country, with a history marked by creativity, artistic glory, and resilience in the face of adversity.
