Alicia Alonso is a Cuban-American prima ballerina and choreographer. She is considered one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century and is renowned for her technical precision and dramatic intensity. Alonso was the founder of the National Ballet of Cuba and has been honored with numerous awards, including the Kennedy Center Honors in 2001. Alonso's most famous role was Giselle in the ballet of the same name. Her performance of the role has been described as 'the definitive interpretation'.