Hearst Michael - Extraordinary people : a semi-comprehensive guide to some of the worlds most fascinating individuals

To Kelly, extraordinary with her love
and support for so many years.

Text copyright 2015 by Michael Hearst.
Illustration copyright 2015 by Aaron Scamihorn.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.

ISBN 978-1-4521-2709-5 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4521-3339-3 (epub 2)

Typeset in Whitney.

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Well, it could be any number of traits or qualities, or even circumstances ... or a combination thereof. Some of the obvious labels might include Scientist, Daredevil, and Humanitarian. But what about somebody who is extraordinary because he survived a near-death experience? Or because she overcame discrimination? (An Overcomer?) With this in mind, Ive come up with an easy-to-read chart ...

P.S. Extraordinary is sort of a funny word, isnt it? It breaks down into two words: extra and ordinary. If you think about it, it seems like the word extraordinary should mean very ordinary. Twice as ordinary. Perhaps a better word would be abovordinary, (above-ordinary). In fact, I hereby declare abovordinary a word. If you want to refer to this book as Abovordinary People, I have no problem with that.

BORN IN HAVANA, CUBA 1921

Viva Alicia Alonso, the Cuban prima ballerina assoluta! She not only helped put Cuba and America on the world ballet map, but she also heroically did it while facing a lifelong struggle with near-blindness.

Alonso s full birth name (ready for this?) was Alicia Ernestina de la Caridad del Cobre Martnez y del Hoyo, but her friends and family simply called her Unga. At a very early age, she showed great interest in music and danceher mother could entertain her simply by playing records on the phonograph and twirling a scarf. By the time Alicia was eight, she was studying at the Sociedad Pro-Arte Msical in Havana under Bolshoi ballerina Sophie Fedorova. A year later she performed publicly for the first time in Tchaikovskys Sleeping Beauty.

She progressed rapidly, and at the age of sixteen, she married fellow dancer Fernando Alonso. The couple moved to New York City, where she continued studying at the School of American Ballet.

Unfortunately, around this time she also began to lose her vision due to a detached retina. She underwent three surgeries to repair her eyes, and was ordered by doctors to stay in bed for an entire year! She was told to rest as motionless as possible, and was not allowed to laugh, cry, or even chew too hard. Alonso continued to practice ballet in her head, pointing and stretching her feet to keep them active. After the year was over, the doctors declared that the surgery had been unsuccessful and she would never have peripheral vision. Oy!

Defying her doctors orders, the strong-willed Alonso began dancing again. She would often count her steps and use lights to help determine her location onstage. And even with these setbacks, she was amazing! Her stardom rose with roles in Giselle and Swan Lake, and soon she was named principal dancer of the American Ballet.

She returned to Cuba in 1948, hoping to develop ballet in her homeland, and started the Alicia Alonso Ballet Company. Although her company was a success with audiences everywhere, there was very little money to be made. When Fidel Castro took power of Cuba in 1959, he increased funding to the arts. Alicia received $200,000 for her company. Castro, however, also asked that she change the name to Ballet Nacional de Cuba.

Because of her new affiliation to the communist government, Alicia fell out of grace with many of her American fans. Regardless, she persevered throughout Europe, Canada, and, of course, Cuba. Alicia Alonso continues to direct her ballet company. She is in her nineties and almost entirely blind.

Prima ballerina assoluta is a title given to the most exceptional female ballet dancers. It is a very rare honor. In other words, Alicia Alonso is extraordinary!