Alonso stepped in as a last-minute replacement to dance the title role in Giselle with Ballet Theatre in New York, launching her international career.
On November 2, 1943, Alicia Alonso achieved her breakthrough when she was called upon at the last minute to replace the injured prima ballerina Alicia Markova in the title role of Giselle with Ballet Theatre (later American Ballet Theatre) in New York City.
Alonso had already been battling a detached retina that would plague her eyesight for the rest of her career, dancing many roles with severely limited vision and relying on memorized staging and trusted partners to guide her across the stage. Her triumphant performance in this quintessential Romantic ballet cemented her reputation as one of the era's foremost interpreters of the role, and Giselle became closely associated with her artistry for decades to come.
This moment marked her transition from a promising young dancer to an internationally recognized ballerina, opening doors to principal roles throughout the 1940s and beyond. It was a pivotal step toward her eventual status as one of the greatest ballerinas of the twentieth century, and it foreshadowed the tenacity and adaptability that would define her long career despite her visual impairment.