We knew we could not raise our son, John, under this...

We knew we could not raise our son, John, under this repressive regime. So it was just a question of when we were going to leave Cuba. And we couldn't tell anyone because that would expose others to danger. So we left through Mexico in 1964, arriving in the United States soon after. Right before we left, however, there were terrible scenes with Margarita's family and our colleagues in the dance world, who saw us as traitors. It was an incredibly difficult time for us.