Ballet Hispánico, the nation’s largest Latinx cultural organization and one of America’s Cultural Treasures, returned to New York City Center after its critically and publicly acclaimed run of Doña Perón. From June 1-3, 2023, Ballet Hispánico presented a mixed bill curated by Artistic Director & CEO Eduardo Vilaro featuring repertory favorites, two new commissions and an exciting new addition to the repertory.
Ballet Hispánico uplifts and serves as a platform for Latinx voices and artists. The Company featured a program of incredible dance, beginning with an opening night performance and Gala paying tribute to The Miranda Family. Each performance included the signature work Club Havana, Pedro Ruiz’s homage to his Cuban home-land; a riveting duet from New Sleep by master choreographer William Forsythe, presented in tribute to Ballet Hispánico’s founder Tina Ramirez (1928 – 2022); and two new works: Sor Juana by Michelle Manzanales; and Omar Román De Jesús’ first work for the Company, Papagayos.
Ballet Hispánico 2023 Gala Performance and Dinner
Following the opening night performance on June 1, a gala dinner took place at the Plaza Hotel.
“We are thrilled to return to New York City Center with an extraordinary program featuring some of today’s most visionary Latinx choreographers, offering tribute to the legacy of Tina Ramirez’s mission and the inspirational Miranda Family,” said Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director & CEO, Ballet Hispánico.
Sor Juana – World Premiere
Mexican-American choreographer Michelle Manzanales’ groundbreaking creative force tells the story of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a seminal figure who was centuries ahead of her time in advocating for women’s rights and education, and whose legacy continues to shape the rich tradition of Mexican literature. Manzanales’ work will feature poetic excerpts with moments from Sor Juana’s life, interweaving music of Baroque Mexico, and tackling deeply personal themes of family, a love for learning, and the yearning for artistic voice.
Papagayos – World Premiere
Enter the world of Puerto Rican choreographer, Omar Roman de Jesus and hi upside down forest, where paradise comes ready laden with wings and psychedelic stories write themselves out of order. A love ritual between two birds transforms into a movement poem celebrating the pleasure of human physicality. We can be both as we want and as we are here where the colors cry out at their maximum volume. The work explores the human condition and the need to connect with another. ”Sometimes all we want to be is part of someone else.”
New Sleep (excerpt)
William Forsythe’s New Sleep (1987) — a neoclassical master work scored by composer Thom Willems – demonstrates Forsythe’s ability to deconstruct classical vocabulary and maintain a strict precision without confining the physical expression within the movement. His work was long admired by Ballet Hispánico founder Tina Ramirez who, for many years, sought an opportunity for the Company to present one of his pieces. In honor of Tina, two members of the Company will perform an excerpt from New Sleep at each performance.
Club Havana (2000)
One of the company’s signature works, this is Latin dancing at its best. The intoxicating rhythms of the conga, rumba, mambo, and cha cha are brought to life by choreographer Pedro Ruiz, himself a native of Cuba, as he imagined his very own “Club Havana.”
Ballet Hispánico is the largest Latinx/Latine/Hispanic cultural organization in the United States and one of America’s Cultural Treasures. Ballet Hispánico’s three main programs, the Company, School of Dance, and Community Arts Partnerships bring communities together to celebrate the multifaceted Hispanic diasporas. Ballet Hispánico’s New York City headquarters provide the physical home and cultural heart for Latinx dance in the United States. It is a space that initiates new inclusive cultural conversations and explores the intersectionality of Latine cultures. The Ballet Hispánico mission opens a platform for new social dialogue, and nurtures and sees a community in its fullness. Through its exemplary artistry, distinguished training program, and deep-rooted community engagement, Ballet Hispánico champions and amplifies Latine voices in the field. For over fifty years Ballet Hispánico has provided a place of honor for the omitted, overlooked, and othered. As it looks to the future, Ballet Hispánico is pushing the culture forward on issues of dance and Latine creative expression.
