Ballet Hispánico B Unidos Instagram Video Series Week Ten

Ballet Hispánico continues B Unidos, its Instagram video series on Motivational Monday, May 25 with a message from Pamela Tatge, Executive and Artistic Director of Jacob’s Pillow, Daily Online Company Classes, Bury Me Standing Watch Party Choreography by Ramón Oller Wednesday, May 27, 2020 at 7pm, and CARMEN.maquia and Club Havana Lincoln Center at Home Dance Week Saturday, May 30, 2020 at 2pm at www.instagram.com/ballethispanico/.

Open Classes in Afro-Cuban, Ballet, Contemporary and Yoga are now available daily for all levels via Zoom as Pay-What-You-Can, $5 suggested fee. Details are available at https://www.ballethispanico.org/bunidos/class-schedule.

The week’s content continues on www.instagram.com/ballethispanicoedu/*:
Take Action Tuesday 5/26:
– The School of Dance offers an 11am activity for Pasitos (children ages 2-5) and an Intro to Spanish Dance Class with Kiri Avelar and Franchesca Cabrera at 5pm on IGTV.
Wepa Wednesday 5/27:
– 7pm ET: Facebook Watch Party of Bury Me Standing followed by Choreographers & Cocktails – a LIVE Q&A discussion with Eduardo Vilaro and Rodney Hamilton and Jessica Batten, both former Company members. Watch this Company performance LIVE with us on Facebook, YouTube, or view on ballethispanico.org.

Therapeutic Thursday 5/28: 
– 5pm ET: Stretch & Conditioning Class with Company Dancer Gabrielle Sprauve on IGTV.
Flashback Friday 5/29:
– 11am ET: A tribute to Tina Ramirez from Ballet Hispánico archives of videos and photos, with a request for followers to share their archives with the company. 
Saturday 5/30:
– 2pm ET: CARMEN.maquia and Club Havana – Encore Presentation as part of Lincoln Center at Home Dance Week, available for free and on demand atLincolnCenter.org and on Lincoln Center’s Facebook Page.

* unless otherwise noted

Bury Me Standing (1998)
Choreography by Ramón Oller
Traditional gypsy melodies and flamenco music by Lole Y Manuel
Costume Design by Aviad Arik Herman
Lighting Design by Joshua Preston
The unique culture of the Gypsy or “Roma” people, a marginalized community that has journeyed across continents for thousands of years, inspire Spanish choreographer Ramón Oller to create Bury Me Standing. The compelling rhythms and melodies which accompany the ballet reflect the emotional essence of the Roma: their strong communal bonds, sensuality, feelings of oppression and longing, and their strength and exuberance.
New York Premiere: April 5, 2016 at The Joyce Theater

CARMEN.maquia and Club Havana
Ballet Hispánico will “whisk us away to contemporary dance’s hottest spot” (Washington Post) in this imaginative and theatrical showcase of Latin-inspired contemporary dance at its best. In Club Havana, the intoxicating rhythms of the conga, rumba, mambo, and cha cha are brought to life by choreographer Pedro Ruiz, himself a native of Cuba. Hailed as a “masterpiece” by the Chicago Sun-Times, Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s CARMEN.maquia is a Picasso-inspired, contemporary take on Bizet’s classic opera about a passionate gypsy. Riveting from start to finish, the physically charged and sensual choreography fuses contemporary dance with nods to the Spanish paso doble and flamenco.

Ballet Hispánico’s production of CARMEN.maquia and Club Havana for Lincoln Center at the Movies: Great American Dance is made possible by The Arnhold Foundation.

Lincoln Center at Homeis dedicated to maintaining connections to the arts during the COVID-19 pandemic. A free, one-stop portal to all digital offerings from across the iconic campus, offerings also include Lincoln Center Pop-Up Classroom, and #ConcertsForKids, as well as array of archival and livestream performancesavailable for free and on demand at LincolnCenter.org and on Lincoln Center’s Facebook Page.

Class Schedule (Weeks of 5/25, 6/1 – schedule tbc 6/8 and beyond:)

Monday, May 25, 2020
In observance of Memorial Day we will not be conducting online classes.  

Tuesdays at 10:30am
Contemporary (Adv/Pro) – Open Company Class, Mario Alberto Zambrano, Associate Director at  Julliard School, Choreographer & Former Dancer with Nederlands Dans Theater and Batsheva Dance Company
Tuesdays at 12:30pm
Ballet (Beg/Int) – Open Company Class, Laura Lopez, Company Dancer

Wednesdays at 10:30am
Ballet (Adv/Pro) – Open Company Class, Charla Genn, Juilliard School Ballet Instructor
Wednesdays at 12:30pm
Power Yoga Workout- Open Company Class, Melissa Verdecia, Company Member

Thursdays at 10:30am
Contemporary (Adv/Pro) – Open Company Class, Mario Alberto Zambrano, Associate Director at  Julliard School, Choreographer & Former Dancer with Nederlands Dans Theater and Batsheva Dance Company
Thursdays at 12:30pm 
Ballet (Beg/Int) – Open Company Class, Laura Lopez, Company Dancer

Fridays at 10:30am
Ballet (Adv/Pro) – Open Company Class, Ana Novoa, Former Principal Dancer, National Ballet of Cuba, English National Ballet

Fridays at 12:30pm
Afro-Cuban (Open Level) – Open Company Class, Lyvan Verdecia, Company Dancer

# B Unidos
The Instagram series features videos created by the three arms of the Ballet Hispánico: the professional company, the School of Dance, and Community Arts Partnership (CAP) and featuring the hashtag #BUnidos at www.instagram.com/ballethispanico/.

Daily, the company releases a new video generated by the dancers, teachers and administrators with the goal of serving as class, exercise, and inspiration: Motivational Mondays (inspirational messages), Take Action Tuesdays (technique tips for young dancers), Wepa Wednesdays Watch Parties, Therapeutic Thursdays (focus on conditioning, health and wellness, stretching), and Flashback Fridays (retrospective looks at past 50 years from Ballet Hispánico’s archives).

“As a community of dancers, artists, and human beings, we are all in this together. We will persevere through this challenging time and we hope that these videos provide a coping outlet, for you, for our followers and the community overall,” said Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director and CEO of Ballet Hispánico. “Now more than ever, it is important to band together in support of the arts. The personal and professional challenges that we have already endured and will continue to face over the next few weeks or months are significant. What we can take from this time of cancellations, uncertainty and social distancing is a chance to use our creativity to connect with the community on a new level. Social distancing does not mean emotional distancing. Ballet Hispánico was founded upon and has always believed in the importance of reaching and servicing our community through dance and culture. As this pandemic occurs during our 50th Anniversary, it provides us with an opportunity to reflect on how far we have come, get back to our roots by reaching out to community near and far, and look forward to what is ahead.”

About Ballet Hispánico
Ballet Hispánico, America’s leading Latino dance organization, has been bringing people together to celebrate the joy and diversity of Latino cultures for 50 years. Over the past five decades, Ballet Hispánico’s mission-driven ethos has been a catalyst of change for communities throughout our nation. By bringing the richness of the Latinx culture to the forefront of performance, education and social advocacy, Ballet Hispánico is a cultural ambassador. The organization’s founder, National Medal of Arts recipient Tina Ramirez, sought to give voice to the Hispanic experience and break through stereotypes. Today, Ballet Hispánico is led by Eduardo Vilaro, an acclaimed choreographer and former member of the Company whose artistic vision responds to the need for social equity, cultural identity, and quality arts education for all. Ballet Hispánico has been, and will continue to be, a beacon for diversity. The art we create explores and celebrates the culture without the trappings of stereotypes. We foster the pursuit of art as a way of providing transformation through the exploration of the human condition. Our art often defies gravity, acting as a frontline against cultural division by releasing preconceived notions of culture and instead offering our audiences new perspectives.