Lincoln Center at Home presents Ballet Hispánico on April 10, 2020. As a part of this new initiative, viewers can watch archival Lincoln Center performances, available for free and on demand at LincolnCenter.org and on Lincoln Center’s Facebook Page.
Friday, April 10 at 5:30 p.m.
Ballet Hispanico 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.
http://lincolncenter.org/lincoln-center-at-home/show/ballet-hispanico
Ballet Hispánico continues its 50th Anniversary Celebration this year as the fourth presentation from Lincoln Center at Home’s archival performances. Ballet Hispánico’s Christopher Hernandez and Marcos Rodriguez in CARMEN.maquia
In addition, the company has introduced B Unidos, a new Instagram video series that features a series of videos posted 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/ballethispanicoedu/.
Each weekday at 3pm ET, 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 (explorations of the many varied styles of Latin Dance), Therapeutic Thursdays (focus on conditioning, health and wellness, stretching), and Flashback Fridays (retrospective looks at past 50 years from Ballet Hispánico’s archives). The series also includes weekly Facebook Watch Parties of past company shows every Wednesday at 7pm, followed by live Q&A sessions with dancers.
“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.