Ballet Hispanico to perform SOMBRERÍSIMO at inaugural Hudson River Dance Festival | @HudsonRiverPark

JUNE 17 & 18, 2015

TWO FREE PERFORMANCES

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Ballet Hispanico, recognized as the nation's leading Latino dance organization since 1970, will perform in the first Hudson River Dance Festival at Hudson River Park on June 17 & 18, 2015 at 6:30pm.

Hudson River Park, one of the nation's longest waterfront parks and an urban oasis for New Yorkers and visitors from every corner of the world, will host the first-ever Hudson River Dance Festival, presented this summer on the Pier 63 lawn in Hudson River Park. This free celebration of NYC's premier dance culture is a rare and unique opportunity for diverse audiences to experience some of the city's most talented and acclaimed dancers and ground-breaking dance compositions and performances.

The same program will be featured each evening, with Ballet Hispanico, Paul Taylor Dance Company, and Parsons Dance sharing the bill. Each company has planned engaging and distinctive programs that spotlight the cultural wealth and stylistic innovation that makes New York the epicenter of the American dance scene. The repertoire is designed to delight a broad audience, from aficionados and dance enthusiasts, to families and new audiences alike. The Hudson River Dance Festival is sponsored and presented by SHS Foundation in association with The Joyce Theater, with funding from The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, and the Hudson River Park Trust.

"We are thrilled to be a part of the inaugural Hudson River Dance Festival and to share our artistry with the larger New York City community," said Ballet Hispanico Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro. "For this performance we present Sombrerísimo, a witty audience favorite that showcases the athleticism of the Ballet Hispanico Company's men and the exuberance of Latinos."

Choreographed by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and commissioned by New York City Center for the 10th anniversary of the Fall for Dance Festival, Sombrerísimo is an absorbing exploration of identity. The piece references the surrealist world of the Belgian painter René Magritte, famous for his paintings of men in bowler hats.

"Celebrating our City's culture, and keeping the arts-especially dance-accessible and relevant for all New Yorkers is at the heart of what we do at SHS," said Richard Feldman, President of the SHS Foundation. "We are excited to bring these iconic dance companies and their talented artists to Hudson River Park, which showcases so many quality events each summer."

The Hudson River Dance Festival is part of an ongoing commitment by the Hudson River Park Trust to present free and low cost cultural, artistic and educational programming for all visitors to the Park's Manhattan's waterfront location from 59th Street to Chambers Street, on the west side.

"There is nothing quite like sunset on the Hudson River in the summertime," said Madelyn Wils, CEO and President of Hudson River Park Trust. "It is a privilege to launch with the support of The SHS Foundation, Hudson River Park's first-annual dance festival, with such diverse and extraordinary dance companies. We invite everyone to join us this June to experience these exciting, beautiful and spirit-lifting works of art that celebrate life and our connection to the world around us."

For more information, please visit:

http://www.hudsonriverpark.org/events

www.hudsonriverpark.org

www.facebook.com/HudsonRiverPark

BALLET HISPANICO selected Mexican-American Choreographer MICHELLE MANZANALES for Instituto Coreográfico

Ballet Hispanico, recognized as the nation's leading Latino dance organization since 1970, presented the latest installment of its choreographic institute, Instituto Coreográfíco,with a showing held on Thursday, May 28, 2015 at the company's headquarters at 167 W. 89th Street, NYC. This year's Instituto Coreográfico featured Mexican-American choreographer and Ballet Hispanico Rehearsal Director Michelle Manzanales, who was paired with filmmaker Fernando Venegas Traba and photographer Madeline Campisano. The 2015 installment of the Instituto program was made possible through support from the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the Mertz Gilmore Foundation.

The groundbreaking Instituto Coreográfico provides emerging Latino choreographers, dance filmmakers, and now dance photographers with a professional and supportive environment in which to explore their heritage and develop their craft. Choreographers receive ongoing feedback from a group of notable artistic mentors and advisors, daily archive DVD recordings of the rehearsals, an edited film of the resulting work, an academic advisor, and a showing of their work.  Should an artistically appropriate work emerge from this process, it could enter Ballet Hispanico's permanent repertory. Filmmakers will be paired with a choreographer and will be mentored by filmmaker Nel Shelby.

For more information, visit: www.ballethispanico.org.

BALLET HISPANICO ANNOUNCES TWO-WEEK NEW YORK SEASON AT THE JOYCE THEATER

Spring means many things in the city. It’s a signal to enjoy the fruits and the bounty that the creative community brings, year after year, to New York.

The spring season of BALLET HISPANICO (April 14-26, 2015) is no exception!

Artistic director, Eduardo Vilaro of Ballet Hispanico keeps true to his roots while mixing it with an eclectic, sleek, modern style that has always been favored by audience and critics alike with The New York Times calling the dynamic company “...the best contemporary repertory ensembles" (The New York Times).

This year, some of the highlights of the Joyce season include the world premiere by Mexico-based choreographer Miguel Mancillas and the dazzling New York premiere of Show.Girl. by Miami-based, Princess Grace Award-winning choreographer Rosie Herrera.

Other gems include the Joyce Premiere of Gustavo Ramírez Sansano's CARMEN.maquia, a contemporary spin on the iconic story about a passionate gypsy with set design by Luis Crespo and costumes by fashion designer David Delfin; Sombrerísimo, choreographed by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and commissioned by New York City Center for the 10th anniversary of the Fall for Dance Festival; and El Beso, choreographed by Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, with original costumes by Venezuelan fashion designer Angel Sanchez.

Keeping up with the times, this will be the first New York season where Ballet Hispanico will also offer a 90-minute matinee on Saturday, April 18 that is specially curated for children and families. 

Ballet Hispanico's fun, interactive and educational Performances for Young People is now celebrating 30 years-give families a glimpse into the beauty of the arts and Latino culture.

This dynamic program will feature excerpts from Ballet Hispanico's diverse repertory and a Q&A with the dancers. This event will be hosted by Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro and Education Director AnaMaria Correa.

"Our New York Season truly offers something for everyone," said Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director of Ballet Hispanico. "The works this season highlight the full breadth of the company's powerful ability to interpret the many shades of the Latino cultural experience. From raw human expression to stylized theatrical seduction, each work is a chapter in the past, present and future of our American experience. And, I am particularly excited to offer our beloved and signature Performances for Young People to family audiences through a special Saturday matinee."

Ballet Hispanico's New York Season at The Joyce Theater - April 14-26, 2015

World Premiere of Conquer by Miguel Mancillas 

New York Premiere of Show.Girl by Rosie Herrera 

Joyce Premiere of Evening-Length CARMEN.maquia

Special Matinee for Children and Families on Saturday, April 18 .

DANCE WITH BALLET HISPANICO

What’s not to love about dance?  Nothing that’s what—nothing and with a special matinee for Children and Families that’s a big “go” sign to plan a New York family day!

This year, Ballet Hispanico, recognized as the nation's leading Latino dance organization since 1970, returns to the Joyce Theater from April 14-26, 2015 with 15 performances featuring five dynamic programs. The tickets are reasonable starting at $10 with the World Premiere of Conquer by Miguel Mancillas; a New York Premiere of Show.Girl by Rosie Herrera, Joyce Premiere of Evening-Length CARMEN.maquia and a Special Matinee for Children and Families on Saturday, April 18.

Under the brilliant eye of Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro, Ballet Hispanico has melded its Latino roots with an eclectic, sleekly modern style that has made it "one of the best contemporary repertory ensembles" (The New York Times).

Highlights of this year's Joyce season include a raw and athletic world premiere by Mexico-based choreographer Miguel Mancillas and the dazzling New York premiere of Show.Girl. by Miami-based, Princess Grace Award-winning choreographer Rosie Herrera. Other highlights include the Joyce Premiere of Gustavo Ramírez Sansano's CARMEN.maquia, a contemporary spin on the iconic story about a passionate gypsy with set design by Luis Crespo and costumes by fashion designer David Delfin; Sombrerísimo, choreographed by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and commissioned by New York City Center for the 10th anniversary of the Fall for Dance Festival; and El Beso, choreographed by Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, with original costumes by Venezuelan fashion designer Angel Sanchez. 

For the first time during its New York Season, Ballet Hispanico will also offer a 90-minute matinee on Saturday, April 18 that is specially curated for children and families featuring excerpts from Ballet Hispanico's diverse repertory and a Q&A with the dancers.

Hosted by Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro and Education Director AnaMaria Correa, Ballet Hispanico's fun, interactive and educational Performances for Young People-now celebrating 30 years-give families a glimpse into the beauty of the arts and Latino culture.   

"Our New York Season truly offers something for everyone," said Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director of Ballet Hispanico. "The works this season highlight the full breadth of the company's powerful ability to interpret the many shades of the Latino cultural experience. From raw human expression to stylized theatrical seduction, each work is a chapter in the past, present and future of our American experience. And, I am particularly excited to offer our beloved and signature Performances for Young People to family audiences through a special Saturday matinee."

Ballet Hispanico's New York Season at The Joyce Theater - April 14-26, 2015

Conquer (2015) - World Premiere

Choreography by Miguel Mancillas

A raw and athletic world premiere by Mexico-based choreographer Miguel Mancillas that explores, through notions of power and possession, the ways in which we seek to conquer spaces and people. Mr. Mancillas's work came to fruition through Ballet Hispanico's Instituto Coreográfico, an innovative choreography lab program for Latino dance makers.

Show.Girl. (2014) - New York Premiere

Choreography by Rosie Herrera 

A dazzling New York premiere by Miami-based, award-winning choreographer Rosie Herrera, Show.Girl. uses the Cuban cabaret aesthetic to explore the Latina female identity. Ms. Herrera's work was commissioned in part by American Dance Festival and came to fruition through Ballet Hispanico's Instituto Coreográfico, an innovative choreography lab program for Latino dance makers.

CARMEN.maquia (2014) - Joyce Premiere

Choreography by Gustavo Ramírez Sansano

Hailed as a "masterpiece" by the Chicago Sun-Times, CARMEN.maquia is a Picasso-inspired contemporary take on Bizet's beloved classic. The physically charged and sensual choreography fuses contemporary dance with nods to the Spanish paso doble and flamenco. A stunning set design by Luis Crespo and minimalist black-and-white costumes by fashion designer David Delfin evoke the paintings of Pablo Picasso. Highly original and full of elaborate partnering, CARMEN.maquia is a bold and electrifying reimagining of this tragic tale. 

Sombrerísimo (2013) 

Choreography by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa

An absorbing exploration of identity, Sombrerísimo references the surrealist world of the Belgian painter René Magritte, famous for his paintings of men in bowler hats. This athletic work for six male dancers was commissioned by New York City Center for the 10th anniversary of the Fall for Dance Festival. 

El Beso (2014)

Choreography by Gustavo Ramírez Sansano

Spaniard Gustavo Ramírez Sansano's first work for Ballet Hispanico is a spirited look at the nuances of a kiss set to Spanish Zarzuela music and featuring original costumes by Venezuelan fashion designer Angel Sanchez. 

Asuka (2011) 

Choreography by Eduardo Vilaro Asuka is a celebration of the music of Celia Cruz through the lens of the Latino experience. Cruz, renowned as the "Queen of Salsa," captured the heart of Latinos the world over and became a symbol of perseverance for many. Through rich imagery and humor, Eduardo Vilaro explores the struggles of departure from one's homeland and the exuberance of success experienced by a community. 

Good Night Paradise (1994)

Choreography by Ramón Oller Catalan lyrics, haunting tableaus, and relationships that stem from the dark side of the heart shape this powerful and highly physical piece of dance theater by Catalan modernist Oller. 

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE 

Program A:  Show.Girl., Conquer,El Beso 

Tue 4/14, Wed 4/15 at 7:30pm; Thu 4/16, Fri 4/17, Sat 4/18 at 8pm, Sun 4/19 at 7:30pm 

Program B:  CARMEN.maquia 

Tue 4/21, Wed 4/22 at 7:30pm; Thu 4/23, Fri 4/24, Sat 4/25 at 8pm 

Program C:  Conquer, Sombrerísimo, El Beso 

Sun 4/19 at 2pm; Sat 4/25 at 2pm 

Program D:  Show.Girl., Good Night Paradise, Sombrerísimo, Asuka 

Sun 4/26 at 2pm*

*Specially programmed to celebrate retiring Ballet Hispanico dancer Jessica Alejandra Wyatt 

SATURDAY EN FAMILIA Program: 

Sat 4/18 at 2pm 

Excerpts from Asuka, CARMEN.maquia, Sombrerísimo, El Beso

Bring the whole family to a 90-minute, fun-filled journey through Latin American dance and culture featuring excerpts from Ballet Hispanico's diverse repertory and a Q&A with the dancers. Hosted by Ballet Hispanico Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro and Education Director AnaMaria Correa, our fun, interactive and educational Performances for Young People-now in their 30th year-give families a glimpse into the beauty of the arts and Latino culture. All tickets $25.