By Ballet Hispánico
Photos: Ballet Hispánico
New York, NY – Ballet Hispánico, the nation’s largest Latine/x/Hispanic dance organization recognized as one of America’s Cultural Treasures, joins the 2024 season of Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage, New York City’s iconic outdoor performing arts festival, on Wednesday, August 7, 2024 at 7pm at SummerStage, Central Park, Rumsey Playfield, Manhattan.
This performance is free to attend. For more info, visit here.
Ballet Hispánico’s event in Central Park this summer promises to deliver an exciting Company performance of the ever-popular Sombrerísimo by internationally acclaimed choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa; Pas de O’Farrill, a duet by Pedro Ruiz; the Latin social dance extravaganza Club Havana by Ruiz; and House of Mad’moiselle, in which Ochoa takes us on a wild romp through a campy world that explores iconic female representations found in Latin American culture. As a bonus, audience members will have the chance to participate in a Meet & Greet opportunity with Ballet Hispánico’s Company Dancers.
“Everything about Ballet Hispánico is smashingly theatrical—from the stunning individuality and flamboyant, expressive style of its dancers to its use of sets, lighting, costumes and sound” – Chicago Sun-Times
SummerStage returns for its 38th year, bringing 85 free and benefit shows to 12 parks across NYC. The festival will once again showcase established and emerging artists from across the globe, highlighting forward-thinking women pushing boundaries and will feature a multitude of genres including jazz, hip-hop, indie rock, salsa, reggae, Afrobeats, soul, pop, global, and contemporary dance, to name just a few. For the full schedule of events, visit here.
About Ballet Hispánico
Ballet Hispánico was founded on the principle that everyone deserves dance, quality dance training and innovative performances. In creating the company in 1970, National Medal of Arts recipient Tina Ramirez shattered a glass ceiling—challenging iconic representations and exposing the joy and celebration to be found in Latinidad. Despite its humble origins, Ballet Hispánico immediately served as a catalyst for people in the Latine/x/Hispanic community, especially for Latino youth, to follow their dreams in the cultural world.
Today, as the largest Latino 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 together communities to celebrate the ever growing and multifaceted Hispanic diasporas. Ballet Hispánico’s New York City headquarters provide the space and cultural heart for Latinx dance in the United States. It is a space that expands on Ramirez’s original vision by providing our community the ability to train through dedicated scholarship opportunities, exceptional dance training, inclusive cultural dialogues, and exemplary performances. No matter their background or identity, Ballet Hispánico welcomes and serves all, breaking stereotypes and celebrating the beauty and diversity of Hispanic cultures through dance.
Eduardo Vilaro joined Ballet Hispánico as a Company dancer in 1985 and became the organization’s second Artistic Director in 2009 and CEO in 2015. Vilaro is building on Ramirez’s impact: expanding and deepening a legacy of showcasing the depth of our cultures, and exposing the intersectionality found in the Hispanic diasporas by focusing on nurturing Hispanic leaders. Through programs like the Instituto Coreográfico, the Latinx Leaders Summit and Diálogos, Ballet Hispánico has become a center for artistic leadership development.
About SummerStage
Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage is one of New York’s most beloved, broadly accessible, free outdoor performing arts festivals. SummerStage annually presents more than 80 free and benefit performances in Central Park and neighborhood parks throughout the five boroughs reaching 219,000 fans. With diverse artists and performances in genres that represent the cultural fabric of New York City ranging from jazz, hip-hop, Latin, global, indie and contemporary dance, SummerStage fills a vital niche in New York City’s summer arts festival landscape. Since its inception nearly 40 years ago, more than seven million people from New York City and around the world have enjoyed SummerStage.
