On Monday, April 8, 2013, Ballet Hispanico will celebrate the legacy of its School of Dance, and proudly honor Randy Falco, President & CEO of Univision Communications, with its Civic Inspiration Award at the annual Spring Gala in The Plaza Hotel’s Grand Ballroom. Cocktails begin at 7pm and dinner will commence at 7:45pm. Attire is black tie. To purchase tickets, a table, a journal advertisement, or for more information, please contact Emma Epstein, Events Manager, at (212) 362-6710 x43 or [email protected]. The Plaza Hotel is located at 768 Fifth Avenue, New York City.
The celebration will feature dinner, live music from the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, and performances by the Ballet Hispanico Company and students of the Ballet Hispanico School of Dance.
The event is headed by Event Chairs Emilio Estefan, Kate Lear, David Pérez, and Herb Scannell.
“Both Univision and Ballet Hispanico share a commitment to serve as cultural connectors and leaders in the ever-changing demographics of our country. For Ballet Hispanico, this means continued access, scholarship support and excellence in dance education for underserved communities and schools,” said Kate Lear, Chair of Ballet Hispanico’s Board of Directors. “Univision stands for innovation in television and media with programming that reflects and responds to today’s Latino experience, and we are thrilled to honor their achievements.”
“More than 40 years ago, two pioneers emerged to provide a voice for the Latino community: Univision on television and Ballet Hispanico on stage,” said Randy Falco, President & CEO of Univision Communications. “I’m honored to receive this award and celebrate the accomplishments of Latino leaders in the arts and media industries in one fabulous evening.”
Under Mr. Falco’s leadership, Univision has made significant strides in its ongoing evolution from what was once a niche broadcast network to the multimedia powerhouse Univision is today. He has spearheaded Univision’s quick expansion, adding three new cable networks and digital offerings, while driving increased revenue and growth across its existing broadcast and cable networks, local television group and radio stations portfolio. In addition, Mr. Falco led the Company’s 50th anniversary celebration by unveiling its new brand logo and tagline, identifying Univision as “the Hispanic Heartbeat of America.”
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro, Ballet Hispanico’s three divisions-the professional dance Company, School of Dance, and Education & Outreach program-continue to grow and enrich the lives of dancers and audiences of all ages. The School of Dance is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Dance as of September 2012. The School offers over $150,000 in annual scholarships and trains more than 600 students a year, 50% of whom are Latino. The Jody G. Arnhold Scholarship Fund was launched last year by Ballet Hispanico Honorary Chairman and 2012 Gala honoree Jody Gottfried Arnhold to further support the School. The Ballet Hispanico Company performed a sold-out show at Harlem’s world famous Apollo Theater in December 2012 and was a featured performer this past January at an event in Washington D.C. honoring the presidential inauguration and Latino arts and culture. The Company will celebrate its 25th season of performances at The Joyce Theater on April 16-28, 2013.
Randy Falco is President and Chief Executive Officer of Univision Communications Inc., the leading media company serving Hispanic America. Prior to joining Univision in January 2011, Mr. Falco served as chairman and chief executive officer of AOL, Inc. from 2006 to 2009. Before joining AOL, Mr. Falco spent more than 30 years with NBC, most recently serving as president and chief operating officer of NBC Universal Television Group. Mr. Falco has also served as chief operating officer, NBC Olympics, for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City; the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney; the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta; and the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. He has won numerous Emmy Awards for these broadcasts. Mr. Falco holds an M.B.A. in finance and a bachelor’s of science degree, also in finance, from Iona College. Mr. Falco sits on the board of Ronald McDonald House and the Museum of The Moving Image.
Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) is the leading media company serving Hispanic America. Its assets include Univision Network, one of the top five networks in the U.S. regardless of language and the most-watched Spanish-language broadcast television network in the country reaching 96% of U.S. Hispanic households; UniMás, a leading Spanish-language broadcast television network reaching 89% of U.S. Hispanic households; Univision Cable Networks, including Galavisión, the country’s leading Spanish-language cable network, as well as Univision tlnovelas, a 24-hour cable network dedicated to novelas, Univision Deportes Network, a 24-hour cable network dedicated to sports, ForoTV, a 24-hour Spanish-language cable network dedicated to news, and an additional suite of six cable offerings – De Película, De Película Clásico, Bandamax, Ritmoson, Telehit and Distrito Comedia; UVideos, the first bilingual digital network serving Hispanic America; Univision Studios, which produces and co-produces reality shows, dramatic series and other programming formats for the Company’s platforms; Univision Television Group, which owns and/or operates 62 television stations in major U.S. Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico; Univision Radio, the leading Hispanic radio group which owns and/or operates 69 radio stations in 16 of the top 25 U.S. Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico; Univision Interactive, a network of products and offerings including Univision.com, which continues to be the No. 1 most-visited Spanish-language website among U.S. online Hispanics, Univision Móvil, a longstanding industry-leader with unique, relevant mobile products and services, and Univision Partner Group, a specialized advertising and publisher network. Headquartered in New York City, UCI has television network operations in Miami and television and radio stations and sales offices in major cities throughout the United States.
The Ballet Hispanico School of Dance is one of the nation’s leading training programs, offering a balanced core curriculum in ballet, modern and Spanish dance-a practice that is unique among America’s dance education institutions. Students receive a thorough grounding in the primary techniques required for a successful performing career, along with specialized training in the rich and varied Latino dance traditions which, for many, reflects their cultural heritage. Under an internationally renowned faculty led by seasoned arts advocate and School Director AnaMaria Correa, students are exposed to three signature training programs and a bevy of performance opportunities. Alumni of the School have gone on to careers in theater, film, and television, as well as careers with leading dance companies such as Ballet Hispanico, Alvin Ailey, Paul Taylor, ABT II, and the San Francisco Ballet.
ABOUT BALLET HISPANICO: Celebrating 42 years of dance and culture, Ballet Hispanico is recognized as the nation’s premier Latino dance organization. Led by Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro, the Company boasts a rich and diverse repertory of over 100 works by the foremost choreographers and emerging artists of our time. The works expand on founder Tina Ramirez’s legacy of exploring the diversity of Latino culture through a fusion of classical, Latin, and contemporary dance powered by theatricality and passion. The Company has performed for an audience of nearly 3 million, throughout 11 countries, on 3 continents. For more information, visit www.ballethispanico.org. Follow Ballet Hispanico on Facebook and Twitter.
