Ballet Hispanico to perform in Si Cuba Festival May 21

Ballet Hispanico, recognized as the preeminent Hispanic-American dance institution in the United States, will take part in this year's ¡Sí Cuba! Festival to celebrate Cuban arts and culture. ¡Si Cuba! is a showcase of the diversity of Cuban culture from the traditional to the modern. From March through June, fourteen New York City institutions will convene to celebrate the rich artistic vitality of Cuba.

On May 21, Ballet Hispanico will hold afternoon master classes as well as perform an evening showcase and host an intimate discussion with choreographers as part of the festival. All events will be held at Ballet Hispanico's headquarters, 167 West 89th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues. Please see event details below.

MASTER CLASS OBSERVATION:
11AM - 12:30PM - Classical Cuban Ballet with Caridad Martinez
1PM - 2:30PM - Afro-Cuban Dance with Rebecca Bliss
FREE

Observe Ballet Hispanico students in master classes in Afro-Cuban dance and classical Cuban ballet. Both techniques are taught at the institution's school of dance and will be demonstrated by budding pre-professionals. Both sessions are open to the public.

The Ballet Hispanico School of Dance has forged a reputation among the nation's leading professional training programs, offering a balanced curriculum in ballet, modern and Spanish dance - a practice unique among America's dance training institutions. As a result, students receive not only a thorough grounding in the primary techniques required for a successful performing career, but also specialized training in the rich and varied dance tradition which, for many, is their cultural heritage.

PERFORMANCE AND DISCUSSION:
6:00PM - 7:15PM
Tickets: $10

The critically acclaimed Ballet Hispanico Company will perform excerpts from four works by Cuban choreographers followed by an intimate discussion about the impact of their Cuban heritage on their work. The discussion will be led by Cuban-born journalist, author and poet Achy Objeas who has covered arts and culture for the Chicago Tribune and the Washington Post among other outlets. Choreographers present include Ballet Hispanico Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro, Washington Ballet Artistic Director Septime Webre, veteran choreographer and former Ballet Hispanico dancer Pedro Ruiz and rising choreographer Maray Ramis Gutierrez. See below for details about the works being performed.

Since its inception in 1970, Ballet Hispanico's dancers have roused audiences worldwide with their magnetic energy and eclectic choreography. Founded by Tina Ramirez and now led by Eduardo Vilaro, its 13 members perform works by the foremost choreographers of our time as well as those of emerging artists. Their works fuse Latin dance with elements of classical and contemporary forms to create a new sphere of concert dance in which theatricality and passion propel every move. The Company has performed for more than two million people in the United States, Europe and South America with a repertory of over 100 works, which opens dialogue about the Hispanic diaspora in our contemporary world.

Puntos Suspensivos
(2010)
Choreography by Maray Ramis Gutierrez
Music by Gabriela Lena Frank

The title means ellipses and the work is a reflection on connecting authentically and viscerally to one's culture. Gabriela Lena Frank's score evokes the sound of traditional Asian instruments while employing the cello, violin, and viola.

Club Havana
(2000)
Choreography by Pedro Ruiz
Music by López, Gonzáles, Salim, Prado, and Repilado

Latin Dancing at its best. The intoxicating rhythms of the Conga, Rumba, Mambo, and Cha Cha are brought to life by choreographer Pedro Ruiz, himself a native of Cuba, as he imagined his very own "Club Havana."

Danzón
(2009)
Choreography by Eduardo Vilaro
Music by the Turtle Island Quartet and Paquito D'Rivera

Vilaro returns to his Cuban roots with Danzón a reinvention of quintessential Cuban dance and music. Danzón is performed to music by the GRAMMY Award-winning Turtle Island Quartet and New Jersey's own Latin jazz master, Paquito D'Rivera.

Fluctuating Hemlines
(1996)
Choreography by Septime Webre
Music by Robert "Tigger" Benford

Inspired by Camille Paglia's book, Sexual Personae, Fluctuating Hemlines, begins with a party scene where women are dressed in trendy dresses and bouffant wigs while men are dressed in business suits. During the ballet, the dancers alter their "hemlines" to display different costumes of flesh-tone leotards, symbolizing the act of exposing their inner selves. The high energy ballet is performed to the bold percussive sounds of Robert "Tigger" Benford.

Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.nycharities.org/events/EventLevels.aspx?ETID=3110 until 12:00PM on May 21. After 12:00PM, tickets can be purchased with cash only at Ballet Hispanico.

For more information, visit www.ballethispanico.org.