CARMEN.MAQUIA To Be Performed By Ballet Hispánico New York

Ballet Hispánico New York is set to bring “CARMEN.maquia,” a Picasso-inspired, contemporary take on the Georges Bizet classic opera, to the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10. The physically charged and sensual choreography, set to music by Bizet, fuses contemporary dance with nods to the Spanish pasodoble and flamenco. A free MAC chat will precede the performance at  6:30 p.m.

The title comes from the Spanish word tauromaquia (bullfighting). Choreographer Gustavo Ramírez Sansano replaced "tauro" with "Carmen" to emphasize Carmen as the powerful force at the center of the drama. The title also reflects Picasso's idea that Carmen is an untamable figure, like the bull in a bullfight, which is why the ballet uses the modified word.

“CARMEN.maquia” is performed to works by Bizet (1838–1875) including “Habenera” (“L’amour est un oiseau rebelle”), the famous “Toreador” song, “Symphony in C”  plus portions of Pablo de Sarasate's “Carmen Fantasy.” Ramírez Sansano originally created the work in 2012 for Chicago’s Luna Negra and Ballet Hispánico debuted the work in New York in 2014. In 2025 in honor of the worldwide celebration of the 150th anniversary of Bizet's “Carmen,” Ballet Hispánico New York restaged the work that now comes to the MAC stage for the first time.

The full design team for “CARMEN.maquia” includes Gustavo Ramírez Sansano (choreography), Luis Crespo (set design and construction), David Delfín (costume design) and Joshua Preston (lighting design).

Company dancers of Ballet Hispánico New York include Amanda Bacallao, Amir J. Baldwin, Mia Bermudez, Thierry Blannchard, Antonio Cangiano, Madison Carrión, Arianna Carson, Chicago’s own Francesca Levita, Matthew Mancuso, Dylan Dias McIntyre, Andrea Mish, Kevin Ortiz Lemus and Amanda Ostuni.

Ballet Hispánico New York, led by acclaimed choreographer and educator Eduardo Vilaro, is the nation’s leading American Latino dance company and the largest cultural institution of its kind in the United States. For over five decades, it has been a beacon of artistic excellence, celebrated for its bold repertory and exceptional training programs. The Company has commissioned more than 100 original works, performed on the world’s most prestigious stages, and inspired generations through performances, education, and community engagement. Recognized as one of America’s Cultural Treasures by the Ford Foundation, Ballet Hispánico continues to redefine what it means to be an American dance company.

Ballet Hispánico New York is unique because it blends classical ballet and modern contemporary dance with diverse Latin, Hispanic, and Afro-Cuban styles. The Chicago Sun-Times hails the Ballet Hispánico dancers as “quite simply, stellar in both their stylistic malleability and their ability to create characters…gorgeous to look at and thrilling to watch;” and Broadway World says “Ballet Hispánico is an example of what makes our country beautiful.” For more information about Ballet Hispánico New York visit ballethispanico.org.

Ballet Hispánico New York brings “CARMEN.maguia” to the McAninch Arts Center, located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage for one performance only at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10. Tickets are $54-$75. To purchase tickets or for more information visit AtTheMAC.org or call 630.942.4000. Box Office hours are noon-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and two hours prior to performance.