QTP Presents Ballet Hispanico 11/7-8 In The Claire Shulman Playhouse

Queens Theatre in the Park (QTP) presents Ballet Hispanico from November 7-8, 2009 in the Claire Shulman Playhouse Main Stage Theatre at Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY. Tickets are $41-44 and are available at www.queenstheatre.org or by phone at 718-760-0064.

Performances will include a preview performance of Tríptico, a new work by choreographer Ron De Jesús, in collaboration with GRAMMY Award-winning composer Oscar Hernández. Choreographer Ron De Jesús challenges traditional Latin social rhythms with the power, speed, and control of contemporary partnering. This daredevil interpretation of GRAMMY Award-winning Oscar Hernandez' commissioned score takes an athletic approach to the romantic pas de deux. Three couples fold and unfold into one another, transforming the standard triptych into a dynamic expression of energy, silhouette and composition. The company will also perform Goodnight Paradise (1994), a revival of Ramon Oller's 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. This piece was last performed by the Company in 1999. In Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's duet, Locked Up Laura (2009), a longstanding partnership forged through the daily discipline of dance faces the moment when one partner loses artistic focus. Ochoa fractures classical ballet technique to capture the wry humor and poignant emotion of this final pas de deux, as Rijnink's spare soundscape takes the duo from offstage to the spotlight and back. The revival of Vicente Nebrada's work Batucada Fantástica (1982) evokes the essence of Brazilian Carnival through eight electric solos, culminating in a riotous ensemble finale. Batucada Fantástica rejoins the repertory after 12 years.

With theatricality and passion propelling every move, the dancers of Ballet Hispanico bring a dramatic sensibility and contagious delight to each performance. New versatile programs demonstrate the high-energy pulse of Latino rhythms and contemporary choreographic perspectives.

"When Ballet Hispanico's dancers take the stage, watch out. No one struts, kicks, spins, leaps and gyrates the way they do." - New York Newsday

Performances: Saturday, November 7, 2009 2pm & 8pm; Sunday, November 8 at 3pm

Located on Manhattan's Upper West Side, Ballet Hispanico explores, preserves, and expands the passion and joyous theatricality of Latino dance through the work in its three core divisions: the Company, the School of Dance, and Primeros Pasos. Its mission is to celebrate and further interpret the moving and beautiful aesthetic of this dynamic culture and to share it with all people.

Tickets are available:
* Online at www.queenstheatre.org.
* By phone at 718-760-0064, Tue-Sat, 12-6pm.
* In person at Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY.

* Subscriptions: Become a Theatre or Dance Subscriber by ordering tickets to all four Theatre Series events or all four Dance Series events and enjoy significant savings off the ticket price.
* Multi Show: Order any three or more shows and earn the multi show discount price. This discount is available for any show this season. There is no limit on the number of tickets you can purchase at this discount. If you are already a Theatre or Dance Subscriber or have purchased at least two shows this season, you have already earned this discount on additional ticket purchases.
* Groups: Contact group sales associate Barbara Matovu at 718-760-0064 x128 for groups of 15 or more.

Queens Theatre in the Park is located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY.
By Subway: Take the 7 train to Mets-Willets Point stop. Exit and turn left after passing through turnstile, walk downstairs on the parking lot side and follow the theatre shuttle signs. Take free trolley to the Theatre. Trolley runs for one hour before and after all performances.
By Car: Take the Grand Central Parkway to exit 9E (from Manhattan) or 9P (from Long Island) and follow the signs for the Theatre. Free parking in adjacent lot.

About Queens Theatre in the Park
Queens Theatre in the Park is committed to presenting performing arts that provide audiences with the highest quality work. QTP also produces new plays, with a concentration on up-and-coming directors and playwrights. QTP has broadened the experience of its core audience to include works by under-recognized artists from around the world and works that tap into the diverse communities of Queens.

Queens Theatre in the Park is located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in the New York State Pavilion designed for the 1964 World's Fair by Philip Johnson. The Pavilion was converted to a theatre in 1972 and was operated by various organizations until 1985. QTP was officially established in 1989 with the full support of the community and the Queens Borough President. After a $4 million renovation that brought full ADA compliance, the Theatre officially opened to the public in 1993 in a facility that allows it to stage productions equal to those of any Off-Broadway house in Manhattan in its 464-seat main stage theatre and its 99-seat Studio Theatre. What was then a small cabaret-style theater with an operating budget of under $500,000 has transformed itself into a major performing arts center with exhibition galleries with a projected operating budget of $3.9 million for FY2009.

QTP became an independent nonprofit in 1997. It is a member of the Cultural Institutions Group receiving support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. The Theatre presents and produces 300 performances annually. QTP serves 100,000 people annually who reflect the rich demographics of its community population. Currently 75% of the Theatre's constituency is from Queens. In addition to its own season, QTP frequently provides its space for use by community arts organizations and local promoters.

QTP has recently completed a $ 23 million physical transformation of the Theatre. This major capital investment has added a 75-seat cabaret performance space with a full service cafe and kitchen facility; created a dramatic new 3,000 square foot lobby/reception area; provided new visitor amenities and improved the facility's accessibility. These improvements have transformed Queens Theatre in the Park into a destination for the residents of the borough and beyond.

Queens Theatre in the Park events are made possible with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Funding is provided by The Harkness Foundation for Dance, Jerome Robbins Foundation, the Mertz Gilmore Foundation and the New York Community Trust/Lila Acheson Wallace Fund for the Arts.

For more information, visit www.queenstheatre.org.

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