Ballet Hispánico Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

Ballet Hispánico, the nation's largest Latinx dance organization and one of America's Cultural Treasures, will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a robust and engaging programming line-up anchored by the organization's annual A La Calle Block Party which returns in-person.

The fourth edition of the popular community event will take place on West 89th Street between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues, outside of Ballet Hispánico's headquarters in the heart of the Upper West Side on Sunday, October 2, from noon - 4:00 p.m. ET. To kick-off the full-day celebration, at 11 a.m., prior to the start of the block party, a special street-naming ceremony and proclamation will take place and will feature select community leaders with notable guests in attendance.

"Ballet Hispánico celebrates Latinidad and provides Latinx and BIPOC artists and communities with a stage to showcase their artistry all year round," said Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director & CEO of Ballet Hispánico. "Hispanic Heritage Month is the time of the year when the country comes together to learn about and acknowledge the Latinx community and our heritage with great pride, highlighting the many contributions our vibrant community and artists have made and continue to make to this country, especially the contributions of our traiblazing founder, Tina Ramirez, whom we sadly lost last week."

This year's A La Calle Block Party will serve as the centerpiece for the month-long celebration and will include live performances from Ballet Hispánico's Pa'lante Scholars and students from the School of Dance, as well as free dance classes, live music, and food from local vendors.

As part of its commitment to champion and amplify voices within its community, Ballet Hispánico will be inviting select Latinx dance companies from around New York City to perform as guest artists. These participants, new to the block party this year, include Flamenco Vivo, Bombazo Dance Co., and Calpulli Mexican Dance Company.

The Ballet Hispánico 2022 A La Calle Block Party is made possible by Con Edison of New York's Arts Al Fresco series. The Block Party is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Other programming and special highlights for the month include:

Thursday, September 15 - Ballet Hispánico announces a virtual Diálogos, Instituto Coreográphico with Omar Román De Jesús. He will discuss his experience working with Ballet Hispánico Company dancers, his creative process, and how Instituto Coreográphico gives a voice to young artists and opens access to the dance-making process for all audiences.

September 15, 17, 22, 24 - Ballet Hispánico will conduct free kid and adult dance classes and programs at Waterline Square.

Saturday, September 17 - Latin Salsa dance classes will be offered at the American Immigration Council starting at 2pm.

Thursday, September 22 - In conjunction with The Stonewall Inn and the Ali Forney Center, members of Ballet Hispánico will be hosting a new Diálogos conversation, addressing the topic of intersectionality of LGBTQ and Latinx culture in dance and social justice. For more information, please visit the registration link here.

Friday, September 30 - Ballet Hispánico's Pa'lante Scholars will perform a series of 50-minute narrated performances that celebrate Latinx dance as part of their Performances for Young People initiative for schoolchildren from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Friday, September 30 - Ballet Hispánico will unveil As Time Dances On, a painting by accomplished muralist and surrealist artist, Sally A. Eckert. Commissioned in commemoration of the organization's recently celebrated 50th anniversary milestone, the painting will feature Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director & CEO of Ballet Hispánico and Tina Ramirez (1929-2022), Founder of Ballet Hispánico. The piece will be revealed at the Ballet Hispánico studios in the heart of the Upper West Side in an exclusive event.

Friday, September 30 to Thursday, October 13 - As part of Ballet Hispánico's Community Arts Partnerships (CAP) program, which seeks to celebrate Latinx culture and provide an access point for participants to formulate their own conceptions and opinions around their social and cultural environment, the Pa'lante Scholars will perform at schools and colleges in the New York area including the Bronx and Westchester.

Thursday, October 6 - Latinx dance leaders from all over the country will convene at Ballet Hispánico's Latinx Leaders Summit, from 9am-7:30pm, and participate in forums, discussions, workshops and networking. They will come together to explore ways of working to create more visibility and to assure diversity in the dance field.

Tuesday, October 11 - Latin Salsa dance classes will be offered at the Fort Lee Library, in New Jersey, at 7pm.

Wednesday, October 12 and Friday, October 14 - In partnership with Teachers College, Columbia University and Kookmin University, the events at the Arnhold Institute Symposium will feature discussions with Eduardo Vilaro, Ballet Hispánico's Artistic Director & CEO (10/12) and Michelle Manzanales, Ballet Hispánico's Director, School of Dance and Chell Parkins, former Dance Education Scholar-in-Residence, Ballet Hispánico (10/14).

For more information on all Hispanic Heritage Month programming please visit www.ballethispanico.org/HHM