Celebrate Latino Culture Through Dance With The Incredible Ballet Hispanico

At Kupferberg Center For The Arts For Two Dynamic Performances 

February 8 And 9, 2014

(Queens, NY – December 23, 2013) – Through the artistry of dance, Ballet Hispanico celebrates the dynamic aesthetics of Hispanic culture when the Company comes to the Goldstein Theater as part of the Kupferberg Presents 2013/2014 season on February 8 at 8:00 pm and February 9 at 3:00 pm.  Tickets are on sale now!

Ballet Hispanico, the foremost dance company representative of Hispanic culture in the United States, was founded in 1970 and has performed for nearly 3 million people in 11 different countries on 3 continents.  Led by Artistic Director, Eduardo Vilaro, their powerful performances feature a repertory of over 100 works by the leading choreographers of our time as well as emerging artists.  By fusing Latin dance with contemporary techniques, Ballet Hispanico creates a new style of concert dance in which theatricality and passion propel every move.   Ballet Hispanico’s impact extends beyond the stage with their school of dance and their education and outreach programs which provide young Latinos a well-rounded understanding of their cultural heritage through the joy of dance.

Ballet Hispanico will bring four powerful works to the stage at Kupferberg Center for the Arts, including two pieces by celebrated choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. The works being performed are:

Mad’moiselle is a highly theatrical work that explores iconic male/female images and gender role-playing in Latin American cultures. It was created by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa to a soundscape inspired by Chavela Vargas. The score, developed by Ms. Ochoa with composer/sound designer Bart Rijnink, draws on the music of Ms. Vargas, who is best known for her rendition of beloved Mexican rancheras.

Tito on Timbales is a tribute to the music of master percussionist Tito Puente. In this ballet, choreographer William Whitener captures the joy and intricacies of social dance through cascading patterns, sensual partnering, and the community of celebration. 

Hogar is Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro’s latest work for Ballet Hispanico, created in collaboration with acclaimed Russian composer Lev Zhurbin, is set to original music and rooted in themes of family, home, and immigration.

Sombrerísimo is choreographed by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa.  It is an absorbing exploration of individuality and an athletic tour de force for six men, full of rhythmic agility and stylistic flair. The work was specially commissioned by New York CityCenter for the 10th anniversary of its Fall for Dance Festival.

Artistic Director EDUARDO VILARO, a first generation Cuban-American, began his role with Ballet Hispanico in August of 2009, becoming only the second person to head the company since it was founded in 1970. Mr. Vilaro has been part of the Ballet Hispanico family since 1985. As a dancer with the Ballet Hispanico Company, he performed throughout the U.S., Latin America and Europe and assisted founder Tina Ramirez with the development of dance education residencies. Mr. Vilaro is also an accomplished choreographer, having created works for the Ravinia Festival, the Chicago Sinfonietta, the Lexington Ballet, the Civic Ballet of Chicago, and over 20 ballets for Luna Negra Dance Theater, the company he founded in Chicago. He received a B.F.A. in Dance from Adelphi University and an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Art from Columbia College Chicago, where he served as Artist-in-Residence at The Dance Center. Mr. Vilaro was a guest speaker at the Salzburg Global Forum for Young Cultural Leaders and the National Association for Latino Arts and Culture, and continues to speak to the growing need for cultural diversity and dance education.

“The stage at the Goldstein Theater is going to be bursting with movement, music, and energy when Ballet Hispanico brings their talented dancers to Queens,” said Leon Denmark, Artistic Director of Kupferberg Presents. “This is an innovative dance company that is one of the best out there today, and Queens audiences are going to see something very special when Ballet Hispanico performs for them.”

New York Community Bank presents the 2013 – 2014 season of Kupferberg Presents. Additional funding and support for this and other KupferbergCenter for the Arts events is provided by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Queens College/CUNY, and the Max and Selma Kupferberg Foundation.

TICKET AND VENUE INFORMATION:

Ballet Hispanico

Goldstein Theater at Queens College

Saturday, February 8 at 8:00 PM and Sunday, February 9 at 3:00 PM

Ticket Prices: $29.00 and $49.00

Tickets for Ballet Hispanico and all Kupferberg Presents performances are on sale now and available online at www.KupferbergPresents.org or at the Kupferberg Center for the Arts’ Colden Auditorium Box Office in Colden Auditorium on the campus of Queens College (65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, NY).  Season subscriptions are also available online at www.KupferberPresents.org/subscribers and include access to the best seats, savings of 10% when you order three (3) or more shows, plus many more great member benefits.

Box Office hours are 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM Monday through Friday and one hour before events. Onsite parking is available. Located just off the Long Island Expressway at Exit 23 & 24 and by bus lines Q25-34, Q44, Q64, Q17, Q88. For additional ticket info, including Group Sales, please call 718-793-8080.  Discounts are available to groups of 10 or more, valid on select shows and based upon availability.

ABOUT KUPFERBERG PRESENTS: 

Kupferberg Presents is the entertainment hub of the Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College. The Kupferberg

Presents 2013-14 Season features a vibrant lineup of world-class cultural events, concerts and family programs at Colden

Auditorium, LeFrak Concert Hall, Goldstein Theatre, and select off-campus locations for the 2.2 million residents of New

YorkCity’s most diverse borough. The QueensCollege campus is easily accessible from the Long Island Expressway at Exit

23 & 24 and by bus lines Q25-34, Q44, Q64, Q17, Q88. For tickets and information, visit www.KupferbergPresents.org.

ABOUT KUPFERBERGCENTER FOR THE ARTS: 

Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College is Queens’ premier arts center, providing superior, accessible, cultural arts programming and arts education for Queens residents and surrounding communities. KCA is comprised of eight partner organizations including Kupferberg Presents, the Aaron Copland School of Music, the Godwin-Ternbach Museum, the Louis Armstrong House Museum, Queens College Art Center, Queens College Department of Drama, Theater & Dance, and the Queens College Evening Reading Series. For further information, visit www.KupferbergCenter.org.

ABOUT NEW YORK COMMUNITY BANK:

New York Community Bank (NYCB) and its Queens County Savings Division have been part of the local landscape since 1859.  Today, NYCB has branches serving customers throughout Metro New York, New Jersey, Florida, Ohio, and Arizona. NYCB’s branches operate through seven local divisions, each with a history of strength, stability and service in the communities it serves. Divisions in New York include: Queens County Savings Bank, Roslyn Savings Bank, Richmond County Savings Bank on Staten Island, and Roosevelt Savings Bank in Brooklyn and in Westchester County and the Bronx. NYCB serves customers directly under the name New York Community Bank. New York Community Bancorp, Inc., (NYSE:NYCB) is the holding company for New York Community Bank, and New York Commercial Bank and is headquartered in Westbury, NY.  For more information, or a list of branches, visit NYCBfamily.com.

ABOUT BALLET HISPANICO

Celebrating 43 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.