Ballet Hispanico to perform "Sombrerísimo" as part of Hudson River Dance Festival
Company:
Ballet Hispanico
New York, NY – June 11, 2015 – Ballet Hispanico, recognized as the nation’s leading Latino dance organization since 1970, will perform in the first Hudson River Dance Festival at Hudson River Park on June 17 & 18, 2015 at 6:30pm.
Hudson River Park, one of the nation’s longest waterfront parks and an urban oasis for New Yorkers and visitors from every corner of the world, will host the first-ever Hudson River Dance Festival, presented this summer on the Pier 63 lawn in Hudson River Park. This free celebration of NYC’s premier dance culture is a rare and unique opportunity for diverse audiences to experience some of the city’s most talented and acclaimed dancers and ground-breaking dance compositions and performances.
The same program will be featured each evening, with Ballet Hispanico, Paul Taylor Dance Company, and Parsons Dance sharing the bill. Each company has planned engaging and distinctive programs that spotlight the cultural wealth and stylistic innovation that makes New York the epicenter of the American dance scene. The repertoire is designed to delight a broad audience, from aficionados and dance enthusiasts, to families and new audiences alike. The Hudson River Dance Festival is sponsored and presented by SHS Foundation in association with The Joyce Theater, with funding from The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, and the Hudson River Park Trust.
“We are thrilled to be a part of the inaugural Hudson River Dance Festival and to share our artistry with the larger New York City community,” said Ballet Hispanico Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro. “For this performance we present Sombrerísimo, a witty audience favorite that showcases the athleticism of the Ballet Hispanico Company's men and the exuberance of Latinos."
Choreographed by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and commissioned by New York City Center for the 10th anniversary of the Fall for Dance Festival, Sombrerísimo is an absorbing exploration of identity. The piece references the surrealist world of the Belgian painter René Magritte, famous for his paintings of men in bowler hats.
“Celebrating our City’s culture, and keeping the arts—especially dance—accessible and relevant for all New Yorkers is at the heart of what we do at SHS,” said Richard Feldman, President of the SHS Foundation. “We are excited to bring these iconic dance companies and their talented artists to Hudson River Park, which showcases so many quality events each summer.”
The Hudson River Dance Festival is part of an ongoing commitment by the Hudson River Park Trust to present free and low cost cultural, artistic and educational programming for all visitors to the Park’s Manhattan’s waterfront location from 59th Street to Chambers Street, on the west side.
“There is nothing quite like sunset on the Hudson River in the summertime,” said Madelyn Wils, CEO and President of Hudson River Park Trust. “It is a privilege to launch with the support of The SHS Foundation, Hudson River Park’s first-annual dance festival, with such diverse and extraordinary dance companies. We invite everyone to join us this June to experience these exciting, beautiful and spirit-lifting works of art that celebrate life and our connection to the world around us.”
For more information about the Hudson River Dance Festival, or to learn about other Summer 2015 events in Hudson River Park, please visit: http://www.hudsonriverpark.org/events.
ABOUT BALLET HISPANICO
Since its inception in 1970, Ballet Hispanico has been recognized as the nation’s premier Latino dance organization. Led by award-winning Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro, the Ballet Hispanico Company has performed for audiences totaling over 3 million, throughout 11 countries, and on 3 continents. The Company’s commitment to contemporary repertory has produced world-class, multifaceted performances that have featured master works by Nacho Duato, cutting-edge premieres by Cayetano Soto and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and live music collaborations with renowned artists such as Paquito D’Rivera and Ruben Blades—to name a notable few. Through the work of its professional company, school of dance, and community arts education programs, Ballet Hispanico celebrates the dynamic aesthetics of the Hispanic diaspora, building new avenues of cultural dialogue and sharing the joy of dance with all communities. For more information, visit www.ballethispanico.org.
EDUARDO VILARO, a first generation Cuban-American, began as artistic director of 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.
ABOUT HUDSON RIVER PARK
Hudson River Park, which extends from Chambers Street to 59th street along Manhattan’s west side, is the longest waterfront park in the United States. This free, urban recreational oasis is home to award-winning skate parks, playgrounds, sports fields, gardens and nature exhibits, boating and maritime activities, art installations, and myriad year- round events that celebrate the diverse cultures and neighborhoods along its shores. The Park plays a critical role in protecting the Hudson River ecosystem, and though it receives no public operating funds from city, state or federal government, its development has transformed four miles of decaying piers and parking lots into a premier New York City destination for local residents and visitors alike. The non-profit, Friends of Hudson River Park helps to ensure ongoing sustainability by serving as the Park’s primary source of fundraising, advocacy and support, working in concert with the Hudson River Park Trust, the city-state entity that oversees the design, construction and operation of the Park. For more information, please visit www.hudsonriverpark.org. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @HudsonRiverPark, and LIKE us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/HudsonRiverPark.
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