Founded in 1970 by Artistic Director Tina Ramirez, Ballet Hispanico is the foremost dance representative of Hispanic culture in the United States, with a professional company which tours nationally and internationally; a school of dance unique in its emphasis on ballet, modern and Spanish dance as its core curriculum; and extensive programming for public schools, both in New York and around the country, called "Primeros Pasos."
Acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, the Ballet Hispanico company has performed for over two million people, appearing in such major venues as The John F. Kennedy Center, Houston's Wortham Center, the Auditorium Theater in Chicago, UCLA's Royce Hall, the Annenberg Center in Philadelphia, Wolf Trap, Jacob's Pillow, Boston's Celebrity Series and The Joyce Theater. The company's national television appearances include CBS Sunday Morning and, on NBC, Hispanics Today, Latin Access and the 1999 Hispanic Heritage Awards. In June of 1999, the company was featured in a gala birthday celebration honoring former President and Mrs. Bush; that September, they performed for 35,000 Mets fans at Shea Stadium. International appearances include the Zurich Summer Festival in 2001 and a tour of Spain in 1998. In 1993, the company toured to four countries in South America; while in Buenos Aires, they were the guests at a private reception with President Carlos Menem. Ballet Hispanico represented the United States at Expo '92 in Seville, Spain where they were featured at a special Independence Day Celebration at the U.S. Pavilion.
The company's innovative repertory fuses ballet, modern and Latin dance forms into a spirited image of the contemporary Hispanic world. Over 70 new works have been commissioned by Ms. Ramirez from choreographers of international stature such as Alberto Alonso, Talley Beatty, Graciela Daniele, George Faison, Vicente Nebrada and Ann Reinking, and such dynamic young artists as Susan Marshall, Ramón Oller, David Roussčve, Pedro Ruiz and William Whitener.
The Ballet Hispanico School provides over 600 young people with a year-round curriculum of classical ballet, modern and Spanish dance - a practice unique among America's dance training institutions. As a result, students receive not only a thorough grounding in the primary techniques required for a successful performing career but also specialized training in the rich and varied dance tradition which, for many, is their cultural heritage. In addition to performing with Ballet Hispanico's own company, alumni of the school have gone on to careers in theater (Nancy Ticotin), film (Jennifer Lopez, Leelee Sobieski and Rachel Ticotin) and television (Michael DeLorenzo), as well as with other leading dance companies. Still others are applying the discipline and self-esteem acquired through their dance classes to demanding professions in other fields - business, education, government, law and medicine.
A pioneer in the field of arts education, Ballet Hispanico's innovative education initiative, Primeros Pasos ("First Steps") annually brings Ballet Hispanico's singular blend of dance and Hispanic culture to over 25,000 public school students and teachers in New York and across the nation. Through this program, Ballet Hispanico has developed a broad range of special programming and activities, which are designed to meet the varying needs of elementary, middle and high schools.
Ballet Hispanico is headquartered on Manhattan's Upper West Side in its own $2 million facility renovated especially for dance.
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