“As the largest Latinx dance organization in the country, we celebrate Latinidad, the artistic brilliance, and the vibrant voices of BIPOC artists and communities throughout the year,” said Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director and CEO of Ballet Hispánico. “This year’s Hispanic Heritage Month programming pays homage to the profound impact of Latinx culture on the art of dance and society overall, through contemporary dance performances rooted in rich tradition, captivating storytelling on stage, and through important discussions by industry leaders that represent and highlight the beauty and diversity of the diaspora.”

Touring in the US and Canada. Ballet Hispánico’s professional Company brings the beauty of dance and awareness of Latinx culture to northern neighbors with touring starting in Canada in mid-September and continuing throughout October to Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Connecticut, and the tri-state area at the end of the tour.

This year’s community celebration, Celebración Latina, will take place on Sunday, October 15, from 1:00 pm (EST) to 5:00 pm (EST). Family members of all ages are invited to join the celebration on Ballet Hispánico Way at West 89th Street from Amsterdam Avenue to the front door of Ballet Hispánico’s headquarters for live music, dancing, and food from local vendors on the street and, inside the headquarters, for performances by the professional Company and students from the School of Dance, free dance classes and more.

Ballet Hispánico’s signature conversation series, exploring the interconnections of the arts, social justice, and Latinx cultures, returns with Stonewall Diálogos: Creating Safe Spaces celebrating LGBTQIA+ Latinx Heritage. This annual event will take place on Tuesday, September 19 at the Stonewall Inn, 53 Christopher Street, at 5:30 pm (EST).

For more information on all Hispanic Heritage Month programming, visit www.ballethispanico.org/hhm-2023.

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In his newest work, Vilaro, Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer of Ballet Hispánico, is inspired by the exhibition Juan de Pareja, Afro-Hispanic Painter. The MetLiveArts commission, which features dancers from Ballet Hispánico, explores sancocho, or a mixed soup of cultures and diasporas, and will consider the assumptions experienced when witnessing people of color in white spaces in relation to the exoticized body and fixation on gestures and sensuality.

When Vilaro was named the artistic director in 2009, he became only the second person to head the company since its founding in 1970, and in 2015 was also named Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Vilaro has infused Ballet Hispánico’s legacy with a bold brand of contemporary dance that reflects America’s changing cultural landscape.

Vilaro’s philosophy of dance stems from a basic belief in the power of the arts to change lives, reflect and impact culture, and strengthen community. He considers dance to be a liberating, non-verbal language through which students, dancers, and audiences of all walks of life and diverse backgrounds, can initiate ongoing conversations about the arts, expression, identity, and the meaning of community.

The recipient of numerous awards and accolades, Vilaro was named one of 2023 Crain’s New York Business Notable LGBTQIA+ Leaders; received the Ruth Page Award for choreography in 2001; was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame in 2016; and was awarded HOMBRE Magazine’s 2017 Arts & Culture Trailblazer of the Year.

The schedule of events includes open rehearsals on July 10, 3 PM – 5 PM (EST) and performances on July 13 at 1 PM – 3 PM (EST) and July 14 at 6 PM – 8 PM (EST) at The Robert Lehman Wing, court level at The Met Fifth Avenue.

For more information, visit https://www.metmuseum.org/events/programs/met-live-arts/ballet-hispanico-buscando-a-juan.

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