Ballet Hispánico announces The Quinceañera Gala, honoring Oscar Munoz, Former CEO & Chairman, United Airlines, with the Nuestra Inspiración Award—presented by Marcos Torres, Senior Managing Director at RBC Capital Markets and Ballet Hispánico Board Member, and Eduardo Vilaro’s 15th season as Artistic Director of Ballet Hispánico, with remarks by Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation.
Ballet Hispánico 2024 Gala Performance (6:30pm) and Dinner
The Ballet Hispánico Gala Dinner is a beloved New York event attended by some 500 leaders in the arts and business communities and is truly a spectacular evening filled with performances by the students from its School of Dance and, of course, live music by three-time Grammy Award Winner, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, that entices guests to take to the dance floor. The critical funds raised at the Gala provide dance training scholarships that change the lives of young people, inspiring performances by the professional Company, and immersive dance programs in communities across the United States and worldwide. Tickets for the April 25 Gala Performance may be paired with a reservation for the Quinceañera Gala at The Plaza Hotel in tribute to Eduardo Vilaro’s 15th anniversary as Artistic Director of Ballet Hispánico. The evening begins at 5:30pm with a red carpet and cocktail hour, followed by a reception and the opening night performance of the Company’s annual season at New York City Center. The festivities continue with a presentation of awards during a seated dinner at The Plaza Hotel.
“Leading this company continues to be the honor of my life. Fifteen years is quite a milestone; I’m humbled,” said Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director & CEO. “I look forward to celebrating at City Center with several exciting pieces, including the World Premiere of my new work Buscando a Juan, inspired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibition Juan de Pareja, Afro-Hispanic Painter.”
Gala Performance Program: Recuerdo de Campo Amor by Talley Beatty; Con Brazos Abiertos (excerpts) by Michelle Manzanales; Doña Perón (excerpt) by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa; Pas de O’ Farrill, duet by Pedro Ruiz; Buscando a Juan by Eduardo Vilaro.
The attire for the event is Quinceañera black-tie chic. To purchase tickets, a table, a journal advertisement, or for more information, please contact Ellie Craven at ecraven@ballethispanico.org, or visit https://www.ballethispanico.org/support/events/2024-gala.
In honor of Eduardo Vilaro’s Quinceañera season as Artistic Director of Ballet Hispánico, the program (Fri evening, Sat evening, Sun matinee) will feature the World Premiere of Buscando a Juan. Vilaro’s new work, inspired by The Met’s exhibition of Juan de Pareja, Afro-Hispanic Painter, is a layered and immersive piece inspired by the life of Juan de Pareja, the Afro-Hispanic painter who was enslaved in Spanish painter Diego Velázquez’s studio for over two decades before becoming an artist in his own right. The work is a thought-provoking homage to the nuanced dance of shared vulnerability and intimate collaboration among artists that redefines the boundaries of individual creativity, beckoning us to question the very essence of artistic identity. In House of Mademoiselle, internationally acclaimed choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa takes us on a wild romp through a campy world that explores iconic female representations found in Latin American culture. From femme fatales to the delicate language of fans, boas and Latin dance, the work highlights how the culture is enamored and obsessed with the iconic high-octane female stars of past and present; and Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s 18+1, a fun romp through some of Pérez Prado’s iconic big band hits with Ramírez’s signature athletic movement vocabulary.
