We’re delighted to share this conversation with Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director and CEO of Ballet Hispánico. Born in Cuba and raised in New York City, Eduardo Vilaro moved to Chicago to pursue a Masters degree in Interdisciplinary Arts at Columbia College after performing with Ballet Hispánico for nine years. In 1999, he founded Luna Negra Dance Theater, dedicated to showcasing the richness and diversity of Latino culture. Vilaro returned to Ballet Hispanico in 2009 to succeed its founder, Tina Ramirez, as Artistic Director.
My favorite ballet step is the Temps De Cuisse, you bring one foot in front of the other and you brush the foot and they come together again.
Best local restaurants are any of the Quality Restaurants near City Center; but my favorite is Quality Italian, and they have the most remarkable chicken parmigiana pizza.
A dream song to choreograph, I actually have done that already, but I will say I just finished a work, Buscando a Juan, and the music by Osvaldo Golijov, his Saint Mark’s Passion, was everything to me.
My essential pre-show ritual is get ready, zhuzh, have a light meal, and always a glass of wine before the show.
Outside ballet and dance, my hobby is I’m a birder – I love birds, watching them and photographing them.
My Calendar, Microsoft Calendar, I can’t live without it, it’s life! Spotify.Â
You know, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be an artist, so it is something that I wanted to be and something that I’ve achieved, it’s just glorious.
I would’ve loved to have gone back in time and seen Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn do anything, any pas de deux, any ballet.
Before becoming Ballet Hispánico’s Artistic Director, my milestone was building my own organization: Luna Negra Dance Theatre in Chicago.
