GLEN ELLYN, Ill. – Ballet Hispánico, America’s leading Latino dance organization, will present its All-Latina Choreographers Program at the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) Saturday, May 11 at 7:30 p.m. This marks the first time since 2012 that the company has performed a full concert in Chicago. A free MAC Chat will precede the performance at 6:30 p.m.
Led by acclaimed Artistic Director & CEO Eduardo Vilaro, Ballet Hispánico is infused with a bold and eclectic brand of contemporary dance that reflects America’s changing cultural landscape and contemporary Latino culture. The Chicago Sun-Times hails the Ballet Hispánico dancers as “quite simply, stellar in both their stylistic malleability and their ability to create characters…gorgeous to look at and thrilling to watch;” and Broadway World says, “Ballet Hispánico is an example of what makes our country beautiful.”
Works for the MAC engagement will include the following:
“Sombrerísimo” (2013). Choreography by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa
Inspired by the surrealist world of Belgian painter René Magritte, famous for his paintings of men in bowler hats, “Sombrerísimo” references the iconic sombreros (hats) found throughout the world that help to represent culture. Originally choreographed for an all-male cast, “Sombrerísimo” has evolved into a work that can also be performed by an all-female or mixed-gender cast. This work was included in the “Best of 2013” by Dance Magazine and in 2015, after its appearance during the 24th International Dance Festival of La Habana, received the Villanueva Award for best international production in Cuba.
“Con Brazos Abiertos” (2017). Choreography by Michelle Manzanales
Manzanales explores, with humility, nostalgia and humor, the iconic Mexican symbols that she was reluctant to embrace as a Mexican-American child growing up in Texas. Intertwining folkloric details with distinctly contemporary dance and set to music ranging from Julio Iglesias to rock en Español, “Con Brazos Abiertos” (“With Open Arms”) is a fun and frank look at a life caught between two cultures. The New York Times says, “In many ways, Ms. Manzanales’s piece, a kind of fragmented self-portrait, encapsulates the new air of exploration in the company encouraged by Mr. Vilaro: mixed, honest, heartfelt — words that could also describe the Ballet Hispánico of today.”
Manzanales explores, with humility, nostalgia and humor, the iconic Mexican symbols that she was reluctant to embrace as a Mexican-American child growing up in Texas. Intertwining folkloric details with distinctly contemporary dance and set to music ranging from Julio Iglesias to rock en Español, “Con Brazos Abiertos” (“With Open Arms”) is a fun and frank look at a life caught between two cultures. The New York Times says, “In many ways, Ms. Manzanales’s piece, a kind of fragmented self-portrait, encapsulates the new air of exploration in the company encouraged by Mr. Vilaro: mixed, honest, heartfelt — words that could also describe the Ballet Hispánico of today.”
“3. Catorce Dieciséis” (2002). Choreography by Tania Pérez-Salas
One of the leading voices of Mexican contemporary dance, Tania Pérez-Salas draws inspiration from the number Pi to reflect on the circularity of our movement through life. With intense theatricality and breathtaking imagery and featuring music by Vivaldi and other Baroque composers, “3. Catorce Dieciséis” (“3. Fourteen Sixteen”) is a joyful feast for the senses. Dance International says, “…the piece moved seamlessly through a series of scenes as through a kaleidoscope: the colors and moods shifting but ever moving forward…this piece is not meant to be fun, yet as a picture of the human condition — keep moving or die …beautiful.”
One of the leading voices of Mexican contemporary dance, Tania Pérez-Salas draws inspiration from the number Pi to reflect on the circularity of our movement through life. With intense theatricality and breathtaking imagery and featuring music by Vivaldi and other Baroque composers, “3. Catorce Dieciséis” (“3. Fourteen Sixteen”) is a joyful feast for the senses. Dance International says, “…the piece moved seamlessly through a series of scenes as through a kaleidoscope: the colors and moods shifting but ever moving forward…this piece is not meant to be fun, yet as a picture of the human condition — keep moving or die …beautiful.”
The Ballet Hispánico company dancers are a group of highly trained professionals whose repertory explores the diversity of Latino cultures and brings innovative ways of experiencing and sharing a cultural dialogue. Ballet Hispánico has been bringing individuals and communities together to celebrate and explore Latino cultures through dance for nearly 50 years. Whether dancing on stage, in school, or in the street, Ballet Hispánico creates a space where few institutions are breaking ground.
The organization’s founder, National Medal of Arts recipient Tina Ramirez, sought to give voice to the Hispanic experience and break through stereotypes. Today, Ballet Hispánico, led by Eduardo Vilaro. Vilaro joined Ballet Hispánico as Artistic Director in August 2009, becoming only the second person to head the company since it was founded in 1970, and in 2015, he took on the additional role of Chief Executive Officer. Vilaro has been part of the Ballet Hispánico family since 1985 as a dancer and educator, after which he began a 10-year record of achievement as founder and Artistic Director of Luna Negra Dance Theater in Chicago. He created more than 20 ballets for Luna Negra and has received commissions from Ravinia Festival, Chicago Sinfonietta Orchestra, Grant Park Music Festival, Lexington Ballet and Chicago Symphony. In 2001, he was a recipient of a Ruth Page Award for choreography, and, in 2003, he was honored for his choreographic work at Panama’s II International Festival of Ballet. Mr. Vilaro was also inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame in 2016 and was awarded HOMBRE Magazine’s 2017 Arts & Culture Trailblazer of the Year.
Tickets:
Ballet Hispánico comes to the McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage, Saturday, May 11 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $49-$59. For tickets and more information, visit AtTheMAC.org or call 630.942.
For an additional $30 per person, VIP Service is available including a private, pre-show cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception, followed by coffee and dessert at intermission.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
About the MAC
The McAninch Arts Center (MAC) at College of DuPage is located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355. It houses three indoor performance spaces (the 780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; the 236-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and the versatile black box Studio Theatre), the outdoor Lakeside Pavilion, the Cleve Carney Art Gallery and classrooms for the college’s academic programming. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 100,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season.
The mission of the MAC is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. Visit AtTheMAC.org or facebook.com/AtTheMAC for more information.
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