Iconic Ballet Hispánico Performances

CARMEN.maquia is a Picasso-inspired, contemporary take on Bizet’s beloved classic. The physically charged and sensual choreography fuses contemporary dance with nods to the Spanish paso doble and flamenco. Originally created for the Luna Negra Dance Theater of Chicago, CARMEN.maquia premiered in New York at the Apollo in 2014, the first full-length narrative dance work in Ballet Hispánico’s nearly 50-year history.

Con Brazos Abiertos is a fun and frank look at a life caught between two cultures. Choreographer Michelle 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. Now the Director for Ballet Hispánico‘s School of Dance, Manzanales also served as the Company’s Rehearsal Director and developed this work in their Instituto Coregráfico a choreographic lab for emerging Latinx artists.

El Viaje evokes emotion through moving sound and lush movement to exemplify how many individuals feel when one leaves one’s homeland or country of birth to seek a new life, including moments of remembering, sharing, and letting go. Liang was commissioned by Ballet Hispánico for their 2018-19 New York Season. This work made its world premiere in 2019 at The Joyce Theater in a program featuring choreographers from Asian-Latino diasporas.

Annabelle Lopez Ochoa is an internationally sought after choreographer winning the esteemed Jacob‘s Pillow Dance Award in 2019. She’s been choreographing for Ballet Hispánico for over a decade and in 2019 created the work Tiburones for the Company’s fall performance at the Apollo Theater in 2019 where it made its world premiere. Tiburones addresses the discrimination and stereotypes placed upon Latinx culture and the power the media has in portraying these themes by diminishing the voices of Latinx artists.

Club Havana is a fan favorite of Ballet Hispánico audience members! The intoxicating rhythms of the conga, rumba, mambo, and cha cha are brought to life by choreographer Pedro Ruiz, himself a native of Cuba, as he imagined his very own “Club Havana.“ Pedro Ruiz spent 20 years as a Company dancer with Ballet Hispánico before transitioning into the role as a choreographer. Club Havana made its world premiere at The Joyce Theater in 2000, and is still performed today in theaters across the nation.

Línea Recta is a powerful and resonant work that explores an intriguing aspect of flamenco dance: the conspicuous absence of physical partnering. While maintaining the integrity and hallmark passion of the genre, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa imagines an original and explosive movement language premised upon the theme of partnership and performed to flamenco guitar by Eric Vaarzon Morel. This work premiered at The Joyce Theater in 2017 and has since traveled the world with Ballet Hispánico including their Norway performances in 2018!

Tiburones is a work that deconstructs gender roles and identities to revitalize an authentic perspective of Puerto Rican icons appropriated within the entertainment industry. Choreographed by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, this work made it‘s world premiere at the Apollo in 2019. This was the last live performance by the Company in New York before theaters shut down due to the pandemic. This work makes its return this summer at Jacob’s Pillow in a virtual performance on July 29.

Homebound/Alaala explores the intersection of Latino and Asian cultures through ideas including the spirit of communal unity (bayanihan), the resilience of women, overcoming hardship, and the quest for home. Choreographer Bennyroyce Royon choreographed this work with support from Ballet Hispánico‘s Instituto Coreográfico, a choreographic institute for emerging Latinx artists. This work then premiered later that year at The Joyce Theater in 2019.