( ENSPIRE Community Spotlight ) Ballet Hispánico Invites Audiences To The Celebration Of Club Havana With Cuban Music and Dance
ENSPIRE Contributor: Taylor Groft
Ballet Hispánico, the nation’s renowned Latinx dance organization recognized this year as one of America’s Cultural Treasures, invites audiences to the Ballet Hispánico Holiday Celebration of Club Havana on Wednesday, December 23, 2020, at 7:30 pm, available on YouTube and Facebook.
Ballet Hispánico’s signature work Club Havana is a celebration of Cuban music and dance with the Afro-Cuban legacies of the conga, rumba, mambo, and cha cha rhythms. The work is the centerpiece of Ballet Hispanico’s fundraiser “BUnidos Our Artists Our Future.” The evening is a celebration of the many artists who have made this work a staple of Ballet Hispánico’s repertory.
Host Artistic Director & CEO Eduardo Vilaro chats with special guests who have been a part of the two-decades-long history of the work since its 2000 premiere: choreographer Pedro Ruiz, who had a twenty-year tenure as a Ballet Hispánico dancer; alumni Company dancers Natalia Alonso, Rodney Hamilton, and Nicholas Villeneuve and current Company dancers Laura Lopez, Lyvan Verdecia, and Melissa Verdecia; Kate Lear, Board Chair, Ballet Hispánico; and Dr.AnaMaria Correa, former director of the School of Dance, who incorporated the work as a part of the Company’s education program.
Memorable video clips add a bit of holiday spice to the show, sharing Club Havana through the years and from presentations around the world, from the World Premiere in 2000 through the aughts and teens, culminating in a screening of a spectacular recent performance from last year’s Vail Dance Festival.
“DIVINELY ELEGANT.” – DANCE MAGAZINE” CLUB HAVANA IS A SILKY, SEXY JOY.” – THE NEW YORK TIMES
“BUnidos Our Artists Our Future,” a new artist-focused campaign running through January 6, 2021 (Three Kings Day), features a robust collection of videos, including insights into the lives of the dancers, inspirational messages from Company members, free live online classes, and Instagram takeovers.
“While our Ballet Hispánico dancers’ love for their art remains steadfast, the opportunities for them to rehearse and perform has been dramatically put on pause,” said Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director & CEO of Ballet Hispánico. “Now more than ever, finding ways to support them creatively and financially is paramount. ‘BUnidos Our Artists Our Future’ not only provides our dancers with a platform to continue to showcase their voices and their artistry, it also offers much needed financial relief as we all navigate the uncertainty of this global pandemic.”
Audiences are able to donate at Our Artists Our Future or by texting “Artists” to 91999 to donate.
