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Tina Ramirez was born in Venezuela, the daughter of a Mexican Bullfighter and granddaughter to a Puerto Rican educator. That combination of feisty agility and dedication has proven to be a recipe for success, inspiring her to found Ballet Hispanico in 1970. Ms. Ramirez’ lifetime work as a professional dancer, educator and producer earned her a 2005 National Medal of Arts, the nation’s highest cultural honor.
As a young adult, Ms. Ramirez studied classical, contemporary, and Spanish dance traditions alongside great figures in dance that shaped her aesthetic. She began her performing career with the Federico Rey Dance Company with which she toured internationally, followed by the Broadway productions of Kismet, Lute Song and the television adaptation of Man of La Mancha.
Tina Ramirez once told her Spanish dance teacher that she “wanted to be just like her,” and that she did – setting aside a successful performing career to continue the educational legacy of her retiring Spanish dance teacher and mentor, Lola Bravo, in 1963. This laid the foundation for the Ballet Hispanico School of Dance, which provides children today with the same well-balanced training of classical, contemporary and Spanish dance that Ms. Ramirez enjoyed as a young adult.
The countless awards and honors Ms. Ramirez has received in recognition of her work as founder and artistic director include the Dance Magazine Award, the Hispanic Heritage Award for Education, Capezio Dance Award, New York State Governor's Arts Award, New York City Mayor’s Award of Honor for Arts & Culture.
Ms. Ramirez currently serves on the board of The New 42nd Street, and as Co-Chair for the New York City Department of Education Dance Curriculum Blueprint Committee. She has served on numerous panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts, as well as the board of the Association of Hispanic Arts.
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