Eduardo Vilaro

Artistic Director & CEO

Eduardo Vilaro joined Ballet Hispánico as Artistic Director in August 2009, becoming only the second individual to lead the company since its inception in 1970. In 2015, he expanded his role to include that of Chief Executive Officer. A member of the Ballet Hispánico family since 1985, Vilaro initially contributed as a dancer and educator before founding the Luna Negra Dance Theater in Chicago, where he served as Artistic Director for ten years, establishing a significant record of achievement.

Vilaro has enriched Ballet Hispánico’s legacy with a bold and eclectic brand of contemporary dance that reflects America’s evolving cultural landscape. Born in Cuba and raised in New York from the age of six, he is a prominent advocate and speaker on the merits of cultural diversity and dance education. His choreography is devoted to capturing the spiritual, sensual, and historical essence of Latino cultures. Over his career, Vilaro has created more than 40 works and has received commissions from prestigious entities such as the Ravinia Festival, the Chicago Sinfonietta, the Grant Park Festival, the Lexington Ballet, and the Chicago Symphony. He was honored with the Ruth Page Award for choreography in 2001, and in 2003, he was honored for his choreographic work at Panama’s II International Festival of Ballet.

Vilaro was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame in 2016 and named HOMBRE Magazine’s 2017 Arts & Culture Trailblazer of the Year. In 2019, he received the WESTY Award from West Side Spirit, was honored by WNET for his contributions to the arts, and most recently, and earned the James W. Dodge Foreign Language Advocate Award. In 2022 and 2023, he was featured in Crain’s New York lists of Notable Hispanic Leaders and Notable LGBTQ Leaders, respectively, and was celebrated as one of Forbes’ Kings of Culture, Legends of Business. 

In 2024, Vilaro joined the Cultural Diplomacy Leadership Council of the Meridian International Center based in Washington, DC. Additionally, he received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from his alma mater, Adelphi University, in recognition of his distinguished achievements in learning and the arts.