Mission
Ballet Hispánico brings communities together to celebrate and explore Latino cultures through innovative dance productions, transformative dance training, and community engagement.
About
Ballet Hispánico is the largest Latinx/Latine/Hispanic cultural organization in the United States and one of America’s Cultural Treasures. Ballet Hispánico’s three main programs, the Company, School of Dance, and Community Arts Partnerships bring communities together to celebrate the multifaceted Hispanic diasporas. Ballet Hispánico’s New York City headquarters provide the physical home and cultural heart for Latinx dance in the United States. It is a space that initiates new inclusive cultural conversations and explores the intersectionality of Latine cultures. No matter their background or identity – Latine, Latinx, Hispanic – Ballet Hispánico welcomes and serves all, breaking stereotypes and celebrating the beauty and diversity of Hispanic cultures through dance.
Dance visionary and National Medal of Arts recipient Tina Ramirez founded Ballet Hispánico in 1970, at the height of the post-war civil rights movements. From its inception Ballet Hispánico focused on providing a haven for Black and Brown families seeking place and artistic sanctuary. By creating the space for Hispanic dance and dancers to flourish, Ballet Hispánico uplifted marginalized artists and youth, which combined with the training, cultural pride, and the power of representation, fueled the organization’s roots and trajectory. Eduardo Vilaro joined Ballet Hispánico as a Company dancer in 1985 and became the organization’s second Artistic Director in 2009 and CEO in 2015. Vilaro is building on Ramirez’s impact: By expanding, and deepening the legacy of visibilizing Latine cultures, and exposing the intersectionality and depth of diversity found in the Hispanic cultures, Vilaro’s vision has elevated a community from the margins to its place ingrained at the center of the American cultural landscape.
Today Ballet Hispánico is a catalyst for social change. Our mission opens a platform for new social dialogue, and nurtures and sees a community in its fullness. Through its exemplary artistry, distinguished training program, and deep-rooted community engagement, Ballet Hispánico champions and amplifies Latine voices in the field. For over fifty years Ballet Hispánico has provided a place of honor for the omitted, overlooked, and othered. As it looks to the future, Ballet Hispánico is pushing the culture forward on issues of dance and Latine creative expression.
“The extraordinary act of a Latina immigrant embarking on a journey of access to the arts for a community … is a heroic example of artistic advocacy. When thinking of the years, the families, the students, the artists, and the administrators whose lives Ballet Hispánico changed, one cannot help but wonder in amazement at the power of such vision. It was this idea of service for a marginalized and silenced community that made Tina Ramirez’s founding of Ballet Hispánico unparalleled.” – Eduardo Vilaro
Impact
Buzz
“Both earthy and classically elegant” - The New York Times
“smashingly theatrical” - Chicago Sun Times
“a cutting edge crowd pleaser” - The Washington Post
“Ballet Hispánico delivers spirited fun.” - The Boston Globe
“Empowering voices the world needs to hear.” - Mackenzie Scott
“One of America’s Cultural Treasures.” - Ford Foundation
