 The
oft-interpreted Greek tragedy of Orfeo and Eurydice will be told
through a Brazilian lens during Ballet Hispanico’s 35th anniversary
engagement at The Joyce Theater, November 29–December 11.
In keeping with the celebratory spirit, the two weeks will feature
works that have ensured Ballet Hispanico’s unique place on
the international dance map.
Alexandre Magno’s “Orfeu
in the Carnaval of Souls,” a world premiere, takes place during
Carnaval in one of the largest ghettos in Brazil, teeming with poverty,
but radiant with sensuality and high spirits. Tragedy strikes when
Death captures Eurydice, Orfeu’s beloved. However, Orfeu is
offered a chance to reclaim Eurydice from the underworld. The music,
filled with pulsing Brazilian rhythms, is by an array of Brazilian
artists; the set is by Eugene Lee, costumes by Anita Yavich and
the lighting design by Don Holder.
The repertory will also include María
Rovira’s “Tierra de Nadie.” Drawing on the dance
and music traditions of her native Spain, Rovira presents a portrait
of contemporary life in which one finds oneself in an unfamiliar,
neutral territory, or a “tierra de nadie.” Choreographer
Peter Pucci’s contribution, “Eternamente y un Día,”
set to traditional Mexican folk songs performed by the Kronos Quartet,
conjures up vivid suggestions of Mexican sacred ruins, village life
and farm animals that define the vibrancy and splendor of its history,
culture and landscape.
The season marks the final New York
performances by long-time company principal Pedro Ruiz, whose 20-year
career with Ballet Hispanico will be celebrated on Tuesday, December
6, with a program featuring two dances created on him by Ramón
Oller (“Tears for Violeta” and “Bury Me Standing”),
as well as Ruiz’s “Club Havana,” his second ballet
for the company. The program will be repeated at the Saturday matinee
on December 10.
“Bury Me Standing,” Oller’s
haunting distillation of Gypsy life, is titled after Isabel Fonseca’s
book on the tragic plight of the Roma, or Gypsy people. Fonseca
explained that a Gypsy friend once remarked: “Bury me standing.
I’ve been on my knees all my life.” The dance, set to
traditional Gypsy melodies, embodies the powerful soul of the Gypsy
spirit, the cultures and traditions that affected the development
of its character—its sorrows, joys, defiance of oppression
and triumphant communal pride.
Inspired by Oller’s friend Violeta, a Holocaust survivor,
“Tears for Violeta” evokes the powerful loss and separation
suffered by Jews during both the Holocaust and the Spanish Inquisition.
The dance, created in 1995, is set to a collage of folk melodies.
Ruiz will perform an excerpt from the work with former company principal
Alessandra Corona.
In “Club Havana,” Ruiz
vividly recalls his Cuban background, filling the stage with the
colorful rhythms of Latin social dance forms, until it pulsates
with the same intoxicating energy of a dance hall.
On November 10, Ballet Hispanico Artistic
Director Tina Ramirez was awarded the 2005 National Medal of Arts,
the country’s highest honor for artistic excellence. The award,
given for outstanding contributions to the creation and development
of art, was presented by President George W. Bush and Laura Bush
in a White House ceremony. Ramirez received the prestigious Hispanic
Heritage Award for Education at The Kennedy Center in 1999 for her
contributions to Latin culture in the United States. Additionally,
she is the recipient of other honors including the 2002 Dance Magazine
Award and the Governor’s Arts Award, among others. In 2004,
AARP Magazine named Ramirez one of its top ten People of the Year.
Since its founding by Ramirez in 1970,
Ballet Hispanico has commissioned over 75 works, which fuse contemporary
American dance with Hispanic culture. It has
forged a reputation as a world-class company, performing for over
two million people in major venues throughout the United States,
South America and Europe, where it has presented major works by
distinguished choreographers including Tony Award winners Ann Reinking
and George Faison, as well as Alberto Alonso, Talley Beatty, Sergio
Trujillo and Graciela Daniele.
The award-winning Ballet Hispanico
School trains over 600 students a year in ballet, modern and Spanish
dance, a curriculum unique in the nation. Ballet Hispanico is also
recognized as a leader in arts education for “Primeros Pasos,”
its nationwide public school program that reaches over 25,000 students
each year.
Ballet Hispanico will be seen in New
York City twice this spring: First, April 21 & 22, when the
company performs with the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, directed by
Arturo O’Farrill, at Rose Theater in Frederick P. Rose Hall,
home of Jazz at Lincoln Center; and then, May 22–26 &
May 30–June 2, in the troupe’s annual performance series
for young people at Aaron Davis Hall.
Ballet Hispanico’s touring schedule
features performances in Nacogdoches, TX (January 31); Houston,
TX (February 3–4); Ames, IA (March 31); Fayetteville, AR (April
7–8); Appleton, WI (April 26); Whitewater, WI (April 27);
University Park, IL (April 29); and the USA International Ballet
Competition in Jackson, MS (June 17).
Ballet Hispanico’s 2005 Season
at The Joyce Theater is sponsored by The Harkness Foundation for
Dance. Additional support has been provided, in part, by public
funds from the New York State Council on the Arts and the New York
City Department of Cultural Affairs. Metlife Foundation is the Official
Tour Sponsor for Ballet Hispanico.
The opening night curtain at The Joyce
Theater is at 7:30pm. All other evening curtains, Tuesdays through
Saturdays are at 8pm; Sunday evening curtains are at 7:30pm. There
will also be 2pm matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are
$40 and are available at the box office, online at www.joyce.org
or by calling 212-242-0800. The Joyce Theater is located at 175
Eighth Avenue at 19th Street.
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