Ballet Hispanico Program

Photo by Rachel Neville

CONTENTS Theatre Staff.......................................................................................................... 2 Whitney Morse on The Sharon® L. Morse Performing Arts Center........................ 3 Company.............................................................................................................. 4 Program.............................................................................................................5-7 Dancer Biographies..........................................................................................8-13 Artistic Leadership Biographies......................................................................14-15 Coming Soon.................................................................................................16-17

THEATRE STAFF Executive Director.......................................................................... Jason Goedken Artistic Director.............................................................................Whitney Morse Associate Artistic Director..................................................................Angel Creeks Director of Operations..........................................................................Jon Cronin Production Manager........................................................................Mike Giovinco Booking Manager.................................................................................Sierra Weiss Marketing Director.......................................................................... Taylor Adkins Senior Business Manager................................................................... Sean Graham Lighting Supervisor..................................................................... Alison Southgate Associate Lighting Supervisor...........................................................Dio Raquel Jr. Senior Production Coordinator.............................................................. Madi Carr Audio Visual Director...........................................................................Luke Bezio House Manager.....................................................................................Alec Speers Assistant House Managers..........................Mark Kirschenbaum, Nichole Pollack Director of Ticketing & Customer Relations............................... Yasmeen Stogden Ad Sales............................................................................................ Taylor Adkins marketing@significantproductions.org

All shows produced by SignificantProductions.org Significant Production, Inc. is a nonprofit production company that operates The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center and The Studio Theatre Tierra del Sol in The Villages.

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©2024 The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center. ©2024 Significant Productions, Inc. 300

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WHITNEY MORSE on

The Sharon®L. Morse

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Dear Patron of the Arts, Welcome to The Sharon® L. Morse Performing Arts Center!

Much like the building’s namesake, my grandmother, Sharon L. Morse, we love all varieties of the performing arts here. It is in her memory that I, along with my amazing team of artists and arts administrators, strive to bring many different types of the highest quality entertainment here to The Sharon.

Since opening in 2015, we have strived to establish your trust, that a show at The Sharon is a show worth seeing. Perhaps you find yourself here today to see a concert of one of your favorite musicians, or to take in the national tour of a Broadway show. Either way, we encourage you to consider trying out a new show that perhaps you haven’t heard of before, knowing that it has been intentionally curated by our team.

We welcome you to The Sharon: a place for you to see an old favorite, but also a place to discover your new favorite. I sincerely hope you enjoy the show today, and I look forward to seeing you here again soon!

See You at The Sharon,

Whitney Morse Artistic Director

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COMPANY

Founder Tina Ramirez Artistic Director and CEO Eduardo Vilaro Artistic Associate and Rehearsal Director Johan Rivera The Company Fatima Andere, Amir Baldwin, Leonardo Brito, Antonio Cangiano, Amanda del Valle, Daryn Diaz, Ana Estrada, Paulo Hernandez-Farella, Cori Lewis, Dylan Dias McIntyre, Adam Dario Morales, Amanda Ostuni, Omar Rivéra, Isabel Robles, and Isabella Vergara Company Manager Lauren Evans Production Director Adrian White Director of Costumes Regina Rizzo Wardrobe Supervisor Olivia Kirschbaum Lighting Supervisor Caitlin Brown Stage Manager Alexis Hinman Audio Supervisor Brian McCorkle 4

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PROGRAM Línea Recta World Premiere: November 18, 2016 at the Apollo Theater Choreography by: Annabelle Lopez Ochoa Music by: Eric Vaarzon Morel Costume Design by: Danielle Truss Lighting Design by: Michael Mazzola Performed by Leonardo Brito, Antonio Cangiano, Amanda del Valle, Cori Lewis, Dylan Dias McIntyre, Amanda Ostuni, Omar Rivéra, and Isabel Robles Opening Amanda del Valle with Leonardo Brito, Antonio Cangiano, Dylan Dias Mclntyre, and Omar Rivéra Trio Amanda Ostuni with Antonio Cangiano and Omar Rivéra Scorpion Dance Amanda del Valle, Cori Lewis, Amanda Ostuni and Isabel Robles Men’s Dance Leonardo Brito, Antonio Cangiano, Dylan Dias Mclntyre, and Omar Rivéra Finale All ~ Intermission ~

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PROGRAM 18+1 World Premiere: 2012 Choreography by: Gustavo Ramírez Sansano Music by: Pérez Prado Costume Design by: Ghabriello Fernando Lighting Design by: Caitlin Brown and Savannah Bell Performed by Amir J. Baldwin, Leonardo Brito, Amanda del Valle, Daryn Diaz, Ana Estrada, Paulo Hernandez-Farella, Cori Lewis, Dylan Dias McIntyre, Omar Rivéra, Isabel Robles Opening Solo Amanda del Valle Second Solo Omar Rivéra Quartet Leonardo Brito, Cori Lewis, Omar Rivéra, Isabel Robles Third Solo Amanda del Valle Fourth Solo Ana Estrada ~ Intermission ~

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PROGRAM Club Havana World Premiere: December 7, 2000, at The Joyce Theater Choreography by: Pedro Ruiz Music by: Israel Lopez, Rubén Gonzales, A.K. Salim, Pérez Prado and Francisco Repilado Costume Design by: Emilio Sosa Costume Construction by: Ghabriello Negron Lighting Design by: Donald Holder Performed by Fatima Andere, Antonio Cangiano, Daryn Diaz, Paulo Hernandez-Farella, Cori Lewis, Dylan Dias McIntyre, Adam Dario Morales, Amanda Ostuni, Omar Rivéra, Isabel Robles Opening Antonio Cangiano, Daryn Diaz, and Omar Rivéra with the Company Caballo Amanda Ostuni and Paulo Hernandez-Farella, Cori Lewis and Adam Dario Morales, Isabel Robles and Dylan Dias McIntyre Cha Cha Cha Fatima Andere with Antonio Cangiano and Omar Rivéra Romanza Full Cast Rumba, Conga Full Cast

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DANCER BIOGRAPHIES FATIMA ANDERE, DANCER Fatima Andere is originally from Mexico. Fatima moved to Miami, FL at an early age where she began her training with Artistic Dance Center under the direction of Elizabeth Nuevo and Lissette Lucas. She graduated from Florida State University in 2020 with a BFA in Dance. Fatima has trained with Alonzo King Lines Ballet, San Francisco Conservatory of the Arts, BODYTRAFFIC, and Ballet Hispánico ChoreoLab. She joined Dance NOW! Miami for their 2021/22 season where she had the honor of performing works by José Limón, Isadora Duncan, and Daniel Lewis. This is Fatima’s second season with Ballet Hispánico.

AMIR J. BALDWIN, DANCER Amir J. Baldwin is from Trenton, NJ. He received his BFA in Dance with a minor in American Sign Language from Montclair State University in Spring of 2022. His dance training consists of an eclectic mix which includes Ballet, Modern, Horton, Jazz, Contemporary, Musical Theatre, Capoeira. Amir has worked with choreographers such as Matthew Rushing, Clifton Brown, Frederick Earl Mosley, Helen Pickett, Jessie Obremski. He has trained in educational facilities such as Ballet Hispánico, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and E.M.I.A. Amir has also worked within the Bloc Talent Agency for Conscious Step, BET Awards, Ulta Beauty, and Google. This is Amir’s second season with Ballet Hispánico.

LEONARDO BRITO, DANCER Leonardo Brito is from Saquarema, Brazil and started his training with Projeto Primeiro Passo, before training at Escola Estadual de Danca Maria Olenewa, Center of Art Nós da Dança, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Miami City Ballet School, and The Ailey School. Leonardo has performed with companies such as Mariinsky Ballet, Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro, Emotions Physical Theater, Dance Theater of Florida, Alvin Ailey, and Ailey II. In 2016, Leonardo was awarded the III Brazilian Modern Dance Congress and he has performed works by Robert Battle, Jennifer Archibald, Jae Man Joo, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Amy Hall Garner, Melanie Futorian, Ray Mercer, and Bradley Shelver. He has also made appearances in Tommy Hilfiger Pride Campaign 2019, OUT Magazine May 2019 Issue, Hong Kong Dance Magazine Sep 2020 Issue, opening of “Fantástico” 2021 at Globo TV Chanel and POSE FX Television series season 2. This is Leonardo’s fifth season with the Company.

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DANCER BIOGRAPHIES ANTONIO CANGIANO, DANCER Antonio Cangiano is from Naples, Italy. He trained on scholarship from Ateneo Danza, Accademia Normanna, and the Martha Graham Dance School in New York City.

Cangiano has danced for the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, Dardo Galletto Dance, Acsi Ballet, Graham 2, and the Martha Graham Dance Company for their 90th Anniversary Season at New York City Center. In 2017, he was awarded the Rising Star Award from the Italian International Dance Festival in NYC. Antonio has danced works by world renowned choreographers such as Martha Graham, William Forsythe, Nacho Duato, Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, among others. This is Antonio’s sixth season with Ballet Hispánico.

AMANDA DEL VALLE, DANCER Amanda del Valle was born and raised in Miami, Fl where she began her early training with Miami Youth Ballet under the direction of Marielena Mencia and Yanis Pikieris. She continued her training at the New World School of the Arts with Mary Lisa Burns as the Dean of Dance. She graduated in 2016 with training in classical ballet, Horton, Limón, and the Graham technique. Amanda then continued her studies at Point Park University where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts under the direction of Garfield Lemonius. There she had the honor of working with Jennifer Archibald, Jessica Lang, Robert Priore, Christopher Huggins, and Yin Yue. This is Amanda’s third season with Ballet Hispánico.

DARYN DIAZ, APPRENTICE Daryn Diaz was born and raised in Tampa, Florida of Cuban and Spanish descent. She began training at the Patel Conservatory at an early age, where she explored music, theater and vocal arts, and her passion of dance. While there, Diaz earned her way into the pre-professional ballet company of the Straz Center - Next Generation Ballet.

Alongside her rigorous ballet schedule, she also pursued precision dance, contemporary and jazz instruction. Diaz has received additional training and mentoring from other summer programs including Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Victor Ullate in Madrid, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ballet Hispánico’s ChoreoLab, and Gaga Homelab NYC. After auditioning for Ballet Hispánico in the Summer of 2019, she moved at age 17 to train with Ballet Hispánico’s second company, BHdos. Due to the pandemic, she was afforded the opportunity to teach at Patel Conservatory in her hometown for the 2020-2021 school year. In her personal 352-751-7799

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DANCER BIOGRAPHIES home studio, she was also able to teach private lessons for grades K-12. Diaz was inducted into the National Honor Society in high school, graduated a year early, and is currently working towards her bachelor’s degree in Marketing Analytics at New York University. This is Daryn’s first season with Ballet Hispánico.

ANA ESTRADA, DANCER Ana Estrada was born in Hermosillo, Son, México where she started training with Gabriela Estrada. She graduated from the University of Arizona with a BFA in Dance and a BS in Marketing. She has trained in companies such as Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Ballet Arizona, and Kegwin and Company. Ana has performed with various dance companies and projects in Mexico and USA including NYC Opera, Nimbus Dance Works, Broadway Christmas Wonderland National Tour and Tania Perez Salas Cía. She has toured nationally and internationally and has also been a part of film and television projects such as Amazon Prime’s “Ana”, the series, and Alejandro Gonzales Iñárritu’s new film: Bardo. This is Ana’s second season with Ballet Hispánico.

PAULO HERNANDEZ-FARELLA, DANCER Paulo Hernandez-Farella is a first-generation SalvadoranAmerican from Los Angeles, California. Paulo attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and later received a full scholarship at the University of Southern California where they graduated with both a BFA in Dance and a Master’s in Public Administration. Paulo has been a scholarship student for a multitude of dance programs such as the Juilliard School Summer Intensive, the Joffrey Ballet’s International Intensive, and Alonzo King LINES Intensive.

Paulo is also one of seven 2016-2017 dance scholars with Nigel Lythgoe’s Dizzyfeet Foundation. During their career Paulo performed the works of Forsythe, Kylián, Duato, Balanchine, Graham, Taylor, Petipa, and Lopez Ochoa to name a few and choreographed their own original work. This is Paulo’s sixth season with Ballet Hispánico.

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DANCER BIOGRAPHIES CORI LEWIS, DANCER Cori Lewis was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Her dance training began at Lusher Charter School and The New Orleans Ballet Association. She received her BFA in Dance with a Minor in Mathematics/Computer Science from SUNY Purchase College in May 2020. Lewis has performed works by choreographers such as José Limón, George Balanchine, Eduardo Vilaro, Ronald K. Brown, Dwight Rhoden, Martha Graham, and David Parsons. She performed for children across the greater New York area with BHdos for the 2018 season. This is Cori’s third season with Ballet Hispánico.

DYLAN DIAS MCINTYRE, DANCER Dylan Dias McIntyre was born in Key West and raised in West Palm Beach, Florida. Dylan started dancing at Palm Beach Ballet Center when he was 8 years old. When he was 16, he moved to Tampa to be a trainee with Next Generation Ballet. After 2 years he joined Richmond Ballet to complete his training and then started his professional career with Richmond Ballet’s second company. In 2019, Dylan became a company dancer with Ballet Memphis where he danced for three seasons, and he participated in a season with Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance in the summer of 2022. This is Dylan’s second season with Ballet Hispánico.

ADAM DARIO MORALES, APPRENTICE Adam Dario Morales is of Colombian descent, and was born and raised in Englewood, New Jersey. He began his training at The Ailey School under the direction of Tracy Inman and Tiffany Barnes on a full merit scholarship at the age of four years old. During his training, he was awarded the “Alvin Ailey Athletic Boy’s Scholarship.” In 2019, Adam was selected to be a recipient of The New York Community Trust Van Lier Fellowship as a student of The Ailey School. Adam then joined Ballet Hispánico’s Professional Studies program as part of the inaugural cohort under the direction of Rodney Hamilton. Adam also had the privilege to have starred In HBO’s “Legendary” Season 3. Adam has had the opportunity to work with artists such as Eduardo Vilaro, Norbert De La Cruz III, Tsai-Hsi Hung, Juan Rodriguez, Christian Von Howard, Pedro Ruiz, Tiffany Barnes, Lisa Attles, and Adrian Herd. This is Adam’s first season with Ballet Hispánico.

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DANCER BIOGRAPHIES AMANDA OSTUNI, DANCER Amanda Ostuni is from Patterson, New York where she began dancing at Seven Star School of Performing Arts. She spent fourteen years training in ballet (under the guidance of Anita Intrieri), contemporary, jazz, tap, and hip hop. In 2019, she attended Butler University, furthering her dance training and education, graduating in 2023 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance. She performed roles such as Odette in Butler Ballet’s performance of Swan Lake, as well as the Sugar Plum Fairy in Butler Ballet’s The Nutcracker. While she was there, Amanda had the honor of working with Susan McGuire, training in a hybrid of Cunningham and Graham techniques, as well as working with Jennifer Archibald and Deborah Wingert. This is Amanda’s first season with Ballet Hispánico.

OMAR RIVÉRA, DANCER Omar Rivéra is a Mexican-American originally from Los Angeles, CA. After moving to Dallas, Texas, Rivera trained at Prodigy Dance & Performing Arts Centre under the direction of Camille Billelo. He graduated from the prestigious Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing & Visual Arts. Rivera graduated with a BFA in Dance from the University of Arizona in 2018. While at the University of Arizona, Rivera performed at The Joyce Theater for the José Limón International Dance Festival, and danced works by guest artists including Christopher Wheeldon, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Bella Lewitzky’s, and others. This is Omar’s sixth season with Ballet Hispánico.

ISABEL ROBLES, DANCER Isabel Robles was born in Arlington, Virginia and began training in ballet at age 4. At the Classical Ballet Theatre she trained in the styles of ballet, jazz, Horton, Graham, character dance, and contemporary forms. Isabel was a scholarship student at The Houston Ballet program in 2013 where she performed works of Stanton Welsh, George Balanchine, David Lichine, and John Neumeier. During high school, she attended the Washington Ballet, where she worked with Julie Kent and Xiomara Reyes and performed with the company in “The Nutcracker.” In May 2022 Isabel graduated from James Madison University with a B.A. in Dance. This is Isabel’s second season with Ballet Hispánico.

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DANCER BIOGRAPHIES ISABELLA VERGARA, DANCER Isabella Vergara is a multifaceted Mexican-American dancer from Westfield, NJ. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.F.A. in Dance from Mason Gross School of The Arts at Rutgers University in 2018. In 2019, she joined Calpulli Mexican Dance Company where she started training in baile folklórico. Throughout her career, Isabella has been a freelance dancer in the greater New York area, working with companies such as Dzul Dance and Oca Dance. Isabella has been a part of the Ballet Hispánico community since 2018.

She attended ChoreoLaB under the Nuestro Futuro Scholarship in 2018 and 2022. She then joined the School of Dance as a faculty member and completed the Pa’lante Scholars Professional Studies Program as part of the inaugural cohort in 2021-2022. This is Isabella’s second season with Ballet Hispánico.

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ARTISTIC LEADERSHIP BIOGRAPHIES EDUARDO VILARO, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & CEO Eduardo Vilaro joined Ballet Hispánico as Artistic Director in August 2009, becoming only the second person to head the company since it was founded in 1970. In 2015, Mr. Vilaro took on the additional role of Chief Executive Officer of Ballet Hispánico. He has been part of the Ballet Hispánico family since 1985 as a dancer and educator, after which he began a ten-year record of achievement as founder and Artistic Director of Luna Negra Dance Theater in Chicago.

Mr. Vilaro has infused Ballet Hispánico’s legacy with a bold and eclectic brand of contemporary dance that reflects America’s changing cultural landscape.

Born in Cuba and raised in New York from the age of six, he is a frequent speaker on the merits of cultural diversity and dance education. Mr. Vilaro’s own choreography is devoted to capturing the spiritual, sensual, and historical essence of Latino cultures. He created over 20 ballets for Luna Negra and has received commissions from the Ravinia Festival, the Chicago Sinfonietta, the Grant Park Festival, the Lexington Ballet, and the Chicago Symphony. In 2001, he was a recipient of a Ruth Page Award for choreography, and in 2003, he was honored for his choreographic work at Panama’s II International Festival of Ballet.

Mr. Vilaro was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame in 2016 and was awarded HOMBRE Magazine’s 2017 Arts & Culture Trailblazer of the Year. In 2019, Mr. Vilaro was the recipient of the West Side Spirit’s WESTY Award, was honored

by WNET for his contributions to the arts, and most recently, was the recipient of the James W. Dodge Foreign Language Advocate Award. In 2022 and 2023, Mr. Vilaro was included in Crain’s New York lists of Notable Hispanic Leaders and Notable LGBTQ Leaders; and was acknowledged as one of Forbes’ Kings of Culture, Legends of Business.

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ARTISTIC LEADERSHIP BIOGRAPHIES JOHAN RIVERA, ARTISTIC ASSOCIATE & REHEARSAL DIRECTOR Johan Rivera (He/Him) is the Artistic Associate & Rehearsal Director at Ballet Hispánico. Johan was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and began his dance training at the School for the Performing Arts, PR under the direction of Waldo Gonzalez. Johan graduated Magna Cum Laude, with a BFA from the New World School of the Arts/University of Florida in 2013. During his tenure as a Ballet Hispánico Company member, Johan originated roles in ballets by choreographers such as Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, Pedro Ruiz, and Eduardo Vilaro. In addition, he was a teaching artist with Ballet Hispánico’s Community Arts Partnerships team while on tour and at home in NYC. Johan received a Master of Arts in Executive Leadership with high honors, an achievement he dearly treasures as the first member of his family to have this opportunity. Johan had the honor of mentoring and directing second company BHdos in the fall of 2016 before becoming the Rehearsal Director for Ballet Hispánico’s main Company. As the Artistic Associate & Rehearsal Director, Johan supports the artistic development of the company and the implementation of Ballet Hispánico’s core artistic vision.

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COMING SOON

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COMING SOON

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BEHIND THE

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