March 12, 2025
Photo by Marius Fiskum, Northern Lights Festival
CARMEN.maquia
Premiere: 2014, The Apollo Theater
Choreography by Gustavo Ramírez Sansano
Music from Various works by Georges Bizet, performed by the Slovak Philharmonic, Praha Philharmonic, and the Arte Ensemble. Carmen Fantasy, by Pablo de Sarasate, performed by the Apollo Symphony Orchestra
Set Design and Construction by Luis Crespo
Costume Design by David Delfín
Costume Construction by Travis Halsey, Diana Ruettiger
Lighting Design by Emilio Lavarías
COMPANY
Fatima Andere, Amir J. Baldwin, Mia Bermudez, Antonio Cangiano, Amanda del Valle, Francesca Levita, Dylan Dias McIntyre, Andrea Mish, Adam Dario Morales, Amanda Ostuni, Daniel Palladino, Omar Rivéra, Isabel Robles, Yadamy Soria Fernandez, Olivia Winston.
CARMEN
Amanda Ostuni
DON JOSÉ
Omar Rivéra
MICAELA
Francesca Levita
ESCAMILLO
Daniel Palladino
The Company
Founder
Tina Ramirez
Artistic Director & CEO
Eduardo Vilaro
Ballet Mistress
Anitra Keegan
Chief Managing Director
Patrick Muhlen
The Company
Fatima Andere, Amir J. Baldwin, Mia Bermudez, Antonio Cangiano, Amanda del Valle, Francesca Levita, Dylan Dias McIntyre, Andrea Mish, Adam Dario Morales, Amanda Ostuni, Daniel Palladino, Omar Rivéra, Isabel Robles, Yadamy Soria Fernandez, Olivia Winston.
Production Director
Aholibama Castañeda González
Wardrobe Director
Andrea Mejuto
Lighting Supervisor
Dominick Riches
Stage Manager
Alexis Hinman
Transformational funding for Ballet Hispánico is generously provided by MacKenzie Scott, the Ford Foundation, The Mellon Foundation, and the Jerome L. Greene Foundation. Major support is provided by the Howard Gilman Foundation, the Shubert Foundation, Warner Music Group & Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund, a sponsored project of Moore Impact, the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, the Tatiana Piankova Foundation, and the Mosaic Network and Fund in The New York Community Trust.
Public support is provided by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in
partnership with the City Council under the leadership of Speaker Adrienne Adams, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Ballet Hispánico is grateful to Artistic Sponsor Andrew Martin Weber for generously supporting the restaging of CARMEN.maquia.
MetLife Foundation is the Official Tour Sponsor of Ballet Hispánico.
Omaha Performing Arts thanks Show Sponsor Wiesman Development and Season Sponsors Chesterman Coca Cola, Douglas County, Olsson, Omaha Steaks, Korbel | Woodford Reserve, Robert H. Storz Foundation, and Valmont Industries, Inc.
CARMEN.maquia
Reimagining a timeless heroine through the lens of contemporary movement and Modernist art.
A bullfighter without a bull, a love story without compromise— CARMEN.maquia brings the fire and elegance of Bizet’s most celebrated opera into a stark, sculptural world of dance. Directed by Ballet Hispánico’s Eduardo Vilaro and choreographed by Valencian visionary Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, this reimagined tale strips Carmen of her clichés, presenting her instead as a force of nature: untamed, defiant, and deeply human.
Sansano’s CARMEN.maquia unfolds on a minimalist stage—a blank canvas inspired by Picasso’s love of both Carmen and the bullring. Against this backdrop, the dancers’ bold forms and fluid movements carve stories into space, merging ballet, paso doble, and flamenco with contemporary shapes. Costumes, designed by Spain’s David Delfin, reject traditional red and polka dots in favor of understated whites that evoke flamenco’s raw beginnings.
The narrative is timeless, yet the perspective feels fresh, daring, and intimate. Carmen, as envisioned here, becomes an allegory for rebellion and autonomy, her movements a declaration of individuality and passion. Ramírez Sansano’s choreography draws not only from Bizet’s opera but also from lesser-known works and modern
reinterpretations of the music, creating a soundtrack that matches the complexity and nuance of the character herself.
Premiering during Ballet Hispánico’s 55th Emerald Anniversary Season in May 2025, CARMEN.maquia invites audiences to see Carmen not as a relic of operatic history, but as an ever-relevant symbol of strength and defiance. This is more than a performance— it’s a conversation between past and present, a visceral tribute to a story that has shaped and been shaped by culture for 150 years.
Through movement and abstraction, CARMEN.maquia draws us into its orbit—a meditation on identity, power, and the enduring allure of a woman who refuses to be defined.
About Ballet Hispánico
Ballet Hispánico was founded on the principle that everyone deserves dance, quality dance training and innovative performances. In creating the company in 1970, Tina Ramirez shattered a glass ceiling—challenging iconic representations and exposing the joy and celebration to be found in Latinidad.
Today, as the largest Latino 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 together communities to celebrate the ever growing and multifaceted Hispanic diasporas. Ballet Hispánico’s
New York City headquarters provide the space and cultural heart for Latinx dance in the United States. It is a space that expands on Ramirez’s original vision by providing our community the ability to train through dedicated scholarship opportunities, exceptional dance training, inclusive cultural dialogues and exemplary performances. No matter their background or identity, Ballet Hispánico welcomes and serves all, breaking stereotypes and celebrating the beauty and diversity of Hispanic cultures through dance.
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: expanding and deepening a legacy of showcasing the depth of our cultures, and exposing the intersectionality found in the Hispanic diasporas by focusing on nurturing Hispanic leaders. Through programs like the Instituto Coreográfico, the Latinx Leaders Summit and Diálogos, Ballet Hispánico has become a center for artistic leadership development. As an immigrant himself, Mr. Vilaro’s vision of inclusion and cultural revelation has elevated a community from the margins to its place ingrained at the center of the American cultural landscape.
Ballet Hispánico is an ambassador for our community worldwide. The Company has now performed for more than 2.5 million people in three continents and all fifty states. Our Company engages audiences with the work of Latino and Latina choreographers, opens a platform for new cultural dialogue and nurtures inspiring young dancers of all ages. Through its exemplary artistry, Ballet Hispánico champions and amplifies the Latin American experience in the field. As it looks to the future, Ballet Hispánico is committed to continue nurturing artists, teachers, students, arts leaders, families and communities through the power of dance.
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.
2025 Company Dancer Bios
Fatima Andere Dancer
Fatima (She/Her) 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’s 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 (He/Him) is from Trenton, NJ. He received his BFA in Dance from Montclair State University with a minor in American Sign Language. His dance training consists of an eclectic mix which includes Ballet, Modern, Horton, Jazz, Contemporary, Musical Theatre and Capoeira. Amir has worked with choreographers such as Matthew Rushing, Clifton Brown, Frederick Earl Mosley, Helen Pickett, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Michelle Manzanales, Omar Román De Jesús and Yusha Sorzano. He has trained in educational facilities over the course of his training such as Ballet Hispánico, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Complexions Contemporary Ballet and E.M.I.A. This is Amir’s second season with Ballet Hispánico.
Mia Bermudez Apprentice
Mia (She/Her) is from Montclair, New Jersey and began her dance training at Ballet Hispánico School of Dance training under the La Academia Pre-Professional Program on a full merit scholarship. At the age of eleven years old, Mia was awarded the Nuestro Futuro Merit Scholarship studying ballet, Spanish dance, and modern under the direction of Rodney Hamilton, Michelle Manzanales, Nicole Duffy, Caridad Martinez, Gabriela Granados, and Yvonne Gutierrez. While at Ballet Hispánico, Mia has performed at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, Ballet Hispánico’s Performances for Young People at the Apollo Theatre, and annually at the Ballet Hispánico Gala.
She has trained at numerous intensive dance programs including Debbie Allen Dance Academy, La Escuela National de Ballet de Cuba, Canada National Ballet School and Ballet Hispánico’s ChoreoLaB. This is Mia’s first season with Ballet Hispánico.
Antonio Cangiano Dancer
Antonio (He/Him) 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 and Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, among others. This is Antonio’s sixth season with Ballet Hispánico.
Amanda del Valle Dancer
Amanda (She/Her) is Cuban-American, born and raised in Miami, Florida 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 BFA under the direction of Garfield Lemonius. There she had the honor of working with renowned choreographers such as Jennifer Archibald, Jessica Lang, Robert Priore, Christopher Huggins and Yin Yue. During Amanda’s professional career she has performed leading roles in works by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Gustavo Ramírez Sansano and William Forsythe. This is Amanda’s fourth season with Ballet Hispánico.
Francesca Levita Dancer
Francesca (She/Her) is originally from Chicago, Illinois where she began her training with Visceral Dance Center under the instruction of Nick Pupillo and Laura Wade. She has attended numerous ballet intensives including BalletMet, American Ballet Theatre, Milwaukee Ballet, and several National and International summer intensives including The School at Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Summer Intensive, Orsolina28, BODYTRAFFIC, and Arts Umbrella. In 2024, Francesca graduated with Honors Summa Cum Laude from Marymount Manhattan College with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts with a double concentration in Ballet and Modern dance. At Marymount, Francesca has performed the works of many choreographers including Sidra Bell,
Twyla Tharp, Jennifer Archibald, Pedro Ruiz, Earl Mosley, Jenn Freedman, Chanel Desilva, Jamal White, and Darshan Bhuller. This is Francesca’s first season with Ballet Hispánico.
Dylan Dias McIntyre Dancer
Dylan (He/Him) 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.
Andrea Stephanie Mish Apprentice
Andrea Stephanie Mish (She/Her) was born and raised in South Florida. She began her training at a young age with Southern Dance Theater and later studied at Ballet East in West Palm Beach, Florida. She furthered her training at A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Joffrey Chicago Ballet summer intensives, Houston Ballet and Texas Ballet Theater. In 2023, Andrea
graduated with Honors Cum Laude and high distinction with a Bachelor of Science in Dance Arts Administration and Psychology from Butler University. She is also the 2023 recipient of the Arts Administration Outstanding Artist Award and was on the Dean’s List at Butler University. Following graduation, Andrea accepted a position with Ballet Des Moines under the artistic direction of Tom Mattingly. This is Andrea’s first season with Ballet Hispánico.
Adam Dario Morales Dancer
Adam (He/Him) 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 second season with Ballet Hispánico.
Amanda Ostuni Dancer
Amanda (She/Her) 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 second season with Ballet Hispánico.
Daniel Palladino Dancer
Daniel Palladino (He/Him), originally from Alberta, Canada, began his dance training at the age of nine. Daniel has attended many summer programs throughout North America, including Boston Conservatory, Point Park University, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and Springboard Danse Montreal. Daniel attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia on a full scholarship, obtaining his BFA in dance.
Post graduation, Daniel joined Dallas Black Dance Theatre in August 2022 and danced
for two seasons. Daniel has worked with choreographers including Jeffery Page, Juel D. Lane, Helen Simoneau, TommieWaheed Evans, Sidra Bell, Elisa Monte, Norbert De La Cruz, Gregory Dolbashian, Kirven Douthit-Boyd, Nejla Yatkin, Jae Man Joo, and more. Daniel’s career has led him into developing his voice as an emerging choreographer, setting works on performing arts schools, professional dance training programs and companies. Daniel is excited to expand his career as a dancer and choreographer. This is Daniel’s first season with Ballet Hispánico.
Omar Rivéra Dancer
Omar (He/Him) is a Mexican-American originally from Los Angeles, CA. After moving to Dallas, Texas, Rivéra 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. Rivéra graduated with a BFA in Dance from the University of Arizona in 2018. While at the University of Arizona, Rivéra 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 and others. This is Omar’s sixth season with Ballet Hispánico.
Isabel Robles
Dancer
Isabel (She/Her) 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.
Yadamy Soria Fernandez
Yadamy Soria Fernandez (She/Her) is originally from Villa Clara, Cuba. Yadamy recently moved to the United States after leaving Cuba, where she started her training at the Olga Alonso Vocational School of Art, later moving to the Fernando Alonso National School of Art in La Havana. Yadamy has performed and competed in the International Meeting of Ballet Academies, obtaining a gold medal with Gamzatti’s variation of La Bayadera’s second act. This is Yadamy’s first season with Ballet Hispánico.
Olivia Winston Dancer
Olivia Winston (She/Her) is originally from Salt Lake City, Utah and received her early classical ballet training in the Ballet West Academy Professional Training Division. She attended intensives at BalletX, Complexions, Hubbard Street, LINES, American Ballet Theater, Houston Ballet, and Ballet West/ArtÉmotion. In 2023 Olivia graduated from the Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program where she performed works by Alonzo King, Mike Tyus, Keelan Whitmore, Gregory Dawson, Carmen Rozestraten, Moscelyne ParkeHarrison, and Kayla Farrish. While in the Bay area she also had the opportunity to perform with dawsondancesf, tinypistol, and ZiRu Dance. Olivia was a Dance Fellow with BalletX for the 2023-2024 season where she performed works by Matthew Neenan, Jennifer Archibald, Natasha Adorlee, Nicola Wills, and Amy Hall Garner. This is Olivia’s first season with Ballet Hispánico.