4 | APRIL 15 - 21, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM
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“Tiborones” (“Sharks”), by international choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, is a new work that takes a look at Latinix representation in movies such as “West Side Story.” PROMOTIONAL PHOTO
Ballet Hispánico celebrates 50+ years with program at The Hanover Theatre Richard Duckett Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK
When Eduardo Vilaro came to this country with his parents from Cuba at the age of 6, dance was a way he could make discoveries, connect with people, and also fi nd himself. “I feel it was dance that helped me really grow into who I am as an American and rediscover my Latin self,” Vila-
ro said. Ballet Hispánico continued the discovery. The New York City dance company’s founder and artistic director Tina Ramirez invited Vilaro to join it as a dancer. “I was recruited by Tina,” Vilaro said. Now Vilaro is just the second artistic director in Ballet Hispánico’s history. “We help young Latinos fi nd their voices. It’s ongoing. It’s passing it on. It’s reciprocal,” he said.
It continues as Ballet Hispánico, which was founded in 1970, is back on tour after having to stop for a while because of the pandemic with “Noche de Oro (or “Golden Night”), 50th Anniversary Program,” dedicated to the company’s over 50-year legacy of elevating Latinx choreographers and dancers. “Noche de Oro” will be performed May 22 at The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts in Worcester in an event presented by Mu-
sic Worcester Inc. In honor of the more than 50 years, 14 Ballet Hispánico company dancers will be “performing something old, something new, something looking at the future,” Vilaro said. Three works will be staged. “Arabesque,” choreographed by Vicente Nebrada, is a relatively early piece in Ballet Hispánico’s history. It is a suite of dancSee BALLET, Page 5
