Ballet Hispánico announces its school year programs. With programs ranging from early childhood classes through pre-professional training, the Ballet Hispánico School of Dance has school year offerings for dancers of all ages through adult. Class offerings include Ballet, Flamenco, Hip-Hop, Latin Rhythms, West African, Salsa, Jazz, Tap, and other modern and contemporary forms. Registration is open now, with over $200,000 in scholarships available, for all programs. For more information and to register, visit ballethispanico.org/school/school-year-programs.

 

Students have opportunities to perform in Ballet Hispánico's A La Calle Block Party, Pequeños con Sueños: Stars of Tomorrow student showcase, Winter Showcase, End of Year Recital, and more. Annual Enrichment opportunities connect student learning to the dance field at large through on- and off-site events and tailored activities, including field trips, master classes, workshops, lecture demonstrations, virtual online series', exclusive performances and more! 

 

"At Ballet Hispánico, we've dedicated over 50 years of service to making dance education accessible to our communities," said Michelle Manzanales, Director, School of Dance, Ballet Hispánico. "Our mission to provide world class dance training and art making for dancers of all ages is deeply intertwined with our passion for lifting up our students and artists. We work to support the development of life skills: the ability to access joy, own and express one's individual voice, tackle decision-making, thrive in teamwork, and truly understand hard work and its rewards. This year, the pandemic illuminated our work's vitality more brightly than ever before. We look forward to welcoming our students back to classes and providing space for them to freely express, explore, and dance their way through the residual effects felt by all of us as we continue to discover our new normal together."

 

Ballet Hispánico remains committed to continue closely monitoring developments of COVID-19 along with the safety and health regulations mandated and suggested by our local, state, and national governments. Limited class capacities in concordance with COVID-19 and Ballet Hispánico safety protocols and restrictions; urging families to apply to participate sooner than later! (*Enrollment closes September 1, 2021)

 

Los Pasitos: Early Childhood Program (Ages 2-5)

September 20, 2021-May 27, 2022

Ballet Hispánico's Los Pasitos Early Childhood Program for ages 2-5 merges creativity, cultures, and technique. Its curriculum focuses on developing coordination, spatial awareness, and musicality, with an emphasis on each child's individual self-expression. Students learn proper dance etiquette, explore the wide spectrum of Latino cultures, and build a solid foundation for dance training in a joyful, creative environment. For more information and to register, visit ballethispanico.org/school/school-year-programs/early-childhood. 

 

Encuentros: Open Class Program (Ages 6-18)

September 20, 2021-June 9, 2022

Providing the young dance enthusiast with cultural enrichment alongside excellent dance training, the Encuentros Program at Ballet Hispánico offers something for everyone. Developed with the highest level of artistic excellence, our program supports dancers interested in taking anywhere from one to multiple dance classes per week. Offering a wide array of classes including Ballet, Flamenco, Hip-Hop, Latin Rhythms, West African Rhythms, Salsa, Jazz, and Tap, our students can create a tailored schedule to fit their needs. For more information and to register, visit ballethispanico.org/school/school-year-programs/encuentros.

 

La Academia: Pre-Professional Program (Ages 7-23)

September 20, 2021-June 9, 2022

Ballet Hispánico's Pre-Professional division, La Academia, trains eclectic, versatile dancers who stand out in a competitive field of dance for their mastery of the classical ballet tradition, contemporary techniques, Spanish Dance, and performance skills. This program is designed to support students interested in attending performing arts schools, conservatory/university programs, and/or those pursuing a career in dance. High school and college-aged students that reach Level 5 in La Academia have the option of pursuing the full curriculum or one of three specialized tracks: ballet, Spanish Dance, or contemporary. For more information, visit ballethispanico.org/school/school-year-programs/la-academia. Auditions are required for Ballet Hispanico's La Academia: Pre-Professional Program. Register for upcoming auditions here. (*Auditions will take place Tues., August 24th (Ages 7-10 only) and Wed., August 25th (Ages 11-14 only). Interested dancers, ages 15-23, may submit a video audition until Friday, August 27th.)

 

The Ballet Hispánico School of Dance is a leading center of excellence in dance education—serving over 1,000 students and celebrating 50 years of dance and culture—and offers accessible, high-quality dance training to students of all levels ages 2 through adult. Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance, it empowers students by offering a holistic approach to movement discovery, including pre-professional training and classes for the novice dancer. 

 

About Ballet Hispánico

For more than fifty years, Ballet Hispánico has been the leading voice intersecting artistic excellence and advocacy and is now the largest Latinx cultural organization in the United States and one of America's Cultural Treasures. Ballet Hispánico brings communities together to celebrate and explore Latino cultures through innovative dance productions, transformative dance training, and enduring community engagement experiences. 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 Latinx youth and families seeking artistic place and cultural sanctuary. By providing the space for Latinx dance and dancers to flourish, Ballet Hispánico uplifted marginalized emerging and working artists, which combined with the training, authenticity of voice, and power of representation, fueled the organization's roots and trajectory. In 2009, Ballet Hispánico welcomed Eduardo Vilaro as its Artistic Director, ushering in a new era by inserting fresh energy to the company's founding values and leading Ballet Hispánico into an artistically vibrant future. Today, Ballet Hispánico's New York City headquarters house a School of Dance and state-of-the-art dance studios for its programs and the arts community. From its grassroots origins as a dance school and community-based performing arts troupe, for fifty years Ballet Hispánico has stood as a catalyst for social change. Ballet Hispánico provides the physical home and cultural heart for Latinx dance in the United States. Ballet Hispánico has developed a robust public presence across its three main programs: its Company, School of Dance, and Community Arts Partner-ships. Through its exemplary artistry, distinguished training program, and deep-rooted community engagement efforts Ballet Hispánico champions and amplifies underrepresented voices in the field. For fifty years Ballet Hispánico has provided a place of hon-or for the omitted, overlooked, and oppressed. As it looks to the next fifty years and beyond, Ballet Hispánico seeks to empower, and give agency to, the Latinx experience and those individuals within it.