BALLET HISPANICO Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month With a Free 9/14 Performance

Ballet Hispanico, recognized as the premier Latino dance institution in the United States, announces a community performance in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month at The LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (LPAC), at 47th Avenue and VanDam Street, Long Island City, Queens on Friday, September 14, 2012 at 11:00am. Seating will begin at 10:30am. The event is free and open to the public.

The performance will lead students, adults and families alike on a guided exploration of Latin American culture and dance. Audiences will watch as Ballet Hispanico's professional company performs selections from the most exciting repertory, including:

Club Havana: The intoxicating rhythms of the Conga, Rumba, Mambo, and Cha Cha are brought to life by choreographer Pedro Ruiz, himself a native of Cuba, as he imagined his very own "Club Havana."

The company will also perform excerpts from Nube Blanco, Tango Vitrola; and A vueltas con los ochenta.

Nube Blanco(White Cloud) is inspired by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's childhood memories of the beautiful song of Maria Dolores Pradera. Lopez Ochoa brilliantly integrates the Spanish zapateado technique or footwork that is found in flamenco dance and gives it a contemporary twist.

Tango Vitrola: Turning tango on its head, Alejandro Cervera conjures a metaphysical space that highlights the struggle between men and women through simple yet poetic patterns.

A vueltas con los ochenta: García and Barberá's first work for Ballet Hispanico uses contemporary dance to evoke the sights and sounds of the cultural revolution in 1980s Madrid known as "La Movida." From the impulsive, spontaneous movements of each dancer to the beats of electronic pop music that fill the stage, this piece recreates the memory of one night of freedom, exploration, and invention lived by a young group of friends.

Schools are welcome. Groups of ten or more may call LPAC at (718) 482-5151 to reserve seats.