Ballet Hispánico, the nation's premier Latino dance organization, announces the Fall 2017 Adult Class Schedule, with classes in Caribbean Flow, Afro-Latin Jazz Fusion, and Salsa. Celebrating over 45 years of dance and culture, the Ballet Hispánico School of Dance is a leading center of excellence in dance education located at 167 W. 89th Street, NYC.
 
During Hispanic Heritage Month, participants may take one class and bring a friend for free until October 15, 2017.
 
Caribbean Flow with Dana Manno
Mondays at 7:15 pm, Teens & Adults, open to ages 15 and up.
Dana's high-energy style transports dancers of all levels straight to the islands of the Caribbean in this fun and lively class. Each session fuses dance styles of Salsa, Rhumba, Soca, Merengue, and more. Get strong, get loose, and learn some cultural history while you move! All levels welcome.
 
Afro-Latin Jazz Fusion with Sekou McMiller
Wednesdays at 7:15 pm, Adults ages 18 and up.
At the forefront of a new movement in the Latin dance world, Sekou's unique and exciting style of Afro-Latin Jazz Fusion introduces Latin rhythms and techniques deeply rooted in the Caribbean (salsa/mambo, cha-cha-cha, rumba) while blending with urban dance, modern, jazz, and contemporary styles. Structurally derived from traditional ballet/jazz classes and Pilates practices, Sekou's warm-up guides students through breathing and fluid movement exercises that strengthen technique, musicality, and flexibility, while breaking down the intricacies of Latin dance rhythms and movements, and emphasizing attitude. The across-the-floor combinations get dancers moving with turns and jumps using authentic Latin moves and promoting spatial awareness, power, and presence. Class choreography includes movements fused with mainstream styles from urban to contemporary dance. Always explosive and theatrical in nature, these smooth combinations are a marriage of rhythm and technique! All levels welcome.
 
Adult Salsa 1 with Yvonne Gutierrez
Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Adults ages 18 and up
Learn fundamentals to the rhythmic movement, partnering, and turn sequences that make up the popular New York On2 salsa style. This class walks students through the basics of the form before building on styling techniques that will improve your prowess on the dance floor! Beginner to Advanced Beginner.
 
To register, or for more information, visit https://www.ballethispanico.org/classes/adult.
 
 
ABOUT BALLET HISPÁNICO
Ballet Hispánico, the premier Latino dance organization in the United States, brings individuals and communities together to celebrate and explore Latino cultures through dance. Whether dancing on stage, in school, or in the street, Ballet Hispánico creates a space where few institutions are breaking ground. The organization's founder, National Medal of Arts recipient Tina Ramirez, sought to give voice to the Hispanic experience and break through stereotypes. Today Ballet Hispánico is led by Eduardo Vilaro, an acclaimed choreographer and former member of the Company, whose vision of universal access to cultural identity, equity and quality arts education drives its programs. Ballet Hispánico has become a role model in and for the Latino community and is inspiring creativity and social awareness in our neighborhoods and across the country by providing access to arts education. 
 
The Ballet Hispánico School of Dance offers an eclectic curriculum based on classical ballet, Spanish, and contemporary dance forms. Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance, the School empowers students by offering a holistic approach to movement discovery, including pre-professional training and classes for the novice dancer. The School also offers adult classes and workshops that provide cultural enrichment and the joy of dance to everyone.
 
For more information, visit www.ballethispanico.org.
 
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 principal 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 the 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. In 2016, he was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame. 
 
MICHELLE MANZANALES, Director of the Ballet Hispánico School of Dance, is a choreographer and dance educator originally from Houston, TX, Ms. Manzanales has created works for numerous professional companies, universities, and schools throughout the country. Con Brazos Abiertos, her critically acclaimed first work for Ballet Hispánico, had its world premiere at the Joyce Theater in April, 2017. With humility, nostalgia and humor, Con Brazos Abiertos explored the iconic Mexican symbols that Ms. Manzanales was reluctant to embrace as a Mexican-American child growing up in Texas. Ms. Manzanales's previous works include Sugar in the Raw (Azucar Cruda) for Luna Negra Dance Theater, which was applauded by the Chicago Sun-Times as "a staggering, beautiful, accomplished new work" in 2007. In 2010, her homage to Frida Kahlo, Paloma Querida, was hailed as a "visual masterpiece" by Lucia Mauro of the Chicago Tribune.   She began working with Ballet Hispánico Artistic Director & CEO Eduardo Vilaro in 2003 as a dancer for his then-company Luna Negra Dance Theater of Chicago, where she later became Rehearsal Director in 2006 and eventually served as Interim Artistic Director 2009-2010. Prior to her appointment to School Director, Ms. Manzanales served as the Rehearsal Director and Artistic Associate of the main company of Ballet Hispánico for seven years.