Walter’s World: Ballet Hispanico Returns To The Apollo Tonight

By Walter Rutledge 

Ballet Hispanico returns to the Apollo Theater for one performance tonight December 1, at 7:30 pm. The company will present three Ballet Hispanico premieres that put a contemporary spin on Cuba’s danzón, Argentina’s tango, and 1980s Spanish pop. The performance will also feature live music by Grammy Award winning Cuban born jazz artist Paquito D’Rivera.This is the second consecutive year Ballet Hispanico has preformed at legendary Harlem venue during the holiday season performance. “The Apollo is a true birthplace of music and innovation,” said Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director of Ballet Hispanico. “I am thrilled to build on its rich history of artistic collaboration with Ballet Hispanico’s return this year alongside Paquito D’Rivera, one of the Latin jazz greats.”

The evening will feature three works including the world premiere of A vueltas con los ochenta with choreography by Inma García and Meritxell Barberá. García and Barberá’s first work for Ballet Hispanico celebrates 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.

Tango Vitrola  (Company Premiere) by choreographer Alejandro Cervera conjures a metaphysical space that highlights the struggle between men and women through simple yet poetic patterns. And completing the program is the New York premiere of Danzón by Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro with live music by the Paquito D’Rivera Ensemble. Danzón has been called the official dance of Cuba and initially evolved from Haitian contradance. Vilaro has taken this traditional and quintessentially Cuban dance form and reinvented it with contemporary movements to construct a bold work of art for this generation.

Tickets start at $33 and are available for purchase in person at the Apollo Theater Box Office, or through Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com. The Apollo Theater is located at 253 West 125th Street.

In Photo: 1) Company 2) Mario Ismael Espinoza

Paula Lobo photographer

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