Ballet Hispánico, the nation’s premier Latino dance organization, presents the next installment of its choreographic institute, Instituto Coreográfíco, with a showing and reception on Thursday, May 26, 2016 at the company’s headquarters at 167 W. 89th Street, NYC. 

This year’s Instituto Coreográfico features Mexican-American choreographer Stephanie Martinez, an award-winning Chicago dance artist with over 30 years of professional performing experience who has been choreographing for seven years, along with filmmaker Angelo Silvio Vasta. The groundbreaking Instituto Coreográfico provides emerging Latino choreographers and dance filmmakers with a professional and supportive environment in which to explore their heritage and develop their craft. Choreographers receive ongoing feedback from a group of notable artistic mentors and advisors, archive recordings of the rehearsals, an edited film of the resulting work, an academic advisor, and a showing of their work.  Should an artistically appropriate work emerge from this process, it could enter Ballet Hispánico’s permanent repertory. Filmmakers are paired with a choreographer and mentored by filmmaker Nel Shelby.

The Spring 2016 Instituto Coreográfico was made possible in part by leadership support from the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures and the Ford Foundation through a grant from the NALAC Diverse Arts Spaces Grant Program. Additional support was provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Mertz Gilmore Foundation.