Ballet Hispánico Pays Tribute to Ten Years of Instituto Coreográfico Announces Fall 2024 Choreographer Matthew Neenan
Company:
Ballet Hispánico
Ballet Hispánico celebrates ten years of Instituto Coreográfico, a space for choreographers to explore cultural identity by pushing the boundaries of dance excellence. Over the past decade, Instituto Coreográfico has emerged as a beacon of artistic exploration, empowering choreographers to break through traditional boundaries and redefine the language of dance. In an environment that fosters collaboration and experimentation, these visionaries receive the freedom to delve into their creative processes, weaving personal narratives with bold artistic expression.
This anniversary represents more than a celebration; it is a testament to Ballet Hispánico’s commitment to cultivating artistic excellence and encouraging fearless innovation. Embracing diverse perspectives, the program advances the art form, contributing to a broader cultural conversation highlighting the beauty of creative exchange and transformation.
Instituto Coreográfico: 10 Years of Innovation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjUOMORBVMk&t=2s
Previous Instituto choreographers include: Daniela Urías, Mark Travis Rivera, Michelle Manzanales, Omar Román de Jesús, Marielis Garcia, Ramón Oller, Maria Barrios, Bennyroyce Royon, Gustavo Ramírez Sasano, Carlos Pons Guerra, Stephanie Martinez, Fernando Melo, Miguel Mancillas, and Rosie Herrera.
“Our Instituto Coreográfico is an answer to fill a gap of the ability for choreographers to have a space to develop their crafts,” said Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director & CEO, Ballet Hispánico. “We are committed to providing the resources to allow artists to explore their creativity in our space, experimenting with styles and work on our company of dancers.”
About Matthew Neenan
Described as “one of America’s best dance poets” by The New York Times, Matthew Neenan began his dance training at the Boston Ballet School and with noted teachers Nan C. Keating and Jacqueline Cronsberg. He later attended the LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts and the School of American Ballet in New York. From 1994-2007, Matthew danced with the Philadelphia Ballet where he danced numerous principal roles in the classical, contemporary and Balanchine repertoire. From 2007 – 2020, Matthew was the Choreographer in Residence at the Philadelphia Ballet where he created 20 original ballets.
Matthew’s choreography has been premiered and performed by The New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, The Washington Ballet, Ballet West, Ballet Met, Colorado Ballet, Ballet Memphis, Milwaukee Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Tulsa Ballet, OKC Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Nevada Ballet Theatre, Parsons Dance, Dance Aspen, BODYTRAFFIC, Juilliard Dance, and USC Kaufman School of Dance, among many others. He has received numerous awards and grants for his choreography from the National Endowment of the Arts, Dance Advance funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Choo San Goh Foundation, the Independence Foundation and four fellowships from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. In 2006, Matthew received the New York City Ballet’s Choreographic Institute’s Fellowship Initiative Award. In October 2009, Matthew was the grand-prize winner of Sacramento Ballet’s Capital Choreography Competition and was also the first recipient of the Jerome Robbins NEW Program Fellowship for his work At the border for Pennsylvania Ballet.
In 2005, Matthew co-founded BalletX with fellow dancer Christine Cox. BalletX has toured and performed Neenan’s choreography in New York City at The Joyce Theater, NY City Center, The Skirball Center, Symphony Space and Central Park Summerstage, The Kennedy Center, Vail International Dance Festival (where he has created 5 world premieres), Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Segerstrom Center, Laguna Dance Festival, Spring to Dance Festival in St. Louis, as well as several venues internationally. His ballet “The Last Glass” was listed in The New York Times Top 10 in 2013. https://www.matthewneenanchoreographer.com/
About Instituto Coreográfico
When Ballet Hispánico was founded over 50 years ago, Latinx artists were invisible to the dance field. Since its founding, Ballet Hispánico has played an instrumental role in changing the narrative - now, a generation of Latinx artists have produced art that reinterpret their heritage, bringing fresh perspectives on the Latinx experience.
In 2010, Ballet Hispánico’s Artistic Director & CEO Eduardo Vilaro created the Instituto Coreográfico, a choreographic institute for Latinx artists to create culturally specific work in a nurturing learning laboratory of dance. Now in its eighth year, Instituto Coreográfico invites dance patrons to respond, reflect, and enter into cultural dialogue with the artists about dance and culture in a safe, critical environment at a work-in-progress showing during the choreographer’s residency. With this invaluable platform, Ballet Hispánico continues to give a voice to young artists of color and opens access to the dance-making process for all audiences.
Catalytic funding and partnership for Ballet Hispánico’s Latinx Dance Institute, including the Instituto Coreográfico,is provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, who shares Ballet Hispánico’s deep commitment to elevating the voices of Latinx leadership. Major sponsorship for the Instituto Coreográfico is provided by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the Mertz Gilmore Foundation. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Ballet Hispánico was born from a bold vision to transform the world through the power of dance and reimagine how Latinx culture is celebrated on the global stage. Since its founding in 1970 by the trailblazing Tina Ramirez, Ballet Hispánico has been breaking barriers and reshaping expectations, using dance as a dynamic force for cultural expression, empowerment, and meaningful change.
Today, Ballet Hispánico proudly stands as the largest Latino cultural organization in the United States and an acclaimed "America’s Cultural Treasure." Through our three core pillars—the professional Company, School of Dance, and Community Arts Partnerships—we lead with purpose, uplifting the vibrant, diverse voices of the Hispanic diaspora. Our Company brings the work of visionary Latinx choreographers to life, delivering groundbreaking performances that ignite cultural dialogue and challenge artistic boundaries.
Under the visionary leadership of Artistic Director and CEO Eduardo Vilaro, who began his journey with Ballet Hispánico as a dancer in 1985, the company continues to chart new paths forward. Building on Tina Ramirez’s legacy, Vilaro has expanded the company’s impact, amplifying the intersectional stories of Latinx identities. Programs like Instituto Coreográfico, the Latinx Leaders Summit, and Diálogos foster innovation and leadership, nurturing the next generation of Hispanic artists and cultural leaders.
A true trailblazer in the world of dance, Ballet Hispánico has performed for more than 2.5 million people across three continents. As we look to the future, our unwavering commitment is to empower communities, inspire through the beauty of dance, and continue elevating Latinx voices on the world stage.
