Ballet Hispanico to Perform in CFA as Part of M&T Bank Dance Series

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Center for the Arts at the University at Buffalo will present Ballet Hispanico at 8 p.m. on Oct. 17 in the Mainstage Theatre in the Center for the Arts on the UB North (Amherst) Campus. The performance is sponsored by M&T Bank. There will be a pre-performance talk at 7 p.m.

Founded by Tina Ramirez in 1970, Ballet Hispanico explores, preserves and expands the passion and joyous theatricality of Latino dance. Its mission is to celebrate and further interpret the moving and beautiful aesthetic of this dynamic culture and to share it with all people.

In June 2009, Ramirez stepped down as the artistic director, although she remains an enduring ambassador for the cultural institution that she founded. In preservation and continuation of Ballet Hispanico's important mission, Eduardo Vilaro now serves as the new artistic director. As a former Ballet Hispanico company member, dance teacher and founder of his own company, Luna Negra Dance Theater in Chicago, Vilaro continues Ballet Hispanico's dedication to education and Hispanic cultures.

Ballet Hispanico tours 15-plus weeks each year across the country. The 13-member company -- America's pre-eminent dance interpreter of Hispanic culture performs a diverse repertory of highly theatrical contemporary and Latin dance by renowned choreographers from around the world. Throughout its history, the company has performed for more than 2 million people in 46 states, Europe and Latin America, and has commissioned 79 new works from more than 45 diverse choreographers.

Tickets for Ballet Hispanico are $26.50 general admission and $13 for students (any school). Tickets are available at the Center for the Arts Box Office from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and at all Ticketmaster locations, including ticketmaster.com. To charge tickets call 1-800-745-3000; in Canada 416-870-8000. For group sales, call 716-645-6771. For more information call 716-645-2787. Students (of any school) must present valid student ID at the box office to receive discount.