We are so happy to be able to bring this wonderful performance to Pro-Art.

School show (not open to the public) at 1:15pm

Evening performance at 7:30pm

Based on the Mexican holiday which brings communities together to remember
and celebrate loved ones who have passed.

El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a celebration of one of the most traditional Mexican festivities. This Aztec ritual and commemoration started at least 3,000 years ago. It is a festive interaction that embraces the cycle of life. Mesoamerican natives, African-Americans and Spanish blend their traditions during the celebration.

WHAT IS THE DAY OF THE DEAD?

More than 500 years ago, when Spanish Conquistadors landed in what is now Mexico, they encountered natives practicing a ritual that seemed to mock death. It was a ritual the indigenous people had been practicing for at least 3,000 years, a ritual the Spaniards would try unsuccessfully to eradicate.

The Spaniards considered the ritual to be sacrilegious and perceived the indigenous people to be barbaric and pagan. In their attempts to convert the Aztecs to Catholicism, the Spaniards tried to eliminate the ritual. But like the old Aztec spirits, the ritual refused to die. To make the ritual more "Christian," the Spaniards moved its date to coincide with All Saints’ Day on November 1st and All Souls’ Day on November 2nd. Previously, El Día de los Muertos fell on the ninth month of the Aztec Solar Calendar, near the beginning of August, and was celebrated for the entire month. Festivities were presided over by the goddess Mictecacihuatl, known as Lady of the Dead, who was believed to have died at birth.

We are pleased to bring this wonderful production to The ArtBank of Southside Virginia

Alma Latina
(Latin Soul)

From the passionate fury of flamenco to tango’s forbidden heat, the polished elegance of classical ballet to the earthen power of modern dance, the Latin Ballet of Virginia uses the expressive beauty of movement to weave the tales and traditions that are the heart and soul of Hispanic culture.

CELEBRATING THE RHYTHMS THAT INFLUENCED THE MUSIC, DANCE AND HISTORY OF LATIN AMERICA, ALMA LATINA HONORS THE NATIVE ESSENCE OF HISPANIC CULTURE, HOW THIS SPIRIT HAS FOUND EXPRESSION THROUGH TIMES OF OPPRESSION AND HOW IT HAS TRIUMPHED IN OUR MODERN GLOBAL SOCIETY.

Alma Latina celebra la música, danza e historia de nuestra Latino America.

Alma Latina is a family-oriented dance-theater production celebrating the history that influenced the rhythm, music and dance of Latin America. Through salsa, mambo, tango, flamenco and reggae, the unique, powerful and passionate artists of the Latin Ballet of Virginia will weave tradition, culture and politics into a tapestry of understanding for the soul (Alma), the people and the history of Latin America, the Caribbean and Spain

We are happy to celebrate National Hispanic month with our friends at The Children's Museum of Virginia.

We will be doing two performances at 11:30 and 12:30 pm

 Join us in September when RPAA and the Resident Companies of Dominion Energy Center for the Performing Arts celebrate the tenth anniversary of the completion of the downtown performing arts center which opened as Richmond CenterStage in 2009 and is now known as Dominion Energy Center for the Performing Arts. 

In honor of this milestone, Virginia Repertory Theatre's Artistic Director, Nathaniel Shaw, will bring together Resident Companies City Dance Theatre, Elebga Folklore Society, Latin Ballet of Virginia, Quill Theatre, Richmond Ballet, Richmond Symphony, SPARC, Virginia Opera and Virginia Repertory Theatre for a collaborative performance to celebrate the transformative power of the arts in our community. There is no better way to highlight the mission of RPAA than to provide the Richmond community with access to the incredible local talent of these organizations!

Title Sponsor:

Altria

Marshall Street Sponsors:

Dominion Energy

Genworth

Jim & Bobbie Ukrop

Main Street Partners:

Atlantic Union Bank

Patient First

Publix Super Markets Charities

Clay Street Ambassadors:

Keiter

The performance included the Guatemalan Legend of La Siguanaba, a beautiful native who had not taken care of her children and denied the traditions of her tribe. She was then condemn to this curse to become a shapeshifting siren that lured men to the water with the beauty of her body only to reveal in horror that she had a disfigured face.

Fiesta del Sol also includes the traditional music and dance from Guatamala, the marimba, with origins in West Africa that was brought over during the slave trade. Another typical presentation of this genre is also "The Dance of the Deer" portrays the annual festivity of the deer hunt for food and materials for the community.

Music and dance from Central America and Caribbean, extending from Panama, separated only by its border with Colombia, Panama's costal tri-cultural people developed Cumbiaalongside their counterparts to the south. Cumbia has a distinctly indigenous influence from African culture. 

Some of the performance includes African-Caribbean dances and music such as Meringue, Salsa, Rhumba, Danzon and Bachata.

The Latin Ballet of Virginia employs the expressive beauty of movement, richly detailed costuming, and multi-media projections to celebrate Hispanic culture in all-encompassing, unique theatrical presentations. The group’s acclaimed production NuYoRican–a moniker created by combining the words “New York” and “Puerto Rican”–weaves together common threads in the true stories of Puerto Rican migrants to New York City and captures the essence of Puerto Rico’s vibrant culture with mambos, salsas, Latin jazz and reggaeton, while honoring the island’s blend of Spanish and African roots with percussion-driven dances like “la plena” and “la bomba.”

Latin Ballet will be in New York City to perform!

NuYoRican, a moving production in collaboration with award-winning journalist, Julia Torres Barden, author of "NewyoricanGirl...Surviving my Spanglish Life".

“NuYoRican Girl” is a passionate tribute to the Puerto Rican Diaspora community who share similar stories of their migration to the United States. Watching my ancestors’ come back alive on stage was a riveting experience. Words cannot express how honored I am to be collaborating with the spectacular Latin Ballet of Virginia on this inspiring portrayal of mi gente. My heart brims with Boricua pride every single time I see this show.” Julia Torres Barden, author of “NEWYORICANGIRL…Surviving my Spanglish Life."

NuYoRican, portrays the true stories of thousands of migrants to the United States and their triumph as they faced discrimination, assimilation, and political stigma upon their arrival after World  War II.

For a more details on NuYoRican (click link)

We would LOVE your Support! Please click on link below for more information.

We are excited to be returning the RoseFest again this year! 

This is always a great event at the magical Lewis Gitner Botantical Gardens.

VICTOR, The True Spirit of LOVE!

The Latin Ballet of Virginia is proud to the premier of its new original work, VICTOR, based on the autobiography Son of Evil Street, inspired by the true story of Victor Torres, a teen from Puerto Rico who's forced to survive the "dark streets" of Brooklyn, New York, in 1962.  VICTOR, The True Spirit of LOVE, tells the story of young gang member named Victor Torres from New York whose life was changed by the love and faith of his mother. 

Based in Victor Torres’ real life, VICTOR is an example of perseverance, faith and true love for everyone. In the early 1960s, Victor Torres and his family moved to Brooklyn, New York from their native Puerto Rico in search of a new life. The American dream quickly fades as they fell lost in their new country. As a new recruit in a street gang, a teenage Victor embarks on drug-trafficking business in an attempt to help his struggling family. Victor is quickly enslaved by drug use, and his parents, desperately search to find a way to save their son. A faith-based rehabilitation program is their last chance to rescue Victor.

We are so honor to be able to create a performing arts interpretation of Victor’s life, but most important to have Victor Torres and his family guiding artistic director, Ana Ines King through this journey. Victor Torres lives in Richmond with his family, where they have established a rehabilitation center to help many people in desperation of recuperating from drug addiction, alcoholism, home less and families in need of a new life to come.  Victor’s true story is much deeper and has made a lasting impact on the world today.

We could not be more passionate about sharing this inspiring and true story that explores the power of faith to transform a life and the courage of a mother who never loses hope for her child.

VICTOR, The True Spirit of LOVE!

The Latin Ballet of Virginia is proud to the premier of its new original work, VICTOR, based on the autobiography Son of Evil Street, inspired by the true story of Victor Torres, a teen from Puerto Rico who's forced to survive the "dark streets" of Brooklyn, New York, in 1962.  VICTOR, The True Spirit of LOVE, tells the story of young gang member named Victor Torres from New York whose life was changed by the love and faith of his mother. 

Based in Victor Torres’ real life, VICTOR is an example of perseverance, faith and true love for everyone. In the early 1960s, Victor Torres and his family moved to Brooklyn, New York from their native Puerto Rico in search of a new life. The American dream quickly fades as they fell lost in their new country. As a new recruit in a street gang, a teenage Victor embarks on drug-trafficking business in an attempt to help his struggling family. Victor is quickly enslaved by drug use, and his parents, desperately search to find a way to save their son. A faith-based rehabilitation program is their last chance to rescue Victor.

We are so honor to be able to create a performing arts interpretation of Victor’s life, but most important to have Victor Torres and his family guiding artistic director, Ana Ines King through this journey. Victor Torres lives in Richmond with his family, where they have established a rehabilitation center to help many people in desperation of recuperating from drug addiction, alcoholism, home less and families in need of a new life to come.  Victor’s true story is much deeper and has made a lasting impact on the world today.

We could not be more passionate about sharing this inspiring and true story that explores the power of faith to transform a life and the courage of a mother who never loses hope for her child.

VICTOR, The True Spirit of LOVE!

The Latin Ballet of Virginia is proud to the premier of its new original work, VICTOR, based on the autobiography Son of Evil Street, inspired by the true story of Victor Torres, a teen from Puerto Rico who's forced to survive the "dark streets" of Brooklyn, New York, in 1962.  VICTOR, The True Spirit of LOVE, tells the story of young gang member named Victor Torres from New York whose life was changed by the love and faith of his mother. 

Based in Victor Torres’ real life, VICTOR is an example of perseverance, faith and true love for everyone. In the early 1960s, Victor Torres and his family moved to Brooklyn, New York from their native Puerto Rico in search of a new life. The American dream quickly fades as they fell lost in their new country. As a new recruit in a street gang, a teenage Victor embarks on drug-trafficking business in an attempt to help his struggling family. Victor is quickly enslaved by drug use, and his parents, desperately search to find a way to save their son. A faith-based rehabilitation program is their last chance to rescue Victor.

We are so honor to be able to create a performing arts interpretation of Victor’s life, but most important to have Victor Torres and his family guiding artistic director, Ana Ines King through this journey. Victor Torres lives in Richmond with his family, where they have established a rehabilitation center to help many people in desperation of recuperating from drug addiction, alcoholism, home less and families in need of a new life to come.  Victor’s true story is much deeper and has made a lasting impact on the world today.

We could not be more passionate about sharing this inspiring and true story that explores the power of faith to transform a life and the courage of a mother who never loses hope for her child.

JOIN US for RPAA's 2018 Gala, Alternate Routes: A Night in Havana featuring Jose Lorenzo & Timbason la Original, on May 19. Proceeds from this exciting evening benefit the artistic and educational programs of RPAA. Sponsorships include a “moveable feast” and live entertainment, featuring local artists and arts organizations, throughout the Dominion Energy Center venues prior to the concert as well as a post-concert dessert reception.

About Jose Lorenzo & Timbason la Original
Timbason takes its name from Son, the most influential form of Latin music in the late 1800s, and Timba, a Cuban version of America’s soul and funk. The newest and most provocative music out of Cuba, Timba is like salsa on steroids. It incorporates Brazilian music, R&B, hip-hop, Latin jazz, and Cuban salsa. Son, on the other hand, is a style of dance music that originated in the Oriente province of Cuba. It is the foundation of modern salsa. Timbason combines all of this in a unique hybrid of modern Cuban music that is more up-to-date and more in tune with the real music that Cubans listen to today.

We are offering a number of Corporate Sponsorship levels, as well as Gala ticket packages and concert-only tickets. Contact info@rpaalliance.com or visit http://rpaalliance.com/2018RPAAGala for more information.

We are schedule to perform on Saturday May 19, 2018.

Here is more information:

Southside Big Tent Community Festival

Southside Community Center

6255 Old Warwick Road, Richmond, VA 23224

Stay tuned for where to park – Free shuttle service!

FESTIVAL DATES:

Friday, May 18, 2018 & Saturday, May 19, 2018

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

Friday, May 18, 2018 from 5:00 – 7:30PM: Enjoy a special Richmond Symphony Evening Performance under the Big Tent with world-renowned Latin dance band, Bio Ritmo!

Saturday, May 19, 2018 from 12:30 – 7:30PM: Join us for a Family Day including performances by: Richmond Public Schools and Legacy Band, culminating with a Dance Party with DJ Missing! Other activities are still in the works but are likely to include a skateboard competition in the skate park, a community art gallery showcasing work from local students and schools, and a Kid’s Zone you won’t want to miss!

Tickets:
$15 General Admission
$10 Students
Click here to purchase tickets

Virginia Commonwealth University
School of the Arts
Department of Music
Contact us

NuYoRican pays tribute to NYC’s Puerto Rican community, celebrating their stories of struggle and triumph. This collaboration between award-winning choreographer and artistic director of the Latin Ballet of Virginia, Ana Ines Barragan King and award-winning author and journalist, Julia Torres Barden, is based on her book, “NEWYORICANGIRL…Surviving my Spanglish Life." NuYoRican shares true stories of the Puerto Rican migration to the US at its peak in the 1940s - spotlighting the discrimination, cultural assimilation and hurdles faced and overcome

LATIN BALLET OF VIRGINIA WILL BE PERFORMING:

ARBORETUM STAGE FROM 1:00PM-2:00PM (ADULT/FAMILY ORIENTED)

CHILDREN’S STAGE FROM 3:00PM-4:00PM (CHILDREN ORIENTED

Event website: https://www.nngov.com/821/About-the-Festival
https://www.facebook.com/NewportNewsFestivals