Eduardo Vilaro - Artistic Director & CEO of Ballet Hispánico
Mr. Vilaro has infused Ballet Hispánico’s legacy with a bold brand of contemporary dance that reflects America’s changing cultural landscape.
Ballet Hispánico's Company Member
Born in Cuba and raised in the Bronx, Eduardo Vilaro came to Ballet Hispánico in1988 and quickly partnered with Ramirez on her mission to educate children.
Nancy Turano and Eduardo VilaroBallet Hispánico
Mr. Vilaro spent 8 years with the Company where he performed the works of legendary artists Graciela Daniele, Vicente Nebrada, Geoffrey Holder and more.
Eduardo Vilaro and Pedro Ruiz in Cafe AmericaBallet Hispánico
Mr. Vilaro's time as a Company dancer with Ballet Hispánico helped to shape him as the leader and artist he is today.
Ballet Hispánico CompanyBallet Hispánico
In 1995, after a decade of personal and artistic growth, Vilaro left the Company to face new artistic challenges and continue the diversity work needed in the dance field.
A Bright Future in Chicago
Vilaro moved to Chicago to further his education and find avenues of expression and artistic adventure. He received his Masters in Interdisciplinary Arts at Columbia College Chicago and proceeded to build his own organization from the ground up, Luna Negra Dance Theater.
Luna Negra Dance TheaterBallet Hispánico
At Luna Negra, Vilaro focused on nurturing and building Latinx leaders to help build new narratives based on the fullness of their histories, working to carve out what it means to be Latinx through the voices of these artists.
Eduardo Vilaro Dancing in Studio by (c) Paula LoboBallet Hispánico
Vilaro's work as a choreographer and producer was a funnel for discovering who he was as a gay Cuban man. His work reveals the complexity of the colonized body, reflecting on assimilation and the intersectionality of Latinx (a,o) identities.
Returning to Roots
Eduardo Vilaro returned to Ballet Hispánico in 2009 as the Artistic Director becoming only the second person to head the Company since it's founding in 1970.
Eduardo Vilaro & Tina Ramirez (2016)Ballet Hispánico
Mr. Vilaro took on the additional role of Chief Executive Officer of BH in 2015.
Eduardo Vilaro at Bronx Arts Middle School Opening by Courtesy of Ballet HispánicoBallet Hispánico
Since then, Mr. Vilaro has been recognized for his astounding achievements as Ballet Hispánico's leader. He was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame in 2016 and was awarded HOMBRE Magazine’s 2017 Arts & Culture Trailblazer of the Year. In 2019, he received the West Side Spirit’s WESTY Award, was honored by WNET for his contributions to the arts, and was the recipient of the James W. Dodge Foreign Language Advocate Award.
In August 2020, City & State Magazine included Mr. Vilaro in the inaugural Power of Diversity: Latin 100 list. In January 2021, Mr. Vilaro was recognized with a Compassionate Leaders Award, given to leaders who are courageous, contemplative, collaborative, and care about the world they will leave behind. He is a well-respected speaker on such topics as diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts, as well as on the merits of the intersectionality of cultures and the importance of nurturing and building Latinx leaders.
Eduardo Vilaro Teaching a Latin Dance WorkshopBallet Hispánico
At the helm of the organization, Mr. Vilaro infuses Ballet Hispánico's legacy with a bold and eclectic brand of contemporary dance that reflects America's changing cultural landscape.
Eduardo Vilaro Selfie with BH StudentsBallet Hispánico
Mr. Vilaro’s background in dance education and community outreach allows him to build on the company’s founding values and lead Ballet Hispánico into an artistically vibrant future.
Eduardo Vilaro Leading a Community WorkshopBallet Hispánico
Mr. Vilaro’s philosophy of dance stems from a basic belief in the power of the arts to change lives, reflect and impact culture, and strengthen community. He considers dance to be a liberating, non-verbal language through which students, dancers, and audiences can initiate an ongoing conversation about the arts, expression, identity, and the meaning of community.
A Voice for the Arts
Mr. Vilaro continues to guide Ballet Hispánico on a path that reflects the Latinx experience in its totality: the diversity, the points of intersection with other cultures, and its ability to unite people across the globe.
Ballet Hispánico's Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director & CEO, with the Company Dancers (2021) by Rachel NevilleBallet Hispánico
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