We are excited to announce that we will be touring Mexico in 2019 to showcase the wonderful production of Victor!
We do need you support to make this happen, any amount helps….
To give or learn more please follow link below
Latin Ballet tour to Colombia
Our wonderful professional company is getting ready to leave for their tour of Colombia. During this tour they will be able to perform to thousands of people who have never been able to see the exquisite works of Ana Ines King and the dancers of Latin Ballet of Virginia.
They will be making the international premiere of VICTOR, The True Spirit of LOVE! and also performing Alma Latina. They will be traveling with Victor Torres and his family. They are also going to visit many hospitals, orphanages and rehabilitation centers during their time in Colombia.
They will be performing at Teatro Corfescu
Here is a write up in the local paper about the performances.
18th Annual Legend of the Poinsettia
We are so excited for another wonderful year of Poinsettia show! Thank you for Dominion Energy for your continued support.
The Fantastic 7 Summer Camp 2018
Check out this awesome video that our campers did last week at Dominion Energy Center.
We think they did awesome and so proud of their hardwork.
2018 Outreach and Cultural Exchange
We are so excited to be able to go back to Mexico and NYC in 2018!
Please help us reach our goal of $10,000 to help give the gift of dance.
HELP us share our passion for dance and culture while serving and educating at-risk communities in Mexico, and paying tribute to the iconic Puerto Rican community in New York City!
In New York City, the Latin Ballet will be celebrating the Puerto Rican communities' stories of struggle, determination and assimilation during Puerto Rican heritage month with NuYoRican.
The artists of the Latin Ballet will be in Mexico with performing MUJERES, visiting impoverished urban and rural communities, teaching and performing at schools, centers for youth with special needs, hospitals, and nursing homes. We will also be exchanging cultural dance styles with The Mexican National Folklore Company. (Contemporary, Flamenco, Hip Hop, and Mexican Folklore).
It is our aim to forge connections through the universal experience of dance.
Dido and Aeneas opera collaboration
We are so excited about being able to collaborate with the Capitol Opera, Quill Theater and Jefferson Baroque for the performance of Dido and Aeneas.
An exciting theatrical collaborative performance! 20 singer-actors from Capitol Opera Richmond will be joined by dancers from the Latin Ballet of Virginia and instrumentalists from the Richmond-based period-instrument ensemble Jefferson Baroque. Quill Theatre will be providing all stage and technical support. Many wonderful local and regional artists will be featured every night of this phenomenal, dramatic experience!
Dance has the power to transform and inform...Flashback to Virginia Currents episode
The is a beautiful reminder of why Latin Ballet was started and why dance can transform lives.
http://www.pbs.org/video/virginia-currents-parents-against-bullying-latin-ballet-virginia-2508/
SOUTHSIDE COMMUNITY FESTIVAL 2018: UNITED BY MUSIC
We are so excited to be able to perform on May 19th at this wonderful event.
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!
¿Que Pasa? Festival 2018
We will be live and dancing on the Canal Walk as RVA shows its Latin Love in the annual ¿Que Pasa? Festival. Hosted by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a celebration of dancing, food, and hispanic pride! ¡VENGA! Come on!
For more information:
https://www.vahcc.com/que-pasa
https://www.facebook.com/events/147231756103827/
VCU Flamenco Festival VII: Spanish Soul
Friday, March 23, 2018 at 7:30 p.m.
Sonia Vlahcevic Concert Hall
W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts
VCU Flamenco Festival VII
Guitarist and VCU music alumna Leah Kruszewski currently resides in Seville, Spain, where she has spent the last four years deepening her knowledge of flamenco at the Fundación Cristina Heeren, one of Spain’s most renowned professional flamenco schools. While in Richmond, she founded the flamenco-inspired ensemble Sueños Gitanos and performed extensively as a soloist, with Fado Nosso (Portuguese fado music) and with the Richmond Guitar Quartet (classical guitar). Leah accompanies flamenco singers and dancers in Seville and teaches online guitar classes to students from around the world.
From the passionate fury of flamenco to tango’s forbidden heat, the 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. Directed by Ana Ines King, The Latin Ballet of Virginia (LBV) combines technical excellence with a soulful depth of emotion and an unwavering commitment to education, diversity and accessibility.
Tickets:
$15 General Admission
$10 Students
Click here to purchase tickets
Virginia Commonwealth University
School of the Arts
Department of Music
Contact us
1st Day of Classes is Sept. 18th!
We are SOO Excited for the new year of Dance!
The 1st day of classes will be September 18th!!!!!
We can not wait to see everyone!
Click here to make sure you are registered and up to date on classes schedules.
Dia de los Muertos
A production of the Latin Ballet of Virginia and presented by Swift Creek Mill, this hauntingly beautiful show is based on the Mexican holiday which brings communities together to remember and celebrate loved ones who have passed. El Dia 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.
For reservations call 804-748-5203 or use the online form.
Showtimes
Please Donate to our Outreach and Cultural Exchange!
HELP the Latin Ballet of Virginia share their passion for dance and culture while serving and educating at risk communities in the Bronx and Mexico. The artists of the Latin Ballet will be touring through impoverished and rural communities, and teaching and performing for various nursing homes, youth special needs centers, schools, and hospitals. We will also be exchanging cultural dance styles with The National Folklore Company. (Contemporary, Flamenco, Hip Hop, and Mexican Folklore)
It is our hope to build stronger bridges in order to promote diversity and lessen the deep political division within our global community.
We need to raise $10,000 to be able to make these tours happen.
We will be going to Mexico in October and New York City in November!
Fiesta del Sol at Dogwood Dell Ampitheatre
Saturday, JULY 15, 2017 at 8:30 pm
Get your blankets and picnic baskets ready!
Come spend a jubilant evening with Latin Ballet!
A FREE event for the entire family!
Celebrating the history that influenced the rhythm, music and dance of Latin America. Through salsa, mambo, cumbia, flamenco and calypso, the unique, powerful and passionate artists of the Latin Ballet of Virginia will weave tradition, culture and politics into a tapestry of understanding the people and the history of Latin America, the Caribbean and Spain.
Fiesta del Sol includes traditional music and dances from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Jamaica and Mexico, celebrating the folklore, myths, legends and cultures from the Caribbean and Latino America.
Alma Latina at Hylton Performing Arts Center
Latin Ballet of Virginia: Alma Latin
July 12, 2017 at 11:00 am
Embark on a tour of Latin American dance with the Latin Ballet of Virginia. Learn more about the steps and history of dances like the Salsa, Merengue, and Bachata along with Flamenco and Capoeira. Discover the origin of these popular dances in this lively celebration of Latin America’s rich cultural heritage that is steeped in tradition, rhythm, music, and dance.
This performance is partially supported by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts.
Location: 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas, VA 20110
Enrollment for Arts in Education Summer Day Camps
We want to remind all you parents out there that it is time to enroll in our Summer Day Camp series! Fun for ages 5-14 years with many activities including arts and crafts, dance and music! Sign up now!
Save the Arts!
Photo by: Maggie Collins Photography
Can you imagine your child not being able to watch Sesame Street? What about the artists and galleries supported by the Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts or any of these -- Meals on Wheels, heating assistance for low income people, college financial aid for low income people, nutrition for pregnant and nursing women, nutrition for kids in developing countries, after school and summer programs for kids in low income communities, emergency food assistance, efforts to revitalize public housing, and cutting programs like AmeriCorps not to mention legal services for low income households.
Every cultural aspect of our community would disappear. How does this affect us? The NEA funds a huge chunk of Latin Ballet's operation. Every year they sponsor our productions and give us the ability to be able to bring things like "NuYoRican" not only to the Richmond stage, but also to the many places we travel within the year.
“The funding specifically applies to our literary program and helps us support independent voices from across the literary spectrum—writers, publishers, editors—as well as connect them with our increasingly diverse communities here in Iowa. The bottom line: this funding is helping us to build and connect communities through culture. We think it’s important work.”
We understand that fighting for arts and culture has been an ongoing battle with our government, but this cut would call for the elimination of four independent cultural agencies — the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting — also would radically reshape the nation’s cultural infrastructure.
So many educational programs would be cut. Our children will find it difficult to be exposed to art, music, and even books. Places like the Dominion Arts Center, Richmond Ballet, VMFA and tons of educational and therapeutic arts centers would struggle to keep their doors open. Latin Ballet of Virginia would find this elimination of programming devastating.
Take Action Now!
Here's how you can help!
VISIT
https://www.votervoice.net/ARTSUSA/address to find your Representative and Senators and their telephone numbers. Make sure to contact both their DC and district offices as many times you have a better chance of speaking to someone at the district office. Tell them that President Trump’s proposed budget includes total elimination of the NEA and that you support federal funding for the arts and ask them to SAVE THE NEA.
Utilize Social Media Platforms
Post positive comments about how the arts have positively impacted your life and your community on the Facebook page of your local Representative and Senators Kaine and Warner. Take to Twitter and tweet at your Representative and Senators. Make sure to give your support for federal funding for the arts and ask them to #SAVEtheNEA.
Advocacy Tip
Keep your messaging positive and in support of the arts and remember that party affiliation does not signal support or opposition here. The National Endowment for the Arts is popular among members of Congress on both sides of the aisle.
Ana I. King to be Honored
Ana Ines King, Founder and Artistic Director
Latin Ballet of Virginia is proud to announce that our Founder and Artistic Director, Ana Ines King will be honored at the Women in the Arts awards ceremony. Please join us as we celebrate the life's work of Ms. King on this special evening.
Help Us Get to NYC!
Latin Ballet of Virginia is anticipating touring New York with our production of "NuYoRican". We are hoping to bring the production to many low-income communities and schools in the Bronx, but we need your help! Your donations make it possible for us to bring these cultural experiences and the gift of dance to other locations. Any donation will aid us in our travels and help us present this important production. Thank you for all you do for us!
Latin Ballet of Virginia recognizes Black History Month: The Pioneers
Latin Ballet is celebrating Black History Month with the most influential and inspiring dancers and choreographers. These are their stories of the challenges they overcame throughout history. These are their stories of success and their rise to legendary status. Every week this month we will present African-Americans who persevered and diligently fought for their right to dance on the stages of the world and showed the world that race has no place in the arts...or anywhere else for that matter. These individuals are the inspiration for so many of our modern day dances and the reason that African/Caribbean dance was brought America. We commend these amazing talents.
Raven Wilkinson
She was the first black ballerina to be accepted into a major classical ballet company. She faced horrific racism and danger while she danced, but triumphed as a pioneer of dance.
Janet Collins
The first black prima ballerina who danced for the Metropolitan Opera in 1951. She became a teacher, a choreographer, and always a dancer. Because of her great passion for dance, Janet broke the color barriers of history.
Bill "Mr. Bojangles" Robinson
A Richmond, VA native, Mr. Bojangles could often be seen next to Miss Shirley Temple and was the highest paid African-American entertainer in his time. He would bring musicality to tap that no one had seen before using stairs as his medium.
Pearl Primus
Miss Primus brought African dance to the American Audience. As an anthropologist, dancer and choreographer, Primus brought the spirituality of African dance to the stage. She was impactful in her use of literature, poetry and traditions in dance.
Florence Mills
Known as the "Queen of Jazz", Florence Mills, was a successful Vaudeville dancer and singer. She played a part in the very first all black Broadway show, "Dixie to Broadway". Her dancing was infectious and it was said that the Prince of Wales could be seen tapping his feet when she took the stage. She died of medical complications at the young age of 31.
Catherine Dunham
Catherine Dunham brought her worldly dance experience to stage and film. She brought dance education to low income and high risk youths in St. Louis. She incorporated African and Caribbean movements into contemporary dance creating her own unique technique. She was also the first to form an all black dance company bringing ritualistic dance to American audiences.
Arthur Mitchell
Arthur Mitchell's accomplishments include creating the first African-American classical ballet company. The word "no" never existed in his vocabulary and he was quite determined despite the times. He inspired young people in Harlem to have self-confidence and motivation and accepted anyone who wanted to work. Discipline and determination, were key elements to the success of his school
Alvin Ailey
Known as "Cultural Ambassador to the World", Mr Ailey was a choreographer and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City. His work revolutionized modern dance and it's popularity in concert dance performance.
Norma Miller
The "Queen of Swing, Norma Miller was discovered at the age of 12. She would later go on as the creator of the Lindy Hop. She's known for her comedic performances and her acrobatic dancing. She's still dancing at 97 years old and has worked with such great Jazz legends as Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie and Duke Ellington.
Josephine Baker
Titled with such monikers as "Black Venus," "Black Pearl" and "Creole Goddess", Josephine Baker is a legendary dancer, singer and actress. She was provocative and humorous and left her mark on the world of dance for her bold performances. She was world renown with great popularity for her work on the stages of Paris. She fought segregation through organizations like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and inspired the liberation of many women!