Tonya's Story

Dancers Marisol Betancourt and Roberto Whitaker

Thanks to the successful efforts and collaboration of ArtoberVA and the Better Housing Coalition, we were humbled and ecstatic by this particular response and we wanted to take a moment to share. It is moments like this that make Latin Ballet of Virginia very proud and we thank CultureWorks for their continued support and collaboration.

This is Tonya's story.

During ArtoberVA we partnered with the Better Housing Coalition and a handful of artists to bring performances and collaborative arts experiences into neighborhoods historically underserved by arts and culture. 

While planning a performance at BHC's Winchester Greens community in North Chesterfield with the Latin Ballet of Virginia, we learned that the Latin Ballet had offered a free dance workshop for the children there six years ago.

Through that workshop one young lady, "Tonya", discovered a new world that changed her life forever.

Tonya did not know cultural Hispanic music or dance. The free workshop changed Tonya's life. She fell in love with dance. Latin Ballet offered her a scholarship, and motivated by her new passion, she continued to dance, and discovered something more of herself and the world around her.

Recently Tonya performed on stage with the Latin Ballet of Virginia. She continues to embrace new experiences and is open to new possibilities for her future all because her world was changed by one arts and culture experience six years ago. 

Source: Richmond CultureWorks

Latin Ballet presents the Perfect Gift

Looking for the Perfect Gift?

Latin Ballet has you covered!

Not sure what gifts to bestow on family and friends?

We have the perfect solutions for you!

There are many ways to show them you love them, but what better way than giving the gift of dance! Whether they use it for a class or for a performance, LBV Gift Certificates are a wonderful way to experience the vibrant and passionate world of Latin Ballet.

Purchase your Latin Ballet gift certificates now!

Physical gift cards are also available through our office. Email or call us today (804.356.3876) to purchase.

It's Giving Tuesday!

Did you know...

Latin Ballet of Virginia reached a total of 135,000 individuals (75,000 were children under the age  of 18) through educational performances, residencies, and lectures. According to U.S Census, there are approximately 12,803 people who identify their ethnicity as Hispanic or Latino who live in RVA.

Did you know...

Latin Ballet of Virginia provides scholarships to help at-risk and low-income children participate in the art-form of dance.

Did you know...

Artistic Director and Founder of Latin Ballet of Virginia, Ana I. King,  and her successful development of educational programs to teach students Spanish and English through dance and to use dance as therapy for children with special needs gave her an honorable place in Virginia Women in History this year.

Did you Also Know...

Latin Ballet of Virginia teaches a myriad of dance styles including hip-hop, contemporary, and traditional Latin/Spanish dances throughout the year.

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Latin Ballet is not just a performing arts company. Latin Ballet is a multi-faceted, vibrant and accomplished family. As ambassadors of dance and culture, we strive to contribute to the growth of our community in RVA. We are proud of our educational programs, our dedicated instructors and artists who dance with and for us, and we are delighted that we have touched and helped so many through the art of dance.

A majority of the contributions we receive go directly to at-risk and low-income families. These funds allow these children to become a part of something special and provides a growth that exposes them to the arts, boosts their self-confidence and teaches them about the world they live in. Every student we touch is an achievement for the arts. We want to continue the success of educating through dance and culture, but we have many expenses throughout the year—all the things required for us to put on productions, give scholarships, the space we need for classes, costumes, the ability to be able to travel to schools and to pay our staff.  We love what we do and we hope you will join us this #GivingTuesday and help us make a difference.

'We were honored to have Latin Ballet of Virginia come to our school and so grateful for your generous support.  Many of the students at our school have never attended a live arts performance and for some, this was their very first exposure to the Arts.  Many of the students have never taken a dance class and I saw their self-confidence build before my eyes as they tried each dance step.  Many of the students were completely unfamiliar with Hispanic dance and culture and they learned so much about the history of Latin America and Spanish exploration through this tour.  These workshops and the performance by the Latin Ballet was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and eye-opening in so many ways for many of our students. "

— Rebecca Smith, Fluvanna County Schools

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Photo by: Mia Artz Photography

It's no secret that the holidays are for giving and it's no secret that this is a time we all need to stand together to give our children a better future. Feel free to check out our various educational programs. 

Please donate today and help us build a stronger community.

Latin Ballet Offers Educational Programs

We Invite Educators of Virginia to Participate

Create and strengthen connections to Hispanic/Latin American cultures through innovative and immersive dance-inspired education and performances that affect positive and sustainable change in people’s lives.

The Latin Ballet of Virginia offers many educational programs to Virginia educators. Our educational programs received the Jane Baskerville Award for the best community education program for World Languages in Chesterfield County Public Schools, Virginia and the Best Artists in Residency for Multicultural Programs Award, in Cabarrus County, North Carolina. 

We would love to provide elective or after-school programs to the students of your schools. We also offer programming for school field trips! Here a few of our programs:

“Ana Ines Barragan King, Antonio Hidalgo Paz and the other dancers that accompanied them are truly Ambassadors of Culture. We are so fortunate to have them as part of our community in Central Virginia. What an honor! After the activity, as their teacher leading the event, I felt like I had spoken the language of the heart of the students for the first time in a very long time. They LONG for opportunities such as this! An incredible experience! ”

— Rebecca Smith, Fluvanna County Middle School

Legend of the Poinsettia

Based on the Mexican legend of a young, pure-hearted girl who discovers the true spirit of giving. This program showcases holiday traditions in Latin America and Spain. A great program for the holidays!  

LEARN MORE

NuYoRican tells the true stories of the Puerto Ricans who migrated to New York after World War II and the hardships and tribulations of their assimilation.

LEARN MORE

Based on Michael Ende's fantasy novel about the profound message of the concept of time and how it is used by humans in modern societies. 

LEARN MORE

Poemas is a dance theater production exploring the works of poets Pablo Neruda, Edgar Allan Poe, Federico García Lorca, and Alfonsina Storni.

LEARN MORE

Although these are our current calendar items, we have many more productions available to students and teachers.

Latin Ballet of Virginia Gives a ¡Muchas Gracias!

Photo by: Mia Artz Photography

As we sit around the table to give thanks for all in the past year, we wanted you to give you our gratitude.

THANK YOU for being a part of our audience and attending our performances. 

THANK YOU for giving your children an opportunity to learn about culture, history, and language. 

THANK YOU to all the educators and teachers we've had the pleasure of working with.

THANK YOU to all of our dancers, guests, musicians and staff for giving their time and talents to Latin Ballet.

THANK YOU all for your belief in us, it is what keeps us motivated, inspired and striving for excellence.

Most of all THANK YOU to all who have given generous donations this year. We are forever thankful!

We would like to give a special thank you to all our sponsors and donors this year. Our success is possible through your generosity.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,
Ana I. King, Artistic Director and Founder and Latin Ballet of Virginia

There are Still Treats...

Halloween might be over, but we are still celebrating and have some treats for you! Today kicks off 5 Exclusive workshops with Antonio Hidalgo Paz, our lovely award-winning guest artist and Flamenco star. He is only here for a short time so REGISTER NOW and learn from one of the best! 

Today is also our little Halloween party for our students at the Latin Ballet and we are extending our classes today to their friends and families as well! So don't forget to bring a friend. 

We are excited to be going into the holiday season and we hope you all check out our upcoming performances. Please check out all our performances for the season!

Photo by: Mia Artz

The Latin Ballet is a non-profit performing dance company and we rely on things such as your contributions and your attendance to our shows. We love to see all your smiling faces in the audience. 

Guess who is coming to class?

Photo by: Mia Artz of Mia Artz Photography

Dance class is...awesome. 
Dance class with a friend...more awesome.
Dancing together at the Latin Ballet...
AWESOME SAUCE!

SPECIAL OFFER FOR LATIN BALLET FAMILIEs

 BRING A FRIEND WITH YOU!

This offer is for all Tuesdays and Thursday classes, as well as the Kinesthetic Ballet/Contemporary and Hip Hop classes on Wednesdays. We invite you to bring a friend or family member to take a class with you at no extra charge! So come on and let's get dancing!

If you have any questions, plea feel free to contact us at or call us at 804-356-3876.

OFERTA ESPECIAL PARA LAS FAMILIAS DEL LATIN BALLET

TRAIGA TUS AMIGOS A CLASE CONTIGO!

Clases comienzan el 19 de sept. en el Dominion Arts Center y Cultural Arts Center Glen Alen.

Para todas las clases de los Martes y Jueves y Kinesthetic Ballet/Hip Hop and Danza Contemporanea de los Miercoles, el Latin Ballet los invita a traer una amiga (o) a clase sin costo adicional.

Para preguntas por favor contactarnos por email o llamar: 804-356-3876

Latin Ballet of Virginia & Cultureworks present...

Día de los Muertos
A Celebration of Life!!!

It's the time of year where we gather and begin to celebrate the holiday season. Día de los Muertos is a traditional Mexican celebration, but it is also celebrated in other countries and coincides with the Western Christian holiday of "All Saints' Eve". 

So, gather your Marigolds and Sugar Skulls and come out and celebrate the spiritual journey of our loved ones wth the Latin Ballet of Virginia.

Festivities begin Saturday, October 15th at 7pm at STATE THEATRE OF CULPEPER.

Fiesta del Sol

A celebration of the culture and traditions of Latin America

It's ARTOBER! Come spend a nice Friday (October 14th) eve with us as we celebrate Latin culture! The Latin Ballet and the Better Housing Coalition, in partnership with CultureWorks, brings Fiesta del Sol! Bring the family and see the vibrant diversity of Hispanic culture with dancing from the Latin Ballet. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy! Food Trucks will be available. Rain or Shine. We look forward to seeing you dancing to the Latin beats! Dancing begins at 5:30pm.

La Pasion de Poe

PLEASE NOTE DUE WHAT THE RAIN HAS DONE TO THE ENCHANTED GARDEN, WE WILL BE MOVING OUR PERFORMANCE TO THE HISTORIC MASONS' HALL. 

We're getting close! As the Folk Fest winds down, why not stop by the historic Masons' Hall and take in a beautifully inspired performance by the Latin Ballet of Virginia in the lovely setting of Poe's Enchanted Garden. Flamenco master, Antonio Hidalgo Paz, Associate Artistic Director, Choreographer & Dancer, will portray Edgar Allen Poe in this dance theater work based on the life and poetry of Edgar Allan Poe at his own home.

Directors of both organizations collaborated together to bring the best of his poetry alive with the art of Dance! 

Performances inspired by the works:

EL DORADO, inspired by one of the most significant legends of Latino America!
To HELEN, the first poem written by Poe at the age of 11, in honor to the mother of his best friend.
Annabel Lee, to his lovely wife Virginia.
The RAVEN
To One in Paradise
A Dream Within a Dream

Could you ask for anything (never)more? 

We Did It!

Welcome to the new look of Latin Ballet of Virginia!

We are so happy and excited about our new website! We realize there is still some tweaking to do, but we have a nice elegant design now for your enjoyment. Feel free to peruse the site and stay tuned for more exciting updates. Please note, you can now register for classes on our website as well as pay for them. All at the click of a mouse! 

We have also added a blog to our website. This will allow us to create stories from our performances to our classes and even post some delightful things about Latin dance. We hope you visit us frequently and we look forward to seeing YOU at Latin Ballet soon!

Besos, 
The Staff at Latin Ballet of Virginia