Accent Dance NYC marks Hispanic Heritage Month with special performance
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- International dance ensemble Accent Dance NYC is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a special performance Friday.
You'll notice elements of tango, Mexican folk dance, ballet, salsa, and more.
El Regalo de los Alebriges is the world premiere by award-winning Mexican choreographer David Fernandez.
He headlines the evening, bringing alebrijes, brightly colored Mexican folk-art sculptures of mythical creatures to life for a young boy on his 11th birthday amidst the isolation of a pandemic, celebrating themes of family, hope, and resilience.
"It's Mexican music with ballet steps and also it's contemporary and I have projections it's a multimedia, multi-cultural it is New York basically," Hernandez said.
The company started in 2018 and during the pandemic, it took to the streets for many of its performances and did its best to continue sharing dance with children.
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The company was working to rehearse their performance to perfection this week and Eyewitness News got a sneak peek.
"With an organization that welcomes Latinx dancers, and a mission to serve the Latinx and other minority communities through our outreach and educational programming, we are looking forward to celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month this year with the community -especially after so much time physically away from one another," notes Andrea Ziegelman, Executive and Artistic Director of Accent Dance NYC. "To explore the voices of so many artists and tell the stories of culture and folklore through this cultural lens is a testament to our mission both on stage and off."
Elisa Toro plays one of the mystical characters that comes to life.
"We're integrating different art forms in this product that celebrates Mexican culture in the larger scope that celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, so very proud to be represented through this work," Toro said.
To date, the non-profit organization has reached more than 4,000 school-aged children in underserved communities and remains committed to offering equal access to arts.
Regalo Hispánico takes place on September 17 at Teatro LATEA, the iconic Latinx theater in Manhattan's Lower East Side, at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $30 and available for purchase at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/accent-dance-nyc-presents-regalo-hispanico-at-teatro-latea-tickets-168267932917
Proof of full vaccination will be required at the door, and all patrons are to remain masked for the duration of the event.
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