Ballet Hispanico Honors Jody Gottfried Arnhold at Spring Gala, 4/9

Ballet Hispanico will honor Jody Gottfried Arnhold, visionary leader and dance educator, at the annual Spring Gala in The Plaza Hotel's Grand Ballroom on Monday, April 9, 2012. Cocktails begin at 7:00pm and dinner will commence at 7:45pm. Attire is black tie. To purchase tickets, a table, or a journal ad, or for more information, please contact Emma Epstein, Associate for Events, at (212) 362-6710 x43 or eepstein@ballethispanico.org. The Plaza Hotel is located at 768 5th Avenue, New York, NY.

The celebration will feature dinner, performances by the Ballet Hispanico Company, as well as students of the Ballet Hispanico School of Dance and live music from the Spanish Harlem Orchestra.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is the lead corporate sponsor of the gala. The event is headed by Honorary Chair Judith K. Dimon; Event Chairs John Arnhold, Paul Arnhold, Julia Arnhold, and Henry and Sissy Arnhold; Dinner Chairs Lois and Roland Betts, Kate Lear and Jonathan LaPook, Norman and Lyn Lear, David Pérez and Milena Alberti, Lynn Povich and Stephen Shepard, Melanie Shorin and Greg Feldman, and Laurie Tisch.

Ballet Hispanico is proud to honor Jody Gottfried Arnhold, former Board Chair and current Director. Ms. Gottfried Arnhold met Tina Ramirez, Ballet Hispanico's founder, 35 years ago and the two formed a dynamic alliance that enabled the organization to fulfill its mission of exploring, preserving and celebrating Latino cultures through dance.

Jody Gottfried Arnhold is a dance educator and advocate for the arts, whose extensive experience in governance and program development for a wide range of dance and education institutions has been transformative. Her goal is to have a certified dance teacher in every single public school, so that each student has access to a dance education. Ms. Gottfried Arnhold spent nearly 25 years teaching dance in the New York City public school system. She is the Founder of the Dance Education Laboratory (DEL) at the 92nd Street Y, which provides intensive workshops and courses in a variety of skills and methodologies for dance artists and educators who seek to improve their teaching abilities in the classroom or other settings. DEL's methodology is modeled upon Ms. Gottfried Arnhold's experiences in the field. She serves on the Arts Advisory Committee for the New York City Department of Education (DOE). She was committee Co-Chair for the creation of the DOE Curriculum Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in Dance and also serves as Chair of the Hunter College Dance Education Advisory Committee.

"During the past 35 years, Jody has made an extraordinary contribution to Ballet Hispanico. It has been an honor to serve on the board with her, and to succeed her as chair is both daunting and extremely exciting. Her involvement with every part of the organization has deepened and strengthened our mission in incalculable ways. With Jody's continued involvement as Honorary Chair, Ballet Hispanico is poised to enter a dynamic phase that will allow us to reach new audiences," said Kate Lear, Chair of Ballet Hispanico's Board of Directors.

Ballet Hispanico will perform April 17-29, 2012 at The Joyce Theater. This year's program pays tribute to the richness and range of the company's Latino roots - and the diverse talents of the dancers - and features African and Caribbean influences. Works to be performed include a World Premiere, Espiritu Vivo, created especially for Ballet Hispanico by Ronald K. Brown and set to live music by Afro-Peruvian Latin Grammy winner Susana Baca; the Joyce Premiere of Asuka, Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro's first work for the company, an exuberant homage to salsa legend Celia Cruz; and the New York Premiere of Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's Nube Blanco. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue (at 19th Street), NYC. Tickets $10-$59. Ticket prices are subject to change. Tickets are available by phone at 212-242-0800 or online at Joyce.org.

Celebrating 41 years of dance and culture, Ballet Hispanico was founded by Tina Ramirez and is recognized as the nation's preeminent Latino dance organization. Now led by Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro, Ballet Hispanico has grown from its grassroots origins as a dance school and community-based performing arts troupe to become a world-class institution that explores, preserves, and celebrates Latino cultures through dance. With a professional Company that has performed for an audience of over 2 million throughout 11 countries on 3 continents; a School of Dance unique in its emphasis on ballet, modern and Spanish dance; and an Education & Outreach division that creates extensive programming for public schools, both in New York and around the country, Ballet Hispanico builds new avenues of cultural dialogue and shares the joy of dance with all communities.  For more information, visit www.ballethispanico.org. Follow Ballet Hispanico on Facebook and Twitter.