Ballet Hispánico School Of Dance to Present Winter Adult Class Series in January

Ballet Hispánico, the largest Latinx/Latine/Hispanic cultural organization in the United States and one of America's Cultural Treasures, announces that registration is now open for Winter Adult Classes in the School of Dance.

“Whether you dance because of your love of dance, to celebrate your heritage, for fitness, or to meet new people, we are thrilled to invite adults to join us for classes again this winter,” said Michelle Manzanales, Director, School of Dance, Ballet Hispánico. “Our world-class teachers welcome dancers of all ages and levels of experience to join us at our Upper West Side home for class series from January through March 2023.”

With seven different series available, there’s a class for everyone! All levels are welcome in every style: Ballet and Ballet Fitness, Flamenco, Hip Hop, and Salsa. Get in shape, brush up on your dance moves, and meet new friends!

Absolute Beginner Ballet with Victoria Vargas – Tuesdays at 7:15pm

Designed to introduce basic principles, Absolute Beginner Ballet is the perfect class for the new dancer, providing the necessary tools to allow class members to understand how a ballet class works and how the muscles in one’s body need to engage to achieve the simple but complex steps of this dance style.

Ballet Fitness with Victoria Vargas – Thursdays at 7:15pm

With a focus on floor barre technique and center ballet work, this series is recommended to those who wish to build solid technical foundations in ballet, stay in shape, and prevent or recover from injuries. Ballet Fitness is for dancers looking for a low-impact form of exercise to strengthen their cores and extremities using different targeted exercises to keep the body challenged.

Flamenco with JoDe Romano "La Chispa" – Saturdays at 2pm

Join School of Dance faculty member, and former soloist and choreographer for the Jose Greco Dance Company, JoDe Romano "La Chispa", for an Adult Flamenco class series, exploring castanets, movement techniques, inspirational music, and more. ¡OLÉ!   

Hip Hop with Anthony 'AntBoogie' Rue II – Tuesdays at 7:15pm

Learn elements of hip hop grooves, culture and ability to express yourself on the dance floor. Work on choreography, musicality, and your ability to perform. This class will clean movements, correct bad habits, all while learning fun and energetic routines that delivers an enriching cardio workout.

Beginner Salsa with Marisabel Vasconez – Mondays at 6:45pm

Get your body moving with us while learning the basic steps, shines, and partner work found in New York's Salsa On2 timing. All steps are safe for all ages and no partner is needed. This class explores the Latin dance of Salsa through body isolations, rhythm, and partner work which are explained and demonstrated in detail using dance kinesiology and theory.

Beginner/Intermediate Salsa with Marcus Valentin – Thursdays at 7:15pm

This class is designed as the continuation of Beginner Salsa and is also ideal for those who have prior training in this dance style. This series will give you the opportunity to take your training to the next level! Steps are safe for all ages and no partner is needed. 

Classes begin the week on January 21, 2023 (with no class on February 18) at Ballet Hispánico’s studios at 167 W. 89th Street, NYC and are sold in complete series packages by genre. For more information and to register, visit ballethispanico.org/school/additional-learning/adult-classes.

About the Instructors

JoDe Romano "La Chispa" lived, studied, and performed Spanish dance in Spain and Japan for over 20 years, and was soloist and choreographer for the José Greco Dance Company. JoDe Romano choreographed the Broadway Workshop production of Rita Hayworth-Hollywood Goddess, numerous Zarzuelas, and the mixed media dramatic presentation, Picasso's Guernica at The Thalia Theater in New York. She has taught at Alvin Ailey, Hunter College, Steps on Broadway, Ballet Hispánico, the Joffrey Ballet School, NYC public schools, and the 92Y Harkness Dance Center, and is a graduate of the 92Y Dance Education Laboratory (DEL) program. Ms. Romano holds a teaching license from the Bureau of Provisionary School Supervision (BPSS) under the NY Department of Education. She has completed a series of instructional DVDs on castanet and flamenco movement techniques and produced and played castanets on her "Spanish Classical Piano and Castanets" CD.

Anthony 'AntBoogie' Rue II is the founder and leader of one of the most commercially successful dance groups, The Amount Boyz. AntBoogie was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and transcended the boundaries of the inner city and its woes, beginning his dance training starting at the early age of 10, at the National Dance Institute. After training at the institute throughout his elementary years Anthony then moved on to attend New York City's acclaimed "Fame" school, Fiorello Laguardia High School of the Performing Arts. While training and excelling in classically trained dance, the exposure to funk and soul classics by his mother and the rise of Hip-Hop music and the dance that followed the movement still had a profound influence on him and was ultimately where his passion for the art form lay. After founding the Amount Boyz with best friend Adrian Wiltshire and a group of other close friends, it was not long before he was combining the technique and precision he had gained in his years of classical study, with the new emerging style of Hip-Hop dance taking hold of youth throughout the inner city. A combination of his natural ability, learned skill, and determination gained Anthony Rue II aka AntBoogie and the rest of the Amount Boyz recognition from the dance world and commercial industry as a whole. Some of his credits include working with Madonna, Jay-Z, P.Diddy, Omarion, Alicia Keys, Mario, 3LW , and Ryan Leslie. He has also worked on the movies Honey, Dream Girls, Walk Hard, and Notorious B.I.G. AntBoogie has been teaching since 2000. In 2012 he launched Urban Dance League (UDL), a professional sports league of organized street-dance competitions, classes, and showcases. UDL presents professional dancing in the same arena as the professional sports and athletic world. Anthony Rue II aka AntBoogie believes "Dancers are Athletes." More information on UDL can be found on urbandanceleague.com.

Marcus Valentin began dancing in Texas with Mambo Dallas Dance Company in 2012 under the direction of Frederic Angus. He was inspired to continue his development and training as a dancer. This led him to move to New York City in 2013 to pursue his dancing career. When he arrived in New York City, his main focus was Salsa On 2. He studied and danced with Yamulee Dance Company under the direction of Osmar Perrones and Karel Flores. He later transitioned his focus and style to ballroom and began training with Balmir Latin Dance Studios owned and operated by Eric Balmir and with its artistic director, Anya Katsevman. During his time at Balmir, he has grown on an individual level by learning, training, and performing several different Latin dance styles. Marcus has performed at nationally acclaimed events such as Hawaii Salsa Congress, DR Salsa Congress, Dallas Salsa Congress, Atlanta Bachata Festival, Dallas Salsa Congress, Houston Salsa Congress, International Hustle-Salsa Congress, BIG Salsa Festival, Paris Salsa Congress, Amsterdam Salsa Congress, Toronto Salsa Congress and many dance socials and events in the NYC and tri-state area. He started his teaching experience in Texas at Mambo Dallas Dance Studio and Alpha Midway Dance Studio and has continued to teach in New York City through private instruction. Marcus also trained under the direction of Melanie Castillo and Jose Luis Gomez as part of their performance-based team called Corillo Dance Company. Currently, Marcus teaches various Latin styles of dance to adults in the NYC area. 

Victoria Vargas is the creator of The 5th Position Method, a recognized floor barre concept among professional ballet dancers and by the new emerging generation of dancers and has over 40 years of experience as a professional dancer. She is dedicated to training teachers in the discipline of teaching Ballet through kinesiology. As a professional ballet instructor, she offers a high level of dance and fitness practice.

Marisabel "Mari" Vasconez began her ballet training at Academia de Artes Franceschi in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. She trained in Classical Ballet and competitive dance through Act One Dance Studio in Watauga, Texas with Janet Schenk and Marina Almayeva. Mari studied Dance Sciences and Kinesiology at Texas A&M University and graduated from Baruch College with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Operations Management. She holds a master’sdegree from New York University in Dance Education, Teaching Dance in the Professions: American Ballet Theater Pedagogy Track and is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 7 and Partnering of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. Mari has taught and performed all over the states in events such as Texas Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance Convention, American College Dance Festival Association, Los Angeles Salsa Congress, Houston Salsa Congress, Unity Dance Festival, and Aventura Dance Cruise. She is the owner and founder of MotionScoop Dance Academy in Queens, NYC where she teaches recreationally to local dancers. She developed a Curriculum Thesis at NYU that focuses on the addition of LatinX Genre studies in higher education and professional settings and hopes to continue her passion for merging dance education and her cultural roots. Through her work, Mari hopes to provide the legacy of enlightening and opening doors to young Latinas and Latinos who are deeply passionate about both dance and their culture. Ultimately, Mari's mission is to guide young dancers and train them at the level that she wished her family could have once afforded. Offering this to her community is her life passion and mission. 

Ballet Hispánico is the largest Latinx/Latine/Hispanic cultural organization in the United States and one of America's Cultural Treasures. Ballet Hispánico's three main programs, the Company, School of Dance, and Community Arts Partnerships bring communities together to celebrate the multifaceted Hispanic diasporas. Ballet Hispánico's New York City headquarters provide the physical home and cultural heart for Latinx dance in the United States. It is a space that initiates new inclusive cultural conversations and explores the intersectionality of Latine cultures. The Ballet Hispánico mission opens a platform for new social dialogue, and nurtures and sees a community in its fullness. Through its exemplary artistry, distinguished training program, and deep-rooted community engagement, Ballet Hispánico champions and amplifies Latine voices in the field. For over fifty years Ballet Hispánico has provided a place of honor for the omitted, overlooked, and othered. As it looks to the future, Ballet Hispánico is pushing the culture forward on issues of dance and Latine creative expression.