Ballet Hispánico to Pay Tribute To Ten Years Of Instituto Coreográfico

Ballet Hispánico will celebrate ten years of Instituto Coreográfico, a space for choreographers to explore cultural identity by pushing the boundaries of dance excellence. Over the past decade, Instituto Coreográfico has emerged as a beacon of artistic exploration, empowering choreographers to break through traditional boundaries and redefine the language of dance. In an environment that fosters collaboration and experimentation, these visionaries receive the freedom to delve into their creative processes, weaving personal narratives with bold artistic expression.

This anniversary represents more than a celebration; it is a testament to Ballet Hispánico's commitment to cultivating artistic excellence and encouraging fearless innovation. Embracing diverse perspectives, the program advances the art form, contributing to a broader cultural conversation highlighting the beauty of creative exchange and transformation.

Instituto Coreográfico: 10 Years of Innovation

Previous Instituto choreographers include: Daniela Urías, Mark Travis Rivera, Michelle Manzanales, Omar Román de Jesús, Marielis Garcia, Ramón Oller, Maria Barrios, Bennyroyce Royon, Gustavo Ramírez Sasano, Carlos Pons Guerra, Stephanie Martinez, Fernando Melo, Miguel Mancillas, and Rosie Herrera.

"Our Instituto Coreográfico is an answer to fill a gap of the ability for choreographers to have a space to develop their crafts," said Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director & CEO, Ballet Hispánico. "We are committed to providing the resources to allow artists to explore their creativity in our space, experimenting with styles and work on our company of dancers."

About Matthew Neenan

 Matthew Neenan began his dance training at the Boston Ballet School and with noted teachers Nan C. Keating and Jacqueline Cronsberg. He later attended the LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts and the School of American Ballet in New York. From 1994-2007, Matthew danced with the Philadelphia Ballet where he danced numerous principal roles in the classical, contemporary and Balanchine repertoire. From 2007 - 2020, Matthew was the Choreographer in Residence at the Philadelphia Ballet where he created 20 original ballets.

Matthew's choreography has been premiered and performed by The New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, The Washington Ballet, Ballet West, Ballet Met, Colorado Ballet, Ballet Memphis, Milwaukee Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Tulsa Ballet, OKC Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Nevada Ballet Theatre, Parsons Dance, Dance Aspen, BODYTRAFFIC, Juilliard Dance, and USC Kaufman School of Dance, among many others. He has received numerous awards and grants for his choreography from the National Endowment of the Arts, Dance Advance funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Choo San Goh Foundation, the Independence Foundation and four fellowships from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. In 2006, Matthew received the New York City Ballet's Choreographic Institute's Fellowship Initiative Award. In October 2009, Matthew was the grand-prize winner of Sacramento Ballet's Capital Choreography Competition and was also the first recipient of the Jerome Robbins NEW Program Fellowship for his work At the border for Pennsylvania Ballet.

In 2005, Matthew co-founded BalletX with fellow dancer Christine Cox. BalletX has toured and performed Neenan's choreography in New York City at The Joyce Theater, NY City Center, The Skirball Center, Symphony Space and Central Park Summerstage, The Kennedy Center, Vail International Dance Festival (where he has created 5 world premieres), Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Segerstrom Center, Laguna Dance Festival, Spring to Dance Festival in St. Louis, as well as several venues internationally. His ballet "The Last Glass" was listed in The New York Times Top 10 in 2013. https://www.matthewneenanchoreographer.com/