Amas Musical Theatre Announces Appointment Of Maria Torres As Artist-In-Residence

Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Producing Artistic Director), announced the appointment of Maria Torres as Artist-in-Residence, naming the Latina director and choreographer to spearhead a new initiative in dance theatre, The Maria Torres Emerging Artist Project. The Project will showcase the talents of a new generation of young, professional dancers as they perform Torres's signature multiculturally-inspired choreography in newly developed Amas work.

"Maria has been in the Amas family for years, having choreographed 4 Guys Named Jose (2000) and directed and choreographed our hit Latin Heat (2003)", says Trinkoff. "A major part of the Amas mission is to support the emergence of new talent, and while Maria's career is in full bloom, it's time for the world to see her impact on the next generation of performers. These young dancers are phenomenal", she adds. "In the coming weeks and months we'll be presenting them in exciting new performance pieces in work that will be developed at Amas."

The Maria Torres Emerging Artist Project will train aspiring performers as young as eight, but the professional performing cadre will focus on those from 14 to 30 years of age. "I'm thrilled to have Amas Musical Theatre as my home for this groundbreaking project", says Torres. "We have such exciting plans for these young talents, and we'll be announcing some of these projects very shortly", she added.

Torres has starred on Broadway in the musical Swing! and as a choreographer is a veteran of stage and screen. Her work can be seen in the upcoming Tim Allen and Andie McDowell film The Six Wives of Henry LeFay and she has recently appeared as guest choreographer on the hit television show So You Think You Can Dance. She has trained Patrick Dempsey and Amy Adams for the film Enchanted and Raven Simone in College Road Trip. Torres also choreographed Jennifer Lopez and Marc Antony in El Cantante, a film in which she also appeared.

Amas Musical Theatre (Donna Trinkoff, Producing Artistic Director) is New York City's celebrated pioneer in diversity and multi-ethnic casting in the performing arts since 1968. Amas ("you love" in Latin) is devoted to the creation, development and professional production of new American musicals, the emergence of new artistic talent, and the training and encouragement of inner-city young people. In recent years, Amas has emerged as a leading not-for-profit laboratory for new musicals, and has produced a string of award-winning productions, many of which are receiving additional productions either at regional theatres or commercially. Shows recently emerging from Amas include Wanda's World, Shout! The Mod Musical, Stormy Weather, Imagining Lena Horne (starring Leslie Uggams), Lone Star Love, Magpie, From My Hometown, Latin Heat, Zanna, Don't!, Langston Hughes's Little Ham, and 4 Guys Named José... And Una Mujer Named Maria. Amas also administers several long-running education programs including The Rosetta LeNoire Musical Theatre Academy, and The Immigration Experience, Urban Mythography, and Lens on Live Theatre Artists-in-Schools Programs. Visit www.amasmusical.org.

Photo credit: Melissa Hamburg

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