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Ballet Hispánico: Buscando a Juan

For this MetLiveArts commission, Ballet Hispánico Artistic Director and CEO Eduardo Vilaro reacts to the ideas presented in the exhibit Juan de Pareja: Afro-Hispanic Painter with Buscando a Juan (“Looking for Juan”) and explores the “sancocho”—literally, mixed soup—of cultures and diasporas.

Choreography by Eduardo Vilaro

Dancers from Ballet Hispánico: Fatima Andere, Leonardo Brito, Antonio Cangiano, Amanda del Valle, Dylan Dias McIntyre, Omar Rivéra, Gabrielle Sprauve

Music: “La Pasión segun San Marcos” by Osvaldo Golijov, performed by Orquesta La Pasion, Members of the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela & Maria Guinand

Commissioned by MetLiveArts

As part of The Met’s celebration of Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month, we’re thrilled to release the video of “Buscando a Juan,” along with a discussion between choreographer Eduardo Vilaro, The Met’s Lulu C. and Anthony W. Wang General Manager of Live Arts Limor Tomer, and co-curator of the exhibition “Juan de Pareja: Afro-Hispanic Painter” Vanessa K. Valdés. View the discussion here.

Choreographed by Ballet Hispánico Artistic Director and CEO Eduardo Vilaro, “Buscando a Juan” (“Looking for Juan”) reacts to the ideas presented in The Met’s exhibit “Juan de Pareja: Afro-Hispanic Painter.” This MetLiveArts commission explores the “sancocho”—literally, mixed soup—of cultures and diasporas. Through the exoticized body and fixation on gesture and sensuality, “Buscando a Juan” considers the assumptions experienced when witnessing people of color in traditionally white spaces.

For more information, please visit the event listing here.

“Buscando a Juan” is made possible by the Arnhold Fund for Dance Innovation at The Met and the Adrienne Arsht Fund for Resilience through Art.

Recorded on Thursday, July 13, 2023 in the Robert Lehman Wing, Court Level


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