Cal Poly Arts presents Ballet Hispánico on Wednesday, Sept. 24, at the Performing Arts Center (7 to 8:30 p.m.; $47 to $71 at pacslo.org), performing “a collection of their renowned repertory works, including Club Havana,” organizers announced. “In this piece, choreographer Pedro Ruiz revives 1950s Havana’s vibrant nightlife, blending conga, rumba, and mambo into a dazzling reimagining of a golden era.”
New York City’s Ballet Hispánico has for more than five decades celebrated Hispanic/Latin dance, commissioning more than 100 original works performed on stages worldwide. The Ford Foundation has recognized the company as one of America’s Cultural Treasures.
“At the helm is Artistic Director and CEO Eduardo Vilaro, a former Ballet Hispánico dancer and acclaimed choreographer who assumed leadership in 2009,” the company’s website explained. “Under his dynamic guidance, the company has entered a new era—broadening its artistic scope, deepening its repertory, and elevating its distinctive movement language. Vilaro carries forward the founding vision of Tina Ramirez, who launched Ballet Hispánico in 1970 to celebrate the beauty of Latino cultures through dance.”
Vilaro and Cal Poly Arts Director Molly Clark will offer a pre-show Q-and-A from 6 to 6:30 p.m. Following the performance, audience members are invited to remain seated as Vilaro leads them through Latin social dance moves. ∆
This article appears in Sept 18-28, 2025.