Words cannot express my pleasure in welcoming you to Cal Performances this weekend, as we present two extraordinary ensembles at Zellerbach Hall. First, on Saturday evening, New York’s pioneering—and electrifying! Ballet Hispánico makes its Berkeley debut with a vibrant program by an intergenerational cadre of choreographers who have been part of the company’s rich 50-year history. And then, on Sunday afternoon, London’s renowned Handel specialists The English Concert, directed by insightful conductor Harry Bicket, makes its long-awaited return to Cal Performances with a concert presentation of Handel’s 1735 masterpiece Alcina. I’m so happy you could join us for what promises to be a remarkable weekend of dance and music; it’s wonderful that we can gather together again, enjoying great live performances under the same roof!

When the pandemic forced Cal Performances to close its doors in March 2020, no one could have imagined what lay ahead. Since then, we’ve witnessed a worldwide health crisis unlike any experienced during our lifetimes, an extended period of political turmoil, recurring incidents of civil unrest and racially motivated violence, and a consciousness-raising human rights movement that has forever—and significantly—changed how each of us views social justice in our time.

Of course, the pandemic remains with us to this date and future challenges—including many adjustments to “normal’ procedures and policies—can certainly be expected. I encourage you to check Cal Per­formances’ website regularly for the most current information regarding our COVID-19 response. First and foremost, I assure you that there is nothing more important to us than the health and safety of our audience, artists, and staff. (And I remind one and all that proof of vaccination is mandatory today, as is protective masking throughout the event.)

Our season continues next weekend with eagerly awaited recitals with mandolinist Avi Avital and guitarist Miloš (Nov 11), jazz master Aaron Diehl and his trio (Nov 12), violinist Leonidas Kavakos and pianist Yuja Wang (Nov 13), and cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han (Nov 14).  Our full calendar offers more of the same, packed with the kind of adventurous and ambitious programming you’ve come to expect from Cal Performances. In particular, I want to direct your attention to this year’s Illuminations: “Place and Displacement” programming, through which we’ll explore both loss and renewal, disempowerment and hope, while seeking paths forward for reclaiming and celebrating vital cultural connections that can fall victim to political and social upheavals.

Please take the opportunity to explore the complete schedule through our website and season brochure and begin planning your performance calendar; now is the perfect time to guarantee that you have the best seats for all the events you plan to attend.

Throughout history, the performing arts have survived incredible challenges: periods of war, economic collapse, and, yes, terrible disease. And if it will take time for us—collectively and individually—to process the events of the past 18 months, I’m certain that the arts have the power to play a critical role as we come to terms with what we have experienced and move together toward recovery.

I know you join us in looking forward to what lies ahead, to coming together once again to encounter the life-changing experiences that only the live performing arts deliver. We can’t wait to share it all with you during the coming year.

Cal Performances is back. Welcome home!

Jeremy Geffen
Executive and Artistic Director, Cal Performances

Buenas noches, good evening! Welcome to Ballet Hispánico’s Noche de Oro, a celebration of 50 incredible years of building new ways of exploring the Latinx culture through dance.

Tonight’s program starts with Arabesque, a work originally choreographed in 1984, set to Spanish composer Enrique Granados’ Twelve Spanish Dances. The ballet exemplifies the company’s aesthetic during the 1970s, when Ballet Hispánico was experimenting with fusing flamenco with the classical ballet vocabulary. The choreographer, Vicente Nebrada, was one of only a few Latinx choreographic voices in the classical ballet world at that time. Through this reconstruction, we honor Nebrada’s legacy and the impact of Ballet Hispánico’s mission to create a platform for Hispanic choreographers.

Tiburones, which translates to “The Sharks,” is a work in direct response to the re-emergence of the musical West Side Story in our entertainment world today. In its day, West Side Story was an extraordinary piece of theater, as it was the first time the Puerto Rican community was featured in a major motion picture. While the musical gave us the incredible music of Leonard Bernstein and the captivating choreography of Jerome Robbins, it also left cultural scars for generations of Latinx people. Tiburones seeks to question the gaze of who gets to tell a story, while dispelling the iconic stereotypes that continue to haunt the Latinx community to this day. The work layers our vision of taking back our narrative through the voice of a Latina choreographer, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa.

Spanish choreographer Gustavo Ramírez Sansano is known for his athletic and innovative movement vocabulary. In 18+1, Sansano delves deep into the music of Pérez Prado, the Cuban bandleader, pianist, composer, and arranger who popularized the mambo in the 1950s. Made during his 19th year as a working choreographer, 18+1 creates an explosive musical celebration that captures the essence of our beloved Cuban music.

Thank you for joining us this evening in celebration of Ballet Hispánico’s 50 years. Enjoy the show, disfruten!

—Eduardo Vilaro

Artistic Director & CEO