“I love that Ballet Hispánico performs for my community,” said Irvington resident Vilaro. “I also like the fact that I was able to reconnect with Maxine [Sherman]who I knew when she was dancing with Martha Graham.

Sherman, a Hastings resident, is the Dance Concert Producer for RiverArts.

She said she is thrilled that after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, RiverArts is resuming its annual live presentation of an exceptional dance troupe.

“I am especially grateful to Tarrytown Music Hall for donating the use of the theater,” Sherman said. “It allowed us to bring the whole company of dancers from Ballet Hispánico for the show. And I’m glad we’ve expanded RiverArts’ presence in Tarrytown through our outreach efforts, especially with such a diverse program. We [as a nation] are very divided right now, and I strongly believe that it is the arts — the sharing of culture and diversity — that will unite us.

Vilaro described the Oct. 1 program as an “exciting journey” that showcases the cultural influences on Ballet Hispánico. “‘Linea Recta’, choreographed by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, features beautiful flamenco dances with gorgeous guitar,” Vilaro said. “’Con Brazos Abiertos’, choreographed by Michelle Manzanales, is a beautiful work about what it means to be an immigrant. And “Club Havana,” by Pedro Ruiz, is a wonderful combination of Afro-Cuban, mambo, rumba and classic ballet lines, set in a glamorous 1960s nightclub setting.

“It’s so fitting that we do ‘Linea Recta’ – which translates to ‘straight line’ – because that’s what our founder, Tina Ramirez, meant,” he continued. “In this performance, we will celebrate the legacy of a pioneer who brought the passion and talent of Latino and Hispanic dancers to the forefront of the artistic landscape.”

Ramirez died on September 6, at the age of 92. A recipient of the National Medal of Arts, she founded Ballet Hispánico in 1970 as a “place that focused on creating a haven for young black and brown Latinx people and their families seeking an artistic and cultural venue. . sanctuary,” according to the press release from RiverArts. In the years since its inception, Ballet Hispánico has performed across the United States and around the world. The company’s New York headquarters is home to a state-of-the-art dance school and studios. “The organization of this event was very happy,” said RiverArts Executive Director Josh Suniewick. “Maxine knew Eduardo and so we have Ballet Hispánico in National Hispanic Heritage Month. Then the Tarrytown Music Hall became our collaborator for the evening. Tarrytown-Sleepy Hollow has been part of RiverArts’ strategic expansion plan for over five years. It’s great that everything has come together so that we can offer the community a program that we know they will love and appreciate.

Tickets for the October 1 show can be purchased at https://bit.ly/3rewoCh, and will also be available at the Music Hall box office, 13 Main St., for three hours prior to the performance.