Bring out your Sunday best, it’s time to go to the The Plaza Hotel on Monday, March 30, 2015 at 6:30pm to Honor Milena Alberti-Pérez & David Pérez with the Civic Inspiration Award and Ben Rodriguez-Cubeñas with the Nuestra Inspiración Award at its annual Spring Gala in The Plaza Hotel's Grand Ballroom with Ballet Hispanico.
The Plaza Hotel's Grand Ballroom, so swanky on (768) Fifth Avenue will be serving cocktails at 6:30pm and dinner and dancing commence at 7:30pm. Attire is festive black tie.
Ballet Hispanico's 2015 Spring Gala will salute three extraordinary individuals who have given voice to their Latino culture and the importance of Ballet Hispanico's work through the corporations they serve. Ballet Hispanico Board President and President and COO of Palladium Equity Partners David Pérez and Milena Alberti-Pérez, SVP and Head of Global Corporate Finance at Penguin Random House, will receive the Civic Inspiration Award for their thirteen years of leadership and dedication to Ballet Hispanico. Chair of Ballet Hispanico's Leadership Council Ben Rodriguez-Cubeñas will receive the Nuestra Inspiración Award for his unwavering advocacy for New York City's arts community and for his efforts as program director for the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. This year's Gala also celebrates "Puentes," Ballet Hispanico's education programs, and features live salsa music by Grupo Irék along with performances by the Ballet Hispanico Company and students of the Ballet Hispanico School of Dance and P.S. 87M.
"We are thrilled to recognize our visionary honorees," said Kate Lear, Chair of Ballet Hispanico's Board of Directors. "We celebrate the inspired leadership of David Pérez and Milena Alberti-Pérez, whose enthusiasm for and belief in Ballet Hispanico's mission has been a driving force behind the organization over many years. We are equally elated to honor the exceptional efforts of Ben Rodriguez Cubeñas, who is a great friend and extraordinary advocate on behalf of Ballet Hispanico."
The event is headed by Event Chairs Jody & John Arnhold, Kate Lear & Jon LaPook, Marcos A. Rodriguez, and Greidys Gil & Luis Zaldivar, along with Event Vice Chairs Herb Scannell and Charles Wortman & Laura Baldwin. The Gala Honorary Committee is chaired by Ford Foundation President Darren Walker. Proceeds, which last year totalled just over $1M, benefit the creation of new Company works, need-based financial aid and merit scholarships in the Ballet Hispanico School of Dance, and community arts education programs.
Since its inception in 1970, Ballet Hispanico has been recognized as the nation's premier Latino dance organization. Led by award-winning Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro, the Ballet Hispanico Company has performed for audiences totalling over 3 million, throughout 11 countries, and on 3 continents. The Company's commitment to contemporary repertory has produced world-class, multifaceted performances that have featured master works by Nacho Duato, cutting-edge premiers by Cayetano Soto and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and live music collaborations with renowned artists such as Paquito D'Rivera and Ruben Blades-to name a notable few. Through the work of its professional company, school of dance, and community arts education programs, Ballet Hispanico celebrates the dynamic aesthetics of the Hispanic diaspora, building new avenues of cultural dialogue and sharing the joy of dance with all communities. For more information, visit www.ballethispanico.org.