Opening Night: De Cerca with Pennsylvania Ballet
Voces Spotlight Series on Puerto Rico, Primeros Viernes Latin Cinema Series, and Segundos Sábados Family Series
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. Philadelphia, PA – July 31, 2019, Teatro Esperanza, Esperanza’s venue for Latin arts and culture in the heart of Hunting Park, North Philadelphia, will kick-off its first full season this fall with a free event featuring Latinx dancers of the Pennsylvania Ballet on Friday, September 6, 2019, at 7:30 p.m.
“Following an immensely successful pilot year, and with heartfelt thanks to members of our community for their guidance and support, we’re thrilled to expand our offerings through an entire season with a wide range of performances representing Latino arts and culture, as well as other traditions from around the world. We’re also excited to partner with a stellar constellation of our region’s most prestigious arts organizations to provide transformative artistic experiences to our audiences, our students, and their families,” said Bill Rhoads, Senior Vice President of the Esperanza Arts Center.
In June, Teatro Esperanza wrapped-up its pilot season, which included performances by BalletX, FringeArts, Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers, The Philadelphia Orchestra and Esperanza’s Ensemble-in-Residence Artistas y Músicos Latinoamericanos (AMLA). In addition to ongoing collaborations with these organizations, the 2019/2020 season will feature partnerships with Pennsylvania Ballet, Philadelphia Latino Film Festival, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadanco, Orchestra 2001, Astral Artists, and ARTolerance.
With the 2019-2020 season starting in September, Teatro Esperanza is now devoting the summer to adding some finishing touches to the new space. According to Rhoads, “by the launch of our first full season, Teatro Esperanza will be fully outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment to support live productions in music, theater, and dance; a cinema series; and a recording and broadcast studio to serve our community and spotlight the very best in Latino arts and culture.”
Performances this season will include Trouble with My Name by Javier Ávila, Argentinian singer Sofia Viola, Plena and Bomba music and dance with Plena Libre, Faith Project by Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers, our inaugural Voces Series this year spotlighting arts and culture of Puerto Rico, Primeros Viernes Latin Cinema Series, and Segundos Sábados Family Series, which will include games, storytelling, movies, and other fun activities for the whole family.
For more information, see below for the 2019-2020 season calendar. All performances will take place at Teatro Esperanza located inside Esperanza’s main building at 4261 North 5th Street, Philadelphia PA 19140. Free parking available in the Bristol Street lot.
Season passes and packages are now available at www.EsperanzaArtsCenter.us. On-sale date for single-tickets is August 12. Free admission to all events for children and students under 18. Press passes are available upon request, please contact Joy Huertas at (215) 324-0746 ext. 480 or jhuertas@esperanza.us to RSVP.
Teatro Esperanza 2019/2020 Season Calendar
Friday, September 6, 2019, 7:30pm
SEASON OPENER: De Cerca – An intimate evening of conversation and performance with Latinx dancers of the Pennsylvania Ballet
Friday, September 20, 2019, 7:30pm
Lolita* – Enfocarte
Saturday, October 12, 2019, 7:30pm
Trouble with my Name* – Dr. Javier Ávila
Friday, October 18, 2019, 7:30pm
Sofia Viola, with Dat Garcia
Saturday, October 26, 2019, 7:30pm
{Tres}* – Rebuild Puerto Rico Concert & Fundraiser
Friday, November 1, 2019, 7:30pm
Plena Libre* – Plena and Bomba from Puerto Rico
Saturday, November 9, 2019, 7:30pm
Philadanco
Saturday, November 22, 2019, 7:30pm
AMLA* – Music from Puerto Rico, with Suzzette Ortiz
Friday, December 6, 2019, 7:30pm
Primeros Viernes: Cinema Series*, Decade of Fire
Saturday, December 14, 2019, 10:30am
Segundos Sábados: Family Series, Three Kings – storytelling
Friday, December 20, 2019, 7:30pm
Christmas in the Barrio – Community Holiday Celebration
Saturday, January 11, 2020, 10:30am
Segundos Sábados: Family Series, Coco
Friday, January 31, 2020, 7:30pm
ARTolerance – Asia & Latin America
Friday, February 7, 2020, 7:30pm
Primeros Viernes: Cinema Series*, Después de María: Las 2 orillas
Saturday, February 8, 2020, 10:30am
Segundos Sábados: Family Series, Stories from Puerto Rico
Saturday, February 29, 2020, 10:30am
Fairy Rhymes – Pennsylvania Ballet II
Friday, March 6, 2020, 7:30pm
Faith Project – Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers
Friday, April 17, 2020, 7:30pm
AMLA* – Latin Jazz from Puerto Rico, featuring Suzzette Ortiz
Saturday, April 25, 2020, 7:30pm
¡Conexiones!* – Orchestra 2001, Chamber Music from Puerto Rico
Friday, May 1, 2020, 7:30pm
Primeros Viernes: Cinema Series, Las Madres de Berks
Friday, May 15, 2020, 7:30pm
Forro Community Dance – Astral Artists, featuring Chrystal E. Williams and Felipe Hostins
Friday, June 5, 2020, 7:30pm
Primeros Viernes: Cinema Series, PHLAFF 2020 Film Showcase
Saturday, June 13, 2020, 10:30am
Segundos Sábados: Family Series, The Book of Life
All artists, dates, and programs subject to change.
*Part of Voces Spotlight Series on Puerto Rico
About Esperanza. Esperanza is a national community-based social benefit organization founded in 1986 by Rev. Luis Cortés and the Hispanic Clergy of Philadelphia & Vicinity with the biblical mandate to serve and advocate for “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40). Beginning with a local initiative, with programs targeted to address the unmet needs of North Philadelphia’s Hispanic community, Rev. Cortés is now sought by national and international leaders alike on issues of economic and workforce development, housing, immigration, and education. Under his leadership, Esperanza has grown from a small operation to a $40 million organization with more than 450 employees. Follow us on social media @esperanza_us on Twitter and Instagram, EsperanzaUSA on Facebook and Esperanza US on YouTube.
About Teatro Esperanza. Guided by Esperanza’s core values of faith, integrity, and excellence, Esperanza Arts Center is the center for Latino performing arts in the Philadelphia region, spotlighting the rich spectrum of traditions from Central and South America and the Caribbean, as well as other cultures from around the world, creating positive transformational experiences for students, families, and attendees of all ages through the arts. For more information visit www.esperanzaartscenter.us
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Download official press release here.