Sacred Journeys II is a Reflection of N.M. Cultures With Festival Ballet Albuquerque, Robert Mirabal and Jock Soto

June 12th, 2019

Albuquerque, N.M.--Festival Ballet Albuquerque, in partnership with the National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC), presents Sacred Journeys II on Aug. 24-25, 2019. In this show, classical and contemporary dance combine with the eclectic music of two-time Grammy award-winning Taos Pueblo musician Robert Mirabal in a reflection of New Mexican cultures through dance, music, and spoken word. Performances will take place in the Albuquerque Journal Theatre at 7 p.m., on Saturday and 2 p.m., on Sunday. Tickets are $14, $20, $29, $39 and $48, with a $2 discount for seniors, children 10 and younger and NHCC members. In addition, attendees can purchase tickets for $65 for a VIP meet and greet after-party with Robert Mirabal and Jock Soto. Tickets may be purchased from the Box Office at (505) 724-4771, or at www.nhccnm.org.

Mirabal collaborates with internationally renowned New York City Ballet dancer Soto, of Navajo and Puerto Rican descent, who also will make guest appearances onstage. Additional choreographers for the production are director Patricia Dickinson Wells, native New Mexican Dominic Guerra, and internationally known Vladimir Conde Reche, a native of São Paulo, Brazil.Additional guest artists include the Trujillo Family traditional Native American dancers.

Mirabal is a world-renowned musician, composer, poet, actor, and screenwriter, as well as a painter, master craftsman, horseman, and farmer. A two-time Grammy award winner and recipient of a 2014 New Mexico Governor’s Excellence in the Arts award, Mirabal is dedicated to keeping alive the centuries-old customs of Taos Pueblo. His 2002 breakthrough PBS special, Music from a Painted Cave, is unsurpassed in Native American theatrical expression. He is also a leading proponent of world music, and has merged his Indigenous American sound with the music of Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, tapping into a planetary pulse with a style that defies categorization.

A former principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, Soto was one of the last dancers to be personally selected by founder George Balanchine when he was barely 16. He danced featured roles in over 40 ballets, of which more than 35 were created for him. The author of Every Step You Take and the subject of the documentary Water Flowing Together (the name of his Navajo clan), Soto taught partnering and technique classes at the School of American Ballet, where he was a permanent member of the faculty from 1996 until a few years ago. He currently resides in Eagle Nest, N.M., and travels the world as a master class guest artist and choreographer.

###

The National Hispanic Cultural Center is dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and advancement of Hispanic culture, arts, and humanities, and is a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs.

Festival Ballet Albuquerque was founded in 2009 by Patricia Dickinson Wells as a training and performing opportunity for New Mexico dancers. FBA has gone on to perform for over 40,000 audience members and has become a bright star in the Albuquerque performing arts scene. FBA has created opportunities for not only dancers and young choreographers, but also for the community at large, providing free admission to thousands of underserved populations to their critically acclaimed productions which include "Nutcracker in the Land of Enchantment," "Dracula, a Love Story," "Firebird," "Coppelia," "Midsummer Night’s Dream," "Billy the Kid," and "Sacred Journeys" as well as many repertory concerts.

If you would like more information, contact Kinsey Cooper, marketing and public relations officer, NHCC, at 505-377-8968 or kinsey.cooper@state.nm.us.