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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 26, 2016

Contact: Michelle Tabnick, (646) 765-4773, michelle@michelletabnickcommunications.com
Eduardo Vilaro
Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer of
BALLET HISPÁNICO
Inducted Into Bronx Walk of Fame
as part of Bronx Week 2016
New York, NY – May 22, 2016 -This past weekend, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. in collaboration with The Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation and The Bronx Tourism Council, inducted Eduardo Vilaro,Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer of Ballet Hispanico, into the Bronx Walk of Fame, along with Vincent Pastore,Peter Sohn,and Arlene Alda, and celebrated their accomplishments with over 500 who attended the highly-anticipated annual Bronx Ball.

“I have been blessed with a special life. I create art and impact young people with the arts education and my culture. When I look back and think of what in my DNA made me strong enough to contend with the challenges I had to face, I know it is because I grew up in the Bronx,” said Eduardo Vilaro. “The Bronx gave me the strength and determination to excel and succeed. Growing up in a tough neighborhood wasn’t just about learning to stand up for yourself. It was about community and the neighbors who watched out for you-the helping hand when one of your own was in trouble. We learned the respect and dignity of hard working adults. Behind the often described gritty face The Bronx, there is a community that is full of pride and a beautiful soul that welcomes everyone.”

“Bronx Week is always an amazing time of year, and Bronx Week 2016 was a tremendous opportunity to showcase the great things that are happening in our borough,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “This year’s Bronx Walk of Fame honorees-Vincent Pastore, Eduardo Vilaro, Arlene Alda and Peter Sohn-are great examples of what it means to be a Bronxite, and I was proud to welcome them back home to be part of this wonderful week.”

“Bronx Week is one of my favorite times of the year, because the entire borough celebrates together as it showcases the best of the borough,” said Bronx Tourism Council Executive Director Olga Luz Tirado. “We invite visitors to join in the fun!”
“Bronx Week is a time to celebrate our businesses, big and small, that provide much needed jobs to our community as well as a time to honor veterans, seniors, youth, volunteers and our hometown greats. This year we have even more to celebrate as more than 100,000 jobs were created in our borough,” said Marlene Cintron, President of The Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation.
This year’s 2016 Bronx Walk of Fame inductees also included actor Vincent Pastore, best known for his role in HBO’s hit series The Sopranos; award-winning animator and director of Pixar’s The Good DinosaurPeter Sohn; and award-winning photographer and author, Arlene Alda.

Vincent Pastore, who has been a star of screen and stage for decades, and is best known for his role in HBO’s hit series The Sopranos, for which he received a Screen Actors Guild Award for his work in 2001. A City Island resident, Mr. Pastore has appeared in films including Goodfellas, Carlito’s Way, Awakenings, State of Grace, The Godfather Part III and many more.

The first Asian-American to ever be inducted to the Bronx Walk of Fame, Peter Sohn is an award-winning animator and director with Pixar Studios, having worked on numerous hit films including Finding Nemo, The Incredibles and Up. Most recently, Mr. Sohn directed Pixar’s 2015 feature hit The Good Dinosaur.

Arlene Alda, who grew up in Williamsbridge and graduated from Evander Childs High School, is an award-winning photographer and author whose work has appeared in numerous books, newspapers, magazines and galleries. Mrs. Alda is the author of 19 books, most of them children’s books featuring her words and illustrations. Her latest book, Just Kids from The Bronx: Telling it the Way it Was, An Oral History, consists of stories about growing up in The Bronx based on interviews with over 60 accomplished and proud Bronxites.
Bronx Week 2016 is made possible thanks to the support of the Montefiore Medical Center, the principal sponsors of this year’s events.
In addition to the four honorees, a Tourism Award was presented to the City Island Chamber of Commerce for their role in helping make City Island a tourist destination. Accepting the award for the Chamber were Gerard “Skip” Giacco, President; Paul Klein, Vice President; and Maria Caruso, Head of Tourism.

Borough President Diaz also presented the key to the borough to Beatrice Castiglia-Catullo, founder of the Regional Aid for Interim Needs (RAIN). Although Ms. Bea, as she is known by friends and colleagues, is 100 years of age she walked up to the stage and gave a heart-warming acceptance speech which received a standing ovation from the audience.

For photos of the Bronx Ball and the induction ceremony, visit http://flickr.com/bronxbp.

ABOUT BALLET HISPÁNICO
Celebrating 45 years of sharing and reflecting the ever-changing diversity of Latino cultures, Ballet Hispánico is the new expression of American contemporary dance. Led by Artistic Director & CEO Eduardo Vilaro, the Company has produced world-class, multifaceted performances that have featured master works by Nacho Duato, cutting-edge premieres 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. Ballet Hispánico has performed for audiences totaling over 3 million, throughout 11 countries, and on 3 continents. Through the work of its professional company, school of dance, and community arts education programs, Ballet Hispánico 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. Follow Ballet Hispanico on Facebook,Instagram and Twitter.

EDUARDO VILARO joined Ballet Hispánico as Artistic Director in August 2009, becoming only the second person to head the company since it was founded in 1970. In 2015, Mr. Vilaro took on the additional role of Chief Executive Officer of Ballet Hispánico. He has been part of the Ballet Hispánico family since 1985 as a principal dancer and educator, after which he began a ten-year record of achievement as Founder and Artistic Director of Luna Negra Dance Theater in Chicago. Mr. Vilaro has infused Ballet Hispánico’s legacy with a bold and eclectic brand of contemporary dance that reflects America’s changing cultural landscape. Born in Cuba and raised in New York from the age of six, he is a frequent speaker on the merits of cultural diversity and dance education.

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