Did You Know? A Glance at Ballet Hispánico: Doña Perón

One of the most controversial women in Argentine history, Eva “Evita” Perón began her life with almost nothing and rose through the ranks as an actress, an entrepreneur, a First Lady, and a politician. As an activist, Perón voiced the needs for her people unapologetically—becoming one of the world’s most infamous icons.

“Honing in on Evita’s obsession with couture fashion” is part of Mark Eric's glorious vision for the costume design for Doña Perón which boasts over 80 costumes. A graduate of Fashion Institute of Technology, Eric has costumed works for several dance companies including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theater, and BalletX.

Doña Perón is the first full-length piece that  world-renowned choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa has choreographed for Ballet Hispánico. Northrop audiences may recognize Ochoa’s work from Dance Theatre of Harlem’s performance of Balamouk in Jan 2022. “[Eva Perón’s] not a fairytale character, she's not a literary character. She's a real woman,” says Ochoa, “and for me, it's interesting to put her on stage because she's difficult to pinpoint.”

“I think people will be moved by the whole experience of the ballet,” says composer Peter Salem who created a dramatic original score for Doña Perón to be performed live by bandoneón, piano, percussion, cello, and violin. “Peter Salem is a magician,” notes choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, “He offers such beautiful melodies.” Salem’s next full-length ballet is based on the life of Coco Chanel for Hong Kong National Ballet.

Founded in 1970 by Dance visionary and National Medal of Arts recipient Tina Ramirez in New York, Ballet Hispánico has made it their mission to bring communities together to celebrate and explore Latino cultures—providing a haven for Black and Brown families seeking place and artistic sanctuary. Ballet Hispánico is the largest Latinx/Latine/Hispanic cultural organization in the United States.