This 13-member troupe's repertoire is wide ranging. Since founding the company in 1970, Ramirez has commissioned more than 60 works. She scours the globe for choreographers from a variety of dance disciplines - from Spanish classicist Ramon Oller to Cuban modernist (and company dancer) Pedro Ruiz to Broadway artist Ann Reinking - who can express the richly diverse nature of Hispanic culture.

Above all else, Ramirez, the Venezuelan-born daughter of a Mexican matador and a Puerto Rican schoolteacher, understands the value of presenting dances that are accessible. ``I want to be able to communicate directly, one on one,'' she says. ``I want the movement to be very clear. Dance is poetry, and all I ask is that audiences come with open hearts and open eyes and look at who we are. Dance is a language in and of itself. You can express so much with the human body.''

Ballet Hispanico's troupe reflects Ramirez's eclecticism. Her dancers hail from South Africa, America and numerous Hispanic countries. She says she has no idea of their backgrounds when she auditions them; she just watches for how expressively they respond to the multi-layered polyrhythms of Latin and Hispanic music. ``I look for an expressive body and musicality above all, and then I look at technique,'' she explains.

The company’s program for the Center Series includes:

Guajira: As a child, the Cuban-born choreographer Pedro Ruiz heard his grandfather’s stories about rural life, then experienced it himself working in the fields. His ballet portrays the guajira, the women of the Cuban countryside, who spend their days toiling in the sun beside the men, enjoying a little rest and perhaps a bit of flirtation; and in the evening can forget their day of toil in a rousing guateque (party) with the other laborers. The typical guajiro rhythm is heard here, notably in the second ("Guajira") section. But, like the culture of Cuba itself, the music and the gestural language of the piece hark back both to Africa and to Spain.

Eyes of the Soul: Blinded by disease in early childhood, the great Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo drew on his inner vision - the eyes of the soul - to create a rich musical landscape. Although internationally renowned at his death in 1999, much of his life was spent in the struggle to communicate in his own singular voice. In honor of Maestro Rodrigo on the centennial celebration of his birth, Ramón Oller and Ballet Hispanico used dance to reflect the arduous path of his creative spirit. Following a lyrical introduction, the ballet's central figure, blind to the external world around him, finds courage and support with a devoted partner. The emotions of longing and despair, joy and fulfillment are portrayed in a series of vignettes, as the artist brings his music to vibrant life.

Somethin' From Nothin': David Roussève found two inspirations for this piece: first, the joy he heard in the score, created especially for this work by Latin jazz artist and Grammy Award winner Eddie Palmieri; and second, a recently re-released series of early 20th century recorded interviews with former slaves. The passion and exhilaration of the dancing, set here in a modern-day inner-city Latin club, reflects that extraordinary capacity of human beings to "make their own joy," even when their lives hold pain and sorrow.

"When Ballet Hispanico’s dancers take the stage, watch out. No one struts, kicks, spins, leaps and gyrates the way they do. Their joy is infectious!" - New York Newsday

Ballet Hispanico performs at 7:30pm on Wednesday, November 14 in the Fine Arts Center Concert Hall. Please join us for a talkback with the artists immediately following the performance. For tickets, call the Fine Arts Center Box Office at 545-2511 or 1-800-999-UMAS, or go online to www.fineartscenter.com.