Ramirez was born in
Caracas,
Venezuela, in 1929, Ramirez moved to
New York City at the age of six or seven. As a young dance student, at a time when the worlds of ballet, modern dance, and ethnic dance were largely separate, she trained rigorously in all three, studying Spanish dance with Lola Bravo and Luisa Pericet, classical ballet with Chester Hale and
Alexandra Danilova, and modern dance with
Anna Sokolow. Her professional performing career included tours with the Federico Rey Dance Company, the
Xavier Cugat Orchestra, solo engagements in Spain, the inaugural
Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy with
John Butler's company, the Broadway productions of
Copper and Brass (in a number choreographed by
Bob Fosse),
Kismet and
Lute Song, and the television adaptation of
Man of La Mancha. In 1963, Ramirez fulfilled a promise to take over Miss Bravo's studio upon her retirement. In 1967, with federal funding through an
anti-poverty program, she conceived and directed an intensive training program for younger students called "Operation High Hopes." In addition to teaching, Ramirez arranged performances for her young students. While she demanded professional behavior of them, she was aware that there were few opportunities for Latinos in professional dance at the time. Encouraged by the growing skill of her pupils and increasing requests for performances, Ramirez formally established Ballet Hispanico in 1970 to include a company, a school, and educational programs. She died in New York City on September 6, 2022, at the age of 92.
Artistic Director Ramirez' vision for the Ballet Hispanico Company gave contemporary Hispanic culture its place in American dance, much as Alvin Ailey did for the Black community. During her 39 years as Artistic Director, she invited 50 choreographers from diverse backgrounds to provide a modern-day interpretation of Spanish-speaking cultures, drawing on the versatility of her dancers in ballet, modern dance, jazz, ethnic and other dance techniques. World-renowned artists responded to her vision, including ballet artists
Vicente Nebrada and
Alberto Alonso;
Talley Beatty and
Anna Sokolow from modern dance; Paco Fernandez and Jose Coronado from ethnic dance; and
Graciela Daniele and
Ann Reinking from Broadway. "More than most artistic directors, she has consistently given exposure to fresh talent," nurturing artists early in their careers, including William Whitener, former Artistic Director of Kansas City Ballet; MacArthur Award-Winner
Susan Marshall; Ramon Oller, head of Spain's
Metros Danza; and Pedro Ruiz, then a member of the Company, now an independent choreographer. For each of the 75 new works she commissioned for the Company (she also acquired 12 works, provided workshops for four and choreographed four), Ramirez provided top production values, regularly receiving acclaim for sets, costumes and lighting designs provided by such award-winning talents as
Eugene Lee,
Patricia Zipprodt,
Willa Kim,
Roger Morgan, and
Donald Holder. During her tenure, Ballet Hispanico performed for over two million people across three continents. The Company's national tours included engagements at such major venues as The John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, the Music Center in Los Angeles, The Wortham Center in Houston, Boston's Celebrity Series, and Jacob's Pillow. In 1983, the Company was one of the first to appear at The Joyce Theater, and has since regularly presented its New York season there. The Company represented the United States at Expo '92 in Seville, Spain, where it was featured at a special Independence Day Celebration at the United States Pavilion. While on a three-week tour of South America in 1993, Ramirez and the dancers were honored guests at a private reception with President Carlos Menem. The Company's television appearances included "CBS Sunday Morning" with Charles Osgood in 1995 and CBS "The Early Show" in 2008.
Educator Ramirez' "contribution as an educator is in many ways as important as her legacy as an artist and director." The Ballet Hispanico School of Dance employs Ramirez' original core curriculum of ballet, modern, and Spanish dance techniques - a singular practice among America's dance training institutions. The School has grown to train hundreds of students year-round. To ensure access for children of all backgrounds, the School provides scholarship support, which has grown to over $100,000 per year. In addition to performing with Ballet Hispanico's own company, alumni trained at the school have gone on to significant careers, including Linda Celeste Sims, a leading dancer with the Ailey Company; Kimberly Braylock, a member of the San Francisco Ballet; Nancy and
Rachel Ticotin in film, television and Broadway;
Michael DeLorenzo in film and television; Sara Erde, Spanish dance artist at the Metropolitan Opera; and Nelida Tirado, featured Spanish dancer with the international tour of
Riverdance. Leelee Sobieski and Jennifer Lopez also took their earliest dance classes at the School. A number of alumni are now artistic directors in their own right, including Damaris Ferrer, founder and artistic director of Bailes Ferrer; solo flamenco artist Sandra Rivera; and Nelida Tirado, who was featured in ''Dance Magazine's'' "25 to Watch" in 2007. Former company member Eduardo Vilaro was founder and artistic director of Luna Negra Dance Theater before taking the reins as artistic director at Ballet Hispanico when Ramirez stepped down. Ramirez drew on the resources of the company and school to create Ballet Hispanico's innovative educational program,
Primeros Pasos ("First Steps"), which provides public schools with custom-tailored units of study in dance and Hispanic culture and offers a broad range of other educational activities for the public. This wide-ranging initiative regularly reaches 15,000 students and adults in New York City and across the nation. ==Recognition==