Ballet Hispánico

Bizet’s familiar opera Carmen, about a love triangle between a soldier, a bullfighter, and a free-spirited Gypsy, is new again in the hands of Ballet Hispánico. The New York-based company engaged three Spaniards for a note of authenticity: choreographer Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, and his designers for sets and costumes. Sansano excerpted music from several Bizet compositions, but of course, the bolero and habanera are lifted straight from the opera, with the choreography adding a distinct Spanish flare. Sansano added “maquia” to the title of his creation to emphasize a battle to the death. In Spanish, bullfighting is called “tauromaquia.”