It’s been 20 years since Jock Soto, a Principal Dancer at The New York City Ballet gave his farewell performance in a program that featured ballets by five different choreographers:  including “Dance at the Gym” from Jerome Robbins‘ West Side Story Suite,  Soto was a trailblazing Diné (Navajo)-Puerto Rican artist, born and raised in New Mexico and was one of the most influential ballet dancers of his generation.  In his remarkable career with the Company, he broke barriers and redefined classical excellence before becoming a teacher, passing his knowledge to the next generation of dancers

An Evening with Jock Soto is a celebratory evening that  honors the stories, identities, and cultural traditions that continue to shape and inspire his work and includes a live interview with Soto. There is also a sneak preview of Jock Soto: The Dancer and His Life — a searchable digital archive, produced in partnership by the International Museum of Dance (IMOD) and ChromaDiverse (CD), two California organisations co-sponsoring the event

The event will also launch the Jock Soto Scholarship to be awarded annually to at least one indigenous dancer inside or outside New Mexico to continue their dance training. Soto and IMOD are partnering to award the scholarship. A portion of the event’s VIP tickets will help fund the scholarship.

Explaining IMOD’s involvement, its founder and event co-chair Hilary Palanza Gutkin said, “At a time of strife and suffering in so many parts of the world, IMOD offers a much-needed sanctuary to celebrate our common humanity through this universal art form. Our partnerships with visionary technology leaders, leading educational and cultural institutions, and a diversity of dance artists and companies, are creating a vibrant, inclusive dance ecosystem that reimagines the way we learn, teach, share and safeguard dance.”