The Borinquen Dance Theatre will mark its 45th anniversary from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday with an evening of culture, community and music at The Arbor Loft.
The event will honor the nonprofit's 45 years of empowering youth and preserving Puerto Rican heritage through the arts.
Founded in 1981, Borinquen Dance Theatre started after renowned choreographer Garth Fagan told a crowd at the Rochester Puerto Rican Festival that Nydia Padilla-Rodriguez, who was the youngest member of Fagan's dance group, would begin teaching Puerto Rican-style dancing.
Padilla-Rodriguez, who is the founder of the dance theater, told WXXI News in 2021, the company's 40thanniversary, she found the announcement surprising but that it led to creating a tight-knit, diverse community of adults and youth who wanted to stay active while learning about Puerto Rican Culture.
