Tina Ramirez, the 1999 Hispanic Heritage Award Honoree for Education, is the founder of the nation’s most renowned Hispanic-American dance company and school.

Ms. Ramirez was born in Venezuela to a Mexican bullfighter and a Puerto Rican teacher. She came to the United States at the age of seven and began studying dance. Ms. Ramirez was instructed by some of the most prominent names in dance, such as Lola Bravo, Alexandra Danilova and Anna Sokolow. During her early career she traveled extensively both nationally and internationally, performing in Canada, Cuba, Spain, and throughout the United States. She returned to New York in 1963 and began to teach dance. In 1967, she created Operation High Hopes, which offered professional dance instruction to under-privileged children.

In 1970, Ms. Ramirez conceived of and organized the Ballet Hispanico. Ballet Hispanico has become the largest Hispanic dance organization in the country. Since its creation, Ballet Hispanico has performed for over two million people, toured three continents, and performed a repertoire of over 70 works. The Ballet Hispanico School of Dance offers intense instruction in Spanish and modern dance for students year-round. Many of the graduates of the school have gone on to have impressive careers of their own. Some of these graduates include Nany Ticotin, Leelee Sobieski, Rachel Ticotin, Michael DeLorenzo, and Jennifer Lopez. Ms. Ramirez has been the recipient of the industry’s most prestigious awards including: the Dance Magazine Award, the Governor’s Arts Award in New York, the Mayor’s Award of Honor for Arts and Culture, and Citations of Honor from the New York Dance, and the 1997 Woman of the year Award from GEMS Television Network.

In 2004, Ms. Ramirez was chosen as one of AARP Magazine’s Ten People of the Year. She also serves on the board of numerous organizations including the New 42^nd Street, Inc. and the National Endowment for the Arts.