Bachata Academy 2024 US Tour

Celebrating Latin America's Musical Heritage

October 2024, The Dominican Republic’s Bachata Academy band is touring US schools and performing arts centers for Hispanic Heritage Month. The band is engaging in 20 performances and workshops in Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, Vermont, New York and New Jersey, with a program of interactive Dominican music and dance.

The tour is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and includes partnerships with Berklee College of Music, Lotus Festival, Jazzhouse Kids, International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago, Old Town School for Folk Arts, UMass Amherst, Middlebury College, Hamilton-Garrett Music and Arts Academy, Hyde Square Task Force, School in the Square, the St. Bernard’s School and Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Grammy-nominated bachata percussionist Juan Abel Mendez (of Romeo Santos and Monchy y Alexandra) is directing the ensemble workshops. The group is accompanied by Bachata Academy founder Benjamin de Menil and professor Demmanuel Gonzalez, who together with leading bachata musicians are structuring the first bachata pedagogy.

The tour runs from October 4 to October 25. Our tour stops are below and we hope to see you there! Many thanks to our local partners and supporters for arranging this tour for cultural exchange.

Date	Venue	City/State	Program
Friday Oct 4, 6pm, 9pm	Lotus Festival Music and Arts	Bloomington IN	Public Performance
Saturday Oct 5, 7:15pm,  10:30pm	Lotus Festival Music and Arts	Bloomington IN	Public Performance
Tuesday Oct 8, 9am	Kehrein Center for the Arts	Chicago IL	Workshop
Wednesday Oct 9, 10:30am, 6pm	Old Town School For Folk Arts Garfield Park Conservatory	Chicago IL	Public Performance
Thursday Oct 10, 7pm	International Latino Cultural Center	Chicago IL	Public Performance
Saturday Oct 12, 3:30pm	Mozart Park Concert presented by Hyde Square Task Force & MetaMovements	Boston MA	Public Performance
Sunday, Oct 13, 7pm	Middlebury College, Wilson Café	Middlebury VT	Public Performance
Tuesday Oct 15	Fort River Middle School	Amherst MA	Workshop
Tuesday Oct 15, 4pm	UMass Amherst	Amherst MA	Public Performance
Wednesday Oct 16	Berklee College of Music	Boston MA	Workshop
Thursday Oct 17	Hamilton-Garrett Music and Arts Academy	Boston MA	Workshop
Friday Oct 18	St. Bernards School	New York NY	Workshop
Monday Oct 21	School in the Square	New York NY	Workshop
Tuesday Oct 22	Jazzhouse NYC, Trinity Bway	New York NY	Workshop
Wednesday Oct 23	Jazzhouse Kids	Montclair NJ	Workshop
Thursday Oct 24	East Side High	Newark NJ	Workshop Performance
Thursday Oct 24	Lena Edwards School	Jersey City NJ	School Performance
Friday Oct 25	School in the Square	New York NY	Workshop