This rehearsal at Ripley Grier Studios marks a milestone. It’s a preparation for a return to live performance with choreography inspired by the past year and a half. The dancers are portraying mythical creatures that come to life for a lonely boy celebrating his birthday in isolation during the pandemic. It's called the Gift of the Alebrijes. 

“One of the Alebrijes comes and gives him the gift of fortitude, and then the other comes and gives him the gift of patience,” described choreographer David Fernandez, who drew on his Mexican culture and on an experience he figures will resonate with many kids and parents.

It's part of Accent Dance NYC's “Regalo Hispanico” — a music, dance and multimedia celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month mounted for a live audience in a theater.

"Coming back to do a live performance is really meaningful for everybody,” said Fernandez. “It's just another energy and we really miss it and we're really thankful that we are, little by little, getting there."

It will be a change from the outdoor and virtual venues that the company turned to after last year's lockdown. The dance pieces reflect the variety of the culture.

"It's an honor to be part of this because my mom is from Spain [and] I grew up in Spain, and I was inspired by this song called ‘Catalina’ and so I choreographed to it and it has a little bit of flamenco feel,” said Lucia Jackson, a dancer and choreographer with the company.

According to Jackson, the performance is also a step forward as the organization works to resume its outreach for kids.

“Hopefully [we’ll] get back into the school and have our lecture demonstrations, which is another performance we do especially focused on the kids and showcase many different styles,” said Jackson.