Miami City Ballet

Miami City Ballet is an American ballet company based in Miami Beach, Florida, led by artistic director Lourdes Lopez.

Miami City Ballet
General information
NameMiami City Ballet
Year founded1986; 38 years ago (1986)
FounderToby Lerner Ansin
Founding artistic directorEdward Villella
Principal venueOphelia & Juan Js. Roca Center
2200 Liberty Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Websitewww.miamicityballet.org
Artistic staff
Artistic DirectorLourdes Lopez
Ballet MastersRoma Sosenko (Principal), Joan Latham, Arnold Quintane
Principal ConductorGary Sheldon
Other
Official schoolMiami City Ballet School
Exterior view of the Miami City Ballet studios (2008)

MCB was founded in 1985 by Toby Lerner Ansin, a Miami philanthropist.[1] Ansin and the founding board hired Edward Villella,[2] former New York City Ballet principal dancer to be the founding artistic director.[3]

A bulk of the company's repertoire is made up of the work of George Balanchine, though the company also performs works by Jerome Robbins, Martha Graham, José Limón, Twyla Tharp, Trey McIntyre, Mark Morris, Jimmy Gamonet, who was the company's founding Resident Choreographer and Ballet Master from 1986 to 1999, Christopher Wheeldon, Justin Peck, and others, in addition to traditional full-length works including "Giselle," "Don Quixote," and "Swan Lake."[4][5][6]

In 2012, Lourdes Lopez was chosen to replace founding artistic director Edward Villella. Much like Villella, Lopez was a soloist and principal dancer at NYCB. Lopez is greatly influenced by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins.[7][8]

Miami City Ballet features an international ensemble of over 50 dancers. The company has an active repertoire of 88 ballets, including 9 world premiers, and performs over 75 times annually. Miami City Ballet serves as the resident ballet company in theaters in the Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and West Palm Beach areas. In addition, the company regularly tours both domestically and internationally. Its North American appearances include the Kennedy Center, the 1996 Olympic Arts Festival, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, the Los Angeles Music Center, Spoleto Festival USA, Harris Theater (Chicago), the New York City Center, and the Lincoln Center;[9] while theaters and festivals in Europe, Central America, and South America have hosted the company.[10][11][12]

Along with the ballet company, Miami City Ballet hosts a ballet school for students aging between 3 and 18. The school is split into three divisions: Children's division (ages 3 to 7), Student division (ages 8 to 13), and Pre-Professional division (ages 14 to 18).[13] Students must audition to be placed in a division. Like the company, the school focuses on the Balanchine method (or Balanchine technique). MCB school students have the opportunity to perform in the yearly Nutcracker performance that the Miami City Ballet company puts together, and there are a number of intensive summer programs that students are eligible to attend.[13]

Miami City Ballet (2019) - Miami Beach
  1. ^ The Miami Herald Wednesday, May 21, 1997, Page 1 D, Living & Arts Section, A Woman of Vision
  2. ^ Myers, Barbara. "Moving Art at the Miami City Ballet" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 22, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  3. ^ Times, George Volsky and Special To the New York (October 16, 1986). "DEBUT SET FOR VILLELLA'S MIAMI BALLET". The New York Times.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Repertoire was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Craine, Debra; Mackrell, Judith (2010). The Oxford Dictionary of Dance (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199563449.
  6. ^ Murray, Donna. "Review: Miami City Ballet shows it understands 'Modern Masters' in West Palm Beach show". Palm Beach Daily News. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Wakin was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "Lourdes Lopez:A Lifetime in the Ballet | Inspicio". Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference IHT was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference About was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Catton, Pia (April 16, 2016). "Miami City Ballet's Night in New York". The Wall Street Journal. p. 1. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  12. ^ "Miami City Ballet". City of Miami Beach. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  13. ^ a b "Miami City Ballet School". miamicityballet.org.