Miami City Ballet Blog

Everyone has a special Nutcracker memory they will always cherish, whether it be a childhood experience or watching The Nutcracker for the first time as an adult. ‘Tis the season to reminisce about those special Nutcracker times. Corps de ballet dancer Rebecca King gathered some of the dancers to talk about their Nutcracker memories in this heartwarming video (which she produced =) ). Check back next week for Part 2!

Want to take part in the action? Leave a comment and tell us your favorite Nutcracker memory!

Principal dancers Patricia Delgado and Yann Trividic began their partnership not too long ago yet have amazing chemistry! This season the duo had the opportunity to learn and perform Christopher Wheeldon’s  Liturgy. Watch as Patricia and Yann chat about how they prepared for the piece, and how they feel about this sensual and haunting pas de deux.

Please join us in welcoming Maya Collins to MCB!

Maya, a San Francisco native who has trained at City Ballet School and School of American Ballet, has joined the corps de ballet. She has most recently danced with New York City Ballet.

Look for Maya onstage!

Click here to see the entire Company.

Click here to see our newly promoted dancers and those who have recently joined the Company.

Post by Callie Manning, Soloist

It’s that time of year when everyone takes time to reflect on the things in our lives we appreciate and are truly thankful for. I personally feel very lucky to be a dancer for Miami City Ballet, a unique company where everyone loves and supports each other. The family atmosphere here is something I have learned is not easily found elsewhere and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Of course, I am extremely thankful to have a husband who is my best friend. He can bring me to tears with laughter, keeps me on track and COOKS!!! (I clean, of course.) Then there are always the little things I couldn’t live without: our cat Digit and his morning cuddles, masking tape for my toes, the amazing AVEDA hair stick (which was discontinued but I stocked up by buying 10 of them on Ebay), Peanut Butter M&M’s at the theatre and Superglue to make my pointe shoes last longer than an hour!! As ballet dancers and artists, we are all thankful that we are able to do the one thing in life we are most passionate about: DANCE! (And get paid for it!) All the dancers are eternally grateful to have family and friends who have supported and encouraged us over the years. We are also thankful to the donors and patrons who love the ballet as much as we do!!

Life is full of so many things to be thankful for. Whether they are large or small, serious or silly, it’s about the joy they bring that we are thankful for! I took a moment to talk with all the dancers to find out some of the things they feel make their lives just that much better. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! –Callie Manning (Bramaz)

“All of my baking tools, so that I can bake fun desserts for all my friends and family!” -Patricia Delgado

“Liza Minnelli!” -Adriana Pierce

“My new Miami City Ballet family!” -Maya Collins

“That my ‘94 Volvo is still running! Hahahaha! And that Emily Bromberg lent me her power drill” -Suzanne Limbrunner

“I am thankful for my loving family and boyfriend!” -Christie Sciturro

“Diet Coke and the hard to find individually wrapped enlarged Sour Patch Kids!” -Ezra Hurwitz

“I am thankful that I have come to a point in my life where I can really appreciate all the good things I have and that I no longer take things for granted.” -Isanusi Garcia Rodriguez

“I am thankful for Wednesdays, the happiest day on earth, payday and cheeseburgers for 59 cents at McDonalds!…. and of course my friends! ” -Jovani Furlan

“I am really thankful to have been welcomed into the Company by everybody with such warm hearts! Cheers!” -Jonathan Jab

“I’m thankful for days off so I can spend time with Andrei, going to the movies and getting a warm brownie sundae at Ghirardelli!” -Nathalia Arja

“I am thankful for days off because I don’t have to wear a dance belt!” –Andrei Chagas

“I am thankful for physical therapy!” –Leigh-Ann Esty

“I am thankful when it is not raining.” -Kleber Rebello

“I am thankful for a roof over my head and for my dog, Charlotte!” –Sara Esty

“I am thankful for my life and everything I have.” –Renan Cerdeiro

“I am thankful for the new bagel place on Fifth Street! The bagels taste like they are from New York, because they import the water from Brooklyn.” –Zoe Zien

“I am thankful for my new Nespresso machine; it’s what gets me out of bed in the morning!” –Emily Bromberg

“I am so thankful to have my little angel with me (his daughter Angelica)… and for free days!” -Reyneris Reyes

“DECOBIKES!!! And for their multiple convenient locations. And for the DecoBike app on my iPhone, which I am also very thankful for!” –Ashley Knox

“I am thankful for the free coffee at MCB – it doesn’t quite match up to the cafés in Paris, but it gets the job done!” –Chase Swatosh

“I am thankful for the opportunity to see Chase do Mother Commedia (in The Nutcracker)!!” -Shimon Ito

“Warm winters!” –Chloe Freytag

“I am thankful for my new puppy!” -Suzette Logue

“I am thankful for having a husband who can make me laugh and remember not to always take myself so seriously.” –Jennifer Kronenberg

“I am especially thankful for the amazing people I work with. Every year I feel more and more lucky to be a part of this family.” -Rebecca King

“I am thankful for my first ever SURPRISE birthday party last week!” –Jeanette Delgado

“The new cartilage in my knee!” –Nicole Stalker

“I am thankful for my wig!! Because after ALL the shows, it hasn’t fallen off!!!…(yet)” -Renato Penteado

“I’m thankful for Yardbird Southern Table and Bar because it reminds me of home!” -Jennifer Lauren

“Empanadas!” –Bradley Dunlap

“To have a balcony in my new apartment, so I can go out and enjoy the Miami sunshine whenever I’m home!” –Skyler Lubin

“I’m thankful for Swiss Rolls, chips and my beautiful family and friends!” –Helen Ruiz

“I’m thankful that I found and married my better half!!!…and for my iPhone, (shhh, don’t tell my mother-in-law ;o).” –Didier Bramaz

“I’m thankful to be in a place that excites and motivates me to dance and for all my amazing co-workers!” –Lexie Overholt

The 2011-2012 season opens with Program I on October 21 at Adrienne Arsht Center! With a world premiere by Liam Scarlett, two full-length classics, and the return of Opus One Orchestra, this season promises to be one of the best in MCB history! We’d like to congratulate our newly promoted dancers and welcome new faces to the troupe for this very exciting season.

Promoted to Soloist:

Sara Esty (Photo © Leigh-Ann Esty)

Kleber Rebello (Photo © Kyle Froman)

Promoted to Corps de Ballet:

Andrei Chagas

Suzette Logue

Promoted to Company Apprentice:
Chloe Freytag
Lexie Overholt
Kara White

Welcome back Jeremy Cox!

Jeremy returns for Programs I and II as a principal dancer after performing in Paris with MCB.

New to MCB:

Shimon Ito joined the Corps de Ballet and danced with MCB in Paris. He joins us from Ballet San Jose.

Jonathan Batista – School Scholarship Apprentice
Jovani Furlan – School Scholarship Apprentice
Sara McCahill – School Scholarship Apprentice

It’s been a bright day at MCB to say the least! There was paint everywhere; the lobby was full of onlookers; cameras were flashing — all this for a special treat!

Jordan Schaps and Benjamin Martin, two New York based multimedia artist, worked with MCB School student Ella Titus on a photography project for the Company. Jordan, former creative director of New York Magazine, where he produced other 800 covers and has developed stories for Sports Illustrated, GQ, and InStyle, stepped back into creative director shoes for this exciting project. Benjamin, who has exhibited photographic works in group and solo exhibitions (and plays in a rock band), worked side by side with Jordan. The two painted Ella’s legs and photographed her in each of the five positions. The photos will be part of an oversized banner to be placed on the Miami City Ballet building at 2200 Liberty Avenue, Miami Beach.

Stay tuned for the reveal date. In the meantime, take a look at today’s happenings!

MCB’s World Premiere is officially complete! Liam Scarlett has returned home and the dancers are taking some much-deserved time off. But we can’t get enough of the Liam craze! We chatted with principal dancer Jeanette Delgado recently and she seemed to agree with the rest of the dancers who were thrilled with Liam’s work and presence at MCB.

P.S. – There is a special surprise for Jeanette at the end of the video. Enjoy!

Liam Scarlett’s new ballet premieres in January 2012 at Adrienne Arsht Center, followed by performances at Broward Center and Kravis Center. Click here for more information.

Liam Scarlett of The Royal Ballet spent the last three weeks with MCB working on the World Premiere, which premieres in January 2012. Enthusiasm filled the building, and dancers and staff alike were thrilled with the developments coming from the studios. Sara Esty, newly-promoted soloist, collected some thoughts on what is was like to work with Britain’s hottest choreographer, Liam Scarlett.

Jennifer Kronenberg was interviewed for the August/September issue of Pointe Magazine about stepping off the stage and into a teaching role.

“I’ve always liked deciphering and explaining things. When I get an idea across to my students, I’m amazed at how much clearer it becomes in my own mind.” – Jennifer Kronenberg

TO READ THE ENTIRE STORY, CLICK HERE.

Post by Zoe Zien, Corps de Ballet

We are now in the third and final week of our tour. We’ve put on fourteen ballets and danced seven shows a week,sometimes with dancers in three pieces a night. Oddly enough, even after all that work, everyone still seems to be smiling.  Every morning I wake up thinking I’m going to be exhausted, but then without fail, by showtime I’m eagerly ready to do it all over again. Anyone visiting Paris will allude to a certain magic the city provides. Whether it be the narrow streets lined with quaint cafes or the museums and monuments with so much art and history, there is always something to stimulate the senses.

The stage of the Théâtre du Châtelet is a perfect place for the dancers to feel the fulfilling dynamics that Paris has to offer. The curtain rises and you immediately become aware of the importance of the surrounding space. The orchestra, sounds full and vibrant, reiterating the significance of the dancer/musician relationship. The crowd, regardless of their individual opinions, always appears to be extremely attentive provoking a certain energy amongst the dancers.

Being here these three weeks has brought so much new discovery — from the taste of a never before tried French pastry to rediscovering yourself on stage under new light. I think my fellow colleagues, from the very experienced to the new professionals, would agree that this experience is one that will be cherished for a lifetime.