Miami City Ballet Blog

Post by Callie Manning, Soloist

Pointe shoes to a dancer are like paint brushes to an artist. They are the key instruments we use to create our art. Our shoes are hand made and custom ordered specifically to our liking. Most of the Miami City Ballet dancers wear a brand of shoes called Freed, which are made in London. Each cobbler, or “maker,” makes their shoe slightly different and there are over 20 to choose from. Then there are different lengths, widths and degrees of hardness. The shape of the shoe can even further be adjusted down to 1/8 of an inch! Once you find the right maker and adjust the shoes to be made just right, they are not nearly ready to wear upon arrival.

Every dancer prepares their shoes differently. It can take years of trial and error to find what works best for you. Some of my tricks include: using super glue to make my pointe shoes EXTRA hard and last longer; stitching around the tips (this is called “darning”) to make a nice flat platform; and I also sew an inch of elastic into each ribbon to give them a little stretch. When we are performing I can go through roughly 2-4 pairs per week (even after adding 8 tubes of super glue per pair). It can sometimes take me up to 45 minutes from start to finish to prepare my shoes.

The way we prepare our pointe shoes is extremely important. I would never dare to forget a step or my shoes would be almost un-wearable.  Many dancers will agree with me that if your shoes are bad, your performance will be bad, too. Trust me, we do everything we can to keep that from happening!

Here is an inside look at my ritualistic preparation process!

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

Dancers have often expressed how amazing it is to have live music during performances again! There’s a special relationship that develops between the dancers and the orchestra that makes a world of difference, not only for the performers but for the audience as well. It changes everything. Some of the dancers shared with us some tidbits on this special relationship.

This was all made possible by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Knight Arts Challenge. The 2011 challenge is already underway. You too can see your ideas come to life. The Knight Arts Challenge is accepting applications from organizations or individuals! Click here to apply. Hurry, the deadline is tomorrow, March 2.

Last week, MCB had the pleasure of taping Twyla Tharp’s “The Golden Section”, and George Balanchine’s Square Dance and Western Symphony for Great Performances: Dance in America to air on PBS in 2011. The entire company was ecstatic to have this opportunity and everyone involved worked tremendously hard on this project.

We talked to soloist Callie Manning about her filming experience. She shares with us the differences between dancing onstage and dancing in a TV studio, what changed about her makeup routine, and what was the most challenging part of the whole process.

Congratulations to principal soloist Didier Bramaz and soloist Callie Manning on their new life as husband and wife! The newlyweds tied the knot on July 10 during a beautiful outdoor ceremony in the village of Gruyeres, Switzerland (Didier’s home country). For Valentine’s Day, we interviewed Callie and Didier on the love series on MCB Blog. Click here to watch.

Photo by Nina W. Melton

Sara Esty, Amanda Weingarten, Callie Manning, Nicole Stalker and Kristin D’Addario gather around the piano to chat about dancing the “five girls” section of Who Cares?.

Don’t miss these “girlfriends” and the rest of Miami City Ballet in the season closer at Adrienne Arsht Center this weekend and at Kravis Center on April 16-18. Click here for more information.

Did you know that dancers do their own makeup and hair (unless a role requires special makeup)? And it is a process! Soloist Callie Manning is known around here as an expert in stage makeup and shared her step-by-step routine with us. Because it takes so long (usually around 45 minutes or so), here is a quick view at what the women of Miami City Ballet go through in front of the mirror before each performance.

Don’t miss Callie and the rest of Miami City Ballet during Program IV at Adrienne Arsht Center, April 9-11, and at Kravis Center, April 16-18.

Program IV opened at Broward Center on March 12 with much success! Thanks to soloist Callie Manning, we got a sneak peek into one of the dressing rooms as the dancers got ready to perform Dances at a Gathering and Who Cares?. Check out this inside look at the makeup and accessories the ladies of MCB use for performances.

Don’t miss Program IV at Adrienne Arsht Center on April 9-11 and at Kravis Center on April 16-18. Click here for ticket information.

These two are practically on their way down the isle! Engaged dancers Callie Manning, MCB Soloist, and Didier Bramaz, MCB Principal Soloist, take part in our Love Series. Watch as they look lovingly at each other while giving you a glimpse into their lives.

More MCB LOVE!

Congratulations to the bride and groom! Returning guest artist and former principal dancer Yann Trividic married his love, and former MCB dancer, Suzanne Limbrunner in an intimate ceremony on Miami Beach just last month! During a recent interview, Yann told us about his big day.

Ashley Knox, MCB Corps de Ballet, and Alex Dufaur, former MCB dancer, tied the knot a few years ago and are living happily ever after. Plus, Alex isn’t just an MCB alumni, he also photographs the Company.