LOURDES LOPEZ / ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Baseball All-Star Mike Piazza becomes the Gangster!

Former MLB catcher Mike Piazza visited our studios yesterday for a quick costume fitting and round of rehearsals in preparation for his cameo appearance as the Gangster in George Balanchine’s Slaughter on Tenth Avenue.  Channeling his Italian heritage and adding a mafiosa twist, Mike turned out to be a natural fit for the role.  Check out his impressive acting skills in this sneak peek video!

Don’t miss Mike Piazza’s ONE NIGHT ONLY performance during Program IV: Broadway and Ballet on Friday, May 3, at the Adrienne Arsht Center!

For more on this baseball all-star and his ballet debut, check out this story by the Associated Press!

Here are some fun pics too!

Mike Piazza got a surprise ballet lesson from principal dancer Patricia Delgado.
Costume Designer & Director Haydee Morales takes down Mike Piazza's measurements.
Our costume/wardrobe team with Mike Piazza and Philip Neal, Répétiteur for George Balanchine Trust (on right).

From Our Dancers to YOU!

We can’t believe that its already our final program of the 2012-2013 Season!  While we feel like the year has just flown by, many of us have been anxiously awaiting the opening of Program IV: Broadway and Balletespecially our dancers who can’t wait to get onstage.  Find out why!

Emily Bromberg

Emily Bromberg, Corps de Ballet, on Program IV: Broadway and Ballet – I’ve been looking forward to Program IV since last July [2012] when we started rehearsing for both ballets!  I was overjoyed when I saw that I would be learning the “mauve” girl in Dances at a Gathering.  For me, this part has a lot of meaning. From what I understand, her character is portrayed as a bit internal and full of thought.  Finding my own way of portraying this has been my favorite part of the rehearsal process because everyday I get to go into the studio and experiment with how I want to feel, while dancing each movement.  This experimentation along with the personal molding of each of the difficult, but liberating steps is such a fulfilling process.  I couldn’t look more forward to performing such a role!  Slaughter on Tenth Avenue is so much fun to perform with the audience! We use their energy, applause and reactions to fuel our every step!  I’m happy to get the chance to be a part of it!

Bradley Dunlap

Bradley Dunlap, Corps de Ballet, on George Balanchine’s Slaughter on Tenth Avenue –  For the first time I am performing a pre-dominantly, comically-driven “character” role.  This new experience has given me a chance to take a break from my technique and just have fun. Without Slaughter I wouldn’t have realized the satisfaction of an audience responding to my work with laughter.

Callie Manning

Callie Manning, Principal Soloist, on Program IV: Broadway and Ballet – Personally, this program is like visiting old friends.  I’ve performed in both Dances at a Gathering and Slaughter on Tenth Avenue before and have very fond memories of both.  They are roles I love and can’t wait to dance them again. The part I do in Dances, “Green Girl”, is a really special part to me.  She’s a little cooky, flirtatious, reminiscent and quite complex.  I love diving into her character and discovering new things about her.  Every performance I do brings out something different.  Slaughter satisfies me in a completely different way.  Don’t tell anyone, but I always secretly wanted to be a Fosse dancer on Broadway.  The “Strip Tease Girl” in Slaughter, is the epitome of Broadway — high kicks, jazz hands and all!

Jennifer Carlynn Kronenberg

Jennifer Carlynn Kronenberg, Principal, on Program IV: Broadway and BalletSlaughter on Tenth Avenue and Dances at a Gathering are ballets that are very dear to me since I’ve had the great opportunity to “grow into” my roles in both — having danced them since the company premiered them years ago.  The “Striptease Girl” in Slaughter is such fun to dance onstage.  I learned it back when it was staged for us by Susan Hendl, and it was very different than anything I had yet danced with MCB – almost more Broadway than ballet!  It was a great chance to let go, have fun and even show a little of my wild side in the jazzy, upbeat second pas de deux.  It was especially fun to dance years later with Carlos [Guerra] as the “Hoofer”!

Dances is another ballet that I learned from Ms. Hendl back when she staged it for the company.  I was originally cast, fittingly, as the “Mauve” girl – a role that seems, to me, much like the older sister.  She is a bit more serious, pensive and mature than the pink, blue and yellow girls.  After dancing that role for years, it seems natural to now move on and transition into the role of the “Green” girl, who has an unusual cameo sort of part in the ballet.  Her solo, originally choreographed for Violette Verdy, is one that portrays an older, nostalgic, maybe even retired dancer reflecting on the joys of her career as a great ballerina.  Though I’m not not yet retired (I’m confident I have more than a few good dancing years left in me), I’m certainly at a point in my career where I can identify with the idea of “reflection”.  With each step of the solo I can really bring myself back to a special moment I had onstage — engaging the audience or getting lost in the steps, the music, the lights and the special perfume of a  ballet. With a flick of the foot, the solo ends with the “Green” girl simply walking offstage with a unique satisfaction.  She seems very proud of what she has accomplished …. not necessarily in that specific moment, but in general throughout her career.  That is something I can definitely relate to.

See Emily, Bradley, Callie and Jennifer  in our final program of the season Program IV: Broadway and Ballet!

Kravis Center: April 5-7
Broward Center: April 26-27
Adrienne Arsht Center: May 3-5

Adrienne Carter is back on Instagram!

Corps dancer Adrienne Carter takes over our Instagram feed during this performance packed week! Adrienne will capture the company bringing the best of Broadway and Ballet to audiences in Naples on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then in West Palm Beach over the weekend — for a total of SIX performances (let’s not even mention the rehearsals).

Don’t miss out on the action! Follow Adrienne #AdrienneMCBPhotos.

Adrienne Carter

For the opening of Program IV: Broadway and Ballet, we caught up with Adrienne to find out what ballet she is most excited about performing this week.  Here is what she said!

I’m really excited for Slaughter on Tenth Avenue because I have always loved jazzy type things and its also my first time performing after my injury!

See Adrienne onstage during our final program of the 2012-2013 season!

Lexie Overholt is back on Instagram!

Corps dancer Lexie Overholt returns to Instagram as this week’s guest photographer.  Lexie will capture the company not only preparing for the opening of Program IV: Broadway and Ballet at the Kravis Center, on April 5-7, but also starting rehearsals for George Balanchine’s Serenade, which will hit the stage during our upcoming 2013-2014 season.  Also, look out for some shots of Justin Peck’s newest work CHUTES AND LADDERS, which makes its WORLD PREMIERE at the New World Symphony on April 20.  Don’t miss out on the action by following Lexie #LexieMCBPhotos!

Lexie Overholt

Fun Fact UPDATE: If you think back to the last blog post about Lexie, you may recall that she was in the process of establishing her own nonprofit aimed at engaging dancers as a community in several ways — number one being — to provide scholarships for young dancers. We are excited to announce that Lexie is in the final stages of 501(c)3 approval and the website will launch in the next 30 days. Stay tuned!

Photo © Gio Alma.

Behind the Scenes of our 2013-2014 Photo Shoot

Come behind the scenes of our 2013-2014 season photo shoot in this fun video.  See how Artistic Director Lourdes Lopez, MCB dancers, creative director John Oberlander and photographer Gio Alma created our campaign images for FOUR COMPANY PREMIERES that will make their debut on our stage next year!

Subscribe today by calling our box office at 305.929.7010. Discover more at miamicityballet.org.

Zoe Zien is Back on Instagram!

Corps dancer Zoe Zien is taking her second run at photography as this week’s Instagram guest.  Zoe will be capturing our final moments of Program III: The Masters during our closing run at the Adrienne Arsht Center this weekend.  Although we will be bidding farewell to some truly momentous ballets, Zoe will help capture the memories to share with you on Instagram. Follow Zoe #ZoeMCBPhotos!

Zoe Zien
Zoe Zien

In addition to snapping shots this week, Zoe will be busy onstage performing George Balanchine’s La Valse and Alexei Ratmansky’s Symphonic Dances.  We caught up with Zoe to get the dish on why she LOVES dancing both of these ballets:

La Valse has a great vintage and decadent style to it.  I love when a Balanchine ballet has some what of a story because it is within the movement he has created that you find your character.  There is no need to over interpret.

In Symphonic Dances I am continuously discovering new things on stage and it always feels very personal. I  can change my intention each time while continuing to push the extended movement of Ratmansky’s work to the limits.  It’s demanding in the best way!

Both ballets create different fantastical worlds to get lost in.

I love dancing them both!

-Zoe

See Zoe perform these ballet LIVE during Program III: The Masters this weekend, March 8-10, at the Adrienne Arsht Center.

Jovani Furlan is back on Instagram!

Corps dancer Jovani Furlan is back on Instagram! From dancers in glamorous ball gowns to paper dolls and tin soldiers, he will be capturing all of the action in Program III: The Masters.

Jovani Furlan
Jovani Furlan

Fun Fact about Jovani: Program III: The Masters happens to be on of Jovani’s favorite programs — he loves performing  Alexei Ratmansky’s Symphonic Dances and thinks it contrasts greatly with George Balanchine’s La Valse.

Follow Jovani on Instagram #JovaniMCBPhotos or LIVE at the Broward Center this weekend when he performs during Program III: The Masters.

Photo © Gio Alma.

From Our Dancers to YOU!

We asked our dancers what ballets they were most excited about performing for Program III: The Masters.  Here is what they said!

Leigh-Ann Esty

Skyler Lubin

Chase Swatosh

Kleber Rebello

See these dancers bring their favorite ballets to life when they perform them LIVE during Program III: The Masters!

Broward Center: Mar. 1-3

Adrienne Arsht Center: Mar. 8-10

Ashley Knox Features THE MASTERS on Instagram

Corps dancer Ashley Knox will be “running the show” (in terms of our Instagram feed) for the opening of Program III: The Masters at the Kravis Center.  She will be documenting the best of ballet with works by George Balanchine and the in-demand choreographer from Russia, Alexei Ratmansky.  Check out her pictures #AshleyMCBPhotos.

Ashely Knox

Fun Fact about Ashley: She LOVES taking photos and is very happy to be able to share her pictures from her perspective with our MCB followers!

Photo © Gio Alma

Behind the Ballet: The Steadfast Tin Soldier

Starring in George Balanchine’s The Steadfast Tin Soldier™, Soloist Jennifer Lauren breaks down this delightful, yet tragic love story!

See it performed LIVE as part of Program III: The Masters!

Kravis Center: Feb. 22-24
Broward Center: Mar. 1-3
Adrienne Arsht Center: Mar. 8-10