Miami City Ballet Blog

Post by Principal Dancer Jennifer Kronenberg

I can only imagine how very excited our patrons and audience members were to learn that Miami City Ballet has been awarded a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation (as part of its Knight Arts Challenge) that will allow us to perform with orchestral accompaniment for the next three seasons. But they should know how thrilling this news is for me and the other dancers as well! The elated feeling that most dancers get when performing to live music is almost indescribable. For as much as it enhances a performance from an audience member’s perspective, the experience that it gives performers is immeasurable. It truly brings the ballet to life…it is the last piece of the puzzle…the missing link that adds a fourth dimension to the performance for everyone.

Dancing to live music really keeps us “on our toes,” so to speak. We are forced to be completely present, aware and “in” the moment at all times; listening carefully for any changes in tempi. We are not at all permitted to function on “automatic,” as we sometimes do subconsciously, simply dancing to a recording that we rehearse to everyday. We adore the challenge presented when with an orchestra — we are forced to dance with the music-as one would dance with a partner. It certainly makes our performing experience all the more alive and enjoyable. For me, there is nothing more satisfying than being able to connect with and really feel the music that is accompanying me. It is a great partnership that exists between the musicians, the conductor, and the dancers, providing a uniquely whole and fulfilling performance for everyone. Having an orchestra for our upcoming seasons will be a gift for all of the dancers, as well as for the audience, and I, for one, am glad that we’re being given our missing link back!

Jennifer Kronenberg in La Sonnambula. Choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust. Photo © Joe Gato.

See La Sonnambula in Program II of the 25th Anniversary Season. Don’t miss out on what promises to be an extraordinary year — complete with the return of Opus One Orchestra! Get your season tickets now to make sure you have the best seats in the house. Click here for more information.

Valentine’s Day is on Sunday and love is in the air! It’s amazing how many people have been hit by Cupid’s arrow here at Miami City Ballet. All this week, we will be paying homage to the Company love birds in our MCB Love Series.

Check in each day for video interviews with some of the couples in the Company — Haiyan Wu and Yang Zou, Jennifer Kronenberg and Carlos Guerra, Leigh-Ann Esty and Bradley Dunlap, Callie Manning and Didier Bramaz, and Edward and Linda Villella! We’ll also be posting pictures of dancers who are married to or dating someone they’ve met at MCB.

To kick off our Love Series, here are Jennifer and Carlos! Watch as they talk about their lives together and play a little game to see how well they really know each other.

You’ve seen Jennifer Kronenberg on the cover of Dance Magazine. Now hear what she has to say about the experience! Jennifer, who’s been dancing since she was seven, has dreamed about this all her life.

Come watch our cover girl perform this weekend at Adrienne Arsht Center.

The studios were empty on Monday in observance of Columbus Day. But one ballerina was geared up in rehearsal attire and ready to have her picture taken. Jennifer Kronenberg, MCB Principal Dancer, was photographed for an upcoming feature in the January/February issue of SoBe Fit Magazine. The story will feature Jennifer’s health and fitness habits. Find it on newsstands in December. Make sure you get your copy!

Here are some behind-the-scenes photos and a sneak peek at what you’ll see in the magazine.