The Nutman and the Mouse King come head to head on December 11-13 at Broward Center and December 18-20, 22-23 at Adrienne Arsht Center. For tickets to MCB’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™ click here or call (877) 929-7010.
Christina is one of the students at MCB School who has been performing with the Company this Season. She moved to Miami just to attend the School and was presented with the opportunity to take the stage with our super human dancers!
Christina chatted with us about what is was like to relocate and how it feels to dance with Miami City Ballet.
The first-floor dancer lounge was buzzing with excitement as young ballerinas waited for their Freed of London pointe shoe fitting. “She was counting down the days,” said one of the ballet mothers. This is such an important time in a dancer’s life. After so many years in ballet slippers, students finally get into pointe shoes! Although the fitting itself may take extra time and effort with Freed’s careful attention to detail, it’s all worth it in the end. Soon these young dancers will be experts on pointe!
Company dancers Ezra Hurwitz and Michael Breeden bring you this new MCB blog feature! Michael seems to know everything about ballet, so they set out to see who could match his skills.
See In the Night, Black Swan Pas de Deux and The Four Temperaments at Open Barre this weekend.
Performances:
Friday, November 13, 2009 – Reception 6:30 p.m. Performance 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 14, 2009 – Reception 2:00 p.m. Performance 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 14, 2009 – Reception 6:30 p.m. Performance 7:00 p.m. with after party at Aero Bar.
Post by Tricia Albertson
The ballet dancers you see on stage have spent most of their lives training to make the barely possible seem effortless. Because there’s such a big gap between appearance and reality, it comforts me in our regular theater performances to imagine that because I can’t see the audience, the audience can’t see me. Of course I know this is not true, but when I look out into the darkness, I can imagine dancing for anyone. Definitely, I imagine dancing for my (less critical) friends. It’s a nice illusion, and it helps me to be calm.
In our studio theater, this is an illusion I can’t rely on. Every time we do a series in our studio theater, I get a bad case of nerves. It’s easy to feel vulnerable. The audience is so close. I imagine being put under a microscope. Every step, every effort, every expression is visible; it feels like there is no room for error. So, I start out a little anxious. Then, the first show comes to an end and I hear the audience applaud, and I realize that I’m not under a microscope. I’m at home!
The studio is where I spend at least 35 hours each week. These studio theater shows may be our most appreciative audience; certainly, in the studio, I feel that our closest friends and family have come over for a special showing, a showing at which I’ll have the chance to share a piece of myself. Here, in person, is the audience I have so often imagined watching in our regular season. In the end, I value our studio theater shows as an opportunity to perform in an intimate setting that allows me to more directly connect to the audience.
See Tricia perform this weekend at Open Barre.
The 1940s were a nostalgic time in American history that brought us D-Day, Betty Grable, WACs and the Andrews Sisters. For Fort Lauderdale philanthropist Rose Miniaci they are a Sentimental Journey.
Rose met, dated and fell head-over-heels for her late husband Alfred Miniaci. Sacrifices were made by many and when duty called, dating was put on hold. Listening to swing music allowed young women like Rose to pass the time while eagerly awaiting the return of their loved ones who were fighting overseas.
To pay tribute to those days of young love, big band sounds, and victory gardens, Rose Miniaci has generously underwritten Miami City Ballet’s production of Company B. The Paul Taylor masterwork is performed to carefree World War II hits by the Andrews Sisters contrasted with the melancholy realities of soldiers at war.
“I have such fond memories of those bygone days, as a young woman in love dancing the night away with Alfred in the dance halls and night clubs of New York City to the sounds of big bands and the Andrews Sisters. The music and beauty of Company B takes me back to those times.”
A pillar in philanthropic and social circles, Rose’s charitable heart is legendary. Her financial assistance runs the gamut from charitable and educational organizations to individuals, medical and philanthropic institutions, museums for the preservation of our history, countless charitable organizations, cultural charities, hospitals, religious, educational and scientific research, music and the arts. The scholarships she awards each year help students of all ages to excel and achieve success in what many thought was an impossible dream. Her generous donation to Nova Southeastern University contributed to funding the school’s Library Research and Information Technology Center and the Alfred & Rose Miniaci Performing Arts Auditorium.
“Rose has helped so many organizations in South Florida and we are so grateful for her support of Miami City Ballet and our season opener,” says Ana Codina Barlick, president of MCB’s Board of Trustees. “Her commitment, dedication and passion have made an enormous impact on MCB and our community.”
Miami City Ballet will perform Company B during Program I at Broward Center on November 6-8 and at Kravis Center November 20-22.