At Miami City Ballet, Lourdes Lopez has shown how to turn around a financially struggling company without losing that for which it’s beloved. While building upon founder Edward Villella’s Balanchine legacy, she’s also embraced Miami’s unique cultural identity, commissioning works like Justin Peck’s Wynwood-inspired Heatscapeand Miami-born artist Michele Oka Doner’s underwater reimagining of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
“When Patricia Delgado joined Miami City Ballet, what thrilled the then-18-year-old ballerina most wasn’t performing in big theaters or being part of a famous company, but getting to dance all the time.” The Miami Herald reflects on a beloved ballerina.
Miami City Ballet announced that Kristi Jernigan has been elected Chairman of its Board of Trustees and will begin her term May 1. She succeeds Susan D. Kronick, who has been Chairman since 2013. In addition, four new members have joined the Board – Dini Albert Golden, Jeffrey W. Davis, Amy Kohan and Lisa Kott Massirman.
As Miami City Ballet’s new fiscal year kicks off on May 1, new leaders will take the helm to continue the growth of one of South Florida’s major cultural institutions. Michael Tiknis, who led the Harris Theater of Music and Dance in Chicago for 13 seasons, joins the Company as the interim executive director following the departure of Michael Scolamiero in April. Laura Hood Babcock has been hired as the new director of marketing, sales and communications with a diverse background as both a marketing executive and a professional ballet dancer.
Among the highlights: a celebration of Jerome Robbins’ 100th birthday, five company premieres, the return of Jewels and a new production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker with sets and costumes by Ruben and Isabel Toledo.
Miami City Ballet Principal Dancer Patricia Delgado has announced she will step down as a permanent member of the company to pursue other artistic opportunities after the 2016-17 season
“Mr. Ratmansky’s boldest and most beautiful masterstroke,” says The New York Times’ Alastair Macauley on the world premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s The Fairy’s Kiss. Read more of the glowing and enthusiastic review here.
“Alexei Ratmansky, the formidable Russian dance artist who is resident choreographer at American Ballet Theatre, is creating his version of “The Fairy’s Kiss” for Miami City Ballet, his second commission for the Miami troupe.”
The New York Times previews Alexei Ratmansky’s “The Fairy’s Kiss” – premiering this weekend at the Adrienne Arsht Center. “While Ratmansky draws from the classical canon, he also shapes the movement with his own accent, with the aim of telling the story with greater immediacy.”
MCB’s spring tour to New York City, Chicago and Minneapolis was just named one of Pointe magazine’s Standout Performances of 2016. Starting with its Lincoln Center debut, with performances that Alastair Macauley of The New York Times said “placed this troupe at the forefront of all those dancing choreography by George Balanchine today,” the Company continued to garner critical acclaim and audience praise in Chicago’s Harris Theater and Northrop in Minneapolis.
MCB principal dancer Renato Penteado won the title of Best Male Performance in Dance Magazine’s “Best of 2016” feature. The magazine’s editors and writers nominated the best dancers and performances that they saw in 2016, and readers got to vote on the winners. This honor is a well-deserved accolade for the 17-year veteran of the company whose featured roles in 2016 included Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the lead in La Source, and also impressing New York audiences during MCB’s Lincoln Center debut in April.
Legendary ballerina Patricia McBride will be the guest artist featured in Miami City Ballet’s first Open Barre of the season on Nov. 16-17.