For Miami City Ballet Dancers, All South Florida’s a Stage
Exuberant ballet dancers leap through the air, legs outstretched, defying gravity in ordinary locations across South Florida. One, wearing a filmy green dress, stands en pointe on a bridge against the foggy backdrop of cruise ships docked in Biscayne Bay. One muscular dancer leaps over a girl on a scooter, his pose frozen against the windswept palm trees along Collins Avenue. Another dancer, sporting a fisherman’s hat and a fishing rod, balances with one leg pointed toward the clear blue sky, the other foot planted on a rocky jetty in Miami Beach.
The images belong to Jordan Matter, whose 2014 New York Times best-selling book, “Dancers Among Us,” captures ballet dancers in street clothes pulling breathtaking poses in mundane settings around the world. His photos featuring Miami City Ballet dancers are now on view at the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County. Proceeds from sales of the Miami-set collection benefit Miami City Ballet’s Transition Fund, which gives financial support to longtime MCB dancers moving on to new careers.