performances

Patricia Delgado on Duo Concertant

Patricia Delgado

Patricia Delgado

When asked what ballet she was most excited about performing this season, Principal Patricia Delgado knew right away that it was George Balanchine’s Duo Concertant.

Patricia recounts, “I remember seeing the ballet when I was a student at Miami City Ballet School, and thinking, ‘I have never seen anything like this!’  The dancers simply stand and listen to the music onstage, admiring and respecting it, which sets the mood of the piece so beautifully.  It is unlike any of Balanchine’s other ballets. The spotlighting effects and stylized choreography evoke drama and love, making the piece completely mesmerizing.  Although I have been with Miami City Ballet for 12 years, I have never had the opportunity to perform the ballet, until now.  I always thought it would be a dream to dance that pas de deux, so when I saw it selected for Program II, I thought, ‘I can’t wait!’ Knowing Duo Concertant was in the programming inspired me to get me through my injury last season.”

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From Our Dancers to You on Opening Night!

We are thrilled for tonight’s opening of Program II: Tradition and Innovation.  We caught up with some of the dancers before the curtain so that they could share their excitement about the ballets they are performing with you!

Michael Breeden, Corps de Ballet,on George Balanchine’s Divertimento No. 15 — “Dancing to Mozart is what I love most about Divertimento No. 15. Balanchine rarely choreographed to Mozart, but the marriage of these two geniuses in the ballet provides a wonderful experience for audience and dancer alike.”

Tricia Albertson, Principal, on George Balanchine’s Divertimento No. 15 — “I love dancing Divertimento No. 15 because there are so many opportunities to interact with my friends and colleagues.  I have at least one special moment with each principal!”

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From Paper and Pencil to Costume

When Liam Scarlett — the young, acclaimed choreographer from London’s The Royal Ballet — brought our Costume Designer and Wardrobe Director Haydée Morales his costume design sketches for his new work Euphotic, she knew that she was up to the challenge!

The first step in bringing Scarlett’s vision to life was helping him determine the full color palette and types of fabrics that were aesthetically appealing, yet allowed the dancers to move freely.  Scarlett wanted the costume hues to include dark blue for the corps dancers, radiant yellow for the principals, and a combination of yellow and blue for the soloists to tie the piece together.  He also wanted the costumes to depict the ombré effect, which shows the consistent gradient of a color from its lightest shade to its darkest.

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Rebecca King Makes History on Instagram!

RebbecaKing_HeadshotThis week’s guest photographer on Instagram is no other than corps dancer Rebecca King!  Rebecca will be capturing an important piece of dance history as Liam Scarlett’s Euphotic makes its world premiere debut on Friday, January 11.  From rehearsals in our studios, to the dressing rooms, to the stage, Rebecca will make sure that no one misses out on the exciting action this week!

Fun fact about Rebecca: She has her own blog! Check it out by clicking here!

Sara Esty is back on Instagram!

Sara Esty

Sara Esty

Soloist Sara Esty returns from the holidays to take over our Instagram feed this week!  As one of the leading ladies in Liam Scarlett’s new work Euphotic, Sara will catch Liam making his final preparations on the ballet when he returns to Miami tomorrow before his big world premiere on January 11 at the Arsht Center.

Can anyone remember Sara’s fun fact?  She is a social media guru and Instagram pro! Follow her on Twitter @estygrl!

Here is a shot of Sara rehearsing with Liam Scarlett!

Lexie Overholt gets behinds the lens!

This week, corps dancer Lexie Overhold gets behind the lens of our Instagram feed, snapping shots of the company preparing for another round of Nutcracker performances at the Arsht Center. While Lexie will be capturing the Nutcracker magic during the weekend, she will also be documenting all of the action occurring at our studios in Miami Beach.  The company is working hard in rehearsals for Program II: Tradition and Innovation, which opens at the Arsht Center in the New Year!  Look out for some fabulous photos of dancers in Liam Scarlett’s new world premiere, Balanchine’s Duo Concertant and Divertimento No. 15, and the popular Don Quixote Pas de Deux!

Fun fact about Lexie: She has her own non-profit organization!  It is a scholarship and community outreach based organization for dancers by dancers, and is in the process of receiving its 501(c)(3) status. Stay tuned!

Becoming Mother Commedia

Mother Commedia has big shoes to fill!  With a skirt weighing 50 POUNDS that houses 8 polichinelles underneath, creating this character is quite a production.  Find out some of the backstage secrets about becoming Mother Commedia in this video.  Or, watch Mother Commedia perform LIVE during Miami City Ballet’ s classic production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™.

Neil Marshall snaps shots on Instagram

Corps dancer Neil Marshall takes over our Instagram feed this week as the company works with the young, talented Liam Scarlett on his second world premiere for MCB. Neil first joined the company in 2007 and returns to MCB this season after one year dancing with Oregon Ballet Theatre.  We are so happy to have him back!

Fun fact about Neil: According to the dancers, Neil has quite the affinity for baking…especially cakes, cookies and ice cream.  Yummy!