After seeing the costume bibles and costumes for the first two acts of The Neighborhood Ballroom, we are sure you’ve noticed that the attire changes with each era. In this installment of the series, Haydee shows us the costumes for “THE FOX-TROT” and some of the accessories the women wear. It is incredible the amount of details that go into all the dresses!
Don’t miss The Neighborhood Ballroom this weekend at Broward Center for the Performing Arts.
Since the summer she’s been spotted watching videos of The Neighborhood Ballroom and taking notes. Finally the time came when Crista Villella, Ballet Mistress, began rehearsing the Company for the ballet which will be performed as Program III. Originally choreographed by her father, Edward Villella, Ballroom became one of her projects for this season. We caught up with Crista at Adrienne Arsht Center to talk about her experience with Ballroom.
Miami City Ballet will present The Neighborhood Ballroom this weekend (February 5-7) at Adrienne Arsht Center, on February 12-14 at Broward Center, and on February 19-21 at Kravis Center.
Now that you’ve seen the costume bibles, take a look at the costumes the dancers will be wearing on stage during The Neighborhood Ballroom! Haydee actually went to the vintage shops of Miami and found amazing attire for the ballet. But not all the pieces were purchased – some were made by the wardrobe department. See if you can tell the difference.
In this installment of the costume series, Haydee shows us what the dancers will be wearing in the first two acts of the ballet.
Yann Trividic is back to dance the principal role of The Poet in Edward Villella’s The Neighborhood Ballroom. We caught up with the former principal dancer earlier in the season to see how it felt to be back. But now it’s almost show time! In a couple days, Yann will take the stage to reprise the role that was created on him. We sat down with Yann to talk about taking the stage again.
Don’t miss your chance to see Yann dance this weekend (February 5-7) at Adrienne Arsht Center, at Broward Center on February 12-14, and at Kravis Center on February 19-21.
This weekend, the dancers will hang up their tutus and tights and suit up in dresses and jackets — The Neighborhood Ballroom opens Friday night at Adrienne Arsht Center! Haydee Morales, MCB Costume Designer and Director of Wardrobe, designed the costumes for this full evening ballet. It took lots of hard work and long hours, but with the help of her team, Haydee created an entire wardrobe for this piece.
Here’s a sneak peek at what went into designing the costumes for The Neighborhood Ballroom.
Stay tuned for more of our costume series.
Post by Michael Sean Breeden
When I was a young dancer at the School of American Ballet, I became enraptured with the world of Balanchine. I had always known that it was music that made me want to dance, but the steps in his ballets seemed to pour forth directly from the music in ways that sparked my imagination like never before. Each new ballet I saw or learned revealed different facets of his genius to me. I knew that I wanted to make dancing these ballets my life.
The majority of the repertoire we dance at Miami City Ballet is George Balanchine’s work and being in this Company has given me many wonderful opportunities to dance corps and demi-soloist roles in his ballets. In ballets like “Diamonds” and Square Dance there is nothing like sharing the greatness of the stage, music and choreography with your peers who, in this Company, we are lucky to say are also our closest friends. While I have relished these opportunities, I was very excited to have the chance to perform two major roles in ballets by Balanchine done in Program II: Divertimento No. 15 and Valse Fantaisie (1953).
Divertimento No. 15 is a Balanchine classic danced by many companies around the world, and the only major work he ever made to music by Mozart. Balanchine said it was the greatest divertimento ever written and he paid homage to Mozart by accompanying it with some of his finest choreography. The ballet is a classical dancer’s dream, with each step perfectly blending Balanchine’s own choreographic innovations with tributes to past masterwork by Petipa. After navigating through typical opening weekend jitters, I find myself presently comfortable enough to find ways to make each show unique. Trying to fill the music differently or find new moments to relate to your partners onstage is a wonderful way to make the ballet come alive for you and the audience. Getting to perform a lead role in a classic like “Divert”, as the dancers call the ballet, is one of the most rewarding onstage experiences I have had yet.
While “Divert” is a revered classic, the 1953 version of Valse Fantaisie we perform is a gem that is little seen and would be all but extinct if it were not for Miami City Ballet. Having danced the 1967 version of Valse Fantaisie as a member of Boston Ballet II, it has been a particularly interesting experience for me to perform the earlier version. While both have many merits, they are similar only in sweep and lightness; little links the two choreographically. Being able to compare two very different perspectives by George Balanchine on a single piece of music has proven fascinating.
Both ballets have provided me with great challenges and pleasures. “Divert” is a masterful exercise in classical simplicity and elegance, while Valse Fantaisie (1953) challenges its dancer’s stamina and requires them to devour space. While it is bittersweet to be nearing my final performances of these ballets, I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience and hope that one day I will find myself performing in them once more.
Michael Sean Breeden and Tricia Albertson in Divertimento No. 15. Choreography by George Balanchine. Copyright The George Balanchine Trust. Photo © Sayre Berman of the Miami New Times.
Don’t miss your final chance to see Michael in Program II this weekend.
“People leapt to their feet at each performance…after every work there were cheers from all parts of the large auditorium…the company, dancing five first-rate works, was looking better than ever…The virtues of unforced energy and warm enthusiasm are beautifully apparent here…I was struck by how acutely and eagerly responsive to fine details of style these (MCB) dancers are.”
Read Alastair Macaulay’s full review — In Florida, Fresh Talent Takes to the Stage, Along With a Veteran Team
Mary Carmen Catoya and Rolando Sarabia in "The Golden Section". Photo by Alex Dufaur
This past weekend, Sara Esty filled in for Principal Dancer Jeanette Delgado during Program II at Adrienne Arsht Center. After dancing the corps part in Divertimento No. 15 and one of the principal roles in Valse Fantaisie (1953), Sara had to change quickly into her gold costume and leap into “The Golden Section”.
We talked to Sara about this busy, yet exciting, weekend.
Zoe Zien took the stage on opening night of Program II with fellow corps de ballet dancers Sara Esty and Jennifer Lauren in Valse Fantaisie (1953). These are very coveted roles since principal dancers are usually the ones who dance them. Zoe talked to us about this very exciting opportunity.
The main stage premiere of “The Golden Section” was a huge success at Adrienne Arsht Center this weekend. The costumes, the lighting, the music, and not to mention the dancers’ invigorating performances filled the theater with pure, positive energy! Recently, Twyla Tharp Repetiteur Elaine Kudo visited MCB to stage the ballet. We consider her part of the MCB family and were very excited for her return. Elaine has worked with the Company in the past on Nine Sinatra Songs, Push Comes to Shove and In The Upper Room. We had the opportunity to talk to Elaine about working with MCB and her experience with Twyla Tharp.
Feel the energy of “The Golden Section” this weekend at Kravis Center and in Broward Center on January 22-24. Click here for more information.