Today, it’s hard to imagine that Swan Lake, the most iconic evening-length ballet, was not a success when it was first created in 1877. It is now -- without a doubt -- the most respected of classical ballets and it is the pinnacle of achievement for a ballet company to have a successful version in the repertory. Artistic Director Lourdes Lopez makes no bones sharing what an … [Read more...]
Season Preview 2021-22: The season in dance
By Dale King South Florida dancers of every ilk — sidelined for more than a year by a show-stopping coronavirus pandemic — have been polishing their skills, dance shoes and ballet slippers, anticipating a mass return of live performances to stages from Miami to Jupiter in the very near future. Miami City Ballet (MCB) has confidently announced its 2021-22 “Sunshine in … [Read more...]
Season Preview 2020-21: COVID stifles dance, but live shows set for 2021
By Dale King Performance stages throughout South Florida that would normally host all sorts of dance programs this time of year are silent, dark and vacant. Producers have dismissed dancers, sent staff home and barred patrons from entry as COVID-19 has rudely slammed the door on art forms of all genres. While most dance companies have replaced live shows with online … [Read more...]
Sumptuous ‘Firebird’ a treat at MCB
The central focus of Miami City Ballet’s Program Three, performed Feb. 21-23 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, was concentrated on the brand-new staging for the newly acquired ballet Firebird. The production itself was visually resplendent with its translucent and mystical 3D special effects and its vibrant and rich costumes, sets and lights. It was a sumptuously … [Read more...]
‘I’m Old Fashioned’ leads off MCB’s Program II with exceptional elegance
Who was dancing with brilliant ease with Miami City Ballet at Kravis Center for the Performing Arts a couple weekends ago? Why, it was Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth gliding across the stage in a sweeping waltz. Projected larger-than-life on a huge screen, they introduced I’m Old-Fashioned, Jerome Robbins’ tribute to the silver screen and the glamorous, bygone golden age … [Read more...]
MCB in fine form for evening of Balanchine, Taylor
Miami City Ballet adroitly launched its new season with the first of four diverse programs at the Kravis Center earlier this month. With a plethora of new dancers on the roster and some well-deserved promotions within the company ranks, MCB was in excellent form. Fully energized and technically strong, the company members took on the challenges of the different dance … [Read more...]
Season Preview 2019-20: ‘Firebird,’ new local works among dance season highlights
From dancing gauchos to stately ballerinas and innovative tap dancers to body-bending modern movement-makers, South Florida’s 2019-2020 dance season takes off in full swing by early October. With holiday staples such as The Nutcracker, venerated classics such as The Firebird and new programming including Puremovement American Street Dance Theatre in venues from Miami to West … [Read more...]
Beautiful, visually lavish ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ ends MCB season
The visually lavish production of George Balanchine’s evening-length ballet A Midsummer Night’s Dream closed out Miami City Ballet’s 2018-19 season in the Palm Beaches last week. This revisit of the $2.1 million reimagining of the original work was something to behold. The spectacular set and costumes were by artist Michele Oka Doner, who looked to the Miami waterways for … [Read more...]
MCB sparkles in Peck’s ‘Heatscape,’ Balanchine
It’s hard to believe the season is almost over. This past weekend, Miami City Ballet presented its Program Three at the Kravis Center and fast on its heels will be its final program, the full-length A Midsummer Night’s Dream by George Balanchine with music by Felix Mendelssohn, which will close out the company’s season in the Palm Beaches on April 4 and 5. Program Three was … [Read more...]
Plenty of energy, middling payoff at MCB’s Program Two
Though there were some kernels of wonderfulness in the Jan. 19 presentation of Miami City Ballet’s Program Two at the Kravis Center, the overall takeaway was that this program was not up to par with past shows. Presenting two works instead of the usual three or four, the program had some clear flaws. Dances at a Gathering, which opened the performance, was a pastel mosaic … [Read more...]