Chase Swatosh in a photo for Miami City Ballet's Spring Mix program, which will premiere at the Arsht Center on Friday, March 28. (Photo by Chris Lockerman, The Warhol Creative/courtesy of Miami City Ballet)
The many sides of dance take center stage in Miami City Ballet's "Spring Mix" this weekend at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.
The program blooms with invigorating works featuring Jerome Robbins’ "Glass Pieces," José Limón’s "Chaconne," Balanchine’s "Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux," and the company premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s "Pictures at an Exhibition."
Ratmansky’s "Pictures at an Exhibition" transforms Modest Mussorgsky’s famed piano suite into a vibrant, ever-shifting world of movement. Inspired by Mussorgsky’s musical interpretation of Viktor Hartmann’s artwork, Ratmansky’s ballet captures the spirit of artistic cross-pollination—where painting, music, and dance collide.
Set against projections of artist Wassily Kandinsky’s" Color Study Squares with Concentric Circles," the ballet unfolds as a series of shifting moods and dynamic encounters, echoing the suite’s progression through fantastical and evocative tableaux. This will be the company's premiere of the piece.
When Jerome Robbins unveiled his "Glass Pieces" in 1983, Miami City Ballet's artistic director Lourdes Lopez was in the original cast. Glass's score is so resonant, so brilliantly structured, and its images, beginning with its huge graph-paper backdrop, are so indelible that it continues to grip and thrill audiences everywhere. The Miami City Ballet's premiere of Robbins' piece was at the Adrienne Arsht Center on Jan. 13, 2017.
José Limón’s "Chaconne" gets its spark from The Chaconne, a dance form originated in New Spain, now Mexico, robust and raucous. Johann Sebastian Bach employed the strict musical form of the Chaconne in his Partita #2 in D Minor for Unaccompanied Violin but enriched it with powerful emotional implications.
Limón captures in his dance both the formal austerity and the profound feeling of the music. Miami City Ballet premiere George Balanchine’s "Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux" in October 1986 in a performance at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts. This joyous little masterpiece has been in the world’s repertory for 60 years.
Originally composed by Tschaikovksy for the (failed) first version of "Swan Lake," Balanchine rescued its music from obscurity to create one of the most popular of his ballets, combining thrilling virtuosic demands with an enchanting floating lyricism — all climaxed when the ballerina flings herself headlong across the stage into a fish dive while the audience gasps. Be prepared to gasp, too.
IF YOU GO:
WHAT: Miami City Ballet program featuring works by Alexei Ratmansky, José Limón, George Balanchine, and Jerome Robbins.
WHERE: Arsht Center (1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami). Additional performances at the Broward Center (201 SW 5th Ave., Fort Lauderdale) and the Kravis Center (701 Okeechobee Blvd. West Palm Beach).
WHEN: March 28–30 (Arsht Center). April 5–6 at the Broward Center; and April 12–13 at the Kravis Center.
TICKETS: www.miamicityballet.org/tickets-and-events/202425-season/spring
INFORMATION: www.miamicityballet.org
MIAMI CITY BALLET'S NEXT SEASON
Miami City Ballet recently announced its next season, its 40th anniversary, an unforgettable fusion of glamour, passion, and pure dance magic.
Spring Mix 2. Francisco Schilereff & Jasmine Perry for Miami City Ballet's 40th Anniversary Season. (Photo by Christian Lockerman and The Warhol Creative).
The celebratory season kicks off with "Don Quixote," a larger-than-life story ballet brimming with passion, adventure, and Spanish flair. Making its triumphant return to MCB’s repertoire after more than a decade, this high-energy spectacle is a feast for the senses, bursting with fiery choreography, breathtaking sets, and opulent costumes.
Miguel de Cervantes’ legendary dreamer takes center stage in a whirlwind of romance and heroic mischief, set to Ludwig Minkus’s irresistibly festive score. From the grand sweep of the toreador’s cape to the breathtaking leaps of our spirited lovers, Don Quixote is a dazzling opening act that sets the tone for an unforgettable season.
The magic of the holidays arrives with George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, a glittering spectacle that transforms South Florida into a snow-kissed wonderland. More than 100 dancers, a full live orchestra, and dazzling stagecraft come together in the ultimate holiday tradition, where sugarplums pirouette, toy soldiers march, and an enchanting blizzard swirls across the stage. But the magic doesn’t stop when the curtain rises—this season’s immersive pre-show experience welcomes audiences straight into the Land of Sweets, making the beloved classic more mesmerizing than ever.
Spring Mix 2. Jasmine Perry for Miami City Ballet's 40th Anniversary Season. (Photo by Christian Lockerman and The Warhol Creative).
MCB continues its 40th Anniversary celebration with "Into the Magic City," a dynamic Winter Mix program that captures Miami’s bold artistic heartbeat. The evening ignites with Ulysses Dove’s Red Angels, a fiery, edge-of-your-seat tour de force blending razor-sharp athleticism with Richard Einhorn’s hypnotic electric violin score.
Balanchine’s rarely performed "The Unanswered Question" then casts an ethereal spell, a breathtaking meditation on movement and mystery. But the crown jewel of the program is a highly anticipated world premiere by the legendary Alexei Ratmansky, a tribute to MCB’s visionary founder, Toby Lerner Ansin. Fusing past and present, Into the Magic City is an exhilarating testament to the company’s fearless innovation.
As spring awakens, "Your Perfect Golden Hour" program bathes the stage in a radiant glow, blending timeless classics with fresh perspectives. Jerome Robbins’ Moves strips ballet down to its raw essence—performed entirely in silence, it magnifies the expressive power of pure movement. Rising star Durante Verzola injects irresistible jazz rhythms into a vibrant new work set to George Gershwin, creating a playful, toe-tapping delight. Stephanie Martinez makes her MCB debut with a world premiere infused with the soulful swing of Duke Ellington, bringing a bold, deeply human voice to the stage.
The program concludes with Paul Taylor’s "Cloven Kingdom," a wildly inventive, witty, and thought-provoking examination of society, set to an unexpected collision of classical and percussive beats. Together, these works craft a luminous evening of dance that feels both timeless and thrillingly now.
Spring Mix. Stanislav Olshanskyi & Dawn Atkins for Miami City Ballet's 40th Anniversary Season. (Photo by Christian Lockerman and The Warhol Creative).
The 40th Anniversary season surges to a dazzling, sun-soaked finale with "¡Vamos! To the Beach" —a high-energy mixed program tribute to MCB’s legacy and the electric spirit of Miami. Balanchine’s "Apollo Without Birth" strips one of ballet’s defining masterpieces to its essence, revealing raw brilliance while honoring its timeless power.
A bold world premiere by Lauren Lovette, set to music by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Kevin Puts, brings fresh innovation to the stage, embodying the daring, forward-thinking artistry that defines MCB. And in a thrilling company premiere, Twyla Tharp’s "Deuce Coupe" turns up the heat, fusing ballet with The Beach Boys’ breezy, feel-good anthems in a vibrant, joyful spectacle.
Winter Mix. Sujanya Dhillon, Giselle Tiret, & Lucy Nevin for Miami City Ballet's 40th Anniversary Season. (Photo by Christian Lockerman and The Warhol Creative).
Below is a full schedule for Miami City Ballet’s 40th Anniversary Season
Don Quixote
- Choreography After Petipa/Music Minkus
- Arsht Center, Oct 16-19; Broward Center, Nov 1-2; Kravis Center, Feb 28-Mar 1
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®
- Balanchine/Tchaikovsky
- Arsht Center, Dec 12-28
2526 Season. Giselle Tirét for Miami City Ballet's 40th Anniversary Season. (Photo by Christian Lockerman and The Warhol Creative).
Into the Magic City
- (Winter Mix)
- Red Angels (Dove/Einhorn)
- The Unanswered Question (Balanchine/Ives)
- World Premiere (Ratmansky)
- Arsht Center, Feb 20-22; Broward Center, Mar 7-8
Your Perfect Golden Hour
- (Spring Mix 1)
- Moves (Robbins)
- World Premiere (Verzola/Gershwin)
- World Premiere (Martinez/Ellington)
- Cloven Kingdom (Taylor/Corelli-Cowell-Miller)
- Arsht Center, Mar 27-29; Kravis Center, Apr 4-5; Broward Center, Apr 11-12
¡Vamos! To the Beach
- (Spring Mix 2)
- Apollo Without Birth (Balanchine)
- Deuce Coupe (Tharp/The Beach Boys)
- World Premiere (Lovette/Puts)
- Arsht Center, May 1-3; Broward Center, May 9-10
Subscriptions start at only $80 and are available beginning February 11, 2025. Subscribers enjoy exclusive benefits, including pre-sale access, priority seating, and free ticket exchanges. For subscriptions and ticket information, visit www.miamicityballet.org/subscriptions or call 305-929-7010.
