Miami City Ballet school students in MCB's "George Balanchine's The Nutcracker." (Choreography by George Balanchine. George Balanchine Trust. Photo by Alexander Izilieav)
Michelle. F. Solomon, Arts Editor
Two of Miami's most celebrated dance companies bring the holiday classic, "The Nutcracker" to the stage this weekend with one of the companies then presenting for audiences in Fort Lauderdale.
Miami City Ballet opens George Balanchine’s "The Nutcracker" at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami on Friday, Dec. 12 with performances through Sunday, Dec. 28. Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida's production in Aventura and Fort Lauderdale, is under the direction of Artistic Director Vladimir Issaev with Ballet Mistress Mary Carmen Catoya. It will be performed in Aventura Dec. 11 to 14 then heads to Fort Lauderdale from Dec. 19 to 21.
Kirsty Walker as Dew Drop and Matteo Rollini as her Cavalier in Arts Ballet Theatre's "The Nutcracker." (Photo courtesy of @patriciasphotography)
Macarena Giménez, hired this season as a principal at Miami City Ballet, will debut as the Sugar Plum Fairy in the MCB production, which uses the choreography of George Balanchine’s rendition of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s 1816 story "The Nutcracker and The Mouse King," which Balanchine premiered in 1954 with the New York City Ballet.
Arts Ballet Theatre's production is helmed by Issaev, a former Ballet Master of Ballet Naciona de Caracas and Miami City Ballet School, who was born in Siberia, Russia, in 1954 and began his ballet studies at the Choreographic School of Voenezh.
He relocated to Venezuela in 1987 and worked as Ballet Master and Regisseur for the Ballet Metropolitano de Caracas for a year. In 1988, he was invited by Maestro (Mo.) Vicente Nebrada to take the place of Ballet Master at the Ballet Nacional de Caracas - Teresa Carreño.
Issaev's "The Nutcracker" features Arts Ballet's professional dancers alongside young performers from the the dancemaster's School of Classical Ballet. Its production also features local guest artists including Anita Vivas and Miguel Ferro.
Miami City Ballet's production was retooled in 2017, bringing in the husband and wife design team Isabel and Ruben Toledo to create sets and costumes, using the mood and feelings of South Florida to influence the vibrant colors and stage.
The late Isabel Toledo first caught the nation’s eye when she designed Michelle Obama’s ensemble for President Obama’s first inauguration in January 2009.
Miami City Ballet's "The Nutcracker." (Choreography by George Balanchine. George Balanchine Trust. Photo by Alexander Izilieav)
Both Arts Ballet Theatre and Miami City Ballet are offering pre-show events. Arts Ballet Encounters features Issaev and company dancers on Sunday, Dec. 11, before its Gala performance at the Aventura Arts and Cultural Center, offering audiences a behind-the scene look at how the production comes to life.
Miami City Ballet audiences are invited to immerse themselves in the Land of Sweets experience, a magical holiday wonderland that accompanies performances of "George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker" with an immersive experience in a co partnership with MAD Arts, Dania Beach.
Located at the Adrienne Arsht Center’s Peacock Foundation Studio, this 8,000-square-foot winter dreamland features interactive projections, festive games, photo opportunities with beloved characters, and the exclusive Sweet Suite Lounge with holiday treats and a DJ.
Opening 90-minutes before each performance, the Land of Sweets transforms Marie’s dreamland into a whimsical reality, making it the perfect prelude to the beloved holiday ballet.
Miami City Ballet's "The Nutcracker." (Choreography by George Balanchine. George Balanchine Trust. Photo by Alexander Izilieav)
Additionally, Arts Ballet Theatre's "The Nutcracker" performs a Sensory Inclusive "The Nutcracker" at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14 at the Aventura Arts and Cultural Center. The presentation is a shortened and adapted version. Sensory Friendly Performances are designed to create a welcoming performing arts experience for people with autism, sensory input disorders, sensory sensitivities, or other physical, cognitive, or developmental disabilities, and their families, friends, and caretakers.
ABT's Gala Celebration is 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12 at the Aventura Arts and Cultural Center with its season performances on Friday, Dec. 12 through Sunday, Dec. 14. The production is then staged in Broward County at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19 and Saturday, Dec. 20 in Broward County at the The Parker, 707 NE 8th St., Fort Lauderdale
IF YOU GO:
WHAT: Miami City Ballet "George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker"
WHEN: Dec. 12-28, Various Times
WHERE: Adrienne Arsht Center,1300 Biscayne Blvd., MiamiINFO: Tickets: 305-929-7010 and https://www.arshtcenter.org
WHAT: Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida's "The Nutcracker"
WHEN: Dec. 11-14, various times and locationsWHERE: Aventura Arts and Cultural Center, 3385 NE 188th St., Aventura, and The Parker, 707 NE 8th St., Fort Lauderdale
INFO Tickets at http://www.aventura.center.org and http://www.parkerplayhouse.com/