Jump to content
This Site Uses Cookies. If You Want to Disable Cookies, Please See Your Browser Documentation. ×

Miami City Ballet announces 2009-2010 season


bart

Recommended Posts

From the company website (posted 2/12/09):

Miami City Ballet Announces its 2009-2010 Season

Miami City Ballet’s (MCB) 2009-2010 season of dance in South Florida begins in October, 2009 and runs through April, 2010. The Company performs at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade, at Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale; and at Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach.

Program I features modern choreographer Paul Taylor’s Company B. This work, last seen in South Florida almost a decade ago, is performed to carefree World War II hits by the Andrews Sisters (“Rum and Coca Cola,” Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “Oh, Johnny, Oh!”) contrasted with the melancholy realities of soldiers at war. Also on this program are George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante and Symphony in Three Movements and August Bournonville’s Flower Festival.

Program II will show for the first time on MCB’s main stages, Twyla Tharp’s “The Golden Section” a thrilling segment from her famous work The Catherine Wheel. The piece is set to music by David Byrne (of the Talking Heads) and it is pure energy as thirteen dancers in gold costumes sail, soar, and tear through the air of the stage’s glowing light. Also featured are Balanchine’s Divertimento No. 15, Valse Fantaisie (1953), and Slaughter on Tenth Avenue.

Program III is Edward Villella’s The Neighborhood Ballroom. Back for its first full encore since its 2003 premiere, this is an evening-length, action-packed, atmosphere-drenched tale of a poet, his muses, and the great ballroom music and dances of the early and mid-20th century. The four sections of this work showcase the seductive waltz, quick-stepping jazz (including the Charleston), the fox-trot where couples dance in the dark to big-band music, and the mambo, which ruled the dance floor in the 1950s.

Program IV will feature Dances at a Gathering, Jerome Robbins’ masterpiece. Ten dancers, live Chopin piano music, endlessly beautiful and original invention – a celebration of dance, dancers…and life. Also on this program is Balanchine’s breezily romantic Who Cares? set to music by Gershwin.

Once again, Miami City Ballet will present George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™. This delightful holiday season family event features a cast of more than 100 professional dancers and talented students from Miami City Ballet School. Performances will take place at The Arsht Center in Miami and at Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale.

[ ... ]

Following is the entire season line-up.

(Programs subject to change)

Program I

Company B (Andrews Sisters/Taylor)

Allegro Brillante (Tchaikovky/Balanchine)

Flower Festival (Helsted/Bournonville)

Symphony in Three Movements (Stravinsky/Balanchine)

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade

Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House

Friday, October 23 at 8p.m.

Saturday, October 24 at 8p.m.

Sunday, October 25 at 2p.m.

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Friday, November 6 at 8p.m.

Saturday, November 7 at 2p.m. and 8p.m.

Sunday, November 8 at 2p.m.

Kravis Center for the Performing Arts

Friday, November 20 at 8p.m.

Saturday, November 21 at 2p.m. and 8p.m.

Sunday, November 22 at 1p.m.

Program II

Divertimento No. 15 (Mozart/Balanchine)

Valse Fantaisie (1953) (Glinka/Balanchine)

“The Golden Section” (Byrne/Tharp)

Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (Kay/Balanchine)

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade

Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House

Friday, January 8 at 8p.m.

Saturday, January 9 at 8p.m.

Sunday, January 10 at 2p.m.

Kravis Center for the Performing Arts

Friday, January 15 at 8p.m.

Saturday, January 16 at 2p.m. and 8p.m.

Sunday, January 17 at 1p.m.

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Friday, January 22 at 8p.m.

Saturday, January 23 at 2p.m. and 8p.m.

Sunday, January 24 at 2p.m.

Program III

The Neighborhood Ballroom (Rennó, Ellington, et. al /Villella)

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade

Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House

Friday, February 5 at 8p.m.

Saturday, February 6 at 8p.m.

Sunday, February 7 at 2p.m.

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Friday, February 12 at 8p.m.

Saturday, February 13 at 2p.m. and 8p.m.

Sunday, February 14 at 2p.m.

Kravis Center for the Performing Arts

Friday, February 19 at 8p.m.

Saturday, February 20 at 2p.m. and 8p.m.

Sunday, February 21 at 1p.m.

Program IV

Dances at a Gathering (Chopin/Robbins)

Who Cares? (Gershwin/Balanchine)

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Friday, March 12 at 8p.m.

Saturday, March 13 at 2p.m. and 8p.m.

Sunday, March 14 at 2p.m.

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade

Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House

Friday, April 9 at 7:30p.m.

Saturday, April 10 at 8p.m.

Sunday, April 11 at 2p.m.

Kravis Center for the Performing Arts

Friday, April 16 at 8p.m.

Saturday, April 17 at 2p.m. and 8p.m.

Sunday, April 18 at 1p.m.

George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Friday, December 11 at 7:30p.m.

Saturday, December 12 at 2p.m. and 7:30p.m.

Sunday, December 13 at 2p.m. and 7:30p.m.

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade

Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House

Friday, December 18 at 7:30p.m.

Saturday, December 19 at 2p.m. and 7:30p.m.

Sunday, December 20 at 2p.m.

Tuesday, December 22 at 7:30p.m.

Wednesday, December 23 at 7:30p.m.

Link to comment

I've been following MCB since the 2002 season. The works I haven't seen them do are:

Company B, Who Cares? Valse Fantaisie, whatever they will be doing from Flower Festival, and of the Tharp.

Here are the dates of the last performance(s) of each of the other works.

Allegro Brillante (11/03)

Symphony in Three Movements (11/03 and 2/7); City Center season (2/ 09)

Divertimento #15 (11/04)

Slaughter on 10th Avenue (11/02)

The full-evening Neighborhood Ballroom (4/03)

Dances at a Gathering (2/06)

Any thoughts from MCB fans? Jack? Cristian? Our annual visitors from New York City?

There's a lot I want to see, though there's no single program as exciting as Program I this year. Highlights for me will be Symphony in Three Movements, Divertimento #15 and Dances at a Gathering. I also want to see Who Cares? and am already doing imaginary casting. Assuming that Dances at a Gathering is heavy on the principals and soloists, it would be marvellous to have a Who Cares? which gave opportunities to the most promising corps members.

Otherwise, the programming seems to be a little heavy on the "light."

"Neighborhood Ballroom" is the big disappointment (for me). It's relatively low in energy and interest. The story line doesn't hold your interest, and the choroegraphy is workmanlike rather than exciting. The Fox Trot segment, performed this year, got the lest enthusiastic audience response I've seen in several seasons. And that's only one-quarter of the entire piece. :)

Link to comment

Thanks for the update bart!

Well...the new season holds four more new-(for me)-Balanchine's: Divertimento No. 15, Valse Fantaisie, Who Cares? and Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, and two that I only saw one time: Allegro Brillante-(which I saw at an Open Barre done by the School)-and Symphony in Three Movements, recently done at the Cleveland Orchestra Program with only one time running. That makes up for eight good reasons to look forward to the performances, counting also Bournonville and Robbins.

As per the rest... :) , particularly the whole Villella's ballroom stuff, which I definitely don't get. (Cultural issues probably).

Link to comment

Cristian, I wish that "cultural issues" were the only problem with Neighborhood Ballroom. :huh:

The West Palm audience is older than most and very dedicated to dance performances. They know Astaire, Bolger, and Kelly a lot better than most people. You would think this piece would be a natural for that kind of audience. But the piece just doesn't get an emotional or visceral response. Tepid applause should not be an acceptible goal.

All those beautiful dancers, good set and great costumes, all that wonderful period music -- everything seems to fade as soon as it crosses the footlights. It's astonishing -- but it's happened every time I've seen the piece, in part or as a whole.

If anyone at MCB is reading, I'd like to make an appeal for a MAJOR RE-THINK of Neighborhood Ballroom (story line espeacially, but also choreography and possibly even arrangements) before next season. Please! :huh:

It COULD work. You certainly have the dancers for it.

Link to comment

Gosh, bart, a "major re-think" might be cheap in the thinking, but actually putting it onstage would cost. Agreed, it's the weak program for me too. Fox Trot got a good response to the boys' numbers in Broward, as I recall, but the main womens' roles didn't make them look great, to my eyes. Jimmy Gamonet didn't help the women look good, either, I thought, in those days. It's a problem: We don't seem to have another Balanchine among us. He could make great ballets for everybody (developing them in the process, not incidentally) and on union time, too.

Link to comment

I expect to be in Miami for several programs and look forward especially to Dances at a Gathering! Have not seen that ballet performed by other than New York City Ballet.

As for programming, it's not hard to imagine that the economic situation has had significant impact on next season's offerings.

I just hope Miami City Ballet will be able to return to New York in the near future!

Link to comment

In Thursday's LINKS, there's an interesting Palm Beach Daily News article on the economic status of MCB.

According to this report:

Further cuts will be made in the 2009-10 season, when the operating budget will be reduced to $10.95 million. The last time the budget was that low was in the 2004-05 budget year.

According to [board Chairman Mike] Eidson, the cuts will include:

* Reducing the number of dancers from 53 this season to 43 next season. Eight corps and apprentice dancers' contracts were not renewed. Two dancers are retiring.

This is more severe than the information we posted previously. Now it is 8 rather than 7 dancers whose contracts will nto be renewed. Plus two retirements.

"The board is convinced that such extreme measures are necessary if the company is to survive," founding artistic director Edward Villella said in a letter to dancers whose contracts were not renewed.

* Continuing to perform without a live orchestra.

* Freezing salaries.

* Eliminating positions.

* Slimming marketing costs.

* Mounting only one new ballet.

* Programming ballets that do not require expensive sets and costumes.

The number of performances will not be reduced, Eidson said.

I'm glad there will be no reduction in number of performances. That WAS one of the rumors going around.

Another piece of POSITIVE news, Palm Beach County philantropist Eugenia Strauss, a long time supporter of the company, has just donated $100,000 for costumes for the new production of In the Night.

Here's the LINK to the complete article (courtesy of dirac's Thursday Links):

http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/con...c=7&cxcat=2

Link to comment
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...