Ballet Florida's next program drops a Martins and a Balanchine

[bart]

An updated program listing for Ballet Florida's February 1-2 weekend at the Kravis Center eliminates the previously announced Ash (Peter Martins) and Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux (Balanchine). They will be replaced by a "company premiere" of Dvorak Serenade by Lar Lubovitch, who has created and/or staged a number of ballets for the company.

Also on this program are repeats of Ben Stevenson's Four Last Songs and Trey McIntyre's Second Before the Ground.

Performances are Friday Feb. 1 (8pm) and Saturday Feb. 2 (2pm and 8pm).

The latest advert features a lovely photo of Yumelia Garcia and Markus Schaffer, who be forming an impressive and moving partnership ... alas, just in time for Schaffer's retirement at the end of this season. They were the standout Sugarplum/Cavalier (as well as Dew Drop/ Cavalier) out of four Nutcracker casts in December.

[carbro]

This is intriguing. How often does a company suddenly announce a program change that includes a premiere in two weeks? It must have been in the works for a while.

I can't wait to hear from our South Florida contingent.

[bart]

This is intriguing. How often does a company suddenly announce a program change that includes a premiere in two weeks? It must have been in the works for a while.

Indeed. It may have been a little longer than that, however. Lubovitch was in town in early December.

I have to say that Lubovitch's choreography is a better fit for this company and these dancers than Balanchine (whose Allegro Brillante they are still scheduled to do in the spring) or Martins. BF has already performed, very nicely imo, Elemental Brubeck and Smile with my Heart, both of which are in San Francisco's rep as well. They also list his Musette, which I have not seen.