Miami City Ballet – The Masters

The Miami City Ballet (MCB) performed their Program III, The Masters, on Sunday at the Adrienne Arsht Center and it was wonderful.  With new Artistic Director Lourdes Lopez in charge this season, MCB has stayed true to form, continuing with outgoing Artistic Director Edward Villella’s vision in presenting three George Ballanchine ballets as the cornerstone of the program.

The first Ballanchine, La Valse, a 1951 neo-romatic ballet danced to Ravel, is a dramatically dark seductive waltz that swirls in the depths of the atmosphere.  Zoe Zien, Nathalia Arja and Jeanette Delgado were outstanding with beautifully choreographed arms used most effectively to accentuate the flowing movement of the fuchsia and gray tulle skirts.  Another crowd pleaser, in contrasting style, was The Steadfast Tin Soldier, choreogrpahed by Balanchine and danced impeccably by Jennifer Lauren and Shimon Ito.  The Tshaikovsky Pas de Deux was classically lovely but it was Symphonic Dances, choreographed by  Alexei Ratmansky with music by Sergei Rachmaninoff, that stold the show, particularly the first movement.  I could have watched the guys – Kleber Rebello, Renato Penteado, Yann Trividic, Carlos Miguel Guerra and Reyneris Reyes repeat this part of the performance ten times over.

I’m afraid if you did not attend yesterdays performance, you missed this program.  But check out the MCB schedule for the remaining season and go.