Miami City Ballet, making a triumphant return under the Artistic Directorship of former New York City Ballet prima ballerina Lourdes López, showcases talent, versatility, and superb classical technique. Carmen, by British choreographer Richard Alston, is graceful and fluid yet lightning fast, an enthralling ballet, performed on pointe, set to a sharp adaptation of the iconic score by Georges Bizet. The stunning Symphonic Dances – created for MCB by ballet superstar Alexei Ratmansky – is dramatic and fast-paced, set to Sergei Rachmaninoff’s fiery score. The program also includes Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux by George Balanchine. Miami City Ballet performs Carmen, Symphonic Dances, and Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux in Southam Hall of the National Arts Centre on March 5-7 at 8 p.m.

ABOUT CARMEN
Everyone knows the story, and the famous music. Headstrong cigar factory girl flirts with soldier, dumps him for glamorous bullfighter, and it all ends in tears. But this Carmen is different, starting with Russian composer Rodion Shchedrin’s reorchestration of Bizet’s popular opera score. Its concentration on strings and percussion gives it a 21st century freshness. Richard Alston distills the essence of the story into a taut, coherent, gripping dance work, with spectacle, humour, pathos, and sensuality. He has made exhilarating sequences for the corps de ballet – dances of freedom and exhilaration – and some heartbreakingly lovely duets and trios for the principals. Judith Mackrell in London’s The Guardian (April 18, 2009) wrote that “Carmen is one of [Alston’s] finest creations, classical and passionate … excellent design team, exceptional clarity and a lack of cliché. This feels like a freshly told drama.”

CARMEN (2009)
CHOREOGRAPHY Richard Alston
MUSIC Rodion Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite adapted from Georges Bizet’s Carmen
STAGING Amanda Eyles
COSTUME DESIGN Antony McDonald
SCENIC and LIGHTING DESIGN Peter Mumford

DURATION 40 minutes

ABOUT TSCHAIKOVSKY PAS DE DEUX
A display of ballet bravura and technique, Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux uses music that the composer belatedly created for Act III of Swan Lake. When Bolshoi prima ballerina Anna Sobeshchanskaya starred in the fourth performance of the 1877 Moscow production, she asked for more material to enrich the role of Odile. Tchaikovsky hurriedly composed an extra number, but, as it was not part of the original score and was not published with the rest of Swan Lake, it was forgotten for more than 70 years. When it was discovered in the Bolshoi Theater archives in 1953, New York City Ballet co-founder and founding choreographer George Balanchine sought – and was granted – permission to use it for his own choreography. The premiere took place on March 29, 1960 in New York.

TSCHAIKOVSKY PAS DE DEUX (1960)
CHOREOGRAPHY George Balanchine
MUSIC Peter Ilyitch Tschaikovsky, “Lost music” from Swan Lake, Act III
STAGING Miami City Ballet
COSTUMES Haydée Morales
LIGHTING DESIGN John Hall

DURATION 10 minutes

ABOUT SYMPHONIC DANCES
Symphonic Dances, created for MCB by Alexei Ratmansky, the leading classical choreographer of his generation, is set to Sergei Rachmaninoff’s powerful three-movement Symphonic Dances, Op. 45, his final composition. While Ratmansky focuses on the images and feelings created by the music, his ballet reflects on visceral human relationships. The choreography is very fluid and the dancing shows mature sensuality and calculated risk. It is invigorating to see these dancers performing contemporary ballet that is choreographed specifically for them, and Miami City Ballet shines brilliantly.

SYMPHONIC DANCES (2012)
CHOREOGRAPHY Alexei Ratmansky
MUSIC Symphonic Dances, Op. 45 (1940) by Sergei Rachmaninoff
COSTUME DESIGN Adeline André and Istvan Dohar

DURATION 35 minutes

ABOUT MIAMI CITY BALLET
Miami City Ballet (founded by Edward Villella in 1986) is the eighth largest ballet company in the U.S., with 50 dancers. The company has four home counties in South Florida and has a repertoire of nearly 100 ballets, including a number of world premieres. They include George Balanchine's masterworks, full-length classical ballets, and works by contemporary choreographers. Artistic Director Lourdes López joined MCB in 2012. López was born in Cuba and raised in Miami. She was a principal dancer for New York City Ballet for 24 years under George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. After retiring from the stage, she went on to become the executive director of The George Balanchine Foundation and co-founded the innovative dance company Morphoses with Christopher Wheeldon. Miami City Ballet has toured throughout the United States and has danced in more than 100 U.S. cities. Internationally, MCB has performed in Europe, Great Britain, South America, Central America, and Israel.

 

ACTIVITIES FOR DANCE STUDENTS

Masterclass with Jennifer Kronenburg, principal dancer for Miami City Ballet
Saturday, March 7 from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

For intermediate/advanced-level ballet students and dancers (aged 14 and up).
Register online at: http://nac-cna.ca/en/event/10356

SPONSORS

NAC Dance would like to thank Hotel Partner Lord Elgin and Media Partner Le Droit.  

 

TICKETS AND PERFORMANCES
Miami City Ballet performs Carmen, Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, and Symphonic Dances in Southam Hall of the National Arts Centre on Thursday March 5, Friday March 6, and Saturday March 7 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25, $54, $73, $89, and $101 for adults and $25, $29, $38.50, $46.50, and $52.50 for students (upon presentation of a valid student ID card).

Groups of 10 or more save 15% to 20% off regular ticket prices; to reserve your seats, call 613 947-7000 x634 or e-mail grp@nac-cna.ca.

Tickets are available for purchase:
• In person at the NAC Box Office;
• At all Ticketmaster outlets;
• By telephone from Ticketmaster, 1-888-991-2787 (ARTS);
• Online through the Ticketmaster link on the NAC’s website (www.nac-cna.ca);

A service charge applies on all purchases made through Ticketmaster.