Pictures at an Exhibition
Choreography by Alexei Ratmansky
Music by Modest Mussorgsky
Costume Design by Adeline André
Lighting by Mark Stanley
Projection by Wendall Harrington
Projection Programming by Paul Vershbow
Staged by Amar Rasamar
Costumes courtesy of Ballet West
Alexei Ratmansky’s Pictures at an Exhibition transforms Modest Mussorgsky’s famed piano suite into a vibrant, ever-shifting world of movement. Inspired by Mussorgsky’s musical interpretation of Viktor Hartmann’s artwork, Ratmansky’s ballet captures the spirit of artistic cross-pollination—where painting, music, and dance collide. Set against projections of Wassily Kandinsky’s Color Study Squares with Concentric Circles, the ballet unfolds as a series of shifting moods and dynamic encounters, echoing the suite’s progression through fantastical and evocative tableaux.
Premiered by New York City Ballet in 2014, Pictures at an Exhibition reflects Ratmansky’s signature choreographic style—intricate, expressive, and steeped in musicality. The ballet channels the raw energy of Mussorgsky’s composition while embracing the abstraction of Kandinsky’s art, creating a dreamlike journey through movement, sound, and color.
The final piece of the score, The Great Gate of Kyiv, was inspired by Hartmann’s design for a grand entrance to the city, symbolizing strength and resilience. In Ratmansky’s staging, the projection shifts to the blue and yellow of the Ukrainian flag, underscoring the music’s deeper significance. As a Ukrainian-born artist, Ratmansky has stated, “It is important for me to state where I stand” in light of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
Chaconne
Choreography by José Limón
Music by J.S. Bach*
Staged by Kurt Douglas
Lighting by Mark Stanley
The Chaconne as a dance form originated in New Spain, now Mexico, as a robust and raucous dance. Bach employed the strict musical form of the Chaconne but enriched it with powerful emotional implications. Mr. Limón has tried to capture in his dance both the formal austerity and the profound feeling of the music.
Miami City Ballet's performance of José Limón's Chaconne is generously underwritten by Mark Steinberg and Dennis Edward.
*"Chaconne" from Partita #2 in D Minor for Unaccompanied Violin
"©1996, José Limón Dance Foundation. This performance of "CHACONNE", a Limónsm Dance, is presented by arrangement with the José Limón Dance Foundation, Inc. and has been produced in accordance with the Limón Style℠ and Limón Technique℠ service standards established by the José Limón Dance Foundation, Inc. Limón℠ , Limón style℠ and Limón Technique℠ are trade and service marks of the José Limón Dance Foundation, Inc. (All rights reserved)"
Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux
Choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust
Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky*
Staged by Miami City Ballet
Costume Design by Haydée Morales
Lighting by Mark Stanley
This joyous little masterpiece has been in the world’s repertory for sixty years now! Originally composed by Tschaikovksy for the (failed) first version of Swan Lake, Balanchine rescued its music from obscurity to create one of the most popular of his ballets, combining thrilling virtuosic demands with an enchanting floating lyricism — all climaxed when the ballerina flings herself headlong across the stage into a fish dive while the audience gasps!
Miami City Ballet premiere: October 17, 1986, Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, Miami, FL.
Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux was generously underwritten by Jacqueline and Irwin E. Kott*.
* Excerpt from Swan Lake, Op. 20, Act III
The performance of Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, a Balanchine® Ballet, is presented by arrangement with The George Balanchine Trust and has been produced in accordance with the Balanchine Style® and Balanchine Technique®, Service Standards established and provided by The Trust.
GLASS PIECES
Choreography by Jerome Robbins
Music by Philip Glass, Rubric, Façades, excerpts from the opera Akhnaten*
Staged by Jean-Pierre Frohlich
Costume Design by Ben Benson
Set Design by Jerome Robbins and Ronald Bates (Production Design)
Lighting Design by Jennifer Tipton
Lighting Recreation by Les Dickert
Set and Costumes Courtesy of National Ballet of Canada
When Jerome Robbins premiered Glass Pieces in 1983 (with Lourdes Lopez in the original cast), The New York Times hailed it as “a picture of our times -- the electronic age, the computer age.”
Because its Philip Glass score is so resonant; because it is so brilliantly structured; because its images, beginning with its huge graph-paper backdrop, are so indelible, it continues to grip and thrill audiences everywhere.
MCB premiere: January 13, 2017, Adrienne Arsht Center, Miami, FL.
*©1981 Dunvagen Music Publishers Inc. Used by Permission.
Performed by permission of the Robbins Rights Trust.
Welcome MCB Friends and Family,
Miami City Ballet’s 39th season is, in some ways, the start of our 40th anniversary celebration. As stewards of this incredible art form, we maintain our commitment to our dancers, the heart and soul of our company, as well as to you, our audiences, by curating an ambitious season of ballet.
It has been said that in George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, one can see Shakespeare’s words written in the choreography. With designs and projections inspired by the shapes and colors found in marine life, our reimagined production trades the lush forest landscape for the coastal waters of South Florida.
No season would be complete without George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, the family favorite and Florida-flavored holiday tradition. We hope you enjoy the festive magic this season brings, as this timeless classic continues to enchant and inspire.
In Winter Mix, Balanchine’s Walpurgisnacht Ballet and La Valse bring classical elegance to the stage, while contemporary choreographer Pam Tanowitz premieres her second work for MCB, complete with music by Grammy award-winning artist Jessie Montgomery, a young, fresh female voice in today’s classical music scene.
Spring Mix offers a diverse range of choreographers and composers, showcasing our dedication to artistic variety. Alexei Ratmansky’s Pictures at an Exhibition is a ballet for ten dancers; Playful, tongue-in-cheek, but not without its dark shadows. In complete contrast, José Limón’s Chaconne offers baroque inspired choreography set to Bach for a solo male dancer. Jerome Robbins’ Glass Pieces introduces a contemporary, urban feel, featuring Philip Glass’s minimalist score. Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux brings Balanchine brilliance to the mix–short, stunning, and supremely cherished, it’s a thrill ride for dancers and audience alike.
Finally, we bring you the World Premiere of Carmen. This is the first commissioned work for the company by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, emphasizing our commitment to showcasing contemporary choreographic voices. Commissioned music by young classical Colombian composer Juan Pablo Acosta builds upon Bizet’s original–and iconic–composition. This unique fusion of styles demonstrates our enthusiasm for exploring new artistic directions and supporting burgeoning composers.
This season, we are thrilled to be presenting work at The Moss Center, sharing some of our most delightful repertoire in an intimate environment. As a cornerstone of Miami’s cultural landscape, we take deep pride in continuing to enrich and inspire our community at every opportunity.
Through a diverse range of programming, from timeless classics to bold new commissions, we continue to push the boundaries of ballet, ensuring that Miami City Ballet remains a vital and innovative force in the world of dance. With each step, leap, and turn, we celebrate the infinite possibilities of movement—and the vibrant community that supports us every step of the way.
With love,
* indicates Miami City Ballet School Alumni
Ciro Foderé (Montevideo, Uruguay) graced with a powerful musicality and fiery technique, has established himself as a well-sought soloist and chamber musician. Regularly invited as a concerto soloist with orchestras such as the New World Symphony, Symphony of the Americas, Miami Symphony Orchestra, Montevideo Philharmonic, Sendai Philharmonic, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonic of Extremadura, he has worked with conductors Michael Tilson Thomas, with whom he closely collaborated, David Stahl, Ignaz Solzhenitsyn, Eduardo Marturet, Eduardo Marturet, and as a chamber musician alongside violinist Joshua Bell, and soprano Renée Fleming.
A champion of virtuoso piano repertoire, the press has hailed his performances as "masterful, electric, by turns fiery and lyrical" (Post and
Courier), "edge-of-the-seat thrilling" featuring "technical sheen articulation, alert dynamic shading, and an imaginative approach"(Miami Herald).
Ciro Foderé's versatile playing has seen him appear with the Miami City Ballet since 2013, collaborating in studio rehearsals and performances throughout Florida. He also has appeared as a recitalist and chamber musician in Carnegie Hall, Teatro Santa Cecilia, Pittsburgh Concert Society, and in festivals Perugia, Londrina Music Festival, International Piano Series, Spoleto Festival, and Trujillo Music Festival. His performances have been broadcasted by America's National Public Radio (NPR) and North and South American TV.
Always enthusiastic about expanding his repertoire, Mr. Foderé has premiered works by numerous American composers. Composer Florencia Di Concilio dedicated to him a piano concerto, premiered with the Miami Symphony Orchestra. An active teacher, Ciro Foderé is a professor at the New World School of the Arts, the University of Florida in Miami, and has taught at the Miami Music Festival.
Ciro Foderé is the First Prize Winner of the XIV Bartok-Kabalevsky-Prokofieff International Competition. Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Ciro came to the US while still a teenager, and studied with Enrique Graf and the late Earl Wild.
In the 2023-2024 season, Ciro Foderé's concert engagements include performances of Rachmaninoff second, Bach, Beethoven and Gershwin piano concerti, as well as solo and chamber music recitals in both North and South America.
SPRING MIX TRAILER
Artistic Director: Lourdes Lopez
Executive Director: Juan José Escalante
Chairman of the Board of Directors & Trustees: Jeff Davis
Board Liaison & Executive Assistant: Leslie Ann Reams
ARTISTIC
General Manager: John D. Hall
Company Manager: Jessica Perez
Principal Rehearsal Director: Roma Sosenko
Rehearsal Directors: Joan Latham, Arnold Quintane, and Tricia Albertson
Company Class Accompanist: Leana Reisman
Company Pianist: Francisco Rennó
Music Director and Principal Conductor: Gary Sheldon
PRODUCTION AND WARDROBE
Director of Production and Lighting: John D. Hall
Production Stage Manager: Kelly Brown
Assistant Stage Manager: Bailey Kirk
Head Carpenter: Brian Harris
Head Properties: Nicanor Smith
Head Electrician: Shane Cassidy
Assistant Electrician: Elvin Thomas
Sound Engineer: Sean M. Deceunick
Assistant Carpenter/Flyman: James Sampedro
Properties Assistant: Gary Darling
Projection Operator: Wilmer Arellano
In Memorium: Richard Carter
Wardrobe Manager: Carrie Cabrera
Wardrobe Master: Ricardo "Pico" Asturias
School Wardrobe Mistress: Ibis Hernandez
Shoe Inventory Assistant: Helen Cave
Seamstress/Seamster: Julia Villalobos, Alberto Fages
Makeup Artist: Ellen Dawson
In Memorium: Jennifer Conrad
DEVELOPMENT
Senior Director of Development: Dena Liston
Senior Director, Major Gifts: Orene Tross-Harris
Director of Special Events: Heather Rush
Director of Foundation and Government Relations: Michele Scanlan
Manager of Foundation and Government Relations: Lee Eachus
Associate Director of Individual Giving- Palm Beach: Samantha Hurwitch
Special Events Manager: Somers Killian
MARKETING
Chief Marketing Officer: Chantell Ghosh
Senior Director of Marketing Operations: Mary Landreth
Director of Marketing, Communications and Content: Anne Mortomore
Director of Audience and Ticketing Services: Joshua Wickard
Senior Creative Services & Content Manager: Ali Castro
Senior Production Designer: Mina Rhee
Public Relations and Events Marketing Coordinator: Masha Enriquez
Digital Marketing Coordinator: Eden Cohen
Supervisor, Audience and Ticketing Services: Katharine Baines
Associate Coordinator, Audience Services and Ticketing: Leyda Castro and Adam Gamer
Audience Services Representatives: Jade Emmanuel, Randy Fumero, Yuan Gonzalez, Andrea Lastra, Sofia Osorio, Jennifer Parra, and Mariangel Rivero
General Press Representation: Billy Zavelson/Richard Kornberg & Associates
Marketing & Customer Relations Consultant: Nicole Wetzell
Creative Direction Consultant: Ron Roberts
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Director of Community Engagement: Brenda Alba
Community Engagement Programs Manager: Tharesa Z. Perry
Community Dance Education Programs Manager: Norma Fuisting
Community Engagement Coordinator: Bianca Guirado
Arts in Education Program
Teaching Artists and Musicians: Kassie Abreu, Blaire Andrews, Matthew Aubeuf, Efrain Chibas, Bradley Dunlap, Claudia Lezcano, Nuria Martinez, Luis Ocasio, Rae Wilcoxson
Community Engagement Program Assistants: Merle Inasi and Noeli Morejon
FINANCE AND OPERATIONS
Chief Financial Officer: Ainsworth Geddes
Payroll Manager: Marisa Rios-Lopez
Finance and Donor System Manager: Carlos Lopez
Staff Accountant: John Colon
Senior Director of Human Resources: Lina Aguirre
Human Resources Assistant and Office Manager: Joy Stanfield
MIAMI CITY BALLET SCHOOL
Chair: Lourdes Lopez
School Artistic Director: Arantxa Ochoa
School Managing Director: Cameron Basden
School Operations Manager: Jessica Bork
Pre-Professionals Manager & Artistic Liaison: Manon Maher
School Programs Manager: Amanda Del Cerro
School Administrative Assistant: Vanessa Haro
Housing Manager: Nellani Rainford
Front Desk Receptionist: Carmen Ramos
School Resident Choreographer: Durante Verzola
Principal Faculty: Katia Carranza & Alexander Iziliaev
Faculty: Leslie Young Cheng, Claudia Kuwana, Claudia Lezcano, Rosa Mercedes, Michaela Mann, Maribel Modrono, Fabian Morales, Kareen Pauld Camargo, Herman Payne, Renato Penteado, Rilanty Septiantari
Pianists: Marianela Castro, Juvenal Correa-Salas, Gladys Fariñas, Vivian Gonzalez, Yraima Menendez, Teresa Valdivia
PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANTS
Employment and Labor Law: Lisa Berg, Esq. — Stearns Weaver Miller, et al, P.A.
Immigration Law: Glenn Rissman, Esq. — Stearns Weaver Miller, et al, P.A.
Auditor: Robbins and Moroney, P.A.
MEDICAL PROVIDERS
Director of Artistic Health: Alejandro Piris Niño, PT, DPT
Company Physician: Kathleen L. Davenport, MD
Foot and Ankle Orthopedic Specialist: Steven David Steinlauf, MD
Massage Therapist: Alexis Somoano LMT, Jill Davison, LMT
Part-Time Physical Therapists: Audrey Lugo PT, DPT, CSCS, and Bethany Cook, PT, DPT, SCS, CSCS
Strength and Conditioning: Chase Swatosh
Nutritionist: Maria Vallasciani MS, RD, LD/N, RN, CNSC, IBCLC
Mental Health: Dr. Scott Leydig, Psy.D.
Jeffrey Davis, Chair
Charles Adelman
Jill E. Braufman
Eric Carpenter
Veronica de Zayas, Esq.
Alex DiLeonardo
Juan José Escalante, Ex Officio
Robert Friezo
Dan Gelber, Former Mayor of Miami Beach
Kathy Guttman
Bruce Halpryn, Ph.D.
Kristi Jernigan
Mamie Joeveer
Susan D. Kronick
Allen London
Lourdes Lopez, Ex Officio
Manny Marquez
Eleanor Pao
Saul Sanders, Treasurer
Michael Schultz
Ana-Marie Codina Barlick, Past Chair
Mike Eidson, Past Chair
Ron Esserman*, Past Chair
Robert Gottlieb*
Jacqueline Kott*
R. Kirk Landon*
Gerri LeBow*
Rhoda Levitt, Past Chair
Rita Stein*
Major funding for Miami City Ballet provided by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the Arison Arts Foundation.
Miami-Dade County support is provided by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, with support from the City of Miami Beach Department of Tourism and Culture, Cultural Arts Council, and the Miami Beach Mayor and City Commissioners. Support for Miami City Ballet in the Palm Beaches is generously sponsored in part by the Board of County Commissioners, the Tourist Development Council, and the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County.
Special thanks to the Funding Arts Network for a grant to support the World Premiere of Coincident Dances by Pam Tanowitz.