Congratulations to principal dancer Haiyan Wu and principal soloist Yang Zou on the birth of their son Eric William!
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Opening night is almost here! In the blink of an eye it’ll be October 23 and Miami City Ballet will be performing Company B during Program I. Patrick Corbin, former Paul Taylor dancer and now Artistic Director of CorbinDances, was recently in the studios with the dancers rehearsing this Paul Taylor signature piece. Here’s a glimpse of rehearsal.
The studios were empty on Monday in observance of Columbus Day. But one ballerina was geared up in rehearsal attire and ready to have her picture taken. Jennifer Kronenberg, MCB Principal Dancer, was photographed for an upcoming feature in the January/February issue of SoBe Fit Magazine. The story will feature Jennifer’s health and fitness habits. Find it on newsstands in December. Make sure you get your copy!
Here are some behind-the-scenes photos and a sneak peek at what you’ll see in the magazine.
It was Saturday at 6 o’clock in the morning when we made our way through the lobby of the Mondrian South Beach, up the elevator to the tenth floor, and into the room designated for the Miami City Ballet dancers, who would be taking part in the Florida Travel + Life photo shoot. Eight dancers had been scheduled to participate in a pool-side photo shoot once the sun came up. After a few cups of coffee the pace started to pick up as everyone put on costumes and retouched makeup. In the midst of all this preparation we began to hear a familiar sound coming from outside–rain! That put a damper on things for a minute. But we were quick on our feet! We decided to take some photos inside the hotel while we waited for the rain to stop. Of course, this being September, the rain continued all morning long.
Although we weren’t able to go outside as originally planned, the shoot was a huge success. The bar in the lobby, where chandeliers hang in over-sized gold bells, became the backdrop for the first set of photos. Creativity flowed as all the cool elements in the hotel were soon captured: the black staircase that jumps out at you in the all-white lobby, the vending machine that contains everything you can think of besides junk food and sodas, the columns, the bubble trees, the curtains….everything was used to our advantage. The contrast between classical costumes with the modern décor of the hotel was dazzling. In the end, the weather did not rain on our parade!
The photo essay will be featured in the January/February issue of Florida Travel + Life. Here’s a sneak peek of that rainy, yet wildly successful Saturday morning.
Yann Trividic, former MCB Principal Dancer, has returned to the Company as a guest artist. Yann joined Miami City Ballet as a Soloist in 2000 and was promoted to Principal in 2003. Since his departure from Miami, Yann has been residing in his native France and studied osteopathic medicine. He is back to dance a leading role (The Poet) in Edward Villella’s The Neighborhood Ballroom, which is Program III of the 2009-2010 Season.
We caught up with Yann to talk about his return to MCB.
Alex Wong chats with us about his promotion to Principal Soloist (he joined MCB as a member of the Corps in 2005), as well as what he’s looking forward to during the 09-10 Season. Check out his video interview.
Have you seen Alex dance on stage with Miami City Ballet? What was your favorite performance?
Leigh-Ann’s experience with the Flip camera in Vail comes to an end in Part 3 of her video journal series. Here she takes you through MCB’s final days at the festival including Up Close: Edward Villella, on stage before and after a performance of “Rubies” and on the journey home.
Leigh-Ann did a terrific job documenting the Vail tour and was extremely excited about sharing it with you. Stay tuned for coverage on future tours!
Did you enjoy the video journal? What else would you like to see?
We hope you enjoyed the first part of Leigh-Ann’s video journal. There is so much more to see! In Part 2 you’ll follow the dancers during their time off in Vail, listen in on Damian Woetzel talking to the dancers at dinner, watch a pre-performance company class, and more.
Check back tomorrow for the third and final part of the video journal.
Post by Leigh-Ann Esty
Hello everyone! Leigh-Ann Esty, here. I am a member of MCB’s Corps de Ballet.
As you know, the Company recently traveled to Colorado, to participate in the Vail International Dance Festival, directed by Damian Woetzel (former New York City Ballet dancer). It hadn’t been long since we’d gotten back from our summertime off, and before we knew it we were packed and on our way. When I was asked by the Company to carry around a Flip camera and document our trip, you can imagine how excited I was — I’m a huge photography fan! I tried to capture all the moments I could: in the airport, on the bus, during free time, even on stage while we were warming up and about to perform! Out of this came a three-part video journal series, which gives you a sneak peek of what it’s like to be in the Company when we’re on tour. One of the best parts of this whole experience is being able to show you how normal ballet dancers really are! We are just a bunch of goofballs.
In Part 1 you’ll join us on the way to Vail and watch as we adapt to our new, and very different surroundings. You’ll see the two beautiful venues we performed at (Gerald R. Ford Ampitheater and Vilar Performing Arts Center), the dancers share their feelings about the Vail tour, and watch us backstage as we prepare for show time. Check back on Friday and Saturday for the rest of the Vail coverage .
Well, I hope you enjoy the clips! We all had a great time in Vail…minus the dramatic moments of high altitude hitting us! Thanks for viewing.
Newly promoted Soloist Daniel Baker takes some time from his lunch break to tell us about his promotion and what he’s looking forward to the most this Season. Daniel joined Miami City Ballet as a Company Apprentice in 2006 and was promoted to Soloist this year. While still holding on to his Australian roots, Daniel has found a home at MCB. Look for him on the cover of this Season’s mailer, in MCB ads and as the Bugle Boy in most Company B performances (among other roles).
Daniel told us what he’s looking forward to performing. What are you looking forward to seeing?