When Mary Carmen Catoya’s performed in George Balanchine’s Raymonda Variations at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale this past weekend, it marked the conclusion of a sixteen-year career with Miami City Ballet.
Following her departure from MCB at the end of this season, Catoya will continue her career appearing as a guest artist both nationally and internationally.
Mary Carmen Catoya in Miami City Ballet's Don Quixote.
A principal dancer at the National Ballet of Caracas in Venezuela, the ballerina was hired in 1999 by MCB’s Founding Artistic Director Edward Villella. Over the next sixteen years, she became a leading member of the troupe, known for her brilliant bravura technical abilities, speed, and onstage charisma.
When MCB opened its inaugural season with a company premiere of the 19th- century classic Don Quixote, Catoya danced the famous, and fiercely difficult, female lead of Kitri.
She went on to dance the lead roles in some of the most technically challenging roles in MCB’s repertory, including Balanchine’s Ballet Imperial, Ballo della Regina, Theme and Variations, Symphony in C, and Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, as well as the coveted title roles in Coppélia and Giselle.
Writing about her performance in Balanchine’s Divertimento No. 15, the New York Times’ chief dance critic Alastair Macaulay said, “..the crisp elegance of her head positions and upper body above the rapid coloratura of her footwork gave true delight.”
“This is a bittersweet moment for both Mary Carmen and Miami City Ballet," said MCB Artistic Director Lourdes Lopez. "For sixteen years, as a principal dancer, Mary Carmen has thrilled, entertained, and enchanted not only our South Florida audiences, but also our audiences all over the U.S. and abroad. She will now share her artistry with new audiences. But wherever she goes, she will always be part of the MCB family and occupy a place close to our collective heart.”
