L: Miami City Ballet Principal Katia Carranza and Principal Soloist Chase Swatosh in "Afternoon On A Faun" in "Entradas" R: Miami City Ballet Principals Jennifer Lauren and Renan Cerdeiro dance in "Square Dance" in "Entradas"
Miami City Ballet closes out its season with “Entradas,” a program of four dances by ballet choreographers George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins with three performances from Friday, May 19 through Sunday, May 21 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami.
“One of the highlights of the program is the first ever reinterpretation of Balanchine’s ‘Square Dance’ now set in a South Florida backyard,” said Miami City Ballet Executive Director Juan Jose Escalante.
Balanchine originally choreographed “Square Dance” in 1957 for the New York City Ballet with a square dance caller to the musical composition “Concerto Grosso in B Minor” by Antonio Vivaldi in the first movement and Arcalengo Corelli’s “Sarabanda, Badinerie e Giga” for the second and third movements of the ballet.
“Our ballet company reinterprets this classic ballet with a bilingual square dance caller, a unique feature for our audiences,” said Escalante.
Miami City Ballet Principal Soloist Chase Swatosh kisses Principal Katia Carranza in "Afternoon On A Faun" in "Entradas." (Photo by Alexander Iziliaev)
Both the Friday evening and Sunday matinee performances of “Square Dance” feature in the lead roles the duo of MCB Principal Alexander Peters and Soloist Taylor Naturkas. Principals Jennifer Lauren and Renan Cerdeiro perform on Saturday evening.
Each performance of “Square Dance” also features 12 MCB dancers who rotate in the three performances. Philip Kalmanovitch calls out the dance in English and Spanish.
Choreographer Jerome Robbins’ “Afternoon Of A Faun” follows “Square Dance” after intermission. The ballet is choreographed to Claude Debussy’s “Prelude a l’apres-midi d’un faune.”
The ballet features two dancers meeting in a sunny ballet studio. The dancers stretch, preen and drift together, transfixed by their own reflection. The audience is the mirror as the dancers are observed in their intimate encounter.
“Robbins was observing a young gifted student that inspired his masterpiece. The student was Edward Villella, the great American dancer who founded and was the first Artistic Director of Miami City Ballet,” said Escalante.
MCB Principal Stanislav Olshanskyi and Soloist Dawn Atkins perform “Afternoon Of A Faun”on Friday evening. Principal Soloist Hannah Fischer team with Corps De Ballet Cameron Catazaro in the Saturday show and Principal Katia Carranza is paired with Principal Soloist Chase Swatosh in the Sunday matinee performance.
Miami City Ballet Principals Renan Cerdeiro and Jennifer Lauren in center surrounded by other MCB dancers in "Square Dance" in "Entradas." (Photo by Alexander Iziliaev)
“Antiques Epigraphs” is choreographed by Robbins to an orchestrated version of Debussy’s “Six Epigraphes Antiques”. This dramatic ballet, featuring seven movements, alludes to the earthy fervor and sculptural forms of Greek antiquity.
A rotating cast of eight MCB female dancers team with flute soloist Karen Fuller in each performance. The seventh movement of the ballet is danced to Debussy’s “Syrinx” with the melody played by Fuller.
“This is our company’s premiere of ‘Antiques Epigraphs’, a homage to ancient Greek art and culture filled delicate movements, ethereal atmosphere and evocative storytelling,” said Escalante.
“Symphony In Three Movements” follows after a second intermission and is one of George Balanchine’s most celebrated leotard ballets, known for its kinetic movement by the dancers.
Igor Stravinsky, who composed “Symphony In Three Movements” met Balanchine and suggested
Miami City Ballet presents “Entradas”, four dances choreographed by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins on Friday, May 19, Saturday, May 20, and Sunday, May 21 at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. in Miami. The Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7:30 p.m. The Sunday matinee show begins at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $30-115. For tickets and more information, go to miamicityballet.org or call 305-929-7010
