Jerome Robbins put ballet dancers in sneakers when “N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz” premiered in 1958. For Miami City Ballet’s first performances of the work, designer Zac Posen is building on that everyday wardrobe with denim, hoodies, button-down shirts and T-shirts.
Invited by The Robbins Rights Trust and Miami City Ballet, Posen created the costumes through GapStudio, drawing on Gap’s casual clothing and adapting it for the stage.
Then project is expected to mark the first authorized redesign of the ballet’s original stage costumes.
The company premiere opens Friday, Oct. 16, as part of Miami City Ballet’s “American Rhythms” program at the Adrienne Arsht Center. Performances continue through Sunday, Oct. 18, before moving to the Broward Center for the Performing Arts Oct. 24–25.
Robbins’ original ballet captured the rhythms of jazz and the energy of young people in New York City, with dancers wearing tights, different-colored tops and sneakers. Posen, executive vice president and creative director of Gap Inc., saw a connection between that approach and the brand’s wardrobe staples.
“There was something incredibly modern about his vision of dancers in T-shirts and sneakers, capturing the energy and individuality of young people in New York City,” Posen says in a news release.
“That is the Gap vocabulary. Our ads have always danced.”
Each of the ballet’s 16 dancers has a distinct look. Drawing inspiration from GapStudio’s fall 2026 collection, the costumes incorporate denim, T-shirts, button-down shirts, hoodies and relaxed trousers. Stretch denim and changes to garment construction accommodate the movement required by Robbins’ choreography.
The color palette takes inspiration from Henri Matisse’s “Jazz” series, combining denim, black and neutrals with saturated colors intended to reflect Miami. For the finale, the dancers come together in white T-shirts and sneakers, returning to the simplicity of Robbins’ original concept.
“Zac’s vibrant, playful designs are a perfect match for the youthful energy, individuality, and unmistakable spirit of Robbins’ ballet,” says Miami City Ballet artistic director Gonzalo Garcia in the announcement.
The collaboration also extends beyond the theater. Miami City Ballet commissioned director Ezra Hurwitz to create a visual campaign filmed in Miami, featuring the company’s dancers in Posen’s costumes.
“N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz” is one of three works on “American Rhythms,” alongside George Balanchine’s “Allegro Brillante” and the world premiere of Patricia Delgado’s “Push the Buttons of the Civilized,” with music by Emily Estefan.
IF YOU GO
What: Miami City Ballet’s “American Rhythms”
When and where: Oct. 16–18 at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; Oct. 24–25 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale
Tickets and information:miamicityballet.org
