Miami City Ballet to Host First Annual National Dance Day Event

Miami City Ballet is celebrating National Dance Day on Saturday, July 30, with a dance party in Collins Park followed by an Open House across the street at MCB Studios to showcase MCB School programs.

Free and open to the public, the event is part of an annual celebration launched in 2010 by the Dizzy Feet Foundation and made popular by the hit TV show, "So You Think You Can Dance." The tradition has since been carried out in Los Angeles and Washington D.C., so MCB is excited to lead the charge in inviting the community to its first-ever celebration in Miami Beach. The event will raise support for MCB and Dizzy Feet's shared mission to encourage Americans to embrace dance as a fun and positive way to maintain good health and fight obesity.

So bring your dancing shoes for an outdoor dance party starting at 10 am. Participants will be guided through a dance routine created especially for National Dance Day. The dance party will culminate with everyone performing together in a flash mob.

After the dance party, cool off inside MCB's beautiful state-of-the-art facilities in Miami Beach with refreshments by Vita Coco and ice cream by Azucar Ice Cream Company. The Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders will be signing autographs and taking pictures with dance fans. MCB dancers will be leading building tours, giving guests a chance to interact one-on-one with our artists and get a behind- the-scenes look at the life of a dancer. Get into the spirit of the day by participating in a free dance class: Videosync - a blend of pop jazz, hip hop and soul-dance fitness; or Jazz Funk - incorporating several dance genres into a funky style that is fun and expressive. These classes are appropriate for all ages and levels.

MCB School's Open House will introduce prospective parents and students to the School and its programs. The youngest children ages 3-6 can participate in one of three free sample classes offered in the fall. Boys ages 7-11 will even have their own free sample class and audition to join an All Boys' Dance class that introduces them to classical ballet, jazz, musical theater dance and hip hop. Auditions will also be held for the Pre?Professional Division (ages 14-18) or the Student Division (ages 8-13). Parents can register for the school year and students can meet MCB School's new director of faculty and curriculum, Arantxa Ochoa, who joins the team in August. The MCB Store will be selling uniforms and other dance supplies, Miami City Ballet and MCB School merchandise, and tickets to MCB's upcoming season. Visitors will receive a 10% discount on all MCB merchandise purchased during the Open House (does not include uniforms or dancewear).

IF YOU GO:

Saturday, July 30
Collins Park and MCB Studios at 2200 Liberty Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Dance Party in Collins Park
10:00-11:00 am - Dance party
11:00 am-12:00 pm - 2016 National Dance Day Routine flash mob

Meet & Greet by the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders: 12:00-2:00 pm

Kids' Sample Class Schedule:
Creative Movement (ages 3-4): 10:45-11:05 am and 11:50 am-12:10 pm
Ballet Preparatory I (age 5): 11:15-11:45 am and 12:15-12:45 pm
Ballet Preparatory II (age 6): 1:00-1:30 pm

Sample Class Schedule:
12:30-1:30 pm Videosync with J Marcos
2:30-3:30 pm Jazz Funk with Herman Payne
Space is limited. Please arrive early to check in.

Building Tours with MCB Dancers:
1:30 & 2:00 pm - with Nicole Stalker and Leanna Rinaldi
3:30 & 4:00 pm - with Nathalia Arja and Ariel Rose

Auditions for the 2016-2017 School Year Program:

Girls Ages 8-9:
Registration: 10:30 am
Audition Class: 11:00 am-12:00 pm

All Boys Ages 7-11
Registration: 12:00 pm
Audition Class: 12:30-1:30 pm

Girls Ages 10-12; Boys Age 12
Registration: 1:30 pm
Audition Class: 2:00-3:00 pm

Young Men and Women Ages 13-18
Registration: 3:00 pm
Audition Class: 3:30-5:00 pm

For more information on kids' sample classes and auditions, contact Miami City Ballet School at 305.929.7007 or school@miamicityballet.org.

Miami City Ballet recently celebrated its 30th anniversary season, earning critical acclaim from The New York Times: "Bold, light, immediate, intensely musical, the dancing of Miami City Ballet flies straight to the heart." Led by Artistic Director Lourdes Lopez since 2012, MCB was founded in 1985 by Miami philanthropist Toby Lerner Ansin and Founding Artistic Director Edward Villella. The Company has 50 dancers and a repertoire of more than 100 ballets. MCB performs for nearly 100,000 patrons annually during its South Florida home season in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Naples, and tours to top theaters domestically and internationally.

Miami City Ballet School, the official school of Miami City Ballet, is one of the most respected ballet training academies in America. The School's renowned faculty, challenging syllabus and affiliation with Miami City Ballet make it a place where all students - from children to adults - can receive comprehensive dance training. The School serves approximately 400 students, ages 3-18, in its year- round program and an additional 250 during the summer, granting nearly $500,000 in scholarships annually. More than 500 adults participate in a vibrant community division.

Miami City Ballet is headquartered in Miami Beach, Fla., at the Ophelia & Juan Js. Roca Center, a facility designed by renowned architectural firm Arquitectonica.