Miami City Ballet to Perform at Harris Theater, 4/29-30

Miami City Ballet makes its Harris Theater Presents debut during its 30th Anniversary Season. Performing two distinct programs over two evening engagements, ballet greats from George Balanchine to ballet's current choreographic sensation Justin Peck are celebrated. The company will be accompanied by the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra in both performances on April 29 and April 30 at 7:30 PM.

Hailed by The New York Times as "one of America's most beloved dance companies," Miami City Ballet is led by Artistic Director Lourdes Lopez who has been with MCB since 2012 and danced with New York City Ballet for 24 years under George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. She joined the company 1974 at the age of 16, with promotions to soloist in 1981 and principal in 1984. Prior to Ms. Lopez's tenure, MCB was led by Founding Artistic Director Edward Villella, the first American-born male star of New York City Ballet from 1957-1975.

The dancers of MCB are known for their distinct musicality, interpretive artistry, great speed and attack, technical clarity, and ability to move seamlessly between diverse dance genres including classical, contemporary, and modern. Watch a preview of MCB's "Why We Dance" HERE.

Choreographer Justin Peck, recently called "the most eminent choreographer of ballet in the United States" by The New York Times, collaborated with iconic street artist Shepard Fairey, best known for his 2008 "Hope" poster for President Obama's presidential campaign, for his latest work, Heatscape. Premiered in March 2015, Fairey's set designs play a pivotal part in Heatscape which is heavily influenced by the vibrant streets of Miami.

Program A (April 29):

Symphony in Three Movements Balanchine/Stravinsky

Viscera Scarlett/Liebermann

Symphonic Dances Ratmansky/Rachmaninoff

About Program A:

Symphony in Three Movements was choreographed by George Balanchine for the opening night of New York City Ballet's 1972 Stravinsky Festival and contains a remarkable Balinese-inflected central duet, startling in its breadth of energy, complexity, originality and contrasts.

Viscera, set to a challenging score for orchestra and piano by the renowned American composer Lowell Liebermann, gives audiences a complex and urgent ballet, specifically created to reflect what choreographer Liam Scarlett sees as MCB's outstanding dance qualities of energy, passion, musicality and radiance.

Symphonic Dances is a major work created for MCB by one of the world's leading classical choreographers, Alexei Ratmansky. The music he chose to work with is Sergei Rachmaninoff's final important work, his large-scale "Symphonic Dances" of 1941 - a work whose turbulent energy and deep emotion perfectly complement the dance qualities for which the company is famous.

Program B (April 30):

Serenade Balanchine/Tchaikovsky

Heatscape Peck/Martinu?

Bourrée Fantasque Balanchine/Chabrier

About Program B:

Serenade is danced without interruption, and while the evocative nature of Tchaikovsky's score leads many to see a story in this ballet, it is actually plotless, while packing a true emotional punch.

Justin Peck, who continues to broaden his artistic scope and choreographic repertoire, has always viewed dance as a nexus for all artistic mediums. It is with this spirit of creative collaboration that he sought out renowned visual artist Shepard Fairey to present a vibrant visual design for Heatscape - Peck's second commission for Miami City Ballet. Peck chose to choreograph his new ballet to Bohuslav Martin?'s Piano Concerto No. 1, a relatively unknown piece of music. "I consider this work to be a hidden gem that is not only rich with texture, innovation and relevance to the current day, but is also tremendously danceable. It has buoyancy, playfulness and emotion-and a sturdy blueprint to guide me in the choreographic process. This piece of music has been on my radar for a few years now, and I felt that Miami City Ballet would be the perfect vessel for realizing a ballet in relation to it."

One of Balanchine's happiest, most glamorous concoctions, Bourrée Fantasque is set to the sparkling music of Emmanuel Chabrier and dressed in some of the great Karinska's most charming and chic costumes - all fans and gloves and plumes. It is French to the max; Balanchine at his most piquant, and pure pleasure.

This engagement was made possible through generous support from The Harris Family Foundation, Caryn and King Harris Dance Residency Fund, Presenting Sponsor.

Miami City Ballet Master Class in Chicago

While in Chicago, senior members of Miami City Ballet will conduct a master class with some of the Harris Theater's education partners. Watch this space for forthcoming confirmed master class details.

Miami City Ballet's master class is part of the Harris Theater's ongoing arts education partnerships, which connect Chicago's most gifted young artists and students with presented artists through master classes, workshops, conversations, and collaborative performances. Through its arts education partnerships, the theater has connected students with renowned artists including Wendy Whelan, Michael Tilson Thomas and the New World Symphony, Alonzo King, Wu Han, Kronos Quartet, Pinchas Zukerman, Scottish Ballet, and Hamburg Ballet.

In addition to hands-on instruction in the master class, dance students from these partner institutions will receive underwritten tickets to performances in this engagement through the Theater's Access Tickets Program.

Launched in 2009, the Access Tickets Program ensures that Chicago residents of all ages and communities are able to experience the powerful and uplifting benefits of the performing arts. Through this program, Harris Theater partners with health and human service organizations, K-12 schools, and community organizations to provide underwritten tickets to performances each season. To date, over 8,000 underwritten tickets have been distributed to children, students and families across 25 diverse Chicago neighborhoods.

This enrichment opportunity was made possible through generous support from Abby McCormick O'Neil and D. Carroll Joynes, Community Engagement Sponsors.

Single tickets now available at www.HarrisTheaterChicago.org or by calling the Harris Theater Box Office at 312.334.7777.