Miami City Ballet's 40th Anniversary Season Continues With INTO THE MAGIC CITY

 Miami City Ballet will present Into the Magic City, running February 20–22 at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami and February 28–March 1 at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach.

Featuring George Balanchine's transcendent Serenade, his exuberant Tarantella, and a major new World Premiere by Alexei Ratmansky honoring MCB founder Toby Lerner Ansin, this program captures the expressive energy, joy, and artistic soul of the Magic City—rooted in history, alive in the present, and soaring into the future. 

Into the Magic City launches a vibrant season of winter and spring programming, including intimate duets at The Parker in Fort Lauderdale, the dazzling return of Jewels, the heat of Carmen, and a sunlit grand finale rep program featuring Twyla Tharp and more—together reflecting MCB's evolving voice and the dynamic spirit of its 40th Anniversary Season. 

George Balanchine's timeless masterpiece Serenade opens the program with sweeping grace and emotional depth. Created in 1934 and set to Tchaikovsky's luminous score, the ballet marked a bold shift in the evolution of classical dance—moving away from narrative and toward pure, impassioned movement. Its moonlit tableaux, sculptural patterns, and dreamlike musicality have shaped MCB's artistic heart since the company's founding, making Serenade an audience favorite and a cornerstone of its Balanchine identity. 

Balanchine's exuberant Tarantella follows, bursting with spirited charm, speed, and virtuosic flair. A joyful pas de deux performed to the lively rhythms of New Orleans–born composer Louis Moreau Gottschalk, Tarantella whirls with tambourines, dazzling footwork, and infectious bravado—an irresistible display of athleticism and classical precision.

At the center of the program is a powerful World Premiere by Alexei Ratmansky, titled Roses from the South, Three Waltzes for Toby, paying tribute to Miami City Ballet's visionary founder Toby Lerner Ansin. Set to music by Johann Strauss (ii), Ratmansky blends tradition with fresh creativity, crafting a work that honors Ansin's trailblazing spirit while reflecting the company's dynamic momentum under new leadership. Full of warmth, elegance, and forward-looking vitality, the premiere stands as both celebration and renewal—a reminder of the artistic courage that built MCB and the boundless possibilities ahead. Roses from the South, Three Waltzes for Toby  is generously sponsored by The Ansin Family Foundation in honor of Toby Lerner Ansin's 85th Birthday.