Miami City Ballet
Miami City Ballet’s inaugural opening was at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts in October 1986. The sold-out audience delighted in two works of George Balanchine, ”Allegro Brillante” and the ”Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux”, as well as two world premieres, ”El Amor Brujo” and “Transtango”. Philanthropist Toby Ansin and NYC ballet superstar Edward Villella founded the company in 1985 at a former department store on an empty Lincoln Road. Since then Miami City Ballet has performed to acclaim at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., New York, Paris and numerous other cities. The troupe endured conflicts for much of its history, as Villella’s impassioned ambition led to clashes with board members and donors, leading to his ouster in 2012. Today Miami City Ballet continues under Lourdes Lopez and continues to be a cornerstone of the city’s cultural landscape.
