BALLET ON THE BEACH
Miami Beach, FL July XX, 2020 – For more than three decades, Miami City Ballet (MCB) has played a vital and leading role in the rich tapestry of Miami’s cultural and artistic scene. Its rise to become one of the nation’s top ballet companies is meteoric, given its youth relative to its peers.
To mark its 35th Anniversary, MCB dancers are leaping onto the Road: 744 Lincoln Road at Meridian Avenue, honoring where it all started — the company’s first studio location and home, a place where the community still recalls some of its earliest and fondest memories of the magic on Miami Beach’s most iconic road. Miami City Ballet’s popup location on Lincoln Road transforms a former retail space into an art deco-inspired jewel box filled with the magic and vibrancy of MCB. The timing is an auspicious one as it recounts the company’s beginnings as it rose with the City.
“We are thrilled to be able to provide our community with the beauty of ballet while showcasing the strength and resilience of the human spirit through our remarkable artform at a time when it is most needed. We hope to give people a moment of joy and an opportunity to embrace the healing power of the arts,” says Miami City Ballet Artistic Director Lourdes Lopez.
Miami City Ballet x Lincoln Road will initially run Monday – Friday 1p-3pm and 5pm-7pm through September 10, 2020. In following social distancing guidelines, no more than six dancers will occupy the space at any given time. Outside, artistic, pre-marked social-distancing circles will be placed on the ground so that viewers can safely enjoy the experience. Visitors to Lincoln Road will be able to witness the beauty of MCB’s extraordinary dancers as they practice and train along with displays of dazzling costumes from some of its most splendid and seminal productions. To further enhance the viewing experience, ballet-inspired music will stream outdoors during every practice.
The residency is a collaborative effort between MCB, Lincoln Road Business Improvement District and the Comras Company, who wish to share a message of inspiration while showcasing the resilience, not just of the human spirit, but of a community that stands united and stronger when it embraces the institutions that have made Miami Beach a top travel destination and the global arts mecca it is today.
“With a history deeply rooted in arts and culture, the Lincoln Road District was the original home of the Miami City Ballet at a time when most of the Road’s residents were artists and performers themselves,” says Tim Schmand, executive director of the Lincoln Road BID. “We are excited to welcome the ballet back to Lincoln Road, providing locals a safe and creative way to experience the Miami City Ballet, during a time when the pandemic prevents us from gathering in the city’s performance venues.”
The Lincoln Road District, with its artistic atmosphere and vibrant charm, has remained an icon in Miami for more than a century. Brimming with cultural venues, the District is home to some of Miami’s most prominent institutions including the New World Symphony, the Colony Theatre, Fillmore Miami Beach, and nearly a dozen art galleries. The culmination of culture, retail, dining, and entertainment has created a winning formula for the continued success of the Lincoln Road District.
“Arts, culture, shopping, café dining and entertainment are in Lincoln Road’s DNA,” says Michael Comras, CEO of the Comras Company. “By transforming a retail venue into a temporary residence for the Miami City Ballet to practice before the public, we are epitomizing Lincoln Road’s imaginative spirit. The way consumers are now shopping for goods continues to evolve and we must adapt and elevate our offerings. Merging arts and culture into the retail experience, we define why visitors and locals continue to come back to the ‘Road,’ setting the bar even higher as Miami’s premier lifestyle destination.”
Lourdes Lopez adds, “We are extremely grateful for Michael Comras’ generosity and the support of our devoted partners including the City of Miami Beach and Lincoln Road BID. This partnership will provide pedestrians an up close and personal view of the dancers at work.”
Miami City Ballet x Lincoln Road is also made possible in part through a grant from the City of Miami Beach, awarded in January 2020. The grant was awarded as part of an agreement in which the company would offer a series of activations on Lincoln Road. Miami City Ballet x Lincoln Road will honor this commitment while bringing the joy of dance to the Miami Beach community.
ABOUT MIAMI CITY BALLET
Miami City Ballet, celebrating its 35th anniversary season, has a diverse roster of 53 dancers and a repertoire of more than 130. As one of the most renowned ballet companies in the country, Miami City Ballet performs for nearly 125,000 patrons annually during its South Florida home season in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and tours to major cities domestically and internationally, including recent visits to New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles and Paris.
Miami City Ballet School, the official school of Miami City Ballet, is one of the most respected ballet training academies in America. The School trains students, ages 3-18 year-round and grants more than $650,000 in scholarships annually.
Miami City Ballet’s Community Engagement programs and initiatives touch the lives of more than 14,000 young people, seniors, and community members, annually.
Executive Director Tania Castroverde Moskalenko and Artistic Director Lourdes Lopez lead the company. Lopez was recently awarded the prestigious Dance Magazine Award in 2018 and was named one of “The Most Influential People in Dance Today.” She is on the Ford Foundation Board of Trustees, the first artist to ever serve on its Board.
Miami City Ballet was founded in 1985 by Miami philanthropist Toby Lerner Ansin and Founding Artistic Director Edward Villella. It is headquartered in Miami Beach, FL, at the Ophelia & Juan Js. Roca Center, a facility designed by renowned architectural firm, Arquitectonica.
ABOUT LINCOLN ROAD
Renowned worldwide for its bustling outdoor cafes, eclectic restaurants, and fine-dining establishments, Miami’s Lincoln Road District is the iconic cultural and social epicenter of Miami Beach. Prioritizing the health and safety of all visitors, the District underwent an extensive deep cleaning and beautification process amid the pandemic and continues to maintain strict sanitation standards with daily cleaning including an ongoing pressure washing schedule of all pedestrian surfaces In addition, the Lincoln Road Business Improvement District (BID) has deployed the Road’s ambassador team to assist the public, request that visitors observe social distancing guidelines, and enhance the Road’s established daily cleaning. The Lincoln Road BID also commissioned a local artist to design fashionable face masks. Masks are distributed by ambassadors free of charge to pedestrians; face masks are required when strolling Lincoln Road. Lincoln Road’s picturesque corridor is the idyllic setting for those seeking to enjoy shopping, dining, leisurely walks and cultural experiences in a safe, open-air environment.
THE COMRAS COMPANY
The Comras Company of Florida, Inc. is a leading, boutique real estate firm providing retail leasing, asset sales, consulting and development advisory services throughout South Florida. The firm specializes in urban and suburban markets and offers services that include strategic planning, design consultation, market analysis, agency leasing, tenant representation, site identification, site acquisition, and disposition. Over the past twenty-seven years, the Company’s Team has become one of South Florida’s most recognized names in retail leasing and development. Based in Miami Beach, The Comras Company is known for representing some of the most iconic projects and tenants throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties. Tenants represented by or located in a company development, include Apple, Nike, Sephora, Capital One Bank, and a variety of boutiques, chef driven restaurants and entertainment venues. The company’s experience, as both retail developers and third-party consultants, provides The Comras Company’s team with the experience and insights that directly accrue to its clients benefit. Whether leasing urban infill development with high pedestrian traffic, a mixed-use project, or suburban land development, The Comras Company is uniquely equipped to fulfill its client’s needs. For more information, visit www.comrascompany.com.
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Major funding for Miami City Ballet is provided by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, a national foundation with strong local roots, investing in journalism, in the arts, and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. The Foundation’s goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which they believe are essential for a healthy democracy.
Major funding is also provided by the Ford Foundation, working with visionaries on the frontlines of social change worldwide.
Miami-Dade County support is provided by the Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Mayor, and the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners.
Performances and programming in Miami Beach is provided with the generous support of the City of Miami Beach and the Cultural Arts Council.
Support for Miami City Ballet in the Palm Beaches is generously sponsored in part by the Board of County Commissioners, the Tourist Development Council and the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County.
Broward County funding is provided in part by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council and Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.
