Miami Beach, FL
Miami City Ballet (MCB – Gonzalo Garcia, Artistic Director) ignites 2026 with 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, 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. Tickets are available at www.MiamiCityBallet.org or by calling 305.929.7010 / 877.929.7010.
INTO THE MAGIC CITY
February 20–22, 2026 | Arsht, Miami
February 28–March 1, 2026 | Kravis Center, West Palm Beach
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, 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 is generously sponsored by The Ansin Family Foundation in honor of Toby Lerner Ansin’s 85th Birthday.
Together, these three ballets create a vibrant portrait of Miami, its history, its heartbeat, and its ever-expanding artistic future.
SERENADE (1934)
Choreography: George Balanchine
Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Created in 1934, Balanchine’s iconic Serenade is heralded for launching a new direction in classical ballet—one that embraced impassioned, plotless movement over narrative storytelling. Set to a spellbinding Tchaikovsky score, Serenade endures as a testament to beauty, musicality, and the expressive power of the ensemble.
ROSES FROM THE SOUTH (2026)
Choreography: Alexei Ratmansky
Music: Johann Strauss II
Alexei Ratmansky’s World Premiere celebrates MCB founder Toby Lerner Ansin with a touching blend of history, tradition, and forward-thinking creativity. Elegant, warm, and inventive, the ballet honors Ansin’s legacy while pointing boldly toward MCB’s future.
TARANTELLA (1964)
Choreography: George Balanchine
Music: Louis Moreau Gottschalk
A whirlwind of speed, sparkle, and playful bravado. Set to the lively music of Gottschalk, this virtuosic pas de deux bursts with tambourines, technical fireworks, and irresistible charm.
AHEAD ON THE HORIZON:
MIAMI CITY BALLET’S BOLD WINTER & SPRING PROGRAMS
ACROSS THE RIVER OF LIGHT
(March 7–8, 2026 | The Parker, Fort Lauderdale)
In an intimate evening of duets, MCB presents two works that highlight tenderness, sensuality, and emotional storytelling. Christopher Wheeldon’s haunting This Bitter Earth, a meditation on yearning and vulnerability, pairs with Durante Verzola’s Sentimiento, a Latin-infused reflection on nostalgia, joy, and connection. The result is a luminous chamber program steeped in South Florida warmth.
CARMEN
(March 26 & 28, 2026 | Arsht, Miami; April 4–5, 2026 | Kravis Center, West Palm Beach)
Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s fiery Carmen returns with a reimagined score and live orchestra. Blending classical ballet with flamenco heat and theatrical bite, this vivid retelling presents its heroine as bold, magnetic, and utterly unapologetic. It is a work that pulses with danger, desire, and irresistible swagger.
JEWELS
(March 27–29, 2026 | Arsht, Miami; April 3, 2026 | Kravis Center, West Palm Beach)
George Balanchine’s celebrated triptych returns in all its brilliance. Emeralds glows with French lyricism, Rubies crackles with Stravinsky’s jazzy spark, and Diamonds ascends with regal grandeur. Together, these three ballets showcase the company’s range—from sensual playfulness to crystalline precision.
YOUR PERFECT GOLDEN HOUR
(April 11–12, 2026 | The Parker, Fort Lauderdale)
This spring program highlights the expressive spectrum of modern ballet through three signature voices: Amy Hall Garner’s vibrant Resplendent Fantasy, José Limón’s dramatic Moor’s Pavane, and Alonzo King’s meditative Following the Subtle Current Upstream. Each piece explores movement as memory, ritual, and revelation.
¡VAMOS! TO THE BEACH
(May 1–3, 2026 | Arsht, Miami; May 9–10, 2026 | Broward Center, Fort Lauderdale)
The season closes with a sun-soaked celebration.
Paul Taylor’s Company B brings wartime swing to the stage; Durante Verzola unveils a Deco-flavored new premiere set to Gershwin; and Twyla Tharp’s joyful Deuce Coupe infuses ballet with the breezy sound of The Beach Boys. A Miami-style finale: fresh, fun, and full of heart.
PERFORMANCE DATES
Adrienne Arsht Center
Into the Magic City: February 20–22
Jewels: March 27–29
Carmen: March 26 & 28
¡Vamos! To the Beach: May 1–3
Kravis Center
Into the Magic City: February 28–March 1
Jewels: April 3
Carmen: April 4–5
Broward Center
¡Vamos! To the Beach: May 9–10
The Parker
Across the River of Light: March 7–8
Your Perfect Golden Hour: April 11–12
TICKETING INFORMATION
Subscriptions for Miami City Ballet’s 2025–26 40th Anniversary Season are available now. Subscribers enjoy exclusive benefits including priority seating and complimentary ticket exchanges.
Tickets for all programs can be purchased at miamicityballet.org or by calling 305.929.7010 / 877.929.7010.
