You may rememaber the musical chairs (companies?) in Miami.

THE PLOT SO FAR: Former MCB choreographer Jimmy Gamonet de los Heroes becomes a partner in the contemporary Maximum Dance, headed by two retired MCB dancers, David Palmer and Yanis Pikieris. The Gamonet name is added to the company masthead. Palmer and Pikieris feel that they are being forced out by Gamonet and their own Board. They quit and move back to MCB to head a new contemporary project. Shortly thereafter, ballet mistress and former MCB prima ballerina Ileana Lopez jumps ship for Gamonet, as does principal dancer Isanusi Garcia-Rodriguez.

Whew!

Now MCB announces its first program of contemporary dance, directed by Palmer and Pikieris. A really positive move for MCB and its dancers, and one that can only enhance their already impressive reputation in the Balanchine rep. They appear to be starting slowly, with 2 performances at the company's Miami Beach studios, January 27 and 28.

That program consists of: Chiaroscuro (Lynn Taylor-Corbett), Caught (David Parsons), Silhouettes (Mark Morris) and Reassuring Effects of Form and Poetry (Trey McIntyre).

Edward Villella will be introducing Palmer and Pikieris to Palm Beach County supporters on November 8 according to a mailing from the MCB Guild.

Here's the Link ....

Miami City Ballet CONTEMPORARY PROGRAM

Thanks for the update. I notice that the neither of the web sites have been adjusted to show these recent changes, although I did see that Marifé Giménez and Douglas Gawriljuk are no longer on the Maximum page. Do you perhaps know where they ended up?

Miami City webpage: http://www.miamicityballet.org

Gamonet/Maximum webpage: http://www.maximumdancecompany.com/index-main.htm

I guess dramatic dancers have world-wide opportunities today, not unlike Broadway in the 30s and 40s. And it isn't all "Movin' Out".

Google reveals something from last April about a new non-verbal dance version of Casablanca being prepared in Beijing with these dancers in the Elsa and Rick roles:

Casablanca in Beijing