The MCB newsletter Bravo reports three promotions to Soloist. (It happened "mid-season," but I didn't catch it. Congratulations to:

Charlene Cohen, Marc Spielberger, and Daymel Sanchez.
And to Alexander Dutko, promoted to Coryphee.

Apprentice Daniel Baker has choreographed a piece, Incarnadine, the World Premiere of which was performed at Program 2 of MCB's Contemporary Dance Series in Miami Beach March 23 and 24. Works by Balanchine, Wheeldon, and Villella were also performed, so Baker was in pretty good company.

You can see brief biographies on the Company site. Just click "The Company" after you get there.
Miami City Ballet

There's also a new Director of Development, Heidi Hancock, who has served in the same capacity for Boston Ballet and Kansas City Ballet. It's a difficult job, since MCB has subscription series in four different cities, and actually has more performances in West Palm Beach than in Miami. I really wish her and her colleagues success. (Will someone in Palm Beach County please give the money to keep a live orchestra in performances here? ) Also -- though I know this is controversial -- how about starting a program as in ABT, NYCB, etc, in which donors can "sponsor" individual dancers? It might help with the needed expansion of the ranks of male Principals.

It's great to see dancers get opportunity and recognition. Congratulations to them

I noticed that principal dancer, Mikhail Ilyin and soloist, Kenta Shimizu are no longer on the MCB's website bios. Where did they go? I have enjoyed their past perfomances with Miami City Ballet. but have not seen them in recent performances. If my memory serves correct Mr. Shimizu was recently named one of the 25 dancers to watch in Dance magazine.

I was told by a development rep that Ilyin has "left the company." (Management-speak for .... ????) I don't know about Shimizu. Both are fine dancers. Ilyin, especially, who was able to project the more serious classical roles, will be missed at the top.

Welcome, artspatron07. It's great to have another BTer in this area. Looking forward to your thoughts about the MCB and other ballet performances in this culturally rich -- but somewhat "out of the way" -- part of the country

Thank you Bart for your greeting. I will also miss both Ilyin and Shimizu. I would have enjoyed seeing Ilyin perform Rubies next season. I believe it will be a difficult void to fill. Do you know who will take Ilyin's place?

Sadly, I'm 90 miles away from HQ. Also, Ballet Talk posts only official news in these matters. (Though we can, of course, express our thoughts about who SHOULD be hired, promoted, and similar matters.)

Please, all MCB followers, if and when you find official news on new dancers, please post (and link if possible) here. Thanks.

Although I have not seen an official press release, Miami City Ballet has added new dancers to the company roster. The new dancer's bios are not yet complete on the company's web page but here are the changes listed on MCB's website (with bios and photos coming soon).

New soloists: Daniel Sarabia and Joseph Phillips

New members of corps de ballet: Herberth Riascos, Lisa Reneau, Neil Marshall, and Jennifer Lauren

Promoted to corps de ballet from company apprentice: Daniel Baker and Maira Barriga (I believe Daniel Baker and Maira Barriga were SAB students before arriving in Miami last season).

Promoted to corps de ballet from coryphee: Leigh Ann and Sarah Esty

New company appprentices: Helen Ruiz and Christine Sciturro.

I also noticed Michael Breeden and Alexander Dutko promoted from company apprentice to coryphee

Thanks artspatgron07 and leigh.

I Googled the following Boston Ballet biography for Daniel Sarabia ...

and for Joseph Phillips I see from today's posts on the YAGP Gala thread that Phillips partnered Ashley Bouder last night in something from Stars and Stripes.

I am sure that these young dancers will add excitement and stage presence to the company.

However, I would also love also to see a more mature and experienced dancer brought on board who could give greater emotional weight and dramatic presence to the list of male principals. Maybe more news is coming ... ?

I should add another name that really excites me: Alex Wong, promoted from corps to soloist. Very much deserved!

By the way, Alexander Dutko -- who was promoted to coryphee earlier in the season -- choreographed a lovely and remarkably accomplished piece for the dancers' own "Our Show" a few weeks ago. Called "Venia," the piece involved a single man (Dutko himself) and three women (Kristin D'Addario, Ashley Knox and Amanda Weingarten). These dancers are SO young and so very talented. But the setting Dutko made for himself and them was the work of someone who understands movement and pacing, and can deploy his dancers across the stage with an artistry that is well beyond his years.

Soloist Charlene Cohen will join San Francisco Ballet as a corps de ballet member next season. I am curious why she would leave Miami after being promoted to soloist. San Francisco Ballet is a wonderful company with maybe larger programing opportunity and more exposure. She will be missed in Miami, but congratulations to her.

See San Francisco's press release.
http://www.sfballet.org/about/newspress/pr...asp?id=10193076

Interesting question. One thing occurs to me: there's such a large talent pool of young, upcoming female dancers at MCB. Cohen is a lovely dancer, but didn't seem to have any qualities that made her unique or irreplaceable within that particular company and its rep. Maybe the needs are different at SFB, and the opportunities greater for a dancer like Cohen.

Anyway, this was the season that Cohen became one of those dancers I looked for when the curtain went up. I hope the move brings her -- and SFB -- all the best.

There are a number of new additions to MCB's 2007-2008 Roster:

Rolando Sarabia: coming as a Principal from Houston Ballet http://www.houstonballet.org/Inside_Housto...olando_Sarabia/

Isanusi Garcia-Rodriguez: coming as a Soloist. Garcia-Rodriguez was prior a Principal with MCB and also danced with Ballet Gamonet and Ballet Sarasota.
link from earlier thread: http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/index.p...w=&st=&

Zherlin Ndudi is from the Ukraine and joins MCB as a soloist. Here is a thread to the USAIBC: http://www.usaibc.com/2006_medalists.htm

As some others have mentioned: Joseph Phillips from SFB (http://www.sfballet.org/about/company/artistbiography/view.asp?id=12340067)
and Daniel Sarabia of Boston Ballet ( http://www.bostonballet.org/about/company/...ofile421e.html) (brother of Rolando Sarabia)
will also be joining as Soloists.

Toshiro Abbley will be joining as a Corps de Ballet member: here is a USAIBC link: http://www.usaibc.com/2006_medalists.htm

Some have mentioned these next four:

Jennifer Lauren joins MCB's Corps de Ballet after dancing in Alabama Ballet: http://www.alabamaballet.org/dancers.html#lauren

Neil Marshall joins MCB's Corps de Ballet after dancing with Suzanne Farrell Ballet (no link)

Lisa Reneau joins MCB's Corps de Ballet from LA Ballet : http://www.losangelesballet.org/html/company_dancers.htm

Herberth Riascos joins MCB's Corps de Ballet from Ballet Gamonet (no link)

Cindy Huang joins MCB as an apprentice from the School of American Ballet.
as does
Helen Ruiz as some have mentioned.

Christie Scuitturo was promoted from a School Apprentice to a Company Apprentice this year.

And new Student Apprentices are:
Peter Doll
Gabriella Gonzalez
Rebecca King
Elizabeth Smedley
Amir Yogev

Congratulations to all!

Wow! Thanks for that list, Holly, and for the links. (I notice that Boston has already apparently deleted Dianiel Sarabia.)

It will take a while for me to absorb (mentally) all these additions. Off the top of my head, I'm truly happy to see Garcia-Rodriguez return; he always impressed me with his stage presence and dramatic sense. Two Sarabias, too! The male roster certainly will be fun to watch this coming season.

I'm very much looking forward to hearing the responses of others who follow MCB and/or are familiar with the work of these dancers.

I was unable to find Alexander Dutko on their company roster this morning - did I miss something?

Dutko does seem to be missing. If indeed he has left, it's sad news, considering his excellent work -- dancing and choreographing one of the better pieces at the "Our Show" performances last month. With so many new dancers, I guess it's inevitable that some are leaving.

Any official, published news?

His name is no longer listed on MCB's Website I guess that is confirmation.

The MCB website now has posted Jeremy Cox's promotion to principal. A well-schooled but very individual dancer who is often the most interesting performer on the stage. Although not a danseur noble by look or temperament, Cox brings riveting kind of edginess, great stagecraft, and remarkable technique to everything he does.

Congratulations to Mr. Cox! -- and to Eddie Villella for recognizing this very original artist.

Elsewhere on Ballet Talk, Hans has reviewed a student production of Swan Lake (Maryland) with Deanna Sea and Mikhail Ilyin as guest artists. Ilyin is described as "a former principal dancer with the Miami City Ballet." The review of both dancers' work is insightful, closely observed, and written with crystalline style.

Here's a Direct Llink to the Blog Entry

Also, if anyone at MCB is reading this, did you notice a little problem with the following entry for the admirable Callie Manning?
Maybe they mean "Principal Soloist"? I hope so. It would be much deserved.

Bart,
I think you're going to like Joseph Philips, a gifted SFB corps de ballet member, who won Gold Medals at the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi (2002), the First Prague International Ballet Competition (2002), the Youth America Grand Prix, NY, (2002) and the Jury Prize at the International Ballet Competition in Helsinki, Finland (2001). This Spring, as you pointed out earlier, he and Ashley Bouder danced together at the Youth America Grand Prix 2007 Gala at City Center; he's partnered her before. His departure is a big loss for SFB, but he will have opportunities with MCB he didn't have in San Francisco. Congratulations to MCB and to Joseph Philips! (I chatted with him briefly before he left for Miami and told him I was looking forwrd to seeing him and the Miami City Ballet sooner than I would have seen him if he reamained at SFB. MCB is coming to Berkeley this October! I'm looking forward to seeing this company of which I have heard so much.

So much of the above came in piecemeal, I thought it might be a good idea to put the entire roster as it appears on the MCB site as of this date. 50 dancers are listed, plus 5 School Apprentices.

Names without asterisks were promoted to this position from within the company. Names with asterisks were hired at the given level. Biographical information is missing for some of the new dancers.

Principals.
Tricia Albertson. U.S. (2006)
Mary Carmen Catoya. Venezuela. (1999)
Katia Carranza. Mexico. (2004)
Jeremy Cox. U.S. (2007)
Patricia Delgado. U.S. (2007)
Carlos Guerra. Cuba. (2003)
Jennifer Kronenberg. U.S (2001)
Renato Penteado. Brazil. (2004)
Rolando Sarabia. * Cuba (2007)
Deanna Seay. U.S. (1998)
Haiyan Wu. * China. (2003)

Principal Soloist
Jeanette Delgado. U.S. (2007)

Soloists
Didier Bramaz. France. (2001)
Isanusi Garcia-Rodriguez * Cuba. (2003-2005. Re-hire: 2007)
Callie Manning. U.S. (2005) Some confusion remains in the dates given in her biography.
Zherlin Ndudi. * Ukraine. (2007)
Joseph Phillips. * U.S. (2007)
Daniel Sarabia. * Cuba (2007)
Marc Spielberger. Germany (2007)
Andrea Spiridonakos. U.S. (2002)
Alex Wong. Canada (2007)
Yan Zou. * China (2005

Corps de Ballet
Toshiro Abbley. * U.S. (2007)
Daniel Baker. Australia. (2007)
Maira Barriga. Japan. (2007)
Kristin D'Addario. U.S. (2005)
Alexandre Dufaur. France. (2002)
Leigh-Ann Esty. U.S. (2007)
Sara Esty. U.S. (2007)
Katie Gibson. * U.S. (2005)
Tiffany Hedman * . U.S. (2004)
Kyra Homeres. U.S. (2005)
Elizabeth Keller. U.S. (2005)
Ashley Knox. U.S. (2003)
Jennifer Lauren. * U.S. (2007)
Neil Marshall * U.S. (2007)
Lisa Reneau * U. S. (2007)
Herberth Riascos * (2007)
Allynne Noelle. U.S. (2003)
Stephen Satterfield. U.S. (2005)
Amanda Weingarten. U.S. (2005)
Zoe Zien. U.S. (2005)

Coryphees
Michael Sean Breeden. U.S. (2007)

Company Apprentices
Bradley Dunlap. U.S. (2006)
Cindy Huang. (2007)
Ezra Hurwitz * U.S. (2006)
Elice McKinley. Australia. (2006)
Chaz Meszaros. U.S. (2006)
Helen Ruiz (2007)
Chirstine Sciturro * (2007)

School Apprentices
Peter Doll (2007)
Gabriela Gonzalez (2007)
Rebecca King (2007)
Elizabeth Smedly (2007)
Amir Yogev (2006)

EDITED on 6/29 to reflect corrections made by artspatron07 in the post below.

Actually bart, Michael was the only company apprentice who was promoted to coryphee. A coryphee is ranked higher in Miami than a company apprentice. The rest that you mentioned remain company apprentices, and Cindy Huang and Helen Ruiz join the company as company apprentices. Christie Sciturro was promoted from student apprentice to company apprentice this year.

Thanks for those corrections, artspatron07. I was working from the list I printed out from the website and did not notice that there was a different heading -- "Company Apprentices" -- at the very bottom of one of the pages.

I made the corrections to the original list and added a note explaining your contribution. Thanks again.

There does seem to be a remarkable number of new, newly promoted, and returning dancers. Not to mention some familiar faces that are gone. That will add to the challenges -- and fascination -- of the new season. I'm glad I'll get to see multiple performances of each program.

All of the bios are up for all the new dancers in Miami City Ballet for this coming season..... still waiting on the head shots... but I'm sure it will be any day now... especially since Rolando Sarabia's is already up

http://miamicityballet.org/

Has Isanusi Garcia Rodriguez has been promoted to a Principal Soloist? His name has been moved up to this rank on the website... there is not official published information from any press...

He rejoined Miami City Ballet for this coming season as a soloist... Here is his bio from the website:

Isanusi Garcia Rodriguez
Havana, Cuba
Trained at the National School of the Arts in Havana and the Academy of Ballet and Jazz in Brazil. Danced with Carolina Ballet, Ballet National de Cuba, Torino Ballet and the National Ballet of Caracas Rejoined MCB as a Soloist in 2007. \

Anyone have any information?


Miamicityballet.org

We assume that company websites are correct in the list of rankings, unless changes are retracted. It's a toss-up whether the website or a press release is issued first, but in our experience, the bios are usually the last to be updated.

Thanks for that news, Figurante. "Principal Soloist" certainly seems more appropriate to his unique dramatic qualities and his usefulness to the company before he left temporarily. MCB now has a surfeit of impressive males at or near the top. Quite a reversal from last season.

In an earlier post, Holly Fusco reported on the hiring of Toshiro Abbley as a new member of the corps. There's still no photo, but there is a YouTube link to his very young dancer's performance at the 2006 Performing Arts Spotlight Awards at the Music Centger of the LA County Performing Arts Center. (Paste in: Toshiro Abbley Performance #1.)

Abbley won the "Great Hope Prize" at the USAIBC, and you can see why the people at MCB might have been anxious to get the chance to develop his potential.

P.S. Can anyone tell me what's the variation he is performing? It has an ancient Egypt look to it.

It's the Bronze Idol variation from La Bayadere.

Thanks, pj. That deserves a second blushing smilie:

I think I'm used to a different look: smaller dancer, faster movement.

Here is a great article on Joseph Phillips, the coined "Golden Boy" of ballet, who has now joined MCB this season.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...T/70806016/1025

Thanks, Figurante. The article goes into the history between Phillips and Villella/MCB.
It's great that MCB is attracting this kind of male talent -- and ambition. I hope the company is the kind of fit -- and offers the opportunities -- that Philips seems to be looking for.

This, along with the arrival of the Sarabias, Ndudi, Rodriguez and some of the other new men, promises a highly charged and very interesting season.

The casting for "Jewels" should tell us something. Any thoughts about that from you MCB watchers?

I don't know where else to put this, but here's a brief interview with 2 of MCB's established dancers, who are performing at The International Gala of Ballet Starts in Cincinnati.


And here's an online blog entry from Greg Stepanich at the Palm Beach post. (Thanks, dirac, for finding that one.) It's about Elvis Costello's new composition for the ballet that Twyla Tharp will be setting on MCB his season:

Thanks for this information, bart. It is for sure something too look at, since they will probably be dancing "Diamonds" here in South Florida too...


Good! That's always very nice to hear, so let's hope for some serious Wu/Zou job!

It's strange, but I don't recall Wu (a principal) and Zou (a soloist) performing at partners at the MCB performances I've seen. I didn't even know they were partners in life. Wu would seem to be a natural for Diamonds. It will be interesting to see whether they get the opportunity to dance together in this ballet during the regular season. Maybe the Gala in Cincinnati was a kind of dress rehearsal?

It would be interesting to hear the thoughts of those of you have have seen these dancers, either together or apart.

Wu and Zou Yang danced in MCB's Sleeping Beauty last season. It would be wonderful to see them both in this role again at least. Luckily for us audience members, Sleeping Beauty is on the roster again. Yay! I believe they also danced the Nutcracker pas de deux together as well. Wu would be amazing in Emerald's pdd no matter whom her partner may be.... That is one of my wishes for this season!

I have to say that Wu in Liturgy was something to DIE for as well!

Zou Yang performed one show of Giselle with Tricia Albertson last season. His stage presence was phenominal, and so believable! It was the first time all season where he really shined through as an artist. It was actually one of my favorite Albright performances to date. I know he is cast in some certain wonderful things this coming season through word of mouth, but until casting is finalized and posted, nothing escapes from my lips!

In any rate, these two dancers, no matter what ballet they perform, or whom they are paired with, are both full of integrity, and a definite delight to watch!

Two more new things to announce!!!!!


Most of the headshots have been added to the MCB website, so now we all can put faces to the names!!! YAY!


Rebecca King has been promoted from a Student Apprentice, to a Company Apprentice. Headshot and bio pending.

Figurante, would that have been on tour? I'm assuming this is Aurora's Wedding. I never saw MCB do this this (except for a pdd at a gala) and would love to hear about it. Is it the entire Act III? With the depth of talent in the company in both men and women, it would be incredible to see every cast.

Absolutely. I'm assuming you mean the Verdy part. Whom would you like to see in the other female lead -- the one who dances the Sicilienne -- if you were in charge?

Again -- I agree absolutely. I saw Her with Sanchez, and also Carranza with Sanchez. Same partner, entirely different ballet. Astonishing. I loked both sets of epformancees, but Wu's made sense of the religious title. There was indeed something "sacred" and unearthly in the flowing, but extremely measured, way Wu performed the part.

And thanks for the information about the photos.

Hi figurante!
It must have been out of Miami, and just the PDD, because i think this is the first time that MCB does "Aurora's Wedding"
(I could be wrong, so correct me please if i am)

Hello all! Yes, I am sorry for the misclarification on my part. It was a mish-mosh of "Aurora's Wedding," last season.. meaning all of the fairy variations were also included as well as the court, and well as Puss and boots, red Riding hood, and Blue Bird. It ends in the Mazurka and everything... basically all the highlights of Sleeping Beauty combined into the Wedding. It was nice because it gave a lot of people opportunity in the company to perform semi-featured roles. I believe the same version will be performed for this season as well.

Bart: I would love to see Tricia Albertson and Jennifer Kronenberg in Emeralds as well. I'm hoping the Esty twins and Michael Breeden will be the pas de trois.

I would love to start a thread about Rubies, but I think I may go off on a tangine wish list of casting choices!

Go for it!! Dream casting is always fun. And, who knows, an AD or two may take one of our hints.

Never, ever wish for that.

You'll end up with biographical ballets about Balanchine. Please trust that we know this from bitter, deeply painful experience.

Ah ... a dream come true! But it would need a Balanchine to do it justice.

You haven't seen Musagete, have you? It happened after someone made a joke about Eifman - we had discarded the idea of "Torquemada!" and then someone suggested "Balanchine: The Prodigal Son".

We all laughed. Less than three years later. . .

No -- but I've heard there's a great part for Mourka. As I type this, our grey cat, Basil, is creeping ever so slowly and smoothly towards a lizard who is (safely) on the other side of the screening of our porch. He's moving with intense concentration and self-possession, as though folded within himself (to quote a comment I read recently about a Baryshnikov performance).

I can't imagine MCB taking on Musagete. However, snowballs do occasionally turn up in hell. So, if they do it, I'd love to see Haiyan Wu (alternating with Jennifer Kronenberg) in the Mourka part.

And Isanusi Garcia Rodriguez (back as a soloist this season) as Balanchine. He smolders but also has that self-contained quality that I associate with Balanchine. No one leaps to mind for LeClerq and Farrell, however. Maybe someone from the corps.

Davidsbuendlertaenze and Meditation are two that come to mind.