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Miami Herald
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Miami City Ballet plays to win with a ‘Carmen' for our time
Carmen, that beguiling Andalusian beauty created by a 19th-century French writer and afterwards made legendary by artists of different nationalities—in opera, dance, and film—continues to fascinate. Now another opportunity to experience her enduring magnetism enters the fold as Miami City Ballet premieres a new version conceived by high-profile Colombian-Belgian choreographer Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa. The evening-length 'Carmen' opens at the Arsht Center on Friday through Sunday, before moving to Fort Lauderdale's Broward Center for two performances Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4. When MCB artistic director Lourdes Lopez reached out to Lopez-Ochoa a year and a half ago about revisiting this standard (the company staged two different versions of the ballet many seasons ago), the choreographer eagerly agreed to the project. 'Of all the repertory pieces in the classical ballet canon, this has always been on my bucket list,' says Lopez-Ochoa. 'I had even pitched it to another company some time before Lourdes made the offer.' In part what drew Lopez-Ochoa was Georges Bizet's score for his 1875 opera 'Carmen,' which she considers a trove of golden hits. But this was also a great opportunity for her to keep on exploring Hispanic themes through narrative dance. 'As a Latina, the older I get, the more I want to be in contact with this culture,' confesses the Antwerp-born-and-trained artist, and the daughter of a Colombian engineer and a Belgian nurse. 'My parents spoke Spanish as their secret language. Back then, when they played Mexican rancheras at home, I'd be mortified. What if the neighbors heard that? It wasn't until I was 30 that I set out to be fluent in Spanish. Now I feel very much myself when I speak the language, and I love Latin music.' In over two decades of prolific dance making for companies around the globe, the soon-to-be 52-year-old became fascinated with telling stories of eminent Latin figures including artists Frida Kahlo and Fernando Botero and First Lady of Argentina Eva Perón. Now the fictional world of 'Carmen' has opened up new ground for her to play in, backed up by her long-trusted dramaturge, Nancy Meckler. 'Every time I go into the studio,' confesses the artist, 'I feel again like that eleven-year-old who first wanted to choreograph.' Back To The Beginnings A meticulous planner, Lopez-Ochoa immediately plunged into research for 'Carmen,' going back to the character's origins in the 1845 story by Prosper de Merimée (1803-1870). Identified with the Romantic movement, this early practitioner of the novella and the travelog, also devoted to cultural archaeology, poured all his passions into what became his best-known work. He titled it after its most picturesque—though actually not central—character. With a contemporary sensibility and a creative desire to pursue innovative stagecraft, Lopez-Ochoa soon realized, upon reading the story, that she needed to make changes to the literary artifact. 'Why was this called Carmen if the tragedy is Don José's?' she asks, given how the narrative is skewed toward the young soldier who, spellbound by the unfaithful Carmen, veers into criminality. 'And I didn't like the way Carmen was presented,' says Lopez-Ochoa. 'She's a gypsy who's a thief. And there's all this talk about her curves and cleavage.' Turned off by such ethnic stereotyping and objectifying of women, Lopez-Ochoa further felt distanced by conventional dance versions of the tale, which served as vehicles for particular ballerinas. French choreographer Roland Petit's staging from 1949, for example, spiced up the flavor of Seville with Paris-cabaret sexiness, showing off the sultry gifts of his wife Zizi Jeanmaire in the lead. Cuban choreographer Alberto Alonso came up with a one-act, expressionistic treatment—passions at a peak, Spanish elements saturated in ritual—which premiered at Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre in 1967, scandalizing Soviet authorities with its libertine fervor and the unorthodox instrumentation and rhythmic compression of Bizet's musical themes in a suite by Rodion Shchedrin. He'd written the score to gift to his wife, prima ballerina Maya Plisetskaya, who possessed it with verve through Alonso's choreography. 'But Carmen is an archetype,' points out Lopez-Ochoa. 'So, I kept asking myself who she would be these days.' Then a friend directed her to the real-life story of Molly Bloom, who ran afoul of the law for organizing underground poker games after her Olympic dreams were ruined by a skiing injury. Lopez-Ochoa watched a 2017 film based on Bloom's 2014 memoir, Aaron Sorkin's 'Molly's Game,' and it opened the way for her Carmen to get a backstory. 'Molly's father was very much an authoritarian,' explains Lopez-Ochoa. 'He tells her she got into trouble because she wanted to have power over powerful men. And I thought, 'Hah! That is my Carmen.' ' Stepping Into Carmen's Shoes Having read de Merimée's original novella—and danced in the corps for a stage version at Boston Ballet—MCB principal Dawn Atkins built her portrayal of Carmen (paired with the dramatically authoritative Stanislav Olshanskyi as Don José and Brooks Landegger, cool-guy crisp as his rival, Escamillo) attuned to the contrasts in the movie. 'Molly's very strong and calculating,' says Atkins. 'Rarely does she fall victim to her circumstances because she's always a step ahead. I also see that in Annabelle's Carmen.' Endowing the character with evolving agency, the choreographer set her ballet in the world of casinos, where—despite pursuit by FBI agents—Carmen reigns by the second act. 'Here you have dice and cards—the cards of fate, as she is gambling with her life and what is and isn't legal,' says Lopez-Ochoa. This plays into the choreographer's embrace of symbolism—beloved since childhood, when postcards of the surrealistic paintings of Dalí and Magritte fired her imagination. 'There's always room for visual poetry,' she insists. That, along with a flamenco vibe, enlivens the design (Christopher Ash for set and lighting and Mark Eric for costumes). Large dice are movable props for the dancers to pound, sit and stand on; they unfurl fans like exclamations; red roses held on their lips seem to bloom like desires. All the while they bustle about as a sort of Greek chorus. Lopez-Ochoa brought in her established musical collaborator, Juan Pablo Acosta to arrange the opera's treasured melodies and provide original music. She says, 'I asked him to do anything he wanted as long as it sounded like Bizet. He's Colombian and has a band known for bachata, so it's wonderful for dance that he's very good at rhythms.' Ready For a Challenge A figure designated as Fate here shadows Carmen, sweeping the floor with a ruffled train and sporting a skull mask, the golden horns of a bull at the end of his arms. For MCB principal soloist Cameron Catazaro, personifying this character, especially when partnering his lead ballerina (Atkins), has been an intriguing challenge. 'Acting on stage is one of my favorite things, but here with my hands and face covered, I depend on the rest of my body to make this creature look more vital. And I have to be super aware of where I'm stepping so as not to get tangled.' In a different cast, he'll dance Don José (opposite Hannah Fischer's Carmen), expanding dramatic reach as his obsessive love turns lethal. 'Even here there are so many special moves,' he says, 'like different hand grips I would've never imagined.' This opportunity for artistic growth and the thrill of originating such impactful roles makes him feel privileged. Atkins likewise recognizes this career capstone. 'The last scene especially is quite powerful,' she says. 'I have to exhale when I step off at the end because of what happens in the storyline. I find it all very emotional and hope that also resonates with the audience.' If you go: WHAT: Miami City Ballet's 'Carmen' WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 25 and 26; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 26 and 27 WHERE: Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES: Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 3; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 3 and 4 COST: $25-$225, depending on show time and venue. INFORMATION: 305-929-7010 or is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music, and more. Don't miss a story at
Miami Herald
11-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
A nonconforming ballet heats up Miami City Ballet's ‘Winter Mix'
Speaking from her New York home base in January, choreographer Pam Tanowitz—currently held in the warmest of embraces by critics and knowing audiences—lamented the weather, confessing, 'I can't wait to come to Miami.' As the Northeast shivered through an arctic blast, she looked forward to returning to put the finishing touches on 'Coincident Dances,' the world premiere commissioned by Miami City Ballet as a red-hot component for its 'Winter Mix,' also including re-stagings of George Balanchine's 'La Valse,' a glamorous and mysterious whirl to Maurice Ravel, and 'Walpurgisnacht,' devilishly dynamic to passages from Charles Gounod's opera 'Faust.' The program opens at the Arsht Center in Miami, Friday, Feb. 14 through Sunday, Feb. 16. 'Winter Mix' continues at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, Feb. 22 and Sunday, Feb. 23 and then at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, Saturday, March 8 and Sunday, March 9. It's not that our subtropical climate sets the temperature for 'Coincident Dances.' But that concept amuses Tanowitz. She notes, 'Weather is like dance—ephemeral.' The choreographer further recognizes how surrounding elements seep into creation, saying, 'Life is messy, and everything can be in there.' In her case that includes motherhood and a divorce, her Jewish heritage, museum haunts and French cinema—and, yes, the environment. She references her choreography for 'The Seasons,' an opera to premiere at Boston Lyric Opera on Wednesday, March 12, the libretto by Sarah Ruhl springing from Vivaldi's concertos to tell of artists in a retreat disrupted by the weather. The collaboration, along with her concurrent MCB commission, is among the many high points on the choreographer's creative landscape. Sought-after by prominent dance companies in the United States and abroad, Tanowitz continues to head her twenty-five-year-old troupe, Pam Tanowitz Dance. Film work and a professorship of professional practice at Rutgers University extend her resume, which certifies Tanowitz as one of the busiest dance makers on the scene today. 'Though I don't need any more work, I'd feel stressed out if people stopped calling,' she admits. 'With every opportunity for me to make a dance, whether it's modern or ballet, I feel so, so lucky.' Small wonder she's mindful of self-care, faithfully putting in time at the treadmill. 'I have to do it every morning,' she says. 'It helps me focus for rehearsals.' She's been steadily holding that focus, wide and deep, to great results—two Bessie Awards, a Jacob's Pillow Dance Award, a Doris Duke Artist Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship among her honors, all especially meaningful to a self-confessed late-bloomer. 'I'm now 55. In New York since I was 23, I'd been choreographing for a really long time before people noticed me,' points out this Westchester, New York, native and MFA holder from Sarah Lawrence College. 'I had a totally different path. I wasn't a dancer in a company who then decided to be on my own. And my company is project-based, the dancers freelance.' Various modern dance figures have informed her work, with mid-twentieth century luminary Merce Cunningham looming tall. 'I love his technique, the clean lines,' says Tanowitz. This connection comes by way of the late Viola Farber, a founding member of the Cunningham company and a force of her own, 'She was my mentor at Sarah Lawrence,' says Tanowitz about the director of dance at her college. 'She challenged me and retaught me how to dance. She changed my life.' Considering Tanowitz's trajectory, many observers single out 2019 as a wonder year. A career upswing then raised the choreographer's visibility to a starry firmament, with commissions from Martha Graham Dance Company, Paul Taylor Dance Company, New York City Ballet, and Britain's Royal Ballet. Contacted for the current premiere by MCB artistic director Lourdes Lopez over two years ago, Tanowitz came by degrees into the company fold. At the end of 2016, to inaugurate the Faena Forum on Miami Beach, Tanowitz made 'Once With Me, Once Without Me,' a site-specific work joining her company with advanced students from MCB School. In May 2019, the same month that New York City Ballet staged 'Bartók Ballet'—its first Tanowitz piece— 'Gustave Le Gray No. 1,' a quartet created for Dance Theatre of Harlem and Miami City Ballet, featuring a man and a woman from each company, premiered as part of Ballet Across America at the Kennedy Center. Tanowitz explains that 'No. 1' uses ballet slippers while a 'No. 2,' for her own troupe, has the same movement base adjusted for bare feet. Tanowitz's exploration of pointe work, to be on view in 'Coincident Dances,' takes this balletic hallmark into her own territory. 'A lot of younger choreographers,' she considers, 'come into ballet to make a dance they think audiences want to see. I don't do that. I make what's interesting to me, and I always question things—an arm position or a head tilt. And I believe that's also interesting for the dancers.' MCB soloist Satoki Habuchi agrees, empowered by the choreographer's openness to contributions from the interpreters. One of seven men who, alongside eight women, make up the cast of 'Coincident Dances,' he participated as an MCB School student in the Faena project. Now more experienced in contemporary work, he's extended his talent adhering to Tanowitz's dictum 'to be a neutral version of myself. We don't have to make things bigger.' Still, even at their most natural, MCB dancers can be quite an eyeful. Habuchi tells how after Tanowitz saw him do an impactful jump in a studio class, she decided to incorporate it into her dance, labeling it the 'Satoki Special.' Principal Hannah Fischer, whose wide range in contemporary dance dates back to her days at National Ballet of Canada, appreciates how Tanowitz encourages 'honest intention.' This jives with the ballerina's belief that her art form is about mindset as much as physical exertion. 'Pam has a plan when she walks into the room, but she also lets us feel comfortable in the unknown. It's fine if we make a mistake because she might end up liking it,' she notes. Defying gender expectations, Tanowitz at one point asked if Fischer felt okay with circling the stage in a type of manège with traveling jumps usually reserved for men. Glad to take this on, the ballerina turned the opportunity into an off-the-playbook burst of excitement. Tellingly, both she and Habuchi point to a male duet—its soulfulness 'truly awesome,' says Fischer—as a standout in the dance. The choreographer is also unorthodox in not using counts in constructing phrases. Dancers take cues from the music, each other, and their internal responses. Whether in unison or in counterpoint, Fischer says she rides these currents in constant reference to the ensemble. Habuchi adds, 'We have to look at each other, and I let the music guide me emotionally.' Tanowitz is using two compositions, the scintillating 'Starburst' and 'Coincident Dances,' by Jessie Montgomery, among long-trusted collaborators—here including designers Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung for costumes and Brandon Stirling Baker for lighting—who bolster her conceptions. Montgomery's music, says the choreographer, 'feels very cosmopolitan—entertaining in the smartest way possible. It's very inspiring.' If you go: WHAT: Miami City Ballet's Winter Mix WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 14 and 15; 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16 WHERE: Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES: Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22; 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23; Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 8; 1 p.m. Sunday, March 9 COST: $25-$225, depending on show time and venue. INFORMATION: 305-929-7010 or is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music and more. Don't miss a story at
Miami Herald
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
How downtown Miami's celeb-loved nightclub became part of the neighborhood's revival
Only 11 years ago, the landscape of downtown Miami was not what you see today. With its big-city grime, empty streets, few residential buildings or flashy hotels, it was no South Beach. The only reason to venture to the area after dark was to see a show at the Arsht Center or game at AmericanAirlines Arena, then scurry back to the car. More adventurous partiers headed to always thumping Club Space or down the street, the Gold Rush strip club. At least a few astute businessmen saw an opportunity. Enter Marc Roberts. In the early 2000s, the sports agent turned real estate speculator from New York began scouting parcels of land in the 305's concrete jungle, buying up abandoned buildings and vacant lots. The high roller eventually zeroed in on the Gold Rush, which had a license to serve alcohol and feature adult entertainment 24 hours a day. Roberts partnered with local real estate power player Michael Simkins, a Miami Beach native and Ransom Everglades/UM alum, to snap up the massive venue for $11.9 million in 2012. Roberts and Simkins then partnered with nightlife vet Dennis DeGori, previously of Scores Las Vegas and Stringfellow's in NYC. DeGori is widely credited as the man with the plan to do a complete overhaul of Gold Rush; he wanted to not only class up the joint, but turn the sprawling, two level space into a snazzy gentlemen's-style club with a fancy, theatrical twist. And so began the transformation of a strip club into an ultraclub. Gold Rush's unique glow up into E11EVEN began in earnest in 2013 and this week, the club celebrates its 11 year anniversary with five days of parties. 'At the time, I envisioned a melding of a nightclub, cabaret, and a Broadway type of operation that would transform multiple entertainment concepts,' DeGori said. 'Something unique and special and kind of in its own lane.' More great minds jumped on board to bring this daring, fresh concept to life. Like Gino LoPinto, also of the Sin City nightlife scene. After going over the blueprints and surveying the 'hood, the native New Yorker immediately vibed with the ambitious $44 million mega-project. 'The area wasn't gentrified yet, but you could tell it would grow, there was so much potential,' said the father of three. 'It was not the skyline you see today. We were the first shovel in the ground.' LoPinto, as operating partner, got to work to bring DeGori's fantasy to reality. 'He wanted to know how to re-create the pizzazz of the Vegas club experience, and that VIP table environment,' the industry pro explained. 'It also had to have a lot of buzz — and great marketing ploys.' ' In late 2013, Roberts' friend Doug Ellin, the creator of 'Entourage,' needed a place to hold auditions for the scene in the movie where Adrian Grenier and his pals are on a yacht in Miami surrounded by models. 'Even though E11EVEN hadn't opened yet, I convinced him to have it there,' recalled Roberts. 'Billboards promoting the casting call went up all over the city, putting the name in the spotlight.' More than 1,000 wannabes showed up on Jan. 7, 2014. The buzz, which also included a mysterious campaign with ads asking ' all over town, was mounting. They built it, and the party people came. E11EVEN, which opened on Feb. 4, 2014, chugged along for the first few months, the guests a mix of curious rubberneckers and and ragers looking for the next new, shiny thing. The place was beyond impressive, with its LED video walls, state of the art sound system, plush banquettes, VIP bottle service, smoke shows, Cirque du Soleil–style acrobats and of course, scantily clad dancers galore. But the owners knew they needed a famous headliner to reel in the big spenders. A chance meeting with DJ Irie at a Miami Heat game a few months after the opening led LoPinto to hook up with pop star Usher, who agreed to a mini concert on New Year's Eve to ring in 2015. What happened that night exceeded all expectations. The generous amount the 'Yeah' singer was paid (a lot less than he would command these days, an insider tells us) was made up for in free publicity. His longtime manager and rumored love interest Grace Miguel was spotted with a huge rock on her finger, putting the fledgling club in the headlines of all the gossip rags. 'Not only did we land Usher as our first-ever A-lister,' said LoPinto, 'but her wearing that ring that night essentially confirmed their engagement for the first time publicly.' Soon enough, more stars followed suit, showing up at the sizzling spot as both patrons and performers. Like Drake, who did the New Year's Eve honors the following year. The Canadian superstar is credited for 'discovering' the more intimate, 360-degree stage in the middle of the action. Previously, acts had been held on a bigger platform near the DJ booth, and less accessible to the crowd. But Drake apparently wanted to be more up close and personal with his fans, LoPinto explained. Nowadays, it's the site where regulars like 50 Cent, Offset and Rick Ross often go viral for making it rain. 'The talent throwing the money out is kind of in our DNA now,' said LoPinto. 'E11EVEN is very conducive to that environment. Almost every seat is like a front row.' Part of downtown's glow up As the founders predicted, downtown Miami began to evolve at a rapid pace. Residential high rises were going up on every block. A new science museum popped up next to the new art museum. Construction began to make Flagler Street pedestrian friendly. A Brightline train station was built. The enormous Miami Worldcenter project started. An $840 million 'Connecting Miami' highway extension broke ground. E11EVEN, too, began to evolve as a lifestyle brand, coming out with apparel and merch, including their popular logo caps favored by everyone from socialite Paris Hilton to race car driver Ed Jones. E11EVEN was known as one of the hottest clubs in not only Miami, but the country, with high wattage headliners from all genres, from Post Malone to Travis Scott. People would line up for hours outside the velvet ropes for hours to gladly hand over their paychecks for an unforgettable evening, not to mention selfie. As the nightlife industry hit a severe snag during the pandemic, E11EVEN's owners had already wisely moved in on the post-COVID construction boom, expanding the brand with E11EVEN Hotel & Residences, directly across the street from the club. The sleek tower's initial units went on sale in January 2021, starting at $300,000 for a studio to $10 million for a penthouse, selling out in a flash. Perks include a spa, wellness studio offering treatments designed by Deepak Chopra, a cigar club, and more. A second tower, connected to the original by skybridge, hit the market in late 2021. Future residents include YouTubers Jake and Logan Paul, who both reportedly bought top floor units for about $20 million a pop. A third tower up the street went on sale a few months later. If all goes well, a fourth one could go up, too. But even as they have diversified the brand into new endeavors, E11EVEN the club continues to dominate: it recently came in at No. 6 on the International Nightlife Association's annual list of the World's 100 Best Clubs. The incredible success the team has achieved on so many levels gives LoPinto pause. 'I'm a big dreamer, the kind of person who's like, the sky's the limit, but I'd be lying if I told you I don't wake up and pinch myself every day,' said LoPinto, who estimates a good night can bring in up to $1 million. 'I've been at this a long time; a club with a two to three year run is lucky. Us? We've grown the brand to global recognition. We've got twin towers almost ready for move-in, a merchandise line, our hats worn all over the world, a fast growing vodka, and more. It's surreal, to say the least.' E11EVEN MIAMI 11TH ANNIVERSARY Schedule: Wednesday, Mister Gray; Thursday, DJs Vice B2B and Eric DLUX; Friday, Marshmello; Saturday, Saweetie; Sunday, Lunay. Where: 29 NE 11th St, Miami, 305-829-2911 Cost: General admission tickets from $10. Tables from $350:
