"Holiday Season With Ballet Stars": A Dance Spectacle for Miami's History and Memory Next Weekend

It will be two nights for the history and memory of Miami.

For the first time, some of the world's most renowned stars of classical dance will converge in the city to offer an unprecedented year-end show, bringing with them some of the most exquisite choreographies from the international repertoire.

On December 29th and 30th, the Adrianne Arsht Center will present "Holiday Season With Ballet Stars", a type of performance one might imagine in cities like New York, London, or Paris, but at this scale, has never been seen in Miami.

The Ballet Support Foundation, an NGO created by activist and former dancer Lola Koch to support dancers in unfavorable situations globally, managed to bring together a dozen dancers for a single show. Each of these dancers, individually, draws audiences from around the world.

In Miami, there will be an opportunity to see them all in one night, with a program that will also present some of the most valuable and representative choreographic jewels from the most renowned ballet companies in the world: the Paris Opera Ballet, the Royal Ballet of London, the New York City Ballet, the American Ballet Theatre, and the Martha Graham Company.

Some might argue that for an audience in Miami, unaccustomed to grand dance performances taking place in a city traditionally seen as a beach and spring break destination, names like Natalia Osipova, Mathieu Ganio, Ludmila Pagliero, Aran Bell, or Christine Shevchenko—some of the stars performing a select program on both nights—may not mean much.

But this is precisely what this type of performance aims to change.

"Miami is an increasingly vibrant city, and with this show, we aim to place it at the center of the dance world," says Lola Koch.

"December was the most suitable month because it was an opportunity to gather stars of this magnitude without other commitments. Also, it's a time when many people come to the city during winter vacations, so it can be an opportunity for many to see world-class dance in Miami," explains Koch.

Her work to organize such an event was admirable. In just nine months, she managed to convene some of the world's best dancers, bring them to Miami, organize a show of this magnitude, and select the choreographies—all done, essentially, by herself. It's just one of the achievements of this former Bolshoi dancer, who, since moving to the U.S., has sought to promote dance and help young talents, from securing scholarships to escaping war or obtaining dance shoes.

The show that will be showcased at the Arsht Center for two nights will also be a unique opportunity not only to see some of the best exponents of world dance but also lesser-known groups facing crises, such as dancers from the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company in Israel or students from the Joffrey Ballet School in New York.

It will also be a chance to witness the works of some of the best choreographers who have marked the history of modern ballet and brought renown to the companies they worked for—from classics like Kenneth MacMillan, Angelin Preljocaj, or Martha Graham to young promises like Justin Peck or Alexei Ratmansky.

The proposal promises to be the kind of show Miami has never seen. Hopefully, it will open the door for the city to become a destination for arts and dance from around the world. The bet is on.