FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Roberto Santiago Public Relations Manager Miami City (305) 929-7000, ext. 1602 [email protected]

Cristina Planas Jenna Galardi Kreps DeMaria (305) 663-3543 [email protected] [email protected]

MIAMI CITY BALLET‟S „OPEN BARRE‟ DANCE SERIES PRESENTS ‟S , SYMPHONY IN THREE MOVEMENTS AND CHRISTOPHER WHEELDON‟S LITURGY.

3 SHOWS ONLY! FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25 AND SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26.

Miami Beach, FL (Feb. 2, 2011) – Get up close and personal with dancers in their 200 seat intimate studio theater when the Open Barre Dance Series showcases three exciting works: George Balanchine‟s Tarantella and Symphony in Three Movements and Christopher Wheeldon‟s Liturgy. These exclusive, one-of-a-kind performances will be presented three times only: Friday, February 25 at 7p.m. and Saturday, February 26 at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Tickets are only $35 and include a complimentary lobby “open bar”, beginning thirty minutes prior to curtain, courtesy of Bacardi USA. Purchase tickets by calling (305) 929-7010 or order online 24/7 at www.miamicityballet.org.

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OPEN BARRE/2 Miami Beach InCard members save $10 dollars when they purchase their tickets in person only at Miami City Ballet, Monday-Friday 10am-5pm or day of performance until curtain time. Performances are at Miami City Ballet Studios, Ophelia and Juan Js. Roca Center, Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Theatre located at 2200 Liberty Ave., Miami Beach at 22nd St. one block west of Collins Ave.

George Balanchine’s Tarantella is a non-traditional pas de deux featuring seven minutes of virtually non-stop dancing. Set to music by Louis Moreau Gottschalk, it demands great stamina and exceptional footwork, performed at breakneck speed. Christopher Wheeldon’s Liturgy is a haunting pas de deux danced to music by contemporary composer Arvo Part. It was created for in 2003.

Balanchine’s Symphony in Three Movements, a large ensemble work, is choreographed to Stravinsky’s 1945 jazz-flavored score said to evoke his impressions of World War II. Miami City Ballet Founding Artistic Director , will offer a sort of “Ballet l0l” on the piece, breaking down sections, narrating and explaining, and adding his own personal experiences with Balanchine having danced in the 1972 original production at New York City Ballet. This is a wonderful way for audiences to learn more about ballet and Balanchine masterworks.

Miami City Ballet is celebrating its 25th Anniversary Season at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami, in Fort Lauderdale at the Broward Center and in Palm Beach at Kravis Center. MCB is also presented as the resident ballet company at the Naples Philharmonic Center in Naples, Florida. For tickets and information, visit www.miamicityballet.org or call (305) 929-7010 or toll-free (877) 929-7010.

About Miami City Ballet Critically acclaimed by The New York Times, Miami City Ballet (MCB) was founded in 1985 by Artistic Director Edward Villella. The Company has 50 dancers, and a repertoire of 88 which they perform in the four home counties of Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Collier, and around the world. MCB maintains its headquarters in Miami Beach in a facility designed by renowned architectural firm Arquitectonica. The facility houses rehearsal studios and administrative offices as well as the Company’s school: Miami City Ballet School.

Visit us at www.miamicityballet.org . You can also “like” us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

SPONSORED IN PART BY THE STATE OF FLORIDA, DEPARTMENT OF STATE, DIVISION OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, AND THE FLORIDA COUNCIL ON ARTS AND CULTURE. MCB PROGRAMMING IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS AND THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS COUNCIL, THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY MAYOR AND BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, CULTURAL AFFAIRS PROGRAM, CULTURAL ARTS COUNCIL. MIAMI CITY BALLET HAS COMPLIED WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF CHAPTER 496, FLORIDA STATUTES, THE SOLICITATION OF CONTRIBUTIONS ACT. OUR REGISTRATION NUMBER IS CH1034. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800) 435-7352 WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. ADA ACCESSIBLE. ###