Robert Johnson reviews MCB's City Center debut on January 21, 2009 in the New Jersey Star-Ledger:

NJ Star-Ledger

The program was Balanchine's "La Valse" and "Symphony in Three Movements," and Tharp's "In the Upper Room."

Alastair Macaulay in the New York Times:

NY Times

"Miami City Ballet was making its debut at City Center, where the company's founding artistic director, Edward Villella, had his beginnings with Balanchine's New York City Ballet in the late 1950s. The Miami company's first two nights were a triumph for all concerned. And something feels so right about this engagement, which has been too long delayed, that it might have been predestined."

(Robert Johnson/The Star-Ledger).


Being a great admirer of the Miami City Ballet since I first saw it over a year ago, I can definitely sympathize with this feeling.

In my mind this company is so talented and so likable that this just seems like a natural progression--and a well deserved one.

'Eddie' in his numerous telephone interviews the last two weeks, as seen on the internet, and in his usual pre-performance talks, exudes a sense of love for his past experiences in New York City--so this all just seems--"So Right"!

I personally couldn't be happier for this wonderful dance company and hope that its future is just as rewarding.

Here is one more that I just found by Googling.

Jordan Levin at the Miami Herald

http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainmen ... 70089.html

From the article cited above, entitled....


"Miami City Ballet wins over demanding New York audiences"


"Judging by standing ovations from two nights of full houses and a rave review in The New York Times, the nation's dance capital certainly seemed excited about its first glimpse of Miami City Ballet, which made its debut here with six performances this week.

The enthusiastic response lit up New York City Center on Thursday night as dancer Jeanette Delgado's feet flashed, seemingly at the speed of light, in George Balanchine's Square Dance. The crowd of dance lovers and luminaries rose in a rare mid-ballet standing ovation."


''This is very emotional,'' principal dancer Mary Carmen Catoya said Wednesday. ``It was very important for Edward, who's practically our father, so it was very important for us.''

Nancy Dalva reviews the City Center performances in The Observer:

NY Observer

Rebecca Milzoff in the New York Post:

NY Post

This is somewhat off topic, but since by far the most Balanchine energy is focussed on the Miami City Ballet at the moment, I would like to put it here. I was at the practice session of the nearby Lausanne (Switzerland) dance competition today. I saw 80 (!) dancers perform a solo of choice, twice!


Karen Johnson

One young lady stood out in my mind. It was not that she was necessarily superior to everyone else. I would say that the talent was uniformly very fine. What she did do was dance the only solo in, what I would describe as, a noticeable Balanchine style and she was Excellent !

If there is such a thing as a Balanchine purist, she must qualify. She is from Irvine, California, and she performed in the 15-16 year old group (the youngest of two groups).

She may not be (yet) a bundle of mega-energy and mega-warmth, like some of the Miami City Ballet dancers seen last week, but she is Very, Very Good ! She is perhaps closest to the Balanchine stylistic agility and dimension of the brilliant Jennifer Carlynn Kronenberg.

As well as I can identify them, she performed one Balanchine trademark move after another and she did this flawlessly with a very fine sense of appropriate excitement.

A lady sitting next to me, who was watching all the dancers with a keen, critical eye, almost spontaneously jumped out of her chair, when Karen Johnson had finished. It wasn't just from excitement. It was from brilliant Balanchine style dance technique as well.

Karen Johnson was absolutely on top of everything that she was doing and what she was doing was distinct and outstanding.

I would think that she will do quite well in this competition, although since all the dancers have some very fine elements, it would be a job to settle on which element is to be the most important in grading a dancer. I myself was often of a different opinion from the lady next to me, simply because we were weighing the elements differently and I could certainly sympathize with her choices as well.

I would say that Karen Johnson is definitely someone for groups like the Miami City Ballet to keep an eye on.

I look forward to the day when I can say, "I knew her when she first appeared as a young teenage dance student in Lausanne!"


[some minor word changes made]

In the Miami Herald, Jordan Levin reviews the collaboration between the Cleveland Orchestra and MCB on Thursday, January 29, 2009 in the Arsht Center in Miami:

Miami Herald

In the Miami Herald, Daniel Chang reports on a board/management decision to reduce the number of dancers from 53 in 2008-09 to 45 in 2009-10.

Miami Herald

Bummer.

In the Miami Herald, Jordan Levin reviews the final program of 2008-09: Balanchine's "Concerto Barocco" and "Symphony in C" and Robbins' "In the Night," at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale on Friday, March 13, 2009:

Miami Herald

In the Naples Daily News, Harriet Howard Heithaus reviews MCB's Tuesday, March 17, 2009 performance at the Philharmonic Center for the Arts. The finale of "Symphony in C" was interrupted by a power outage; ultimately, the finale was performed with the aid of flashlights and emergency lighting:

Naples Daily News