Miami City Ballet 2015 Gala
Featuring Exclusive Video Art Installation With MCB Dancers
Miami City Ballet presented its 2015 Gala with a fusion of art, dance and music at Wynwood’s Soho Studios. Inspired by the historic collaboration between famed choreographer Justin Peck and street artist Shepard Fairey, each moved by the art of Wynwood Walls in the creation of this season’s original Heatscape piece, the event was chaired by Ana and Robert Barlick.
Also of particular note, all 50 of Miami City Ballet’s dancers attended as guests and were seated with donors at the Gala.
Christofle of Paris treated guests to a champagne welcome experience, while a chandelier made out of 300 pointe shoes framed the cocktail hour, presented by Bacardi.
In the ballroom, a highlight of the evening was a one-night only, unique video art installation and preview of Heatscape, combining classical ballet with the street art that makes Wynwood such a uniquely Miami locale. The film, created by the dancers of Miami City Ballet with local Miami filmmaker Gil Green of 305 Films, is a love letter to the city of Miami.
Chairs Ana and Robert Barlick gave inspiring remarks about the future of Miami City Ballet, and between bites of the sumptuous dinner and dessert catered by Le Basque, Gala attendees saluted Grand Honorary Chairs, R. Kirk Landon & Pamela Garrison, and heard from Chairman of the Board of Trustees Susan Kronick that Miami City Ballet has been invited to appear in New York at Lincoln Center, in Chicago, Paris, and Israel.
Another highlight of the evening was Artistic Director Lourdes Lopez’s surprise announcement of a brand new $1 million gift from Claudia and Steven Perles to support a major production in honor of the company’s 30th Anniversary Season in 2016. Principal dancers Jennifer Carlynn Kronenberg and Carlos Miguel Guerra led the guests to the dance floor to celebrate.
The Miami City Ballet Gala 2015 raised more than $1 million, with proceeds benefitting Miami City Ballet’s education and outreach initiatives in the local community, including scholarships and complimentary performance tickets for students in the Miami-Dade County school system.
Notable attendees included Ana and Robert Barlick, Gala Chairs; R. Kirk Landon and Pamela Garrison, Grand Honorary Chairs; Lourdes Lopez, Miami City Ballet Artistic Director; Miami City Ballet Founder Toby Lerner Ansin with Sanford Evans; Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Susan Kronick with Edward Shumsky.
Other notable board members and guests included Charlene and Ron Esserman, Ellen and Louis Wolfson III, Randi Wolfson Adamo and Christopher Adamo, Dr. Margaret and Mike Eidson, Jessica Goldman Srebnick and Scott Srebnick, Diane and Alan Lieberman, Claudia and Steven Perles, Jayne and Leonard Abess, Adriana Cisneros de Griffin and Nicholas Griffin, Alicia and Mike Piazza, Diana Zeydel, Jennifer Vallopi, Kinga and Edward Lampert, Ambassador Paul And Trudy Cejas, Tina and Dan Carlo, Criselda and Jonathan Breene; Lynne and John Richard, President and CEO, Adrienne Arsht Center; Sari and Arthur Agatston, Tony and Conchy Argiz, Michele and Larry Herbert; Susana and Alberto Ibarguen, President and CEO, Knight Foundation; Debra and Dennis Scholl, Knight Foundation VP of Arts; Danet Linares and Matt Haggman, Knight Foundation Program Director/Miami.
