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MIAMI IN MOTION
By
Tracey Teo
If your idea of a dream vacation is roaming through art
galleries during the day and attending the ballet or the theater at night,
Miami, Florida, is probably not at the top of your list of possible travel
destinations. But maybe it should be, because sunny, sexy Miami is evolving into
suave, sophisticated Miami. With an explosion of growth in both the performing
and visual arts, the city long thought of as an eternal adolescent, has finally
grown up.
The Carnival Center for the Performing Arts
 The big news on the arts scene this spring is all about
dance. Several exciting works will be set in motion at the new Carnival Center
for the Performing Arts which opened in the heart of downtown last October. One
of the largest performing arts centers in the country, it enables the city to
stage everything from Broadway to ballet on a grander scale than ever before.
A $20 million gift from the Carnival Corporation, owner of
Carnival Cruise Lines, made the center possible, so it's appropriate the
building, with its porthole style windows, looks as though it could set sail at
any moment. The Carnival Center is not only a forum for the arts, but is a
work of art in itself with its unique lobby floor design, etched glass railings,
and a monumental glass tile mural by Cundo Bermudez.
Merce in Miami
One of the Carnival Center's most anticipated events of
the year is Merce in Miami, a two week long dance festival starting Feb. 23 that
celebrates the life and works of legendary avant-garde choreographer,
87-year-old Merce Cunningham. The Merce Cunningham Dance Company will perform
some of his signature works, as well as pieces that feature new, cutting-edge
choreography.
Justin Macdonell, Carnival Center's artistic director, says
he feels privileged to host the world-renowned dance company on their first ever
tour to Miami.
 "Merce Cunningham is a towering figure of the arts in
America and throughout the word, Macdonell says. "Merce in Miami gives us the
opportunity to focus and reflect on his astonishing achievement in dance and
across the arts over many decades."
The festival opens with the world premiere of "eyeSpace,"
which will showcase a creative collaborative effort between Cunningham, composer
David Behrman and up-and-coming Miami visual artist, Daniel Arsham, who designed
the sets and costumes.
"CRWDSPCR" (1993), a powerful work known for quick, dynamic
footwork and the arrangement of dancers in unusual groupings, will be on the
same program.
On Feb 25, the second part of the program begins, and two
of Cunningham's major works, "Crisis" (1960) and "Split Sides" (2003) will be
presented.
The festival's grand finale is "Ocean," Cunningham's final
collaboration with John Cage before the composer's death in 1992. This
exciting work is performed in the round, and the music literally envelops the
audience as they are surrounded by over one hundred musicians playing Cage's
riveting score, while a clock ticks backwards throughout.
In addition to dance performances by the Cunningham
Company, Merce in Miami includes lectures, workshops, and performances by local
dancers. For example, students from New World School of the Arts will perform a
site-specific work titled "One Hand Clapping" choreographed by faculty member
Dale Andree.
Museum of Contemporary Art
In honor of Merce in Miami, the city's Museum of
Contemporary Art (MOCA) is presenting a special exhibit through April 29, titled
"Merce in Miami: Dancing on the Cutting Edge Part I," which documents
Cunningham's collaborations with visual artists from 1998 to today. The
pioneering choreographer is known for working with talented, young artists, and
the exhibit features sets and costumes designed by those he has worked with in
the past, including Ernesto Neto, Charles Long, and Christian Marclay.
Bonnie Clearwater, MOCA's chief curator says, "Merce in
Miami is a project of major artistic significance. Thanks to the outstanding
support of Knight Foundation, Carnival Center and MOCA, we will be able to
present Merce Cunningham to new audiences and, for the first time, bring the
work of one of the world's greatest choreographer's to Miami."
Miami City Ballet
 If your taste in dance is more classical than avant-garde,
The Miami City Ballet, an internationally acclaimed ballet company directed by
Edward Villella, performs a number of ballet favorites at The Carnival Center
this spring.
March 2-4, MCB presents a program that begins with George
Balanchine's joyful "Raymonda Variations" which is all fluffy, pink tutus, and
pays tribute to 19 th century Petipa classicism. This uplifting ballet, set to
the music of Russian composer Alexander Glazounov, is playful and fun.
This is followed by one of Anthony Tudor's most famous
works, "Lilac Garden," a haunting tale of an unhappy marriage of convenience set
in 19 th century England.
"Symphony in Three Movements," set to Igor Stravinsky's
turbulent score, wraps up the program. The audience experiences a different side
of Balanchine than in "Raymonda Variations," and his genius as a choreographer
shines. This abstract ballet is dance for the sake of dance, with no story
line. It's just bodies moving through space in unmistakable Balanchine style.
The MCB season concludes with one of the most famous
ballets of all time-Petipa's masterpiece, "Giselle." This poignant story of love
and betrayal combined with brilliant, demanding choreography is a balletomane's
dream come true, and will be performed at the Carnival Center March 30-April 1.
So if you are a dance lover with a case of spring fever, a
trip to Miami might just be the cure.
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