Dance

The Night and the Moon Opera and contemporary dance rendezvous in this double bill: the opera Arianna a Naxos (Ariadne in Naxos) , and the choreography La noche y la luna (The Night and the Moon). I. Arianna a Naxos ~ Joseph Haydn In this seldom-performed work, Haydn revisits the myth of Ariadne and the agonizing depths of abandonment. Ariadne, whose clever thread helped her lover Theseus escape the labyrinth after having slayed the Minotaur, is left desolate on the island of Naxos. According to some versions of the story, she is later comforted by nymphs and loved by Bacchus. Patricia Arcadí stars in this original production by The Opera Atelier, directed by Daniel Daroca, with contemporary dance choreography by Leyson Ponce. This staged version of Haydn's cantata, originally composed for voice and piano, features Daroca at the piano. Performed live. II. La noche y la luna (Choreography by Carmen Werner and Leyson Ponce) "La Noche y La Luna" is a choreographic project inspired by the metaphors of Federico García Lorca, especially those of his Gypsy Ballads. This duet continues an earlier exploration into gesture, movement, and expression, drawing from the symbolic weight of Hopper’s works, which evoke solitude, human relationships, and anticipation. Choreographers Werner and Ponce expand on this theme by weaving in Lorca’s imagery, accompanied by a musical selection that includes Schubert, Luís Martínez, and Simón Díaz. The result is a production where fine arts, poetry, and music create a space where gesture and movement transcend the stage, merging the essence of life with performance.

Dance NOW! Kicks off its 25th Anniversary season with an evening of dance under the autumn skies featuring a sneak preview of the season to come with excerpts from DNM’s saucy remix of the Nutcracker “Clara” and other works fresh off the company’s tour to North Florida. The performance will also include a presentation from the Dance NOW! Youth Ensemble in partnership with Miami Arts Charter School.

Balancing elegant neoclassicism and a sleek contemporary edge, Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami opens the season with a captivating “must see” evening of 21st century ballet. Enjoy the company premiere of acclaimed choreographer Stephanie Martinez’s “Something to Remember You By”, along with the return of Artist in Residence Yanis Pikieris’ dynamic “Imagined Notions” and the Main Stage premiere of Samuel Kurkjian’s elegant “Chopin Variations”.

The city of Aventura is proud to partner with FUNDarte to bring this dynamic dance performance to the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center as part of FUNDarte’s annual FL.Flamencos series co-presented with the Miami-Dade County Auditorium. Created by Sonia Franco Gutiérrez, dancer, choreographer and actress who has premiered dance shows around the world, Ser.Rana is an omen. It is an experience that transforms movement and releases the desire to dance, like water that cannot be contained, like the flow of the river that you have inside you and does not cease, transforming your body through flamenco while you travel through impossible scenario...like the frogs that get lost outside their pond. With original music created for this trip, flamenco is at the service of the movement and connects directly with the viewer through a minimalist aesthetic. Only music and dance reveal what lives in the body that, animated by life, resists the sordidity of the world. FUNDarte’s FL.Flamencos series is dedicated to the Spanish-born genre, presenting a splendidly diverse range of performances, including the latest in traditional and radically contemporary flamenco forms performed by Spain's most notable and risk-taking artists.

Armour Dance Theatre’s Nutcracker ballet is more than a holiday tradition. The cast of over 140 includes students from six Armour Dance Theatre locations, New World School of the Arts students in advanced roles, alongside world-class guest stars, ensuring high quality and diversity. Our goal is for all children in the audience to see performers who look like them. Over 7,000 public schoolchildren experience this production annually. Armour Dance Theatre launched the region’s first Sensory-Inclusive Nutcracker, becoming a leader in making the arts accessible to all children. The Nutcracker will be held at The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater for field trip performances and an evening performance for the general public. Tickets are available NOW on LIVE NATION and at The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater box office.

Explore musical heritage through contemporary performance with Miami-based dance company Zest Collective. Experience "Afro Blue", a dynamic tribute to 20th-century Black musicians blending jazz standards and historical depth, and dive into "The Fountain", a vibrant homage to the legacy of pioneering female opera singers and the spiritual richness of Negro Spirituals. Presented by Miami Light Project, Miami Theater Center and Culture Shock Miami, these triumphant works celebrate the enduring impact of influential musical figures, offering an unforgettable journey through history.

This winter, the Land of Sweets lands squarely in Miami for a festive holiday spectacle that always delights. Journey once more with over 100 dancers into the fantastical world of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, replete with signature choreography set to the iconic Tchaikovsky score. With stunning stagecraft, magnificent costumes, and a spectacular live orchestra, get whisked away by the joy of the Sugarplum Fairy and the wonder of graceful snowflakes gracing the stages of sunny South Florida. With eye-popping scenic elements that expertly mix grandeur and warmth, the imagination, marvels, and spirit of childhood come alive right before your eyes. For an extra-special holiday experience the family is sure to treasure, become part of the merriment with pre-show festivities that set the stage for the most magical time of year.

Premiered as part of the company’s 30th anniversary, this inventive reimagining of Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream—his first original full-length story ballet created in America—transports the mystical woodland lovers of Shakespeare’s comedic masterpiece to the spellbinding underwater world of the Florida coast. With Michele Oka Doner’s transformative costumes and sets, the kingdom of magical fairies becomes a floating motif of coral and seagrass populated by manatees, seahorses, and more underwater life, evoking the heart of South Florida’s treasured marine ecosystems. Mendelssohn’s mesmerizing score sets the stage for mischief, merriment, and mismatched romances, embodied in equal measures of whimsy and dazzling prowess by a breathtaking company of dancers. Take a dip into the familiar story of feuding Titania and Oberon, a quartet of hapless romantics, and the fiendish Puck, retold in the setting of the port of Miami.

Afro Blue is Gentry Isaiah George’s latest installment from his series ‘Roots & Rhythms,’ designed to commemorate Black Musicians of the 20th century. Renditions of the Jazz standard Afro-Blue recorded by American Jazz Vocalist Abbey Lincoln and Cuban Percussionist Mongo Santamaria are the centerpieces for the new work. Harmonizing biography, social history, music, and performance, George’s Zest Collective dance troupe celebrates the beauty and triumph of musical pioneers whose songs rang out despite the dark history of oppression. Zest Collective founder Gentry George is a graduate from the Juilliard School and began dancing with Ailey II and later with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. A Level 1 YoungArts award recipient, featured on HBO's 'Masterclass,' he is also currently a professor at Miami Dade College’s New World School of the Arts. This piece was commissioned by Miami Light Project for the 2023 Here and Now. This performance is presented free to the public as part of the Rhythm Foundation and City of Miami Beach's Arts in the Parks series. The show will be approximately an hour long.

• The Nutcracker: Celebrate the holiday season with this magical classic, set to Tchaikovsky’s iconic score. Join us for a heartwarming and enchanting performance that brings to life a world of snowflakes, sugarplums, and magical dolls, perfect for audiences of all ages.