The Miami Hispanic Ballet Company was established in 1993 as a non for profit dance organization dedicated to identifying and promoting professional dance artists of Hispanic descent in Miami-Dade County. Since its inception, Miami Hispanic Ballet has also taken the role of producer and presenter bringing major gala performances of proven artistic excellence leading to the creation of the Annual International Ballet Festival of Miami, recognized as the most successful in the US and is the only one of its kind in the State of Florida, giving our residents and visitors the unique chance to view a wide range of local, national and international artists of exceptional merit.
This Festival represents the most ambitious ballet project ever conceived in South Florida, the magnitude of its program, along with the prestige of the participating companies and the renowned principal ballet stars, have captured the attention of the most demanding audiences. The festival has accomplished the task of introducing the population of Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach Counties and Miami Beach, as well as tourists, to a stunning array of national and international ballet companies encompassing Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the USA. Furthermore, it has provided the opportunity for local dance and ballet companies to demonstrate their talent alongside the world’s most renowned dancers. The festival has received rave reviews and earned the utmost respect of the local and international media and has raised Miami's profile among international ballet companies as a destination for talented artists to be appreciated.
Miami Hispanic Ballet's
History
The International Ballet Festival is held annually in Miami from the last week of August through mid-September, it opens with a reception to unveil the official poster created every year by a different artist and the Festival Award Statues, other collateral activities include a rare Dance Films Series in collaboration with the Cinemathèque de la Danse de Paris, New York Dance Film Association, Miami Dade College Wolfson and North Campus, the Coral Gables Art Cinema and Miami Beach Cinemateque, also presenting wonderful Art Exhibits Inspired by Dance, Book Presentations, Workshops and Master Classes held at the beautiful, restored historic JW Warner House, now home to the Miami Hispanic Cultural Arts Center, culmination with the most spectacular Gala Performances bringing to Miami-Dade County over 100 Principal Dancers from the best companies around the world.
Artistic Director Pablo Pablo Peña had a very strict protocol as to who is invited to this prestigious Festival. He attends live performances and reviews dancer's videos from all over the world and with the collaboration of a national and international team of Artistic Advisors not only select the participants but also the best of the classical repertoire. In 2011, Mr. Peña traveled to Moscow (Russia) to be part of the panel of judges at the "2011 Benoise of Dance" where he met with new and upcoming international principal ballet stars that approached him for participation in the future editions of the IBFM.
As a tribute to the IBFM artistic integrity, the most famous and established ballet companies worldwide continue to send their newest and best talents that have obtained the Principal Dancer level, changing year to year. Some of the international participating companies throughout the history of the Festival include Vienna State Opera Ballet, Salzburg Ballet (Austria), Australian Ballet (Australia), Ballet Teatro Colon, Teatro Argentino de la Plata (Argentina), Royal Ballet of Flanders (Belgium), Hong Kong Ballet (China), Ballet do Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro, Cia. Brazileira de Ballet, Deanima Ballet Contemporaneo (Brazil), National Ballet of Canada, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Alberta Ballet (Canada), Ballet de Santiago (Chile), Incolballet (Colombia), Czech National Ballet (Czech Republic), Ballet Nacional Dominicano (Dom. Republic), Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet (England), Paris Opera, Ballet de Biarritz, Roland Petit Ensemble, Ballet del'opera de Nice (France), Berlin State Opera, Stuttgart Ballet, Leipzig Opera Ballet, Bavarian State Opera Ballet (Germany), Georgia State Ballet (Georgia), Bigidi Dance Company (Guadeloupe), Nederlands Dans Theater, Dutch National Ballet (Holland), Hungarian National Ballet (Hungary), Nadine Animato Dance Company (Israel), Ballet dell'Opera di Roma, Ballet Teatro Alla Scala, Balletto di Torino, Balletto di Puglia, (Italy), India World Cultural Forum (India), Kim Sun Hee Ballet (Korea), Compagnie Christiane Emmanuel (Martinique), National Ballet of Portugal (Portugal), Ballet Concierto, Ballet Teatro Nacional (Puerto Rico), State Primorsky Opera and Ballet (Russia), Zurich Ballet, Ballet du Grand Theatre de Geneve, Cia. Octavio de la Roza Lausanne (Switzerland), Slovene National Ballet (Slovenia), Cape Town City Ballet (South Africa), National Ballet of Spain, Nacho Duato Ballet Company, Victor Ullate Ballet (Spain), Istanbul State Opera and Ballet (Turkey), Ballet Nacional de Caracas, Ballet Nuevo Mundo (Venezuela), among others. Some of the most important classical, modern and contemporary dance companies from the United States such as New York City Ballet; American Ballet Theater; San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Cleveland San Jose Ballet, Ballet Austin, Colorado Ballet, Hartford Ballet, Washington Ballet, Grand Rapids Ballet, Sarasota Ballet, Ballet Florida, Orlando Ballet, Nevada Ballet Theater, Joffrey Ballet, Martha Graham Dance Company, Jose Limon Dance Company, Complexions Dance Company, Alonso King, Ballet X, Ballet Noire, Dallas Black Dance Theater, among others. The Festival is also a platform for our local companies to perform next to these national and international companies, including Miami City Ballet, Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami, Momentum Dance Company, Miami Contemporary Dance, Dance Now, Ife Ile Dance Company, Freddick Bratcher and Company, Demetrius Klein Dance Company, among others.
The IBFM has include several different venues in Miami Dade-County, Broward and Palm Beach including Miami-Dade County Auditorium, Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater, The Colony Theater, Adrienne Arsht Center, Manuel Artime Theater, Amaturo Theater Broward Performing Arts Center, Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, Olympia Theater Gusman Center For the Performing Arts, Lehman Theater Miami Dade College North Campus, Chapman Conference Center Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus, Tower Theater, Miami Beach Cinematheque, O Cinema Coral Gables and Miami Hispanic Cultural Arts Center
Every year during the Gala Performances the Festival presents two awards, honoring legendary figures of the dance world and national and international dance critics. Honorees are selected by IBFM artistic director and a panel of festival advisors.
“A Life for Dance” Lifetime Achievement Award presented to legendary figures of the dance, honoring the brilliant careers and the legacy of some of the most famous and worldwide renowned Ballet Dancers, Choreographers & Directors, some of our past honorees include; Fernando Bujones, Jose Pares, Rosella Hightower, Carla Fracci, Jean Babilee, Ekaterina Maximova, Vladimir Vasiliev, Edward Villella, Paul Szilard, Alberto Alonso, Roland Petit, Frederick Franklin, Lupe Serrano, Marcia Haydee, Milorad Miskovic, Heinz Spoerli, Maria de Avila, Helene Trailine, Azary Plisetsky. The award statuette was created by Mexican Artist David Camorlinga, inspired in "Dying Swan" by prima ballerina Maya Plisetskaya.
“Criticism and Culture of Ballet” honoring the most important national and international dance critics, some of our past honorees include; Clive Barnes, Roger Salas, Anna Kisselgoff, Erik Aschengreen, Alfio Agostini, Rene Sirvin, Clement Crisp, Orlando Taquechel, Jean Pierre Pastori.
Every 10 years to commemorate it's anniversary the Festival presents the "Anniversary Grand Prix Gold Medal", this award has been presented to legendary Prima Ballerina and teacher Violette Verdi on the X anniversary and to Mrs. Nina Loory, Artistic Director of the world-renowned "Benois de la Danse" on the XX anniversary.
The Miami Hispanic Cultural Arts Center "The White House of the Ballet" is the residence of three of the most recognized and prestigious cultural art institutions in Miami Dade County with more than 20 years of experience; The Miami Hispanic Ballet (MHB), the Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami (CCBM) and Creation Art Center (CAC), all not for profit organizations with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and also introducing The MHCAC Schools of Music, Paint and Theater, and the Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami School (CCBM School). MHCAC purpose is to culturally enrich the region by offering multi-disciplinary programming, becoming the only Cultural Arts Center in Miami that offers a variety of artistic disciplines: Intensive Workshops, Theater, Art Exhibits, Films, Performances, and regular instruction in Ballet, Music, and Theater, with an exceptional national and international staff of teachers, artists, and directors dedicated to quality, affordable performances and instruction.
Mission Statement
The Miami Hispanic Ballet’s mission is to encourage excellence in dance, support artistic and cultural diversity and increase opportunities for the public to experience the best in classical and contemporary dance forms. The organization is committed to developing and educating audiences in the appreciation of dance through the production and presentation of high-quality events and educational programs, as well as to identifying and promoting professional dance artists in Miami-Dade County.