Miami City Ballet brings 'Modern Masters' program to Kravis

MIAMI BEACH — Miami City Ballet’s second program, “Modern Masters,” opens Feb. 17 at the Kravis Center with a mixed-repertory bill that both reveres tradition and forges anew.

The evening is anchored by two iconic modern dance works: the company premiere of Martha Graham’s “Diversion of Angels;” and José Limón’s pivotal “The Moor’s Pavane.” Completing the program is a duo of world premieres by sought-after contemporary choreographers Amy Hall Garner and Pontus Lidberg.

Artistic Director Lourdes Lopez said this program comes at the request of the public, after a survey revealed an interest in modern dance. Realizing MCB lacked a Graham work in its repertoire, Lopez chose one of the revered choreographer's classic pieces to be paired with Limón’s work.

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First presented in 1948 at Connecticut College, Graham’s “Diversion of Angels” is a joyous, three-act ballet exploring various stages of love, set to a romantic score by American composer Norman Dello Joio. Inspired by modern artist Wassily Kandinsky’s use of color, Graham metaphorically costumed the female roles, accordingly: yellow for the youthful flirt; red for the passionate romantic; and white for the mature lover.

Created a year later in 1949, Limón’s enduring masterpiece, “The Moor’s Pavane,” is based on Shakespeare's "Othello," with a musical score by the English Baroque composer Henry Purcell. The four-character cast was visited by Daniel Lewis, founding dean of dance at New World School of the Arts and longtime Limón company dancer, teacher, and répétiteur.

“It was a joy working with these dancers. They are so well-trained in many styles, and open to learning new ways of movement,” Lewis said.

The technical adeptness, stylistic diversity, and artistic expressiveness of the dancers were on display at a recent studio visit, where Garner and Lidberg were in final rehearsals.

In Garner’s rehearsal of her new quintet, “Resplendent Fantasy,” the energy was cheerful and encouraging, as she worked with Mayumi Enokibara on a burst of a solo, urging her to hear the music: “You gotta know where your timpanis are!” She was asking Enokibara to find a way to elongate and ground a movement sequence that is quick and darting. It is here that Garner shines — at the intersection of modern dance and classical ballet, with an inseparable connection to music.

The musical score of her new three-part ballet comes from Oliver Davis, Jonathan Dove, and Komitas, with the premise simply stated as “an homage to the marriage of movement and music.”

An Alabama native and Juilliard graduate, Garner has built a career working with artists across genres and styles, from ballet and modern companies to musical theater and Grammy-award winning artists. It is this fluidity and blending of styles that predominantly shapes her choreographic voice.

During the pandemic, Garner received her first MCB commission,“Viva,” a virtual, collaborative duet for MCB and the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Happy to be back in the studio, Garner is making the most of her time in Miami by completing a joint production with the Joffrey Ballet.

“Rita Finds Home,” a young people’s ballet about a young artist who escapes a hurricane and migrates to a new land, is being performed by MCB School’s pre-professional division throughout South Florida, including The Society of the Four Arts at 2 p.m. on Feb. 25.

In another studio, 10 dancers waited patiently for Lidberg to make his next move. “My intuition tells me…” is how he began his next sequence of describing, demonstrating and directing. Lidberg is soft-spoken and thoughtful, and there is a calmness to him.

The dancers were in the final days of making “Petrichor,” a term describing the smell of earth after rain, set to Philip Glass’ hypnotic Violin Concerto. The atmosphere is evocative, as the sunlight that streams through the square windows begins to fade and a morning haze enters the studio. From the group, we feel something exciting is about to happen.

Trained in classical ballet, Lidberg is a Swedish-American artist curious about other art forms: “I guess I am a searcher, more than a follower,” he said. “I’ve dabbled in many different kinds of dance, ranging from installation work to contemporary dance and classical ballet. I do it all. I don’t limit myself to one language.

“Having said that, I have my own language, in a way, which is visible in all of my work, regardless of the form. You could say it’s a signature, of sorts.”

His signature seems to be texture, a sensibility that is sometimes missing from traditional ballet. There is a brush of a body part, or a caress, where there wasn't before; and he is concerned with space, just as much as he is with bodies.

Lopez and Lidberg first met in New York many years ago when Lopez was the director of Morphoses and Lidberg was the first choreographer she commissioned for the company.

“He is one of the first in his generation of choreographers to use digital technology, and I have a real interest in understanding how technology can help tell stories better on stage, both abstract stories and full narratives,” Lopez said.

If you go:

What: Miami City Ballet presents "Modern Masters"

Where: Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach

When: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 18; 1 p.m. Feb 19

Tickets: Start at $30; visit kravis.org for details

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Miami City Ballet brings 'Modern Masters' program to Kravis