Today we are joined by Miami City Ballet Artistic Director, Lourdes Lopez, and our former boss. Born in Havana, Cuba and raised in Miami, Lopez began taking ballet lessons at the age of five and continued her training full time at the School of American Ballet when she was 14. George Balanchine chose her to join the New York City Ballet corps de ballet shortly after her 16th birthday. She danced many featured roles with the company and was promoted by Balanchine to soloist in 1981, one of the last dancers he promoted. She became a Principal under the direction of Peter Martins in 1984 and she retired from the stage in 1997.
\nAfter retiring she joined WNBC-TV in New York as a cultural arts reporter. She later went on to become the Executive Director of The George Balanchine Foundation and then co-founded the dance company, Morphoses with Christopher Wheeldon in 2007. In 2012, she became the Artistic Director of Miami City Ballet. Lourdes has been named a Nominee at this year’s Dance Magazine Awards taking place in New York City on December 3rd.
\nFor more information on the Dance Magazine awards, visit dancemagazine.com. This episode is brought to you by Yumiko.
\nNote: Lourdes discusses the book entitled, Bravura!: Lucia Chase and the American Ballet Theatre.
\nThe post (116) Lourdes Lopez, Artistic Director of Miami City Ballet appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.
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