Postcard From Paris 3: Dancing on Cloud Nine

Midway through their French debut, Miami City Ballet brings some Americana to Parisian audiences. Dancer Rebecca King continues to give us the backstage view: “I am sad to say that we have surpassed our half-way point here in Paris. We only have a little more than a week left, but we know that when we reach the end of this road, we will have left our mark here in Paris. As the tour continues, we have been living on cloud-nine; never coming down. Night after night we pull our hair back in tight buns, put on our make-up, adorn our costumes, and step out into the light of the Théâtre du Châtelet stage. And each night we are thrilled to feel the warm reception of the Parisian audience. This week marked our French premier of multiple ballets from the Miami City Ballet repertoire. The French audience responded positively to our most modern piece we brought over seas, Paul Taylor’s “Promethean Fire,” which the company premiered at the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts last season. Among the other works stepping out onto the Châtelet stage for the first time were Jerome Robbins’ “In The Night”, and George Balanchine’s “Theme and Variations” and “Western Symphony.” The company decided to bring the latter work as an homage to our American roots. This ballet’s score encompasses numerous classic western songs, with energetic and stylized steps to match.