Miami City Ballet’s internationally and critically acclaimed company of 50 dancers will be joined by Miami City Ballet School students to present the second Ballet for Young People program at the Adrienne Arsht Center Ziff Ballet Opera House on Saturday, Feb. 12 from 2 to 3 p.m. The students open the program with Harlequin and Columbine, based on George Balanchine’s Harlequinade, followed by the company dancers in Balanchine’s Scotch Symphony.

Ballet for Young People features two entertaining ballets the entire family will love. They have been entertaining audiences for more than 50 years, sure to make dance fans out of children who have never seen a live dance performance:

Harlequin and Columbine is based on George Balanchine Harlequinade, which premiered in 1965 for the 65th anniversary of Marius Petipa’s original production Les Millions d’Harlequin. Balanchine, by his own admission “attempted to remain faithful to the spirit of Petipa’s dances,” following the tradition of commedia dell’arte with humor, slapstick and mimicry.  Excerpts from Harlequin and Columbine will be performed entirely by students from the prestigious Miami City Ballet School.

Balanchine’s Scotch Symphony, with its lovely allusions to Romantic ballet, has been enthralling audiences for more than 50 years.  With its masterful deployment of Mendelssohn’s rousing symphony, the ballet, based on the novel “La Sylphide” by Sir Walter Scott, is set in the Scottish Highlands and tells the story of James, a restless young man who is entranced on his wedding day by a Sylph–a magical creature visible only to him. Period costumes are by the famed designer Karinska.

This performance of Ballet for Young People is generously supported by Peacock Foundation, Rundgren Foundation, Citizens Interested in Arts, Inc and Marlins Community Foundation.

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Ziff Ballet Opera House, 1300 Biscayne Blvd. All tickets are complimentary and available in person Monday through Friday (10 a.m. – 5 p.m.) at Miami City Ballet Studios, 2200 Liberty Ave., Miami Beach or by phone at 305.929.7010. For more information, visit miamicityballet.org. Tickets are also on sale in person at the Adrienne Arsht Center box office, by calling 305.949.6722 or online at arshtcenter.org.

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