Her Past Accomplishments with MCB & Upon Leaving, What’s To Come
A Transformative Legacy at Miami City Ballet
Lourdes López’s 13-year tenure as Artistic Director of Miami City Ballet (MCB) reshaped the company into one of North America’s top ballet institutions, marked by innovation, inclusivity, and artistic excellence. Her leadership introduced 47 premieres, including 18 world premieres and 29 company premieres, creating a vibrant and diverse repertoire. López’s vision was to serve two groups: the Miami audience and MCB’s dancers, bringing them the best in dance while fostering artistic growth.
Reimagining Classics
López’s bold reimaginings of iconic works set her tenure apart. She became the only person entrusted by The George Balanchine Trust to reinterpret George Balanchine’s masterpieces. Her reimagined George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® transformed the 30-year-old production into a Miami-centric spectacle, blending a wintry North with a tropical Candyland in Act 2. Collaborating with Cuban-American designers Rubén and Isabel Toledo and projection designer Wendall Harrington, López crafted a production that resonated with Miami’s identity, establishing a new holiday tradition. Similarly, her A Midsummer Night’s Dream drew inspiration from Miami’s ocean and coral reefs, created with artist Michelle Oka Doner and playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney. Her The Firebird, with designs by Anya Klepikov, evoked Russian folklore with vivid authenticity. López emphasized preserving the essence of Balanchine’s works, earning the Trust’s confidence: “The fact that The George Balanchine Trust gave me the opportunity meant they knew I understood what Balanchine’s ballets are about.”
Expanding the Repertoire
Beyond Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, López enriched MCB’s repertoire with works by Alexei Ratmansky, Martha Graham, José Limón, Paul Taylor, Christopher Wheeldon, and Justin Peck. Her commissioning of Ratmansky’s Swan Lake marked a pinnacle, earning praise from The New York Times critic Alistair Macaulay as “the one by which we should judge all others.” This production, a U.S. premiere and a five-year exclusive for MCB, solidified the company’s reputation. López believed no ballet company is complete without a Nutcracker and a Swan Lake, stating, “It gives it a mark of quality.” She also championed modern dance, introducing Martha Graham’s Diversion of Angels and José Limón’s Moor’s Pavane to broaden dancers’ skills and audience experiences.
Nurturing New Talent
López’s commitment to choreographers was a cornerstone of her tenure. She supported young talents like Annabelle López Ochoa, whose Carmen premiered in April 2025, as well as others now creating for major companies, such as Amy Hall Garner, Brian Brooks, Claudia Schreier, Durante Verzola, Jamar Roberts, and Pontus Lidberg. She viewed this as a learning process, stating, “My intention wasn’t so much to create repertoire as to facilitate the creation process for young choreographers who are the future of dance.” This approach allowed dancers to collaborate with peers, fostering innovation and growth. Her focus on dancer development ensured MCB dancers became versatile performers, freeing the company from being seen as a “smaller, southern satellite of New York City Ballet” and placing it among North America’s top three or four ballet companies.
Innovative Projects
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when most companies halted performances, López led MCB to present a multi-media, outdoor George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® and Ratmansky’s Swan Lake, making MCB the only top-tier ballet company performing. Her recent project, The Art of Partnering, filmed at the New World Center with Peter Martins, explored the evolution of Balanchine’s pas de deux, further cementing her legacy in advancing ballet education and appreciation.
Advice to Dancers: Lessons from a Life in Dance
In her emotional resignation speech to MCB dancers and staff on February 12, 2025, López shared profound insights drawn from her 50-year career in dance, starting at age six in Miami and including her time with New York City Ballet under Balanchine and Robbins. Her advice resonates with dancers at all stages:
Find Your Purpose in Dance: López discovered her calling at six, describing dance as “the most perfect art form” that transformed her life. She urged dancers to recognize dance’s transformative power, not just in technique but in personal growth: “The minute you are exposed to it, you are a different person.”
Embrace Trust and Collaboration: Reflecting on MCB’s success, López credited the trust dancers and staff placed in her vision. “That trust allowed us to build the Miami City Ballet together,” she said. She encouraged dancers to build mutual trust with colleagues and choreographers to create something greater than individual efforts.
Push Your Limits Daily: López shared Balanchine’s life lesson: “What are you waiting for, dear?” She advised dancers to ask themselves daily, “How much better can I be? How far can I go?” This relentless pursuit of growth defines an artist’s journey.
Know When to Move On: In a poignant anecdote, López described realizing she was no longer “in the right place at the right time” after 24 years with New York City Ballet. She encouraged dancers to recognize when change is needed for personal and artistic growth, even if it’s painful: “It’s the right thing for the Company to have somebody else come in… and for me to figure out what more I can do for the art form that changed my life.”
Stay Open to New Opportunities: At 66, López left MCB without a new job, driven by a desire to explore how she could further impact dance. She urged dancers to remain open to new paths, saying, “Where else can I make an impact? What more can I do?”
Use Your Resources: López invited dancers to “knock on my door” and seek guidance, emphasizing the importance of mentorship. She encouraged dancers to leverage the wisdom of teachers, rehearsal directors, and peers to navigate their careers.
A Vision for the Future
López’s departure from MCB, announced to conclude on May 11, 2025, was driven by her belief in the need for a new paradigm in the performing arts. “The world has truly changed, and the performing arts need a new path forward,” she said, expressing her desire to be “in the room where it happens” to shape this shift. Her legacy at MCB—marked by bold reimaginings, a diverse repertoire, and a commitment to nurturing talent—offers a blueprint for dancers and arts leaders. As she told her dancers, “Dance transforms you… Whatever you give, you get back in spades.” Her tenure exemplifies this, leaving MCB stronger and dancers inspired to carry her vision forward.