This is fukking pitiful

Edward Villella Leaving Miami City Ballet Sooner Than Expected

By JENNIFER KAY 09/04/12 11:21 AM ET AP
Edward Villella Resigns Early Miami City Ballet

MIAMI — The artistic director who founded the Miami City Ballet and built it into an internationally recognized company is leaving sooner than expected.

Edward Villella said last year he would retire after the 2012-2013 season ends in April. But ballet officials announced Tuesday that Villella has decided to leave now.

The former New York City Ballet star founded the Miami Beach-based dance company in 1986.

Officials say Villella "had given the matter a great deal of thought" and decided with the company's executive board to speed up the transition to new leadership.

The Cuban-born dancer Lourdes Lopez was set to succeed Villella as artistic director. Ballet officials say Lopez now takes over immediately.

Lopez is currently the director of the New York dance company Morphoses.

More here  I bet he's not really smiling, unless he's happy he screwed the people who screwed him. Lourdes Lopez is nobody and he's very much somebody. This is the end of Miami City Ballet and the board is too stupid and rich to know it. Wait till they can't find any dancers to come here. Wait till the school starts sucking because it's not run by his wife & daughter. Wait till the dancers leave. Wait till the audience leaves. I know I will. But first I'm going to write them all letters and tell them why I'm not buying any full-price, expensive tickets this year. Or any other year in my future. Maybe I need to move back to New York too.

Miami City Ballet

We've been watching this dance company ever since we moved to south Florida, a gazillion years ago, back when Edward Villella could still jeté across the floor. He has built this internationally-bred company into a world-class dance experience. They're a little top-heavy on Balanchine (not always a bad thing), with lots of Twyla Tharp thrown in. She sometimes comes to the shows in Ft. Lauderdale and watches from the aisle seat in about the 12th row. Especially if she's just taught them The Golden Section from The Catherine Wheel. I hadn't seen it for a few years and it was just spectacular last week. Here, you could see that the Miami Herald thought about it. And what the guy at the NY Times thought when the company came to town (hint: they killed).

Villella does a pre-show chat before each performance, where he explains what you'll see, what to look for, what he was thinking, and what Mr. B was thinking when he choreographed the piece. It's living history, so I always try to ask him a question. He's getting older now and we hope the company keeps on keepin' on. They had to cut some dancers due to lack of funds, and they've been dancing to pre-recorded music for a couple of years now. I read that someone has underwritten the orchestra for next season. I like to donate money for toe shoes several times a year. Maybe you want to also. Go here now and buy some shoes.