Tharp / Sinatra
This inventive and elegant work was created by trio of legendary artists – be seduced by Twlya Tharp’s choreography, seven swirling couples in costumes by Oscar de la Renta, and of course, the best of Frank Sinatra’s swinging hits including My Way, That’s Life and One for My Baby (One More For The Road).

CHOREOGRAPHY
Twyla Tharp
MUSIC
Frank Sinatra

Kravis Center Caption
Speaking Friday to an audience at the Kravis Center before the curtain went up, Miami City Ballet Artistic Director Lourdes Lopez encouraged them to embark on a journey of discovery through three works, none of them new but all of them reimagined (“Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes”), reinterpreted (“Nine Sinatra Songs”), and redesigned (“The Firebird”).
Set against a monochromatic palette of pale gray, Rodeo opened the night with a crisp, modern, youthful look. The work was choreographed by Justin Peck, who has been hailed by The New York Times as “the most eminent choreographer of ballet in the United States.” The four-part dance was adeptly crafted for 15 men and one woman, successfully flipping traditional gender roles of classical ballet.
Dressed in neatly coordinated athletic-styled costumes, the male ensemble (think boys in P.E. class) opened and closed the work, racing across the stage in neatly timed patterns, tossing each other into the air on cue, and executing some humorous moments.
The two middle sections were more mature: the gentle, adagio quintet demonstrated seamless male partnering with great care and attention; and the pas de deux danced by Jennifer Lauren and Renan Cerdeiro was lovely and precise. Ironically, while “Rodeo” showcased a company of men, Lauren was the heart of this work, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. In a sea of testosterone, her presence was pure grace.
Still, to call this work a reimagining of Agnes de Mille’s 1945 iconic “Rodeo” felt uncomfortable. Finding it impossible to ignore the stimulating auditory exper