On September 11, 2019 the Miami City Ballet (MCB) put forward an annual funding request in the amount of $500,000.00 to the Mayor and Commission. After discussion, the Mayor and Commission felt that a decision could not be made as the funding request had not been put through the proper administrative budgeting process, and said they would look at one time funding options for FY 19/20 following the approval of the annual budget.
On September 20, 2019 the Miami City Ballet presented their funding request to the FCWPC Committee and were asked to meet with the administration to better understand their needs and come up with a more realistic dollar amount, given the timelines of the budget process.
On September 27, 2019 the Tourism and Culture department met with the Miami City Ballet and walked them through the steps that they would need to take in order to better position themselves with their funding request. Miami City Ballet needed to meet with the Cultural Arts Council to request a change in scope for their FY 18/19 Cultural Arts Council grant, and would need to reduce their financial request, while making it only a one time ask for FY 19/20 as the overall budget could not take such a large funding request.
After much discussion on their various programs, the Tourism and Culture department felt that the following programs were the best use of funds as it would reach many areas of our cultural initiatives - outreach, education and professional performance.
The administration would like to support the following programs for the FY 19/20 fiscal year:
The Ballet Bus - $128,760.00
Entering Year 5 in 2019/20, Miami City Ballet’s Ballet Bus program is a community initiative that eliminates two of the largest barriers to arts access for students from disenfranchised communities: the cost of premiere dance training and the challenges of securing reliable transportation in a city limited by its public transit infrastructure. Miami City Ballet provides three (3) busses for this program and the costs above are only reflective of supporting the costs of one (1) bus.
For nine months each year and for up to 10 years per student, Miami City Ballet (MCB) provides 40 young students (of whom 30 have returned from prior years) with bus transportation, tuition, dance attire, healthy snacks, and mentoring to study at MCB School for the full academic year. Mentors on the bus also help facilitate homework assignments wi the students who they supervise. This long-term investment levels the playing field for children from diverse socioeconomic strata, providing them with the highest level of arts training and potential career trajectories.
Program Activities: The Ballet Bus students are immersed into MCB’s School’s high-caliber training curriculum, which incorporates structured, skills-based dance training to help students improve their dance technique and artistry, while providing avenues of expression that are different from those that they experience during their regular school day. These students would not otherwise be able to access training in a professional ballet setting such as the Miami City Ballet, without a program like The Ballet Bus.
Description of Population Served: The Ballet Bus Program addresses specific issues of access and equity associated with the lack of arts education programs at schools in low- to moderate-income communities in Miami-Dade County, where more than 80% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Participating students, ages 7-13, are from areas most affected by lack of arts education programming, and attend Title I schools, including Fienberg-Fisher K-8, Treasure Island, and Biscayne Elementary School. Of the 40 children in the program, 68% (27 children) are from Miami Beach and the funding outlined above would only be utilized to support these children as the overall costs of the Ballet Bus program is over $300,000.00. Children who qualify for free/reduced price lunch at Title I schools in Miami-Dade County can audition and must meet attendance and progress requirements to remain in the program for up to ten years.
Races/Ethnicity's Served:
African American/Black: 43%
Hispanic/Latino: 30%
Caucasian: 27%
Program Outcomes:
TRAINING: Once accepted, Ballet Bus students begin entry-level classes within MCB School's high-caliber ballet curriculum to develop their technique, artistry and social-emotional skills.
85% of students will improve ballet skills and peer relationships; 85% of students will advance to the next level; 90% of parents will note improvements in their child’s personal development.
PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES: Students who advance in their study have the opportunity to audition for MCB’s professional production of The Nutcracker, and also perform in a culminating performance at MCB’s 200-seat theater.
100% of students will be offered roles in year-end performances; 38% will be offered roles in professional productions of The Nutcracker.
ENRICHMENT AND LIFE: Families have close contact with program administrators and are provided with the tools to be an active part of their child’s education at MCB. In addition, families receive free tickets to attend MCB’s mainstage performances.
Outcome: 95% of parents will attend ballet performances; 75% of parents will attend in-person program meetings with program directors.
More information and photographs of the Ballet Bus program can be found in the attachment titled "BALLET BUS".
Professional Company Colony Theater Performance - $58,626.00
The administration would like to see a performance of the professional company of the Miami City Ballet within the Colony Theater located on Lincoln Road. The Miami City Ballet contracts their professional company for 39 weeks of the year with confirmed performances as part of this contract. In order to do any additional performances, the Miami City Ballet requires additional rehearsal time, as this performance would take place on a different stage, with different spacial, timing, lighting and audio needs.
The $58,626.00 outlined above would be the sole costs to contract performers to do a public performance at the Colony Theater, inclusive of rehearsal and performance time.
Miami City Ballet would reserve the right to sell some tickets to these performances as this costs only represents the cost associated with contracting performers, and does not reflect the additional costs associated with venue rental, production, audio / visual, etc.
Miami City Ballet will make at least 10% of the tickets to these performances free to City of Miami Beach residents, on a first come, first served basis, with exact details of confirmation to come at a later date.
Tourism and Culture will work with Marketing and Communications to ensure that Miami Beach residents are made aware of this free ticket opportunity.
Lincoln Road Activations - $12,500.00
Tourism and Culture has worked with the Miami City Ballet to identify performances that can take place on Lincoln Road throughout the course of the year. These will consist of pop up performances of dancers, surprising and delighting tourists and residents, and will also consist of free to the public dance classes where residents and tourists will be able to take a free ballet class on the Lincoln Road, taught by faculty and dancers from the Miami City Ballet.
Exact schedule TBC, but we foresee at least 6-8 of these classes taking place throughout the year.
The administration is aligned to the above funding request, as it clearly covers three of the most sought after granting categories for cultural institutions - outreach and education and public performance.