If your inner culture vulture is fiending for toe shoes and pirouettes, Miami is a great city to live in this week. Consider checking out the Dance Now! Ensemble at Arts At St. Johns (4760 Pine Tree Drive, Miami Beach; 305-613-2325), and any dance fan worth their season tickets should have front row seats at the Gusman (174 E Flagler St, Miami; 305-259-9775) for this weekend's Ballet Gamonet performances. Or, you know, you could stop by the second floor of Bloomingdale's Aventura (19555 Biscayne Blvd., Aventura) on Thursday at 4:00 p.m.
The esteemed members of the Miami Hispanic Ballet will perform under the direction of Pedro Pablo Pena. We have no idea what choreography said ballerinas will perform, but seeing as the Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami will be showcasing recently exiled principal dancers, we trust that their dance will be orchestrated at a respectful distance from the men's department guayabera display. Plies will be performed at the gigantic department store as part of the ninth annual The Shopping Benefit event, which raises funds for dozens of charities.
Aventura's events begin at 2:00 p.m. with a runway fashion show featuring the hottest new seasonal looks by St. John Sport, Ralph Lauren Black Label, DKNY, Elie Tahari, and more. Expect to see lots of delicious brown and eggplant shades, richly textured fabric, and fabulously slouchy tunics (as pictured above). Tickets cost ten dollars in advance, and can be purchased at any participating charity. Call 305-792-1213 to learn more about this truly worthwhile (and culturally nourishing) event. -Patrice Elizabeth Grell Yursik
