When Miami City Ballet announced that baseball great and onetime Florida Marlin Mike Piazza would take the stage during the company's performance at the Arsht Center next month, they made one thing very clear: Piazza would not be dancing.
Turns out, they were wrong.
MCB called our attention yesterday to a rehearsal video showing Piazza getting his ballet on -- flapping his arms in a half-hearted Swan Lake impressions, and even lifting principal dancer Patricia Delgado off her feet.
See also:
- Mike Piazza to Perform With Miami City Ballet: "It's Going to Be a Lot of Fun"
Ladies and gentlemen, we proudly present to you: Mike Piazza's very first "fish dive."
What's the best part of this video? We can't decide. It's either:
- Piazza preparing to life Delgado by winding up his arm, getting his muscles loose like a nervous batter approaching the mound
- Piazza cheesing for the camera mid-fish dive, or
- Piazza's ballet dancer impression, involving awkwardly moving his arms in a circle around his torso
As we previously reported, Piazza's doing the performance for his daughter who's enrolled at Miami City Ballet School. Her talent does not appear to have rubbed off on her father. But that's exactly why this is so damned adorable. We can't wait to see Piazza's onstage antics live next month.
Piazza performs with MCB May 3 at the Arsht Center. Tickets cost $20 to $175. Visit arshtcenter.org.
Follow Ciara LaVelle on Twitter @ciaralavelle.
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