When Lourdes Lopez, Miami City Ballet鈥檚 artistic director, that the 2024-25 season would be her last with the company, one of the reasons she cited for stepping down was to help usher in a new chapter for the 40 year old company. 鈥�. . .A company needs new energy, a new way of looking at the dancers, a new way of looking at the community.鈥�
The venerable organization may have found just that with Gonzalo Garcia, 45, who has been named MCB鈥檚 new artistic director effective Aug. 11. He will be only the third artistic director since the ballet was founded in 1985 with Edward Villella, who helped launch the company, being the first.
READ MORE: Miami City Ballet鈥檚 artistic leader to step down after 13 years
Garcia鈥檚 has spent most of his career as a principal dancer 鈥� first with the San Francisco Ballet and then New York City Ballet, where he was a principal dancer until announcing his retirement in 2022. He was appointed Repertory Director for the company and was on the faculty of the School of American Ballet at the Lincoln Center, co-founded by George Balanchine. He鈥檒l leave those two positions to lead MCB.
At 15, the native of Zaragoza, Spain, was the youngest dancer to receive a gold medal at international dance competition the Prix de Lausanne (Switzerland) in 1995. At 17, he was offered a contract to join San Francisco Ballet but decided to study one more year, joining the company in 1998. He was promoted to principal dancer at 22, one of the youngest dancers in the company to reach the status. He arrived at New York City Ballet as a principal dancer in 2007.
Garcia鈥檚 known for his strong dance repertoire, which included works by Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, and for creating original roles in works by two of the contemporary choreographic masters, Justin Peck, resident choreographer and artistic advisor of New York City Ballet, and choreographer Alexei Ratmansky. For his farewell performance with NYCB in February of 2022 he danced works by Balanchine, Robbins and Peck.
It is this pedigree that led to MCB鈥檚 board of directors choosing Garcia as the right fit to take the reins.
Villella, MCB鈥檚 founding artistic director, worked with Balanchine as a principal dancer from 1957 to 1979 at NYCB. Legendary changemaking choreographer Jerome Robbins created his 1976 ballet 鈥淲atermill鈥� to be danced by Villella, among other dance partnerships with Villella. Shortly after Lopez鈥檚 16th birthday, while attending the School of American Ballet, Balanchine invited her to join the corps of NYCB, and she became principal in 1984, playing numerous roles in choreographies created by Balanchine and Robbins.
鈥淭he two artistic directors we鈥檝e had both were with Balanchine and Robbins and they had that pedigree about them,鈥� said Jeff Davis, MCB鈥檚 chair of the board of trustees. 鈥淕onzalo was heavily trained in the Balanchine technique [and] in Jerome Robbins.鈥�
The company鈥檚 repertoire includes more than 100 ballets, with significant works by Balanchine and Robbins. It has expanded its repertoire to include contemporary choreographers including Peck and Ratmansky.
鈥淕onzalo is in tune with the next wave of choreographic voices,鈥� said Davis. 鈥淗e has great connections with Justin Peck, Patricia Delgado [a former Miami City Ballet principal, she won the 2025 Best Choreography Tony Award along with husband Peck for Broadway鈥檚 鈥淏uena Vista Social Club鈥漖, and [British choreographer] Wayne McGregor.鈥�
Garcia mentions 鈥渄estiny鈥� when it comes to his appointment.
鈥淚t was meant to happen. The more I went through the process, the more I felt energized and more comfortable with the idea that it was me. I kept thinking, 鈥榯hat鈥檚 me. I speak Spanish. I鈥檓 an immigrant. I can relate to so many people that represent the community. I also have this incredible trajectory with the Balanchine and the Robbins and these American companies that have been represented in Miami City Ballet鈥檚 history. I feel like it鈥檚 been like almost every step and every skill that I have acquired through my life has brought me to this place and I do believe that strongly.鈥�
While the 40th anniversary season is already programmed, Garcia will begin working on what鈥檚 next for the company, including the following season but also using his skills as 鈥渁 great collaborator.鈥�
鈥淚 love being in the studio with dancers, I鈥檓 a teacher and an educator. I understand the different needs and technical abilities, but I also understand emotional abilities because I have danced a lot of the repertoire. I think [the company} needs someone that is going to get in there and really inspire them, reenergize them.鈥�
Garcia also sees MCB becoming more a part of what he says is the culture that is Miami.
鈥淭he stories that are happening in Miami, maybe that can be represented on stage. And who can be the right dance maker that can bring those stories to life? That鈥檚 something that I want to invest in. Miami is just simmering with potential from all areas and parts of the world and the country. I don鈥檛 seek to change what鈥檚 already been created, but how do we make that bigger and better and how do we add things that are representative of the community we are dancing for?鈥�
With his background working with the School of American Ballet, he鈥檚 also hoping to tap into the potential at the Miami City Ballet School.
鈥淚 want to continue teaching. How do we prepare those dancers to be future dancers not only for Miami City Ballet but also internationally to carry on the legacy,鈥� he said. 鈥淲ho knows? We might have new choreographers there, perhaps the next Alexei Ratmansky.鈥�
The search, according to Davis, was led by Phillip DeBoer of executive search firm DHR Global.
鈥淲e started first with surveying all of our stakeholders 鈥搊ur dancers, our board, community members, our funders 鈥� asking them what their vision was for the next artistic director. We also contacted artistic directors of other ballet companies, choreographers and presenters. So out of that whole process, we had about 70 prospective names.鈥�
It considered 40 applicants. Garcia was one of two final candidates. He has a five-year contract with the company.
The new artistic director begins his role in the midst of a precarious state of the arts both in support from the state of Florida and in the federal government.
鈥淭he Miami City Ballet has a strategic plan to build an endowment, and it is a very ambitious five year plan. I am going to be very much a part of that and trying to find places that we haven鈥檛 previously found support. The reality is that in order to move the company forward without certain economic support, it will be very hard to do. So we鈥檒l need to be more strategic and conservative, but still ambitious,鈥� said Garcia.
He鈥檒l move to Miami with husband Ezra Hurwitz, an Emmy Award winning film director (he won the award for his short film 鈥淚nside and Outwards鈥� that was narrated by Sarah Jessica Parker and dealt with mental health during COVID), he鈥檚 also worked with Tiffany & Co., Dior, Apple and Netflix. Prior to his film career, he was a professional dancer and spent eight years with the Miami City Ballet. He鈥檚 looking forward to Hurwitz helping the company to expand its digital presence. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 something incredibly important for us to be relevant.鈥�
Garcia says he met Hurwitz during his last year with MCB. 鈥淚 remember going to visit him in Miami and taking class with the company. I鈥檝e become close with the friends he made there so I have been surrounded with these conversations and his historical knowledge around my living room in New York many times through many years. I have worked with Edward Villella and Lourdes Lopez in different capacities in my life so with all of that, I feel emotionally connected to the company in so many ways.鈥�
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