Miami City Ballet Reignites the Upper Room Young Patrons Group

Miami City Ballet has just relaunched its popular young professionals group, Upper Room. The reformation of the group is timed perfectly for their 30th Anniversary Season. MCB’s Upper Room is a dynamic, young, philanthropic group with budding patrons who are passionate about supporting MCB’s mission of presenting the best of dance and dance education, as well as cultivating interest and excitement for ballet among South Florida’s growing class of young professionals.

Members of MCB’s Upper Room will get a variety of unique and exciting benefits, including complimentary tickets during the season and invitations to special events throughout the year, where they will have social and business networking opportunities, exclusive access to the MCB dancers, and the opportunity to engage in philanthropic activities.

Co-Chairs Lydia Pinnell and Chris DiSchino will join MCB corps de ballet dancers Rebecca King and Lexie Overholt as members of the Upper Room Committee.

“I am thrilled to play a role in our 30th Anniversary relaunch of MCB’s Upper Room,” says King, who has been with the Company since 2007. “Making connections with the young people in our community allows us to share our love for ballet and offer people another perspective. The Upper Room makes it fun and interactive for us all to learn about each other and what we do.”

“We are all so happy to bring Upper Room back this year. It is especially exciting for the dancers, as we get to meet and form relationships with some of our young patrons, who share our same love for ballet,” added Overholt, who has been a MCB dancer since 2011.

To simultaneously kick off the season and celebrate its relaunch, Upper Room members and guests are invited to MCB’s Miami Beach studios to go behind the scenes with MCB’s Artistic Director, Lourdes Lopez, dancers and special guests at Open Barre: Dance + Design on October 29 for an in-depth discussion of the confluence of ballet and the visual arts. Special guests include Tanya Williams Wetenhall, fashion and costume historian, and Michele Oka Doner, an internationally acclaimed, Miami-born visual artist and the set and costume designer for MCB’s new production of George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which will premiere in Miami in March 2016.

Following the program, Upper Room members and guests will enjoy an intimate party at Klima in Miami Beach, a new restaurant and bar inspired by contemporary gastronomy from Barcelona. They will mingle with MCB dancers while celebrating with complimentary beverages, bites and music.

Co-Chair Lydia Pinnell says, “Upper Room is packed with interactive, high-quality events in addition to MCB’s regular season programming. MCB has been working hard to create an approachable membership option. Everyone should know how amazing and innovative this ballet company is.”

Members may purchase their discounted tickets to Open Barre and RSVP to the party at Klima by calling Membership at 305.929.7000 x 1402 or emailing membership@miamicityballet.org. Regular tickets are available here.