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Ever wonder what you’d discover if the iconic walls of Miami Beach’s Lincoln Road District could talk? For a limited time only, 744 Lincoln Road at Meridian Avenue will stop dancing around the subject, providing the public with a literal window and behind-the-scenes look into life as a Miami City Ballet dancer.
Through a collaborative effort between the Lincoln Road Business Improvement District, the Miami City Ballet, and the Comras Company, the iconic Road has evolved its experiential expertise amid the pandemic, by taking a vacant retail venue and repurposing it, giving it new life as an artistic enclave and temporary residence for the ballet.
This popup theatre has provided the dynamic dancers with a spectacular “jewel box” setting to practice their pirouettes and pliés before the public while providing art-starved locals with a safe and creative way to enjoy the ballet at a time when cultural destinations remain closed. While onlookers shouldn’t expect a rendition of Swan Lake, the ballet dancers will be perfecting their craft weekdays from 1pm-3pm and 5pm-7pm through September 10, 2020. As a safety precaution, artistic, pre-marked social-distancing circles can be found on the ground outside of the venue to ensure pedestrians can safely enjoy the experience. To further enhance the viewing experience, ballet-inspired music can be heard playing during every practice.
The collaboration marks the 35th anniversary of the Miami City Ballet’s beginnings on Lincoln Road. This initiative proves that even in the darkest of times, creativity, resilience, and partnership can unleash an endless amount of human potential, redefine retail, and benefit the community at large.
When asked what it was like to dance in a storefront on Lincoln Road, Miami City Ballet principle dancer Tracia Alberston stated “Without our community, we are nothing. Without our audience, we have no one to dance for. It’s so nice to have some kind of connection to the community and just a reason to leave our apartments.”
Michael Comras, CEO of Comras Company, and the mastermind behind the current popup at 744 Lincoln Road, has long understood the evolution in consumer shopping and retail leasing pre-pandemic – and has refused to sit idle during this time of uncertainty, choosing instead to zero in on the lifeblood of Lincoln Road.
“Arts, culture, shopping, café dining, and entertainment are in Lincoln Road’s DNA” adds Comras. “It’s incumbent on the retail leasing industry to take vacant space and find productive uses on an interim basis to activate these locations. This popup venue has been a fantastic way to bring life, energy, and culture into such an immersive environment.”
Where: 744 Lincoln Road at Meridian Avenue, Miami, FL 33139
When: Weekdays from 1pm to 3pm and 5pm to 7pm. Now through September 10, 2020
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