Lourdes Lopez
Founder
Miami Connection
As Artistic Director, Lopez transformed Miami City Ballet into South Florida's largest performing arts organization, reaching over 125,000 annually and earning national recognition for its resiliency and contemporary programming. She fostered collaboration, deepened dancer training, and nurtured talents like principal soloist Cameron Catazaro, strengthening Miami's cultural scene amid challenges like transience and limited endowments. Her leadership anchored the company in Balanchine's legacy while promoting Miami's vibrant arts future.
About
Born in Havana, Cuba in 1958, Lourdes Lopez moved to Miami as a child and began ballet training at age five, earning a full scholarship to the School of American Ballet at eleven. She joined New York City Ballet at sixteen, rising to principal dancer under George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins before retiring at 39. In 2012, she returned to her Miami roots as Artistic Director of Miami City Ballet, selected from 35 candidates to lead the company. She expanded its repertoire, championed contemporary works, and guided it through the pandemic with innovative outdoor performances like 'George Balanchine’s Nutcracker in the Park.' Lopez stepped down at the end of the 2024-2025 season, two years early, to pursue new challenges via her founded Lourdes Lopez Arts LLC.