Organization Founded in 1985 by Miami philanthropist Toby Lerner Ansin and ballet legend Edward Villella, Miami City Ballet (MCB) is one of the world’s leading ballet companies and universally admired among the preeminent interpreters of George Balanchine’s choreography. MCB serves and promotes South Florida’s highly diverse population, where arts communicate across barriers of language, class, and culture. Three pillars propel the organizational mission as a leader in classical ballet: The Company, The School, and Community Engagement.   MCB’s Artistic Director, Lourdes Lopez, is a former New York City Ballet principal dancer, who worked directly with George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins