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tango, hip hop—creating a truly inclusive celebration of movement and expression. ML. This year’s program includes dance films, a book presentation, and a visual art exhibit. How do these multidisciplinary elements enhance the audience’s experience of dance? Over the years, the Festival has gradually expanded beyond stage performances to include a wide range of multidisciplinary events across the city. Each year, we select a visual artist to create the official Festival poster, and we feature their work in an exhibition at our galleries at the Miami Hispanic Cultural Arts Center. We’ve also developed an International Summer Intensive, where young dancers not only train but also have the opportunity to perform in the Youth Gala and attend the main performances. They get to observe professional dancers in class, in rehearsal, and on stage—an invaluable learning and sharing experience. In addition, we’ve introduced book presentations, lectures, and a dance film series—all designed to deepen the public’s understanding and appreciation of dance. Our goal is to educate and engage the community while offering a richer, more diverse cultural experience that highlights dance in all its dimensions. ML. As the founder and artistic director, what challenges have you faced in sustaining and growing the festival over the years, especially as it reaches this major milestone? One of the greatest challenges we’ve faced is the lack of collaboration from local theaters. While we’ve made an effort to bring the Festival’s programming to different areas of the city, we’ve often struggled to get support from the very venues where our performances take place. As cultural institutions, theaters should have a vested interest in informing their communities about the events happening in their spaces—ensuring their stages are active and their audiences engaged. As we’ve expanded and diversified our programming, promotional costs have also increased. That’s why it’s even more important for theaters—many of which operate with public funding—to support and uplift local cultural organizations. If we truly want to see our city’s cultural scene grow and thrive, we must invest in and promote what is being created right here in our own community. ML. What do you hope audiences, especially new ones, take away from this 30th edition of the festival? Every year, the Festival brings together artists from around the world—many of whom are performing in our city, or even in the U.S., for the very first time. We want our audiences, especially those discovering us for the first time, to experience the richness, diversity, and excellence of these international dance companies. Miami has become a hub for business, commerce, and tourism, but our goal is to also help it grow into a city where the arts and culture thrive at the highest level. We hope audiences leave inspired, curious, and proud to be part of a community that embraces artistic excellence from around the globe. To learn more or buy tickets visit: www.internationalballetfestival.org By ML staff. Images courtesy of International Ballet Festival.