Edinburgh Festival 1994: A Miami state of mind

THINK of Miami and Miami Vice springs to mind. In the same city that Don Johnson tracks down criminals there is a superb ballet company called Miami City Ballet. And it is coming to Edinburgh. The company's artistic director is Edward Villella, once a great star of George Balanchine's New York City Ballet. Because of this direct link, Villella has based his company's repertory on Balanchine's work, which Miami City Ballet performs with all the speed, energy and technical clarity of New York City Ballet. The Washington Post describes it as 'the nation's newest miracle company'. Two all-Balanchine programmes will be presented. Jewels (15-17 Aug) comprises three ballets called 'Emeralds', 'Diamonds' and 'Rubies'. 'The ballet has nothing to do with jewels,' Balanchine said. 'The dancers are just dressed like jewels.' The second programme (19 & 20 Aug) includes the neo-classicism of The Four Temperaments and Serenade, the bravura display of Tchaikovsky's Pas de Deux and the sassy and entertaining Western Symphony with dancers in plaid shirts and cowboy hats. (Playhouse Theatre, Greenside Place, 031-225 5756, 15-17 Aug, 19 & 20 Aug.)

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