Lourdes Lopez

Visionary Artistic & Executive Leader in the Performing Arts

A transformative force in the arts, Lourdes Lopez has led Miami City Ballet (MCB) since 2012, shaping it into one of the world’s premier ballet companies while driving sustainable growth and fostering deep community engagement. Overseeing a 150-person organization with a $25 million budget, she has expanded MCB’s influence, growing its audience to more than 130,000 annually and reinforcing its artistic and financial sustainability. Beyond Miami, Lopez is a trustee of the Ford Foundation, the first artist appointed to its board, where she influences national arts funding and policy.

Born in Havana, Cuba, and raised in Miami, Lopez was handpicked by George Balanchine to join New York City Ballet (NYCB) at age 16, where she trained under Balanchine and Jerome Robbins before becoming a principal dancer. Her career is defined by her ability to bridge tradition and innovation, preserving ballet’s legacy while championing contemporary choreography.

At MCB, Lopez has commissioned works from leading choreographers, brought the North American premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s Swan Lake to Miami, and remains the only artistic director entrusted by The George Balanchine Trust to reimagine any of Balanchine’s masterpieces (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Nutcracker, and Firebird). As Chair of Miami City Ballet School, she oversees the training of more than 900 students annually.

A skilled arts executive, Lopez has secured funding for ambitious programming, expanded community engagement, and led MCB through the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring it remained one of the few U.S. ballet companies to continue live performances, including a multimedia outdoor production of The Nutcracker that transformed Miami into a citywide stage.

Her numerous accolades include the Dance Magazine Award for Outstanding Achievements in Dance Leadership, Jerome Robbins Award, José Limón Director’s Award for Excellence, Casita Maria Gold Medal of Honor, and Ballet Hispánico’s Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2016, she joined President Obama’s historic cultural delegation to Cuba, fostering international artistic collaborations.

She has served as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts and was a cultural reporter for WNBC-TV in New York.

With an unparalleled ability to blend artistic excellence, strategic innovation, and financial leadership, Lopez continues to shape the future of ballet and the performing arts.