The ‘Winter’s Breath’ of Dance NOW Miami! Features Jon Lehrer Company in Coral Gables

Dancers Hunter Hoffman and Julia Faris, from Dance NOW! Miami, in the love duet from “Havisham!” by Hannah Baumgarten, which will be performed as part of the program “Winter’s Breath” at Coral Gables’ Sanctuary of the Arts. (Photo by Simon Soong, courtesy of Dance NOW! Miami)

Miami dance returns to Coral Gables as the Jon Lehrer Dance Company (JLDC) joins Dance Now! Miami (DNM) for an evening of performances. The program includes signature DNM pieces, a new work-in-progress, and a world premiere, showcasing a vibrant dance scene.

The 18-year-old modern dance company, based in New York City, will perform with DNM on Friday, Dec. 19, in a program titled “Winter’s Breath.”

Diego Salterini, co-founder and co-director of DNM, joined by Hannah Baumgarten, explains how the relationship between the two companies began in 2021.

“A few seasons back, we presented one of his works, ‘Solstice,’ and when Jon came down for a residency with our dancers, that’s when our camaraderie and friendship really deepened. Our audiences loved ‘Solstice’ — it stayed in our repertory for two seasons and received a great response here in Miami and beyond,” says Salterini.

Dancer Jenny Hegarty in “There I am, Here” by Hannah Baumgarten. (Photo by Simon Soong, courtesy of Dance NOW! Miami)

The two companies are collaborating for the one-night seasonal celebration featuring nine short pieces.

The evening opens with “Ave Maria,” a serene homage to mothers, specifically to the Virgin Mary. The piece, created by Isadora Duncan, which premiered in 1914 at Carnegie Hall, is set to music by Franz Schubert. Andrea Mantell Seidel, who staged it for DNM, is a Professor of Dance and the founding director of the Intercultural Dance and Music Institute, which is housed in the Latin American and Caribbean Center at Florida International University.

A dancer and choreographer recognized as an authority on Isadora Duncan, Seidel, also the founder of The Isadora Duncan Dance Ensemble, dedicated to maintaining her legacy, has trained DNM dancers in Isadora’s free and emotional style.

“(‘Ave Maria’) is a perfect choice for a holiday show, establishing the program’s warm opening,” says Baumgarten.

The program includes another Duncan work, a delicate and fairytale-like solo titled “Harp Etude” (1917), set to the music of Frédéric Chopin, also staged by Mantell Seidel and performed by DCM dancer Allyn Ginns-Ayers.

Dancer Allyn Ginns Ayers in “Harp Etude,” a choreography by Isadora Duncan, staged by Andrea Mantell Seidel. (Photo by Simon Soong, courtesy of Dance NOW! Miami)

In her book, “Isadora Duncan in the 21st Century,” published in 2016, Mantell Seidel writes that the dance was inspired by the tale of Ondine, “a water nymph who was in search of a human soul so that she could unite with her human lover.”

The evening also features the world premiere of Salterini’s newest work, “Deco-de” (2025)..

“I created ‘Deco-de’ in response to an invitation from George Neary, interim director of the Miami Design Preservation League, to develop performances for the 2026 Art Deco Festival,” says Salterini. “I wanted to capture the essence of the Art Deco movement — that incredible sense of modernity, optimism, and bold design that defines both the architecture and the era.”

He explains that it is a seven-minute trio based on George Gershwin’s 1919 composition “Lullaby.”

“In my research — and reflecting on my own artistic upbringing — I connected to how Art Deco often feels like a visual ‘Will to Power’: vertical lines, sunbursts, sleek forms, and that sense of forward motion and confidence.”

Salterini says he doesn’t like to explain too much about his works.

Dance NOW! Miami with the Jon Lehrer Dance Company perform at the Coral Gables Sanctuary of the Arts on Friday, Dec. 19. (Photo courtesy of Dance NOW! Miami)

“I want audiences to discover their own meaning through what they see and feel,” he says. “But what I can share is that “Deco-de” channels those Art Deco ideals through three extraordinary dancers — Austin Duclos, Sophia Pfitzenmeier, and Kirsten Velasco— whose physicality and artistry bring the concept vividly to life. And I hope it will captivate audiences with its beauty, strength, and elegance.”

Three pieces by Baumgarten are included in the “Winter’s Breath” program including a work-in-progress, “1933,” along with “Love Duet from Havisham!” (2024) and “There I am, Here” (2008).

Presented as a rough draft, ‘1933’ is “a visit to a time when artists are silenced,” says Baumgarten. “The small cast of three, Alexander Campbell, Sophie Leung, and Julia Faris, carries a large message.”

The love duet from “Havisham!,” which Baumgarten describes as “a romantic duet that makes us all smile,” will be performed by Faris and DNM’s newest dancer, Hunter Hoffman, who “brings his own romantic sensibility to this piece,” says the choreographer.

“Havisham!” was first presented in 2024 as a site-specific premiere at the Ancient Spanish Monastery in North Miami Beach. It reimagines Miss Havisham, the infamous wealthy spinster from Charles Dickens’ “Great Expectations.”

The lyrical “There I am, Here” will feature a guest performance from Jenny Hegarty, former DNM Rehearsal Director, now based out of New York, who is in Miami to restage a work of Tandy Beal titled ‘Forest Dreams’ for DNM’s Program II in March. “We are blessed to have her distinct and powerful presence on stage for this show,” says Baumgarten.

Lehrer’s company will perform “Here in this Eden” (2013). The company made its debut in February at the Sanctuary of the Arts and also performed there again in May.

Dancers Cristiana Cavallo and Ricardo G. Barret, from Jon Lehrer Dance Company, in Jon Lehrer’s “Here in Eden.” (Photo by Kiesha Stephens, courtesy of Dance NOW! Miami)

“Here in this Eden” is described by the choreographer as “a classic love duet about two people who want to be exactly where they are, at this moment, with this person—in other words, creating their own Eden.”

“I am so excited for our audiences to experience its intensity and grace,” shares Baumgarten.

Drawing the evening to a close will be “Winter’s Breath” (2014), a work by Baumgarten and Salterini, from which the program takes its name. Created during a residency at New Jersey’s Stockton University, “Winter’s Breath” offers a magical view of winter’s many facets. “The music is Max Richter’s reimagining of Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’ that takes audiences on a remarkable journey,” says Baumgarten.

Staged by Ayers and Faris, who are also the DNM associate director and rehearsal director, respectively, “Winter’s Breath”  feature Alexander Campbell, Austin Duclos, Hunter Hoffman, Sophie Leung, Sophia Pfitzenmaier, and Kirsten Velasco.

“The program is beautifully varied,” says Salterini about the company’s upcoming show, adding “it’s a performance that truly reflects the season — inviting, heartfelt, and rich with emotion.”

 WHAT: “Winter’s Breath,” a dance concert by Dance NOW! Miami with special guest Jon Lehrer Dance Company.

WHEN: 8:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 19

WHERE: Sanctuary of the Arts, 410 Andalusia Avenue, Coral Gables

COST: $28, $18 includes fees.

INFORMATION: www.dancenowmiami.org/events/wb

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