Toby Lerner Ansin
Miami City Ballet’s Founder, Toby Lerner Ansin, began her lifelong love affair with ballet at age five. Fortunately for us, that love led her to found a professional ballet company in 1985 led by an icon of dance. She rallied her friends, and soon, Toby’s dream of a professional ballet company became Miami’s dream. Because of her vision, leadership and unceasing efforts, Miami City Ballet today is an internationally acclaimed company representing Miami-Dade County nationally and globally. In honor of her 70th birthday, the Ansin Foundation established the Toby Lerner Ansin Scholarship fund. Each year, Toby sponsors a scholarship for a talented young dancer, which has helped numerous dancers become part of the company. She has volunteered countless hours with nonprofits, supporting fundraising efforts in the arts and mentoring many young cultural administrators. A true arts angel who has touched so many lives, Toby has received wide recognition for her many accomplishments, including the George Abbott Carbonell Award, the Florida Arts Recognition Award, the Arts Hero Award from the Arts & Business Council of Miami, the Woman of Style and Substance Award, and Dance/USA’s National Champion Award. Toby's outstanding dedication to the arts spans decades, including leadership roles with Fine Arts of Beth David and the Miami-Dade County Cultural Affairs Council (known then as the Council of Arts and Sciences). Her extraordinary legacy lives on through the Miami City Ballet and the Toby Lerner Ansin Scholarship for promising MCB students.