Chilean ballet dancers Nataly Barros and Jose Tejada

The 17th annual International Ballet Festival of Miami (IBFM) will pirouette through South Florida starting this weekend, welcoming top ballet companies from around the world. This Friday, August 24 through September 16, performances, films, and artistic exhibitions will roll out at multiple venues across the area, including The Fillmore, Miami Beach Cinematheque, Lehman Theatre at Miami-Dade College, Colony Theatre, Broward Center for the Performing Arts, and Gusman Center for the Performing Arts.

Festival founder and artistic director Pedro Pablo Peña has assembled more than a dozen culturally diverse companies to participate in this year's festival, including Ballet do Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro, the National Ballet of the Philippines, and the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet. Celebratory activities will commence this Saturday, with an official poster unveiling, cocktail reception, and "The Art of Dance" exhibition opening at Paragon Gallery (7:30-10:30 PM). For performance schedule details and ticket information, visit IBFM's official website.