Toby Lerner Ansin (born Toby Diane Lerner,[1] January 3, 1941) is an American patron of the arts. In 1985, she founded the Miami City Ballet,[2][3][4] a dance company that altered the cultural landscape of the city of Miami[5][6][7] and which subsequently acquired a national and international reputation.[8][9] Ansin has continuously served on the board of trustees since its founding.[10] Miami City Ballet is the largest South Florida arts organization, reaching an annual audience of over 125,000 in four Florida counties. It includes a ballet school with over 1500 students and adults.
From 1976 to 1981, Toby Lerner Ansin was chairperson of the Fine Arts of Beth David in Miami.[12] Under her leadership, in 1978 she presented the Pearl Lang Dance Company; in 1979, pianist Emanuel Ax; and in 1980, cellist Nathaniel Rosen. In September 1980, in collaboration with art dealer Barbara Gillman, Ansin organized the personal appearance of Andy Warhol in Miami[13][14] and the world premiere of his Ten Portraits of Jews of The 20th Century.[12] From 1982 to 1987, Ansin was a councilperson on the Dade County Council of Arts and Sciences,[15] and assisted in creating, implementing, and serving as liaison to the Dance Umbrella, a service organization for the dance companies of Dade County, Florida.
In 1985, David Eden, artistic consultant to the Dance Umbrella and a colleague of Ansin's, aware of her interest in creating a professional ballet company in South Florida, suggested she meet and consult with Edward Villella on what were the necessary steps to form a ballet company.[16] On May 14, 1985,[17][18] Villella came to Ansin's home in Coral Gables and met with her for three hours to discuss the specific artistic, administrative, and financial steps required to form a professional dance company.[19] After he left, she called six friends, each of whom, along with Ansin, contributed $1000 ($2,924 in 2024), the seminal funds that resulted in the creation of the founding board of trustees of the Miami City Ballet (MCB), and the recruiting of Villella, initially as a consultant, then on a one-year contract as artistic director.[20][21] Once a professional administrative staff was in place, Ansin focused her efforts on fund raising, special events, and public relations.[22]
For 27 years, Ansin worked without compensation, until her longtime companion, Leonard J. Rapport, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, requiring her to retire from active participation at MCB, except for remaining on the board of directors, to care for him until his death 10 months later.
Ansin remains an active board member of the MCB. Annually since 2010, the Toby Lerner Ansin Scholarship Award is given to the most promising dancer in the MCB school.[24]
Personal life
Toby Lerner was born in Boston to Dr. Henry H. Lerner, a radiologist, and Helen (née Kruger) Lerner. Her brother Bennett Lerner (born 1944) became a concert pianist and made his debut at the Carnegie Recital Hall in New York City in 1976.[25]
Toby Lerner married Edmund N. Ansin on June 11, 1961, and had three children with him: Andrew Lerner Ansin, James Lerner Ansin, and Stephanie Lerner Ansin. Stephanie Ansin was a co-founder of, and served as artistic director of, The PlayGround Theatre in Miami (now the Miami Theater Center).[26][27]
The Ansins were divorced in November 1983. Edmund N. Ansin died in July 2020; the Sunbeam Television broadcast operations were expected to continue within the Ansin family, led by Andrew and James.[28]
Awards
1991, George Abbot Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts,[29][30][31]
↑ Dance Magazine, November 1989, Taking Care of The Roles: Villella Victorious, Miami's Prometheus by Laurie Horn, Dance Critic Miami Herald, See page 47
↑ New York Times, September 3, 1989, "In Miami, the Visual and Performing Arts Seek Their Place In The Sun'" by George Volsky
1 2 The Miami Herald, "Person to Person", June 25, 1980
↑ The Miami News, September 2, 1980, LIFESTYLE, Section B, WHAT'S HAPPENING, Billie O'Day, "ANDY WARHOL VISITS MIAMI"
↑ Warhol's Jews Ten Portraits Reconsidered, Published by The Jewish Museum and the Contemporary Jewish Museum, Distributed by Yale University Press, 2008
↑ Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, November 23, 1994, "PEOPLETALK, MCB luncheon a waltz" See Edward Villella quote, second column, 6th paragraph re: Toby Ansin
↑ Miami Herald, December 7, 1987 Business, "Miami Ballet do a pas de deux" See last 5 paragraphs
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