While most of my favorite Miami attractions center around restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, I would without a doubt be selling Miami's nightlife short if I were to assert that food, booze, and women were all that Miami had to offer (please note, booze, food, and women should not be sold short either). Attractions range from patrician (ballet and the symphony) to plebian (comedy club), but all certainly have their time and place. No matter who you are, sometimes you need a break from the club scene and just want to sit back and enjoy a rousing interpretation of The Rite of Spring. It strikes me that I have neglected my favorite non-restaurant/bar/nightclub must-see Miami destinations, and so shall devote this article to the same.

I've never been that big a fan of Balanchine-type ballet or modern dance, so I often look to lesser-known styles of dance if a night of watching people prance about is order. My favorite troupe is the Emerald Dreams Mid Eastern Dance exchange. Most often, they are known for belly-dancing lessons and dancers for hire (for mid-eastern themed party, I suppose?), but they often have special events that are perfect locations for a night out away from the clubs. The dancers are alluring and quite skilled (my favorite: the kane dance), and are always a surprise for those who have never seen belly-dance before. Be on the lookout for events.

I've always been a fan of the symphony - the huge sound and pathos that comes out of a Mahler symphony beats a group of whiny twenty-something alternarockers trying to find power chords any day, for my money. To that end, I've seen the Miami Symphony a lot over the years. They've been getting steadily better for a few years now, and while they may not rival New York or Chicago, they are solidly within the second tier of American symphony orchestras. About a month ago, I rented a limo from Millenium (easy for me, since I get the employee discount, but always worth considering...they do make the experience that much more enjoyable), surprised my girlfriend with tickets to Dvorak's New World Symphony, and had a fantastic time. This kind of activity will always score big boyfriend points for you, and even if you aren't to the point in a relationship with someone where you can surprise them with a limo and symphony tickets, get some friends together and go get you some culture.

Next up, the Miami Improv. While you should always make sure you like the comic that is performing, the Improv almost always delivers. They have a wide variety of comics that come through, from Cedric the Entertainer to Steven Wright to Dave Attell. Opinions vary on whether or not the Improv is a good first-date spot (make sure you both like the comic), but it's always good for a bit of laughter-induced release. If you do decide to heckle, you'd better be packing heat. I've seen comics wade into the crowd, bellowing and swinging wildly, all to get at a guy they thought said something critical about their act. This usually just adds to the entertainment value.

Well, those are my favorites. You may have noticed the absence of theater. Good for you! As you have no doubt deduced, theater (especially the musical variety) does not generally fall in my "favorites" category. Sure, shows can be okay once in a while, but generally most theater productions just seem to be about self-absorbed family members coming to terms with things. If you do like theater, there are plenty of great venues for it, and I'm sure you'll enjoy their professional and skilled productions. In the mean time, happy travels, and happy watching/appreciating/heckling.