Lourdes Lopez, who championed contemporary ballets and elevated the company’s profile, is departing two years before her contract expires.

Lopez, 66, who was hired by the Miami City Ballet in 2012 and officially became the artistic director in May 2013, had two years left on her contract and says her departure was not a decision she took lightly. However, she felt there was something more she could do for the arts in Miami.

The company’s current season features an array of engaging mixed bills, including two world premieres: Justin Peck’s cuttingly contemporary ‘Mystic Familiar’ and Alexei Ratmansky’s take on the 19th-century ballet ‘Paquita.