Joffrey Ballet

🚗 Humble Beginnings

In 1956, during an era when touring ballet companies primarily performed abridged versions of classical ballets, Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino established a six-dancer ensemble. This troupe embarked on extensive tours across the United States, traveling with minimal resources, often utilizing a station wagon and a U-Haul trailer. Their performances featured original ballets choreographed by Joffrey. The ensemble's initial major city performance was in Chicago in 1957. Early benefaction from Rebekah Harkness was instrumental in enabling international tours, such as their 1963 visit to the Soviet Union, though Harkness and Joffrey eventually parted ways in 1964.

🏙️ New York Residency and Expansion

The company rebuilt and debuted anew in 1965 as the Joffrey Ballet. Following a highly successful season at the New York City Center in 1966, it was appointed the venue's resident ballet company, with Joffrey as artistic director and Arpino as chief choreographer. During this period, Arpino's 1970 rock ballet Trinity garnered acclaim. Joffrey also oversaw revivals of significant works by choreographers such as Kurt Jooss, Frederick Ashton, John Cranko, Michel Fokine, Vaslav Nijinsky, and Léonide Massine. In 1973, Twyla Tharp was commissioned to create her first ballet for the company, Deuce Coupe. The company operated as the City Center Joffrey Ballet until 1977. From 1977, it performed simply as the Joffrey Ballet. An expansion led to a second home in Los Angeles from 1982 to 1992. In 1995, the company relocated from New York City to Chicago, establishing its permanent base.

🎭 Chicago's Embrace

The initial years in Chicago presented considerable financial challenges, with the company facing near closure on multiple occasions. However, the engagement with Chicago audiences grew, attracting larger and younger demographics. The Joffrey Ballet marked its 10th anniversary in Chicago in 2005 and concluded a two-season-long 50th-anniversary celebration in 2007, which included a statewide tour of free outdoor performances across Iowa.

🎶 Reconstructing a Masterpiece

A landmark achievement was the Joffrey Ballet's 1987 premiere in Los Angeles of a meticulously reconstructed version of Igor Stravinsky's seminal ballet, The Rite of Spring. The original 1913 Paris premiere, choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky, had its choreography largely lost to time. Dance scholars Millicent Hodson and Kenneth Archer dedicated 18 years to researching and reconstructing the original work. They successfully located and recreated approximately 80% of the original costumes and consulted with Nijinsky's rehearsal assistant, Marie Rambert, prior to her death in 1982.

🏆 Trailblazing Achievements

The Joffrey Ballet holds a distinguished place in the history of American performing arts, marked by numerous pioneering achievements:

• It was the first dance company to perform at the White House upon the invitation of Jacqueline Kennedy.
• It was the first classical dance company to appear on American television.
• It pioneered the use of multi-media in classical dance productions.
• It was the first company to create a ballet set to rock music.
• The Joffrey was featured on the cover of TIME magazine.

🎥 Cinematic and Television Appearances

The company's artistic journey and impact have been immortalized in various media:

• Robert Altman's film The Company (2003), a critically acclaimed work, was based on the Joffrey Ballet, with Malcolm McDowell portraying a character inspired by artistic director Gerald Arpino. The film authentically featured company members in many roles, drawing narratives from the dancers, choreographers, and staff.
• The Joffrey Ballet made a notable appearance in the 2001 film Save the Last Dance, where the protagonists witness the company perform Sea Shadow and Les Présages in Chicago.
• In the television series Glee (2012), the character Mike Chang was awarded a scholarship to attend the Joffrey Academy of Dance in Chicago.

🖼️ Retrospective Exhibitions

In 2024, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts hosted "The Joffrey + Ballet in the U.S.," the inaugural retrospective exhibition chronicling the company's history and Robert Joffrey's contributions. This exhibition is scheduled to move to Wrightwood 659 in Chicago in October 2025. Curated by Julia Foulkes, with assistance from former Joffrey dancer Nicole Duffy, the exhibition draws extensively from the Joffrey Archives housed at the library.

📖 Recommended Reading

For a deeper understanding of The Joffrey Ballet's history and impact, the following resources are recommended:

• Anawalt, Sasha. The Joffrey Ballet: Robert Joffrey and the Making of an American Dance Company. University of Chicago Press, 1998.
• Smith, Amanda. "The Joffrey has legs: Robert Joffrey's durable dream." The Boston Phoenix, March 23, 1982.

ID Identifiers

These identifiers link to external databases for standardized information:

• VIAF: 148923604
• Library of Congress: n80103527
• Yale LUX: Yale Center for British Art

📜 References