Displaying items by tag: Joffrey Ballet

The Little Mermaid at Lyric Opera House is an incredibly beautiful and massive production that holds the audience spellbound from the moment it begins until the final magnificent scene of love transcendent. 

This ballet created by John Neumeier for the Royal Danish Ballet in 2005 was way ahead of its time in that it tackles a lot of somber adult themes including surviving assault, struggles with mental health and physical disability when the little Mermaid is confined to a wheelchair and sees all the healthy young people around her dancing through their lives, falling in love and marrying while she is pushed and carried through human life by the adoring Poet who feels everything she feels. This ballet is so wonderfully choreographed and danced, the music and lighting and set design so sumptuous, that the audience is allowed to fill in their own blanks of this timeless tale of unrequited love through the wordless yet completely emotive dancers of the Joffrey Ballet Company, the highest caliber of dancers in the world today.  

The brilliant Neumeier also created fantastic sets that include giant arcs of white light that represent the moving seas, a starry night that descends into their bedroom and carries the lovers into heavenly bliss. Also impactful is a white box shaped room with a ceiling that frighteningly closes in on the Little Mermaid, as she the incredibly expressive Victoria Jaiani literally "climbs the walls" while struggling to maintain her sanity working out her deep grief and anxiety over human love and life in her final transformation to immortality.

According to the program notes, this production has reinterpreted Hans Christian Andersen's dark yet uplifting fairy tale to include the unrequited love of The Poet, played with wonderful intensity and longing by Stefan Goncalvez, for the Prince (Dylan Gutierrez) a gallant, athletic alpha male. However, the Prince, it appears, is actually more suited for the cheerful blonde debutante Princess (Anais Bueno) that he eventually marries than either the Poet or The Little Mermaid who, in this interpretation, both long to win his heart and marry him, but this amazing interpretation represents archetypes of human personalities not genders. 

Again, it is important to mention this is NOT the Disney version of The Little Mermaid, and there is a scene described as violent in her transformation that has sexual assault undertones as she is stripped naked by the Sea Witch and left on the beach alone. In the 1838 original and the Disney film, the moral message or warning to girls and women was more about The Mermaid giving up her VOICE, when she agrees to be made mute by the Sea Witch who cuts off her tongue as payment for the spell to pursue her beloved Prince. Yet, I loved that Neumeier focuses on the disability that crushes her spirit by sacrificing her beautiful, graceful and strong swimmer's tail because even though she is still able to dance better for the Prince than any human, the Sea Witch has ensured that every step she takes for her Prince will hurt her terribly, "filling her shoes with blood". 

From Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid;

"Every footstep felt as if she were walking on the blades and points of sharp knives, just as the witch had foretold, but she gladly endured it. She moved as lightly as a bubble as she walked beside the Prince. He and all who saw her marveled at the grace of her gliding walk. Graceful slaves now began to dance to the most wonderful music. Then the little mermaid lifted her shapely white arms, rose up on the tips of her toes, and skimmed over the floor. No one had ever danced so well. Each movement set off her beauty to better and better advantage, and her eyes spoke more directly to the heart than any of the singing slaves could do." 

Although her name and the other leads, like The Poet and Prince and Princess are only listed in alphabetical order in the program as a member of the company, this ballet is not a true ensemble piece. 

I want to acknowledge the superb dancer, the superstar who brought to life and danced the lead character of the Mermaid, Victoria Jaiani, throughout this two-and-a-half hour long, highly emotionally and physically demanding role. Jaiani is absolutely stunning and heartbreakingly expressive in this sublime role with every single move of her graceful expressive hands, legs and face. 

"The most eager of them all was the youngest, She was an unusual child, quiet and wistful, and when her sisters decorated their gardens with all kinds of odd things they had found in sunken ships, she would allow nothing in hers except flowers as red as the sun, and a pretty marble statue. This figure of a handsome boy, carved in pure white marble, had sunk down to the bottom of the sea from some ship that was wrecked. Beside the statue she planted a rose-colored weeping willow tree, which thrived so well that its graceful branches shaded the statue and hung down to the blue sand, where their shadows took on a violet tint, and swayed as the branches swayed. It looked as if the roots and the tips of the branches were kissing each other in play."

Stefan Goncalvez as The Poet in 'The Little Mermaid'

The choreography was spectacular and modern, like watching a silent movie wherein the actors express everything they are feeling through their faces and bodies without words. 

The costume design also by Neumeier was lush and rich in every scene, especially in its ingenious depiction of the underwater world in which Jaiani appears to swim, float and twist in the water like a real fish, suspended in the air by three black-clothed dancers who disappear in the wake of her beauty like puppeteers. 

A final note from Hans Christian Andersen on the relationship between The Poet who watches The Little Mermaid and literally carries and comforts her emotionally throughout her ordeal on earth is that everyone can identify with the Poets' quest to find his own true self and love through the Little Mermaid, who represents his Everlasting  Soul, which is not truly in his control nor is the Little Mermaid his "Creation". 

“Who are you, toward whom I rise?" she asked, and her voice sounded like those above her, so spiritual that no music on earth could match it.

"We are the daughters of the air," they answered. "A mermaid has no immortal soul and can never get one unless she wins the love of a human being. Her eternal life must depend upon a power outside herself. The daughters of the air do not have an immortal soul either, but they can earn one by their good deeds. We fly to the south, where the hot poisonous air kills human beings unless we bring cool breezes. We carry the scent of flowers through the air, bringing freshness and healing balm wherever we go. When for three hundred years we have tried to do all the good that we can, we are given an immortal soul and a share in mankind's eternal bliss. You, poor little mermaid, have tried with your whole heart to do this too. Your suffering and your loyalty have raised you up into the realm of airy spirits, and now in the course of three hundred years you may earn by your good deeds a soul that will never die."

The little mermaid lifted her clear bright eyes toward God's sun, and for the first time her eyes were wet with tears.

"We may get there even sooner," one spirit whispered.

I was so moved by this piece I will see it again before the short run ends. I highly recommend this explosive, hypnotic and mind-bending extravaganza of superb dancers for everyone over the age of 16. 

Through April 30^th at Lyric Opera House. For tickets and/or more show information, click here.

Happy ballets are alike; every unhappy ballet is unhappy in its own way. Joffrey Ballet brings their haunting production of ‘Anna Karenina’ to the Lyric Opera House for a brief revival. It’s easy to see why this new ballet was such a hit when it held its world premiere in Chicago back in 2019. It’s a remarkably succinct retelling of Leo Tolstoy’s epic novel about an unhappy woman’s choice to leave her marriage shortly before the Russian revolution.

Devised and choreographed by Yuri Possokhov, this version of ‘Anna Karenina’ is for both those who have read the novel and those who haven’t. The plot is pared down to the most essential moments. That said, it’s impressive how much is included and how creatively certain scenes are staged, most notably a brutal horse race that closes the first act.

Possokhov’s choreography is sexually evocative and those familiar with the deeply psychological drama will surely recognize the emotions in the dance, especially between Anna and Vronsky, danced by prima ballerina Victoria Jaiani and Alberto Velazquez. Scenes move at a fast clip and are told through a blend of large props, minimalist projections, and soaring vocals. Those who haven’t read the book may miss some of the nuances, but the visuals make the plot clear.

Victoria Jaiani and Alberto Velazquez in 'Anna Karenina" at Lyric Opera House

With live orchestration by the Lyric Opera Orchestra and vocals performed by Jennifer Kosharsky, the original score by Ilya Demutsky leaps off the stage. The music is cinematic but like the choreography, the torment is conveyed through sharp, staccato sequences. In the novel, Anna refers to Vronsky as a murderer after they begin their love affair. Pussokhov’s staging faithfully captures the fact that Anna and Vronsky will never know a moment’s peace. The great irony of Tolstoy’s sweeping love story is that great passion does not always make for a lasting relationship.

‘Anna Karenina’ can be difficult for some readers as large swaths of the book take the focus off Anna and put it onto semi-autobiographical character Levin and his love interest Kitty. A lot of these sections are about the intricacies of Russian farming. Levin is a bit absent from this production as such, but through the contrasting choreography, Anna and Levin’s parallel search for true love is apparent.

This award-winning production returns to Chicago under considerably different political circumstances between Russia and the US. However, Joffrey Ballet honored the Ukrainian people with a moving tribute before the ballet began, demonstrating an awareness and solidarity the Ukrainian people.

Through February 26 at Joffrey Ballet Chicago. 20 N Upper Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606. www.joffrey.org.

The Joffrey is always amazing so I was happy to be assigned this show to review, but I have to admit I wasn’t totally thrilled – I’ve seen Nutcracker several times and I’m just a little bit over it.

Imagine, then, my delight as the curtain opens, not in the familiar opulent parlor; rather, we see ragged children grouped excitedly before posters of the 1893 Columbian World Exposition – a new background story! The Joffrey premiered Christopher Wheeldon’s(he,him)  new choreography six years ago; my companion had seen the new show but they’re a good friend and didn’t spoil it by telling me. I’m not going to be so considerate of you. Spoilers to Come!

It's Christmas Eve 1892, and families of the immigrant construction workers for the World’s Fair meet for revelry in one of their hovels. There they receive a surprise visit from The Great Impresario (Dylan Gutierrez(he,him)), magical designer of the Fair, with his lovable assistant Peter (Hyuma Kiyosawa(he,him)). Gifts are delivered to the children but Marie’s is missing! With a swirl of his red silk cloak, The Great Impresario produces her gift: a beautiful nutcracker.

The party winds down, but Marie (Yumi Kawasawa(she/her)) wakes at midnight to see her little brother Franz (Elliot King(he,him)) being kidnapped by Rodents of Unusual Size! The Nutcracker, now alive and lifesize, battles and defeats the Rat King.  This victory transforms him into the dashing Prince Peter. 

The Great Impresario sails up in a gondola, and the Queen of the Dream Fair (Jeraldin Mendoza(she,her)), resplendent in a gown of gold, grants Marie and the Prince permission to enter the Dream Fair. There, at the various pavilions, we see the familiar dances from countries around the world. 

This recreation changes the entire story of the Nutcracker in several important ways. One detail that’s always bothered me is ‘why is this rich little girl so excited about a nutcracker, of all things?  Surely she’s also received dolls, ice skates; a dozen other gifts’. But here, the Nutcracker is her only Christmas gift, and it comes from none other than The Great Impresario himself, and nowMarie’s excitement makes far more sense, yes? 

But the most important change is that THE NUTCRACKER is now a Chicago story! this version of NUTCRACKER won’t play in New York or Memphis or San Francisco; this is our very own NUTCRACKER, from our very own Joffrey Ballet Dance Company. How fabulous is that?! Thank you for this gift of a NUTCRACKER, choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and Assistant Jacqueline Barrett(she,her).

Jeraldine Mendoza and Dylan Gutierrez in Joffrey Ballet's 'The Nutctracker' at Lyric Opera House

There are a score of others to thank for this extravaganza, beginning, of course, with the company. NUTCRACKER is a great production for showcasing Joffrey’s many superb dancers. Victoria Jainani(she,her) once again performs the Arabian Dancer in her characteristic sinuous mode, partnered this year by Edson  Barbosa(he,him). And the final pas de deux with The Great Impresario and the Golden Queen is stunning on many levels; not the least of which is that Gutierrez, after two hours constantly onstage, still manages to make Mendoza float effortlessly.

I already spoke of choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, who was assisted by Story Adaptation Director Brian Selznick(he,him). Thanks, of course, to composer Piotr Ilyich Tchiakovsky and to the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Music Director Scott Speck, with Asst director Michael Moricz. Artistic Director Ajhley Wheater MBE(he,him)  orchestrated the talented production crew, including Staging by Nicholas Blanc(he,him), Adam Blyde(he,him) , and Suzanne Lopez(she,her), and Lighting Designer Natasha Katz(she,her). Katz et al created the staging in 2016 when this Chicago version opened at the Auditorium Theatre. Decisions had to be made about ‘downsizing’ the staging to accommodate the smaller stage at the Civic Opera House (a brilliant venue, by the way). I am charmed that Lighting Recreator Chris Maravich(he,him), with Projection Designer 59 Productions simply projected the “too large” lighting design onto the smaller stage, creating imagery above and to either side of the stage. It felt to me as if we were enclosed – embraced, even – by the entire production. This cozy and inclusive quality suits the new story perfectly. Assistants were Asst Scenic Design by Frank McCullough, Asst Lighting Design by Jon Goldman; and I have to give a shout-out here to 

Basil Twist designed the Puppetry and it can’t be easy for Tandem Otter Productions  to construct  a Nutcracker head that will withstand multiple tours in l’aire and cabriole! The children’s cast requires several directors (talk about herding cats!): Suzanne Lopez, Adam Blyde, Michael Smith, and Caitlin Meighan.

To fully credit THE NUTCRACKER I have to include the audience: scores of little girls – infant balletomanes – in their best Christmas dresses, seeing live ballet for the very first time. What could be more festive?

My heartfelt thanks to all for this enchanting spectacle, a splendid introduction to the 2022 Holiday Season.

My major reaction to the Joffrey Ballet’s Fall season opening is deep gratitude: I feel privileged to have seen BEYOND BORDERS. I need to offer a caveat: I love ballet, but I know very little about it. Please, look to the experts for a technical critique. I offer only what I saw and how I feel about it.

BEYOND BORDERS includes three works, beginning with a revival of Liam Scarlett’s “Vespertine”, with Joffrey Cofounder Gerald Arpino’s 1978 classic, “Suite Saint-Saëns” in conclusion.  Both are exquisite in their own ways, but both are also, to my mind, upstaged by the world premiere performance of “colōrem”, from the brilliant up-and-coming choreographer Chanel DaSilva, whose 2020 ballet, “B O R D E R S”, also premiered with the Joffrey.

“colōrem” goes BEYOND BORDERS in so many ways, not the least of which is being the first mainstage work created for the company by a Black woman. As its title suggests, “colōrem” is all about color, like so many of the extraordinary topical works appearing in the 2022-23 Season. It features two sets of dancers wearing unitards (turtlenecked and including gloves and shoes) of glaringly divergent scarlet and charcoal gray, effectively blotting out both their genders and their very humanness.

The Reds and the Grays are separate and subtly discordant, reminiscent of the Sharks and the Jets … or of two rival tribes. This tribal aspect is augmented by the angled, decisive movements and by the precise, driving music by Cristina Spinei. The company’s accuracy and consonance is such that at times I couldn’t tell how many dancers were onstage until one of them moved, repeatedly forming landscapes that would be equally stunning captured in still photography.

Nicole Pearce’s lighting design is used dramatically: curtains, dividers, are created with different colored lights. One of my favorite moments is when a sliver of red light appears along the floor at the back of the stage, and Red dancers wriggle out of the red light onto the stage.

Equally compelling is Liam Scarlett’s “Vespertine”. The piece is unabashedly sensual, enhanced by shadowy stage lighting and Renaissance music – including harpsichord and baroque theorbo, if you please. Michael Hulls’ lighting dimly illuminates the ethereal atmosphere with puffball clusters of bulbs suspended from the ceiling and radiating amber moon-tones.

I already mentioned the impact of the stark leotards in “colōrem”; the costumes in “Vespertine” are also intensely powerful. In accordance with Scarlett’s vision, the dancers wear burgundy and plum: knickers with long-tailed waistcoats, and corsets under extravagant floor-length skirts. The skirts are integrated into the choreography, accenting the sensual movements with swirls and flares of lustrous silk.  Halfway through the dance these sumptuous clothes are stripped away to flesh-toned leotards – as if we are being pared down to our essential selves. 

The final, showcase piece, “Suite Saint-Saëns,” honors co-founder Gerald Arpino’s Centennial Celebration. Camille Saint-Saëns’ music divides the piece into four movements: Caprice Valse, Serenade, Minuet, and Pas Redouble. Clearly earlier than BEYOND BORDERS’ other works, yet Rehearsal Director Suzanne Lopez ensures “Suite Saint-Saëns” remains fresh and original, as the Joffrey ever strives to be. The ballet demands superlative ensemble dancing, while individually highlighting nearly every dancer’s individual mastery – a daunting challenge that Joffrey abundantly meets. Choreographer Agnes DeMille describes the ballet as ‘like standing in a flight of meteors’ – rapid and energetic, demonstrating Arpino’s signature fusion of athleticism, musicality and beauty.   

In all the productions I’ve attended in 2022, the two silent years appear to have rekindled the artists’ creative drive, and they are lavishing upon us three seasons’ worth of talent in a triumphant revival. In BEYOND BORDERS the company is, as ever, gifted, but in this performance they go beyond … well, BEYOND BORDERS, each dancer giving their all to create a unified composition. 

Each piece features principal dancers: two pas de deux by Victoria Jaiani, Alberto Velazquez, Amanda Assucena, and Edson Barbosa in “Vespertine”; Xavier Núñez and Amanda Assucena throughout “colōrem”; and a pas de trois for Anais Bueno, Jeraldine Mendoza and Edson Barbosa in “Suite Saint-Saëns” – to mention only a few. Principals, however, are icing on the Company cake in BEYOND BORDERS; find a full cast list on the Joffrey’s website. As I said, I’m no expert, but I find nothing whatsoever to criticize in the artists’ work, dancers and musicians.

My companion, an experienced stage lighting designer, observed that in “Vespertine,” the puffball globes of lights reflect the varied spotlights. In a certain configuration the wires suspending the foremost centre globe are plainly revealed. As a lighting expert they found this quite distracting. Me, I didn’t notice, but their comment deserves recognition.

Some may find the tickets a bit pricey, but hey! – it’s the Joffrey at Opera Hall!  I personally guarantee that anyone attending BEYOND BORDERS will consider their money very well spent.

Playing at the Civic Opera House through October 23.

It deserves saying again:  Resplendent  … Transcendent … Provocative

VERY Highly Recommended!

For the past two-plus years, I’d dreamed of doing all the things in Chicago that were shut down due to the pandemic. When restrictions were lifted and entertainment started to come back to the city, I was determined to say yes to every unique city experience. By far the most Chicago heavy hitting art came with the Joffrey ballet performing Don Quixote with the Lyric Opera.

Don Quixote is a ballet following the adventures of an aging knight-errant who reads epic tales of chivalry and romance, and seeks out on an adventure to revive chivalry and serve his nation, under the name Don Quixote de la Mancha. He recruits a simple farmer, Sancho Panza, as his squire, and together they travelin search of love and adventure. While Don Quixote is the focus on the ballet, the central theme is a love story; Kitri is the ballet’s feisty and wilful heroine of the ballet. When her father Lorenzo tries to marry her off for money, she doesn't play the victim, but hatches a plan to marry Basilio, the charming barber who has won her heart, and pursue her own version of happiness. It is Don Quixote who stumbles into town, sees what is transpiring and intervenes in the name of chivalry and true love.

The Joffrey principle dancers and ensemble company brought the Spanish classic to life, dancing with all the grace, talent, and poise ballet dancers can possess. Their energy was unparalleled as they leapt and twirled around the stage. The casting was perfection in Victoria Jaiani at Kitri and Dylan Guitierrez as Basilio; notably the Joffrey has a rotation of principle dancers to play the ballet’s leads, offering patrons a unique flare each performance. Set against elaborate and immersive set designs, and accompanied by a live orchestra, Don Quixote was a visual and unexpected wonder. 

The visual and auditory spendlor of the ballet was only surpassed by being in such a historic venue as the Lyric Opera. Here I was, watching some of the nation’s best dancers, perform with a world renowned orchestra, sitting comfortably in a historic Chicago landmark; post pandemic I am grateful for the chance to see such a performance and that others have the opportunity to experience this as well. Thanks to the artistic group’s mask precautions and vaccination card screenings at the door, these performances can continue to bring beauty and light into an increasingly darker world. No matter how bleak the days might seem, The Joffrey helps to remind us that there is still grace and beauty in the world to be experienced, and we must leap at the artistic opportunities when they come our way the way Don Quixote leapt at adventure.

Don Quixote runs through June 12th at the Lyric Opera House at 20 N Upper Wacker Dr, Chicago. Tickets are available at Joffrey.org.

As I ascended Madison Street early Saturday afternoon, my daughter’s hand in mine, Samuel Insull’s Civic Opera House rose up before us, throne-like, a sight that once greeted me daily in our old world with its bustling downtown and delights we took for granted. But our excitement — not just to visit the Joffrey Ballet’s new home, but to visit theater, arts, entertainment, anything — was matched by the excitement of every single theatergoer who’d dressed up and come downtown for the return of the Joffrey’s Nutcracker, a tradition I hope none of us will take for granted again.

The last time I attended the Joffrey, the company was still in the grand old Auditorium Theatre, one of my favorite buildings (and theaters) not just in Chicago, but anywhere. But this weekend, as I set foot in a theater for the first time since early March 2020, I was also for the first time visiting the Joffrey’s new home at the Lyric Opera. And what a return it was.

Just seeing the bustling, eager crowd in the lobby — their faces masked and their vaccination cards visible, but their holiday finery just as prominently on display as in years past — marked a return. Maybe not to normal. But maybe, I hope, to something as good… or better. A normal we appreciate.

Because I know, after seeing the Joffrey’s Nutcracker for the first time in two years, I will never not appreciate this annual tradition for the treasure it is.

The Joffrey’s take on Tchaikovsky’s holiday chestnut has become a treasured tradition itself — in its sixth year now, minus 2020 — its story by beloved children’s author Brian Selznick set amid the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893.

And the return of the winter wonderland of the World’s Fair proved as magical as I’d hoped, a spark in the audience and a spring in every company member’s step, as we’re transported not just back to pre-2020 Chicago, but a Windy City circa Christmas 1892. Yumi Kanazawa’s young Marie navigates the rat-infested streets beneath the grand Ferris Wheel and towering White City. Dylan Gutierrez’s Great Impresario — the Fair’s fictional architect — makes an appearance before arriving at the hovel Marie shares with her mother and brother in the shadow of the White City.

There, the spectacle begins with a holiday celebration, the Impresario delivering gifts (including the titular Nutcracker), children and the cast dancing, and members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra appearing onstage with violin, clarinet, and accordion as an in-house chamber trio. We’re treated to the comforts of this traditional holiday tale — a broken toy, a young girl’s dream, soldiers and mice battling, and finally a gondola to carry us to Act II.

During intermission, I was able to take in the refurbished building itself. My daughter noted that “it looks old, but new, too.” And, perhaps for the first time ever, I marveled at the lines for the bathroom and the bar, just soaking in the wonder of being part of a day at the theater.

After intermission, Act II brings a new wonderland, a new world — the White City of 1893 Chicago. Set to the Tchaikovsky’s festive second act score, the exotic sights and sounds of the World’s Fair enchant, as they did in previous versions, or as they did more than a century ago. Yoshihisa Arai’s hilarious Mother Nutcracker oversees the children’s ensemble playing hilarious cracking walnuts; Fernando Duarte’s Chinese Dancer parades along with paper dragons; Edson Barbosa’s rootin’, tootin’ Buffalo Bill Cody and his showgirls bring the fireworks. And, as in previous years, the highlight of the Fair’s attractions are the Arabian Dancers, here played by Victoria Jaiani and Temur Suluashvili. The only dancers almost as enchanting are Gutierrez’s Impresario and Jeraldine Mendoza, as the Queen of the Fair, who close out the show.

This presentation of the Joffrey Ballet’s Nutcracker has the same grace and beauty, the same spectacle, as one would have expected in previous years. But while the audience was treated to the same attention to perfection as audiences of the past enjoyed, a new home for the Joffrey and a new sense of appreciation for its continued excellence make this year’s Nutcracker a must-see.

Each season Joffrey Ballet Company presents a show comprised of works of various influential artists; this winter’s repertoire is a worldly combination of five works by four contemporary choreographers: British-born Christopher Wheeldon’s Commedia, Israeli choreographer Itzik Galili’s Mono Lisa and The Sofa, Chicago’s Stephanie Martinez’ Bliss!, and Chicago premiere of Justin Peck’s The Times Are Racing.

Opening the performance is Commedia (created in 2008), which takes us to the French-influenced 1920’s world of dance. For this piece, Christopher Wheeldon drew inspiration from Igor Stravinsky’s “Pulcinella Suite”, which was originally composed in 1920 for a ballet featuring harlequin costumes by Pablo Picasso. Commedia is the longest piece of the evening, with several scenes set to the beautiful, albeit occasionally disturbing, Stravinsky’s music. It starts out with a group dance (Sinfonia) which sets the tone for a gorgeously expressive and athletic ballet. Dancers are wearing very Picasso-ish black and white harlequinade costumes designed by Isabel Toledo, which also bring out the whimsical nature of Wheeldon’s choreography. This ballet is mesmerizing in its entirety. Pas des deux dances (such as Serenata by Brooke Linford and Yoshihisa Arai, and Gavotta by Gayeon Jung and Edson Barbosa) all have some hypnotic fluidity that takes one’s breath away. The ballet’s highly creative choreography is only matched by Joffrey dancers’ exquisite skills, resulting in a piece that is simply stunning.

After the first intermission, the next three pieces are united by a common theme of modern courtship. Mono Lisa and The Sofa, both choreographed by Itzik Galili, playfully explore the nature of romantic relationships. Mono Lisa, created in 2003, features the fabulous Victoria Jaiani and Stefan Goncalvez. He likes the girl; she plays hard to get – the old game of cat and mouse. Percussive sounds of an old typewriter set to a cool bit (original music by Itzik Galili and Thomas Hofs) create intensity, as in some futuristic tribal music.  Completed by the dancers’ precise moves and skilled acrobatics, Mono Lisa is decisively void of any romantic quality. This is further enhanced by the set design consisting of steel frames and bright lights.

 Galili’s second piece of the evening, The Sofa, has certain elements of a pantomime. The sofa on the stage becomes piece de resistance, where the couple fights for space and independence. The boy is a little aggressive towards his girl, but then he gets a taste of his own medicine in a comical gender-reversal twist half-way through the dance. Danced by Temur Suluashvili, Anna Gerberich and Fernando Duarte, it’s a fun and highly energetic piece set to music by Grammy Award-winner Tom Waits.

Included in the program is Chicago choreographer Stephanie Martinez’ ballet The Bliss! which she created for the Joffrey Ballet Company as a part of an Igor Stravinsky evening. For this piece, Martinez was inspired by Mildred and Robert Bliss who commissioned Stravinsky to compose Dumbarton Oak Concerto for their 30^th wedding anniversary. On stage there’re six handsome topless male dancers, possibly looking for a testosterone-fueled action. A pretty girl enters and a scene out of Michael Jackson’s video “The Way You Make Me Feel” immediately comes to mind. It’s a mating game, no doubt, full of flirt and seduction. A beautiful as well as an interesting piece whose many different flavors and textures develop as it moves through Stravinsky’s music.

The program concludes with The Times Are Racing, Justin Peck’s so called “sneaker ballet” for 20 dancers. Dancers wearing street clothes (costumes by Humberto Leon) including shirts with word-messages such as “defy”, “change”, “protest”, “shout”, and “fight”, move with purpose and grace. Set to the last four tracks of Dan Deacon’s album America, it’s a very youthful and explosive ballet, which draws its inspiration from a variety of dance styles. Featuring an incredibly expressive dancer Edson Barbosa, as a boy lost in the city, exploring and seeking, trying to learn and ultimately fit in.  

Through February 23rd

http://joffrey.org/

It seems to me the Joffrey Ballet’s been picking literary shows as of late based on books I either never finished or don’t remember. Last season, they presented Anna Karenina, which I admit I never read all the way through, but which delighted me in its transformation to the Auditorium Theatre’s stage. And now, the Joffrey’s 2019-2020 season opens with another 19th century classic, Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. Now, I know I finished the novel, as every moment in the ballet was recognizable to me, but I can’t for the life of me recall when I read it, whether it was high school or college. Shows that perhaps the book didn’t make that big of an impression. But I’ve got to admit, the ballet did make an impression. Seems to me that a much younger me could have used Joffrey productions of required English class reading as a mix of Cliff’s Notes and nights on the town. Alas, a younger me never had that opportunity, but the older me sure is lucky for the chance.

Just as she played the lead role in the Joffrey’s magnificent Nutcracker last winter, Amanda Assucena takes on the eponymous role of Jane for this production. And boy, does she deliver. But every bit as important to the main character’s story is Yumi Kanazawa, who plays a young Jane through the first couple scenes. Kanazawa matches Assucena in passion and performance, and seamlessly portrays the woman as a girl, handing the part off upon her arrival at adulthood.

Now, the two ballets I’ve mentioned above — The Nutcracker and Anna Karenina — are spectacles, the former by tradition and the Joffrey’s Chicago-centric twist on the tale, the latter because of the source material’s length and depth. Jane Eyre, on the other hand, lacks the marvel and magnitude of those two, instead centering on the experience and personhood of the title character. And, while still delivering some of the sights and sounds of the other productions, this production allows the Joffrey’s performers to shine, just as the characters in Brontë’s book are the reader’s focus, with Jane as both the book and the ballet’s focal point.

When Jane’s classmate Helen, played by Brooke Linford, dies from tuberculosis or cholera or whatever old-timey predicament Brontë killed her off with, we feel Jane’s pain at the loss. When Greig Matthews’ pompous Rochester at last succumbs to Jane’s charm, so do we. While the visual beauty of the set is still there, from the sad-sack orphans Lowood School to the fire that endangers Rochester at his Thornfield estate, of  it is the visual beauty of the dancers that is the star of this show, just as the characters — or the character, of Jane, really, is the star of Brontë’s novel.

So join the Joffrey Ballet at the Auditorium Theatre through October 27, as all its world-class company of talent once again digs deep into a literary classic to turn words into images, memories into reality, and a 19th century novel into a 21st century evening of entertainment.

It is no wonder that the 9th Annual Winning Works, presented by the Joffrey Academy of Dance Chicago, has been a sold out show since its opening on March 9th through the 10th.  With its talented selection of winning choreographers and their eclectic styles, they brought a show that brings political, cultural and self-awareness, along with insight into different styles of ballet, straight into the artistic heart of Chicago. Each of the 4 performances showcased on the intimate stage of Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, was introduced with a video, giving the audience members an inside look at the process of creation of each of these performances, as well as into to the inspiration of the artists being featured.

The choreographers featured, hail from the United States (Tomie-Waheed Evans and Marissa Osato), Mexico (Edgar Zendejas) and China (Xian Xu,) featuring just as varied themes to their choice in music, style of dance and purpose of their presentation as their cultural backgrounds.

Beginning the afternoon of performances, was Edgar Zendejas’ Lineas. A silent introduction featuring a single dancer, joined by the other performers in gauzy white shirts and white shorts- performing in a cannon, invoking an ethereal beauty. The interaction between the dancers as they interacted within the group, but also as moving bodies. The representation of these interactions, showcased how are attention can shift between groups and interactions, but how we are all intertwined together within these experiences. 

Coup De Grace choreographed by Tomie-Waheed Evans, was an intense representation of the current political climate of our present day, imagining the reactions we would have if we faced an apocalyptic event. The intensity of the music, vibrant colors and movements of the costumes- portrayed how diverse we are in our current world, all struggling to survive, however if we can embrace our community and those around us- how much we can overcome these obstacles and crisis that seem to plague us all.

Xian Xu’s, Vessels Bearing was an expression of Asian culture and how it is defined by rice, through the representation of rice bowls.  With influences of Asian movement and design with Xu’s choreography, the essence of rice, as a provider of energy, sustenance and warmth is what binds so many of us together.  The impact is has on those who have enough to rely on, as well as those who do not have enough.

  
Give the People What They Want choregraphed by Marissa Osato, was another stunning representation of the quality of talent being featured by Joffrey.  This particular ballet reflected how the façade we carry into our everyday life can eventually or may take its toll on us as we try to present our best face forward.  With music created by a local Chicago composer, Elliot Callighan, the vibrancy of this piece, was uplifting in that we are not all individually facing the challenge of our inner realities and how we present them in real life.  

All four pieces, as their 4 choreographers are so diverse in their backgrounds, ballet styles and musical inspirations, it is exciting to watch as the cultures and perspectives combine on the stage. It is a thrill that the 'Winning Works' has continued to provide us with so many opportunities to view the talented works of these choreographers and an insight into the growing styles of ballet. We look forward to what is coming next, as we relish in the talent we have been shown.

All apologies to the teachers and professors who groomed me to be a ceaseless reader and sporadic writer — I never finished Anna Karenina. But while I never plowed through all 900 pages of Tolstoy’s novel, moments from the book have stayed with me. One of them is just a line, one seemingly effortless line among pages full of them, and what a line it is: “All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow.”

As I reflect on the variety, the charm, and the beauty I was privileged to behold at the Joffrey Ballet’s world premiere of Yuri Possokhov’s production of his countryman’s classic, I realize I witnessed a whole world of light and shadow being created right there on the Auditorium Theatre’s stage.

The creation of that entire world was, most obviously, performed by Possokhov’s choreography carried out by the Joffrey’s outstanding company, of course. Victoria Jaiani’s Anna navigates said world in both light and shadow — beautiful but damaged, faced with reality but delirious. Her husband Karenin, towers over the stage, as portrayed by the magnificent Fabrice Calmels, as a stately, stern husband and father and statesman. Just as stately, while also boyish and beautiful, Alberto Velazquez’s Vronsky lures the audience just as he lures poor Anna. And parallel to the love triangle and tragedy that envelope those three is the love story between Yoshihisa Arai’s Levin and Anais Bueno’s Kitty. If the former affair gives us the shadow, then the latter relationship brings it into the light.

These lights and shadows do not flicker before us thanks solely to the dancers, however. No, the spectacle of sight and sound beyond the dancing are every bit as stunning. Tom Pye’s sets and David Finn’s lighting navigates from dusky railyards to sunny Tuscany, from opium dreams to canapé flings. Of the many delights dished out by the Joffrey’s Nutcracker, perhaps my favorite was its use of projections, and Finn Ross’ projections for 'Anna Karenina' equal those, coloring the story and conjuring spirits.

But from curtain to curtain, the visual thrills are always complemented and often eclipsed by Ilya Demutsky’s original score directed by Scott Speck. The Chicago Philharmonic’s accompaniment, shifting seamlessly from elegance to dissonance, while always both classic and contemporary, is joined by Lindsay Metzger’s mezzo-soprano — who literally joins the show by the end — to craft this world of light and shadow in multiple dimensions that quicken multiple sensations.

So join the Joffrey Ballet at the Auditorium Theatre for Anna Karenina through February 24, as all of these world-class talents work together to shade and illuminate, to craft and create the variety and the charm and the beauty one would expect from a hefty literary classic written a century-and-a-half ago and half a world away.