Robert Joffrey News

The Joffrey Ballet celebrates the 28th annual, and final, presentation of Robert Joffrey's The Nutcracker, Chicago's most popular holiday tradition, in a 24-performance engagement at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway, December 4 – 27.

The Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, announces the recipients of the sixth annual Winning Works Choreographic Competition: Jeffrey Cirio, Christian Denice and Mariana Oliveira.

Ballet Memphis, under the artistic direction of Dorothy Gunther Pugh, will return to New York City's Joyce Theater (175 Eighth Avenue) for the first time since 2007 for a limited run this October. Performances begin Tuesday,October27th and run through Sunday, November 1st.

The Dallas Black Dance Theatre will present the company premiere of Margo Sappington's Step Out Of Love on November 6, 7 and 8, 2015 at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre in Dallas, Texas.

For its annual fall engagement, The Joffrey Ballet presents the U.S. Premiere of the full-length, female-powered story ballet, SYLVIA, choreographed by Milwaukee native and internationally acclaimed Director/Chief Choreographer of The Hamburg Ballet, John Neumeier. Continuing Joffrey Artistic Director Ashley Wheater's endeavor to bring re-imagined story-ballets to Chicago audiences, this program represents the first time Neumeier has been invited to The Joffrey Ballet and marks the first full-length production of Joffrey's 2015-2016 60th anniversary season. SYLVIA is presented at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway, in ten performances only, October 14 - 25.

In advance of the upcoming Veteran's Day commemoration, The Joffrey Ballet is honored to launch an ongoing discounted ticket policy for active military personnel, their spouses and children, and U.S. veterans, effective starting with the U.S. Premiere of the full-length story ballet Sylvia, at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway, in ten performances only, October 14 - 25.

For its annual fall engagement, The Joffrey Ballet presents the U.S. Premiere of the full-length, female-powered story ballet, SYLVIA, choreographed by Milwaukee native and internationally acclaimed Director/Chief Choreographer of The Hamburg Ballet, John Neumeier. Continuing Joffrey Artistic Director Ashley Wheater's endeavor to bring re-imagined story-ballets to Chicago audiences, this program represents the first time Neumeier has been invited to The Joffrey Ballet and marks the first full-length production of Joffrey's 2015-2016 60th anniversary season. SYLVIA is presented at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway, in ten performances only, October 14 - 25.

The Joffrey Ballet opens its 2015-2016 60th Anniversary season with a special mixed repertory program entitled Millennials, showcasing new works by the country's next generation of choreographic talents including World Premieres by Myles Thatcher and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa plus the Chicago Premiere of Fool's Paradise, choreographed by Tony Award winning choreographer, Christopher Wheeldon. Millennials is presented in five performances only, at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway, tonight, September 16-20.

 The Joffrey Ballet holds open auditions for the Children's Cast of the last staging of Robert Joffrey's The Nutcracker at its downtown studios in Joffrey Tower, 10 E. Randolph Street, Sunday, September 20.  All students ages 9-14 between 4' and 5' in the greater Chicagoland area with dance experience are welcome to audition.

CHICAGO -The Joffrey Ballet opens its 2015-2016 60th Anniversary season with a special mixed repertory program entitled Millennials, showcasing new works by the country's next generation of choreographic talents including World Premieres by Myles Thatcher and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa plus the Chicago Premiere of Fool's Paradise, choreographed by Tony Award winning choreographer, Christopher Wheeldon. Millennials is presented in five performances only, at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway, September 16-20. 

Ashley Wheater, Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet, is pleased to announce the addition of ten dancers to the Joffrey's international roster for the 2015-2016 season: Nicole Ciapponi (Canada), Valeriia Chaykina (Russia), Camila Ferrera (Hoboken, New Jersey), Anna Gerberich (Dillsburg, Pennsylvania), Stefan Goncalvez (Brazil), Luis Eduardo Gonzalez (Colombia), Hansol Jeong (Korea), Gayeon Jung (Korea), Paulo Rodrigues (Brazil) and Joan Sebastian Zamora (Colombia). With these new company members, The Joffrey Ballet is currently comprised of 41 dancers.  

Ashley Wheater, Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet, is pleased to announce the addition of ten dancers to the Joffrey's international roster for the 2015-2016 season: Nicole Ciapponi (Canada), Valeriia Chaykina (Russia), Camila Ferrera (Hoboken, New Jersey), Anna Gerberich (Dillsburg, Pennsylvania), Stefan Goncalvez (Brazil), Luis Eduardo Gonzalez (Colombia), Hansol Jeong (Korea), Gayeon Jung (Korea), Paulo Rodrigues (Brazil) and Joan Sebastian Zamora (Colombia). With these new company members, The Joffrey Ballet is currently comprised of 41 dancers.

In its on-going effort to share the joy of dance with a wider audience, the 2015 Summer Intensive Program at American Repertory Ballet's Princeton Ballet School is pleased to announce that its Master Classes will be open to observers. Leading Master Classes will be Broadway dancer Michael Mindlin, New York City Ballet dancer Unity Phelan, and Sarah Hay, a soloist with Semperoper Dresden Ballet. All three received their early training at Princeton Ballet School.

(May 28, 2015) Joffrey Ballet Artistic Director Ashley Wheater will be awarded the prestigious University of Chicago Jesse L. Rosenberger Medal at UChicago's 523rd Convocation, tonight, June 13.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts has announced the faculty for its American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School that begins its full 36-week school year on September 14, 2015 and runs through June 11, 2016. The Center has added classes to accommodate the growing enrollment.

(May 28, 2015) Joffrey Ballet Artistic Director Ashley Wheater will be awarded the prestigious University of Chicago Jesse L. Rosenberger Medal at UChicago's 523rd Convocation, Saturday, June 13.

A pack of wolves in a jungle located in India raise a little boy with his pals: a bear and a black panther. The boy's adventures include fighting a tiger, being abducted by monkeys, and returning to the human village. This wonderful tale is based on "The Jungle Book," a collection of stories by English author Rudyard Kipling, and provides the basis for "Mowgli," a full-length ballet performed by the Roxey Ballet.

CHICAGO – Following its highly praised Unique Voices triple bill, The Joffrey Ballet closes its 2014-2015season celebrating 20 years in Chicago with “New Works,” a mixed repertory program featuring two Joffrey/Chicago Premieres -- In Creases by New York City Ballet resident choreographer and soloist Justin Peck and Liturgy by Christopher Wheeldon -- along with the U.S. premiere of Evenfall from the Joffrey's own ballet master Nicolas Blanc and the return of Incantations by Val Caniparoli. The Joffrey Ballet presents “New Works” in ten performances only tonight, April 22-May 3, 2015. Please note: The National Football League has moved its annual draft from New York to Chicago's Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, and the Joffrey is pleased to accommodate the NFL and help secure this event for Chicago by agreeing to relocate this program to the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph Street, Chicago.

CHICAGO – Following its highly praised Unique Voices triple bill, The Joffrey Ballet closes its 2014-2015season celebrating 20 years in Chicago with “New Works,” a mixed repertory program featuring two Joffrey/Chicago Premieres -- In Creases by New York City Ballet resident choreographer and soloist Justin Peck and Liturgy by Christopher Wheeldon -- along with the U.S. premiere of Evenfall from the Joffrey's own ballet master Nicolas Blanc and the return of Incantations by Val Caniparoli. The Joffrey Ballet presents “New Works” in ten performances only April 22-May 3, 2015. Please note: The National Football League has moved its annual draft from New York to Chicago's Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, and the Joffrey is pleased to accommodate the NFL and help secure this event for Chicago by agreeing to relocate this program to the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph Street, Chicago.