Review: JOFFREY BALLET AMERICAN ICONS at Lyric Opera Of Chicago

Everything is beautiful at the ballet.

Quoting one show to describe another. The Joffrey Ballet is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. The current offering is called Icons. What a gift to the audience. I don’t know if Robert Joffrey had any idea what his company has become. Icons recreate 4 different ballets from different decades over the 20th Century.

The first presentation was Kettentanz which was originally performed in 1971. Gerald Arpino’s choreography is very ethereal. It is a light moving piece with an amazing tree in the background of the company representing the Vienna woods. It is a salute to the old Vienna balls. Music of Johann Strauss, Sr. is incorporated. The second presentation is Martha Graham’s groundbreaking Secular Games.

This ballet had its world premiere in 1962. This is the definitive modern dance incorporating ballet. There is no story. Ms. Graham loved to highlight what the human body is capable of doing. Dancers are barefoot and in leotards. It also shows how humans try to impress each other with pursuits which are entirely human. The third presentation is Robert Joffrey’s Postcards. This piece represents Paris in the 1900s.

Mezzo-soprano Camille Robles sings while the couple perform a beautiful pas des deux. An exquisite blending of ballet and opera. The fourth and final presentation is Voluntaries. The ballet has been described by dancers as very difficult but they love the challenge and what this represents. The choreography was created as a tribute to the late choreographer John Cranko. It represents the affirmation of life even in the face of death. The company is costumed entirely in white. The backdrop is a huge orb which changes hues. The accompanying music is played on the Lyric’s organ.

It is magnificent to hear. This celebration of 70 years of this important ballet company is a joy. A gentleman sitting in front of me was crying during the standing ovation at curtain call. 2 of these presentations had their Joffrey debut on February 19, 2026. This production runs 2 hours including 2 intermissions.

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