Ashley Wheater News

The Joffrey Ballet today announced the cancellation of all remaining performances for the 2020-2021 season, including the world premiere of Cathy Marston's Of Mice and Men and the Joffrey premiere of George Balanchine's Serenade, as well as the Chicago premiere of John Neumeier's The Little Mermaid, as a result of the ongoing pandemic.

The Joffrey Ballet today announced the cancellation of all performances for the remainder of 2020, a response to the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency.

The Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, will present four world premieres in the culmination of Joffrey's national call for ALAANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab and Native American) artists to submit applications for the Joffrey Academy's Tenth Annual Winning Works Choreographic Competition. This year's Competition winners-Chanel DaSilva, Tsai Hsi Hung, Pablo Sánchez and Durante Verzola-each have choreographed an original work created on the Joffrey Academy Trainees and Studio Company. Winning Works expands to four performances in 2020 and returns to the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago's Edlis Neeson Theater (220 E. Chicago Avenue) Friday, March 20 at 7:30 PM, Saturday, March 21 at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM, Sunday, March 22 at 2:00 PM. Tickets for Winning Works are $30 and available for purchase at joffrey.org/winningworks.

Ashley Wheater MBE, The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet, has announced the Company's 2020-2021 inaugural season at Lyric Opera House, featuring a ballet masterpiece from legendary choreographer Sir Kenneth MacMillan, a world premiere from choreographer Cathy Marston, a Joffrey debut from George Balanchine, a Chicago premiere from Hamburg Ballet Chief Choreographer John Neumeier, and the fifth anniversary of Christopher Wheeldon's holiday classic The Nutcracker. The Joffrey Ballet begins its 65th season with MacMillan's iconic Manon, October 14-25, 2020, followed by Wheeldon's magical production of The Nutcracker, December 5-27, 2020. For its winter engagement, the Joffrey presents a mixed program that includes the world premiere adaptation of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men by Marston and the Joffrey premiere of Serenade by Balanchine, February 17-28, 2021. Closing the season is the Chicago premiere of Neumeier's acclaimed The Little Mermaid, April 21- May 2, 2021.

Ashley Wheater MBE, The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet, and Greg Cameron, President and CEO, are pleased to announce that José Carayol, former principal teacher and head of Conservatory Program at Los Angeles Ballet Academy, has been appointed Head of Studio Company and Trainee Program of the Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, effective Monday, January 13, 2020.

The Joffrey Ballet President and CEO Greg Cameron and Board Chair Anne Kaplan are exceptionally proud to announce that Ashley Wheater, The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet, has been appointed a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Wheater's designation, among those announced today on The Queen's New Year Honours 2020 list, has been recognized for his exceptional service to the U.K. in the field of performing arts.

The Joffrey Ballet's critically-acclaimed reimagined classic, The Nutcracker, by Tony Award-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, returns to open the holiday season at the historic Auditorium Theatre, in downtown Chicago at 50 East Ida B. Wells Drive, in 29 performances only, November 30-December 29, 2019. This season's production marks the last time The Nutcracker will take place at the Auditorium Theatre since its world premiere in 2016. The Company moves to the Lyric Opera House with the start of the 2020-2021 season.

The Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, announces the recipients of the tenth annual Winning Works Choreographic Competition: Chanel DaSilva, Tsai Hsi Hung, Pablo Sánchez (recipient of the inaugural Zach Lazar Winning Works Fellowship, named in honor of former Joffrey Board Chair Zach Lazar) and Durante Verzola.

Ashley Wheater, The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet, and Greg Cameron, President and CEO, are pleased to announce that Raymond Rodriguez, former Head of Studio Company and Trainee Program at the Joffrey, has been elevated to Academy Director of the Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, effective immediately. Rodriquez takes over after three years as Head of Studio Company and Trainees, succeeding former Academy Director Karine Provost.

Ashley Wheater, The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet, is pleased to announce the addition of four dancers to the Joffrey roster for the 2019-2020 season: Joseì Pablo Castro Cuevas (Queretaro, Mexico), Jonathan Dole (Sacramento, California), Hyuma Kiyosawa (Nagano, Japan) and Miu Tanaka (Chiba, Japan). With these new company members, The Joffrey Ballet totals 45 dancers representing 13 countries.

The Joffrey Ballet opens its 2019-20 season with the Chicago premiere of Cathy Marston's enthralling adaptation of the classic novel, Jane Eyre, presented at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive, in 10 performances only, October 16-27, 2019. The 2019-20 season marks the Joffrey's final season at the Auditorium Theatre. The Company moves to the Lyric Opera House with the start of the 2020-2021 season.

Ashley Wheater, The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director, and Greg Cameron, President and CEO, of The Joffrey Ballet, are pleased to announce the appointment of Anne Kaplan as Chair of the Joffrey Board of Directors, effective immediately. Kaplan succeeds former Board Chair Zachary Lazar, who concluded a successful six-year term earlier this summer.

The Joffrey Ballet opens its 2019-20 season with the Chicago premiere of Cathy Marston's enthralling adaptation of the classic novel, Jane Eyre, presented at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive, in 10 performances only, October 16-27, 2019. The 2019-20 season marks the Joffrey's final season at the Auditorium Theatre. The Company moves to the Lyric Opera House with the start of the 2020-2021 season.

For its spring engagement, The Joffrey Ballet presents Across the Pond, a mixed repertory program featuring the United Kingdom's most influential artists, with works that include two world premieres: HOME by Andrea Walker as well as Yonder Blue, a new piece by Andrew McNicol, set to a stunning collection of four short movements by composer Peter Gregson. The program also includes the Chicago premiere of Vespertine by The Royal Ballet Artist in Residence Liam Scarlett. Across the Pond is presented in ten performances only, April 24-May 5, 2019 at the Auditorium Theatre.

The Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet presents four world premieres in the culmination of Joffrey's national call for ALAANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab and Native American) artists to submit applications for the Joffrey Academy's Ninth Annual Winning Works Choreographic Competition. This year's Competition winners-Tommie-Waheed Evans, Marissa Osato, Xiang Xu and Edgar Zendejas-each have choreographed an original work created on the Joffrey Academy Trainees and Studio Company. Winning Works returns to the Museum of Contemporary Art's Edlis Neeson Theater (220 E. Chicago Avenue) for three performances, Saturday, March 9 at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM and Sunday, March 10 at 2:00 PM. Tickets for Winning Works are $25 and now available for purchase at joffrey.org/winningworks.

As the centerpiece of its 2018-19 season, The Joffrey Ballet proudly announces the world premiere of Yuri Possokhov's historic reimagining of Leo Tolstoy's classic novel, Anna Karenina, considered the greatest literature ever written. This majestic full-length work is presented in a first-time collaboration between The Joffrey Ballet and the renowned Australian Ballet to be performed in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway, in ten performances only, February 13-24, 2019.

Ashley Wheater, The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet, proudly announces an impressive 2019-2020 season featuring a Chicago premiere from Northern Ballet Artistic Director Cathy Marston, along with a Chicago premiere from Tony Award-winning choreographer and New York City Ballet Resident Choreographer Justin Peck, plus the return of an audience favorite by choreographer Yuri Possokhov, and Christopher Wheeldon's holiday classic The Nutcracker. The Joffrey Ballet begins its 64th season with Marston's modern re-telling of Jane Eyre, October 16-27, 2019, followed by Wheeldon's magical holiday classic The Nutcracker, November 30-December 29, 2019. For its winter engagement, the Joffrey presents a mixed repertory program that includes the Chicago premiere of Peck's acclaimed The Times Are Racing, the Chicago premieres of Mono Lisa and The Sofa by Israeli choreographer Itzik Galili, Wheeldon's Commedia, and Bliss!, a new work from Stephanie Martinez, winner of the Joffrey's 2015 Winning Works choreographic competition, February 12-23, 2020. Closing the season is the return of Possokhov's Don Quixote, April 22- May 3, 2020, which received its world premiere in Chicago in 2011.

As the centerpiece of its 2018-19 season, The Joffrey Ballet proudly announces the world premiere of Yuri Possokhov's historic reimagining of Leo Tolstoy's classic novel, Anna Karenina, considered the greatest literature ever written. This majestic full-length work is presented in a first-time collaboration between The Joffrey Ballet and the renowned Australian Ballet to be performed in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, 50 E. Congress Parkway, in ten performances only, February 13-24, 2019.

The Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, announces the recipients of the ninth annual Winning Works Choreographic Competition: Tommie-Waheed Evans, Marissa Osato, Xiang Xu and Edgar Zendejas. This announcement follows a national call for ALAANA (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab and Native American) artists to submit applications, which began in June. The choreographers' world premiere works will be showcased on the members of the Joffrey Studio Company and the Joffrey Academy Trainee Program.

The Joffrey Ballet's critically acclaimed reimagined classic, The Nutcracker, by Tony Award-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, returns to open the holiday season at the historic Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, in downtown Chicago at 50 East Congress Parkway, in 29 performances, December 1-30, 2018.