Joffrey spotlight

Born in Scotland and raised in England, Wheater, 48, was trained at the Royal Ballet School. As a young dancer, he was cast in numerous productions at the Royal Opera House, including The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Anastasia, and Rudolf Nureyev’s Nutcracker. At the age of thirteen, he worked with Sir Frederick Ashton on the world premiere of Benjamin Britten’s Death in Venice, a production in which Wheater performed throughout England and Europe. In addition, he performed Marguerite and Armand with Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn at the London Coliseum.

Wheater began his professional career with The Royal Ballet and joined London Festival Ballet on the advice of Nureyev, where he danced Romeo & Juliet, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake and many other works. After two years he was promoted to principal dancer. In 1982, he joined The Australian Ballet, and under the direction of Marilyn Rowe, danced a multitude of roles in both classical and contemporary works. He also was a guest performer in Western Australia and Asia with Barry Morland, who created several ballets on him. It was in Australia in 1984 while Mr. Arpino was staging Suite Saint-Saens for The Joffrey Ballet there, that he saw Wheater dance and invited him to join the Company, which Wheater did the following year.

From 1985-1989, as a member of The Joffrey Ballet, Wheater worked with Robert Joffrey and danced in many American works by choreographers such as Mr. Arpino, William Forsythe, Eugene Loring, Mark Morris, and Laura Dean, in addition to performing the lead in numerous Sir Frederick Ashton and John Cranko works.

In 1989, Wheater joined San Francisco Ballet, dancing lead roles in nearly all of the Company’s full-length productions, including Romeo & Juliet, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and Nutcracker. In addition to performing a vast repertory, Wheater had many works created on him by choreographers such as San Francisco Ballet Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson, James Kudelka, Bintley, and Morris, among others. In 1996, Wheater ended his dancing career after suffering a major neck injury.

After a long and successful career as a principal dancer, Ashley Wheater assumed the role of ballet master with San Francisco Ballet in 1996 and was named assistant to the artistic director in 2002. He continued to perform principal character roles with the Company, including Drosselmeyer in Tomasson’s current production of The Nutcracker and Kitri’s father in Tomasson/Possokhov’s Don Quixote.

“Ashley Wheater was our unanimous choice as the ideal person to succeed Mr. Arpino as Artistic Director of the Joffrey. He embodies all of the characteristics we are seeking: understanding and respect for the unique place The Joffrey holds in the ballet world, vision to lead the company to new artistic excellence, rapport with the dancers, leadership experience, a fantastic network of colleagues and friends in the international ballet universe and, most wonderfully, a love of Chicago and appreciation for the importance of The Joffrey to Chicago. We interviewed an impressive group of highly-qualified candidates, but no one matched Ashley in his overall qualifications. We are delighted to announce him as our new artistic leader,” said Pamela Strobel, Joffrey Ballet Succession Committee Chair.

Added Jon H. Teeuwissen, Joffrey Ballet Executive Director, “Ashley brings a rich tapestry of dance experience that encompasses everything Joffrey – from dancing the works of Ashton and Tudor at the Royal Ballet to working directly with Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino during his years with the Company to establishing an eclectic international network of emerging choreographers that he has worked with during his tenure with the San Francisco Ballet”.

“I am delighted that Ashley has been asked to lead The Joffrey Ballet and I think it’s a great opportunity for him,” said San Francisco Ballet Artistic Director and Choreographer Helgi Tomasson. “I’ve had a wonderful working relationship with Ashley in his many capacities at the San Francisco Ballet, not only as a dancer, ballet master, my assistant, and as a character dancer, but also as a colleague and friend. I have no doubt he will rise to this new challenge and I wish him all the best in his new endeavors.”