Robert
Joffrey and Gerald Arpino’s uniquely American vision of dance first took form
in 1956 with an ensemble of six strong, individual dancers who toured the
country on a series of one-night stands with a repertoire of original ballets by
their artistic director Robert Joffrey. From
the beginning, The Joffrey Ballet brought a new American approach to ballet,
setting itself apart from other small touring companies of the time, which were,
for the most part, performing reduced versions of the classics.
Joffrey
co-founder and current artistic director Gerald Arpino, who was a leading dancer
with the company in the early years before becoming its resident choreographer,
remembers the company’s debut performances on October 2, 1956 at a 10 a.m.
assembly at Frostburg State Teachers College in western Maryland.
“We unloaded the station wagon, rosined the stage, set the lights,
ironed the costumes, and got everything ready for the performance the next
morning. “The entire program was
choreographed by Robert Joffrey, who remained in New York teaching to help pay
the dancers’ salaries.”
On
January 22, 1957, when The Joffrey Ballet arrived at Chicago’s
8th Street Theatre for its first performance in a major city,
now eight dancers strong and with Robert Joffrey joining them for the first
time, a snowstorm was in full progress. But
it could not dampen the company’s spirits, nor prevent an audience that
included critics Claudia Cassidy and Ann Barzel from showering them with
applause. It was on the strength of
that Chicago performance and the reviews of these two nationally respected
critics that The Joffrey was able to secure further bookings and really coalesce
as a company. It was the beginning
of a journey that has taken the company around the world and has brought it
acclaim as one of the leading international ballet companies: an American
Classic.
Joffrey
and Arpino created a uniquely American company of dancers for whom they
choreographed original and relevant ballets, commissioned
dances from the finest young choreographers (many of whom were given
their first national exposure by The Joffrey), and meticulously reconstructed
some of the early masterworks of 20th century repertoire.
It has been acknowledged by dance historians that these two men set a new
standard in ballet, both accessible and meaningful, classically disciplined, and
brimming with infectious spirit. They
have been pioneers whose innovations and discoveries have influenced many ballet
companies across the nation.
Renowned
for a remarkable repertory of more than 235 ballets by 85 choreographers, The
Joffrey has commissioned the first ballets of such notable American
choreographers as Alvin Ailey, Laura Dean,
Chicagoan Randy Duncan, Mark
Morris, Peter Pucci,
Margo Sappington, Anna Sokolow, Edward Stierle, Glen Tetley and Twyla
Tharp; re-introduced a complete program by Kurt Jooss; revived ballets by Sir
Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, Leonide Massine,
Bronislava Nijinska, Vaslav Nijinsky, Jerome Robbins, and Anthony Tudor;
reconstructed “lost” ballets of Diaghilev’s Ballets
Russes, including Parade, Le Sacre Du Printemps, Les Presages and The Three
Cornered Hat; and was the first American company to present the work
of Denmark’s Auguste Bournonville. The
Joffrey’s repertory encompasses the largest collection of ballets by Ashton,
Jooss, and Massine in America and also includes notable works of
Auguste Bournonville, Choo San Goh, Gloria Contreras, John Cranko,
Mikhail Fokine, William Forsythe, Jiri Kylian Agnes de Mille and Paul Taylor.
With the revival of Jooss’ great anti-war masterpiece, The Green
Table,
and Robert Joffrey’s creation of the multi-media Astarte in 1967, followed by
Gerald Arpino’s anti-nuclear ballet, The Clowns (1968) and Arpino’s rock
ballet Trinity (1970), The Joffrey was catapulted into the forefront of American
culture, highlighting one of its signature elements: the incorporation of
popular culture, modern technology, and contemporary ideas into its classical
foundation, to present ballets for our time.
The company has continued that aspect, and, in 1993, premiered
America’s first full-evening rock ballet, Billboards, a Gerald Arpino
production set to the music of The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.
The
Joffrey remains a touring company: performing in more than 400 cities in all 50
states; representing the United States in Afghanistan, Australia, Austria,
Canada, Denmark, England, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iran, Israel, Italy,
Jordan, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Syria, Taiwan and
Turkey; and engaging audiences with its technical virtuosity, the power of its
ballets, and the sheer joy of its dancing.
Since establishing itself as The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago in 1995, the
Company has carried the Chicago name to Singapore, Korea, Israel, Italy,
England, Scotland, Portugal, Egypt, and Turkey.
On September 7, 1995, Joffrey artistic director Gerald Arpino established
The Joffrey Ballet of
Chicago
to carry on the traditions and legacy of The Joffrey Ballet.