HOME: A CELEBRATION

OPENS THE JOFFREY BALLET’S INAUGURAL SEASON AT LYRIC OPERA HOUSE, AND MARKS THE RETURN TO LIVE PERFORMANCES, FROM WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13TH THROUGH SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24TH

I can’t tell you how excited I am to let you know that The Joffrey Ballet is BACK! After not performing live for over a year, (but giving us glorious dance virtually) not only will they be back on stage but will take their places on the stage of their new home….The Lyric Opera House!

I did a very long blog post in November 2017 on my lifelong love of ballet and my first encounter with the Joffrey and my involvement with them through the years…I would suggest you go into the archives and read or reread the piece…it came from my heart!

Not only do we have this exquisite mixed program to bring us back to live dance but we can look forward to the return of everyone’s favorite ballet THE NUTCRACKER!

Chicago loves dance as well as all our other cultural events and is more than eager to welcome back it’s very own Joffrey Ballet!

Here are all the details from The Joffrey…

The 2021–2022 season begins with a triumphant mixed repertory program of original works by rising stars Chanel DaSilva, Nicolas Blanc, and Yoshihisa Arai, plus a beloved ballet classic choreographed by Joffrey co-founder Gerald Arpino

The Joffrey Ballet opens its inaugural season at the Lyric Opera House and marks its return to live performances with Home: a Celebration, a triumphant mixed repertory program that spotlights original works by today’s rising stars Chanel DaSilva, Joffrey Rehearsal Director Nicolas Blanc, and Joffrey Artist Yoshihisa Arai, plus a remount of a beloved ballet classic choreographed by Joffrey co-founder, the late Gerald Arpino. Home: a Celebrationis presented in ten performances only. .

“On behalf of everyone at the Joffrey, we cannot wait to see audiences at our new home, the Lyric Opera House, for a return to live performances,” said Ashley Wheater MBE, The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet. “Our opening program is a true reflection of the legacy and talent that has been cultivated within Joffrey family, with magnificent works that speak to the complexities of our times. This is a program that was curated specifically with Chicago in mind, a gift for the city that means so much to the Joffrey.”

“A year away from the stage has given all of us a new perspective on the power and necessity of the arts,” added Greg Cameron, President and CEO of the Joffrey. “Our upcoming season is about hope, renewal, and joy, and there is no better place to celebrate those themes than amongst a live audience at Lyric Opera House. We are finally ‘Home.’”

Birthday Variations, choreographed by Joffrey co-founder Gerald Arpino with music by Giuseppe Verdi, was commissioned in 1986 by Becky D’Angelo as a birthday present to her husband Dino, who owned Chicago’s Civic Opera House (now the Lyric Opera House) and loved Verdi’s music. This lively and melodic ballet is considered one of Arpino’s most popular creations.

New York-based artist and Joffrey’s 2020 Winning Works choreographer Chanel DaSilva finds beauty in the complex and multifaceted experience of what it means to be human with her work, Swing Low, an original creation for five men, set to the avant-garde rhythms of Vermont-based cellist and composer Zoë Keating. Swing Low reflects DaSilva’s deep connection to the transformative power of the arts and the indelible joy of movement. The Joffrey’s world premiere of Swing Low took place at Ravinia Festival on September 17, 2021.

Under the Trees’ Voices is the newest ballet from Joffrey Rehearsal Director Nicolas Blanc and channels the power of community in the age of social distancing. In its world premiere for the stage, four distinct sections set to Symphony No. 2 by Italian composer Ezio Bosso imagine a future of hope and unity. Under the Trees’ Voices had its virtual world premiere, on April 30, 2021, as part of Joffrey’s Studio Series.

Joffrey Company Artist Yoshihisa Arai takes audiences on a journey through time and space with Boléro. In its world premiere for the stage, 15 dancers take inspiration from the seminal score of the same name by composer Maurice Ravel; dancers are adorned in costumes designed by Joffrey Company Artist Temur Suluashvili. Boléro had its virtual world premiere, on February 12, 2021, as part of Joffrey’s Studio Series.

Tickets and Schedule

The Joffrey Ballet performs Home: a Celebration Wednesday, October 13 through Sunday, October 24, at the Lyric Opera House, 20 North Wacker Drive, Chicago. Thefull performance schedule is as follows: Wednesday, Oct. 13 at 7:30 pm; Friday, Oct. 15 at 7:30 pm; Saturday, Oct. 16 at 2 pm and 7:30 pm; Sunday, Oct. 17 at 2 pm; Thursday, Oct. 21 at 7:30 pm; Friday, Oct. 22 at 7:30 pm; Saturday, Oct. 23 at 2 pm and 7:30 pm; and Sunday, October 24 at 2 pm.

Single tickets start at $35 and are available for purchase at The Joffrey Ballet’s official Box Office located in the lobby of Joffrey Tower, 10 E. Randolph Street and by telephone at 312.386.8905, or online at joffrey.org.

For more information on The Joffrey Ballet and its programs, visit joffrey.org. Connect with the Joffrey on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.