I am new to Chicago and not yet had I the privilege to see The Joffrey Ballet live. With the company’s Anthony Tudor Centennial, celebrating the work of the legendary dance maker, I finally saw this exquisite company in top form. Consisting of three pieces, “Lilac Garden,” “Dark Elegies” and “Offenbach in the Underworld,” the program serves as a vibrant tribute to Tudor’s canon. Although “Elegies” is said to be one of Tudor’s greatest masterpieces, “Lilac Garden” exemplifies the psychological drama and narrative form that shape his unique genius. This Victorian melodrama chronicles a secret love affair that is torn apart by the ingénue’s impending arranged marriage. The characters are complex and danced with expert clarity. The turn of a head and power of shared glances meet technique well suited to the depth of the material. Your heart will break for the love that cannot be. The sorrows and revelries of the characters in the following pieces are just as riveting. (William Scott)
At the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Congress, (312)902-1500. This production is now closed.
Not Quixotic Enough: A Review of the Joffrey Ballet's "Don Quixote" at the Lyric Opera House Performance-wise, the Joffrey Ballet's production of Yuri Possokhov's “Don Quixote,” running through June 12 at the Lyric Opera House, is terrific, displaying the company’s trademark combination of sterling technique and dramatic flair. There’s not a false step (other than the pratfalls by the effete aristocrat, Gamache, played with clownish glee on six-inch heels by Fernando Duarte) or an inelegant line…
Complementary Opposites: A Preview of "Serenade" and "Of Mice and Men" by the Joffrey Ballet “Both [ballets] are trying to deal with a particular time: One by healing with the beauty of dance, the other by trying to create empathy for beaten-down humanity. Right now, we’re facing some of the same issues, such as huge migrations from the workplace. Steinbeck shone a light on his time, and I hope we’re able to do the same.”
