California Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 Joffrey Ballet just announced their 2017-2018 season: http://www.joffrey.org/1718season Giselle October 18-29, 2017 Staged by Lola de Ávila Music: Adolphe Adam A sweeping tale of passion beond the grave, de Ávila's visionary Giselle elevates one of the greatest Romantic ballets to new heights. When a young peasant girl discovers her lover is betrothed to another, she dies of grief, only to be enlisted by the vengeful Wilis, a ghostly army of maidens who haunt the forests, dancing to death any male mortal who crosses their path. When her beloved wanders into their grasp, Giselle carries out the ultimate act of love to free him from his fate. An ethereal descent into madness, desire, and sublime beauty that will leave you breathless. Joffrey Premiere Modern Masters February 7-18, 2018 Kammermusik No. 2 Choreographer: George Balanchine Music: Paul Hindemith This iconic Balanchine gem shatters convention with furios energy and stylized movements. A true feat for dancers -- and a dizzying treat for audiences. Joffrey Premiere Body of Your Dreams Choreographer: Myles Thatcher Music: Jacob ter Veldhuis A madcap play on fitness crazes, this inventive piece brings wit and whimsy to our obsession with physical perfection. World Premiere Choreographer: Nicolas Blanc Music: Mason Bates Joffrey Ballet Master Blanc transports us through five mesmerizing worlds amid Bates' lush orchestral and electronic soundscape. Glass Pieces Choregrapher: Jerome Robbins Music: Philip Glass To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the legendary Jereome Robbins' brithday, Glass Pieces is a tour de force from pioneer Robbins and minimalist composer Philip Glass, this electrifying work marries artistry and athleticism to echo the pulse of 1980s metropolitan America. Hailed by the New York Times as "landmark Robbins." Midsummer Night's Dream April 26- May 6, 2018 Choreographer: Alexander Ekman Music: Mikael Karlsson This is not Shakespeare's midsummer. Swedish tailblazer Ekman astounds with this ode to the longest day of the year. Delight in joyful abandon and romance under the Scandinavian sun as dancers celebrate and let their imaginations run wild. A tour de force that took Stockholm by storm. North American Premiere Add on these performances: The Nutcracker December 1-30, 2017 Choreography © by Christopher Wheeldon Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Journey inside Chicago's 1893 World's Fair with Wheeldon's critically acclaimed holiday masterpiece. When young Marie and her mother, a sculptress who is creating the fair's iconic Statue of the Republic, host a holiday party, a surprise visit from the charming Great Impresario sets off a Christmas Eve dream of whirlwind romance and adventure. A must-see tradition boldly reimagined for a new generation. Gala Performance April 20, 2018 Come together to celebrate with our vibrant creative community at this season's breathtaking gala performance, open exclusively to Joffrey subscribers and gala package donors. This special one-hour, one-night-only performance will include pieces hand selected by Artistic Director Ashley Wheater. Celebrate the end of another successful season with the Joffrey community. Don't miss the highly anticipated first-ever collaboration with the Lyric Opera of Chicago! Orphee et Eurydice September 23-October 15, 2017 Fully reimagined by Director and Choreographer John Neumeier Music: Christoph Willibald Gluck One of opera's most beautiful masterpieces, Gluck's exquisite drama introduces us to Orpheus, the poet and musician whose every word and note communicate the most overwhelming love for his Eurydice. Refusing to accept her death, he courageously journeys to the Underworld to bring her back to life. Lyric presents Orphee et Eurydice in the Paris version, which contains thrilling ballet sequences that will come to vivid life under the direction and choreography of the legendary John Neumeier. This highly anticipated production marks Lyric's first collaboration with The Joffrey Ballet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandik Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 I'm curious to see the Ekman Midsummer, but wondering why Giselle? So many companies do this work, and the Joffrey has so many other valuable historic works in their past repertory -- wouldn't it be more significant to bring back some of the Ballet Russe works rather than yet another Giselle (a ballet I love, but even so...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
California Posted February 22, 2017 Author Share Posted February 22, 2017 Giselle isn't quite in a league with Swan Lake and Nutcracker, but it seems to sell pretty well - at least, that's my impression on why this shows up on so many programs. For serious ballet lovers, the programs we most want to see seem to struggle to fill the theater - even in NYC, but especially in cities like Chicago (and Denver) that don't have a large, loyal ballet audience. Personally, I'm still hoping that PNB brings back their historic reconstruction of Giselle -- perhaps in 2018-19? I missed it before and would love to see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbarber Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 plus, what good does it do the ballet lover in Chicago if lots of other ballet companies do Giselle, but they want to see it in Chicago? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
volcanohunter Posted February 22, 2017 Share Posted February 22, 2017 I'd also be willing to bet that the company's leading dancers are champing at the bit to do Giselle. That it's done by other companies does them no good if they don't have an opportunity to dance it themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandik Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 Certainly, the Joffrey dancers are excited about Giselle -- who wouldn't be, really? But it just saddens me that, with that incredible history, the company seems to have cut all its heritage works loose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
volcanohunter Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 Yes, it would be impossible to extrapolate anything of the company's history from this repertoire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmspear Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 The zeitgeist feels ripe for a revival of Arpino's The Clowns. http://articles.latimes.com/1987-04-19/entertainment/ca-1694_1_clown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandik Posted February 23, 2017 Share Posted February 23, 2017 11 hours ago, lmspear said: The zeitgeist feels ripe for a revival of Arpino's The Clowns. http://articles.latimes.com/1987-04-19/entertainment/ca-1694_1_clown Indeed -- I've only seen still images from the work, but they're pretty powerful. Honestly, I had forgotten that Hershy Kay did the score ("an original 12-tone score by Hershy Kay, which another reviewer likened to 'the sound of computers gone mad.'"). I don't really care for his orchestrations for Western Symphony and Who Cares, but this sounds much more significant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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