Ravinia 2024 Issue 6

Royal Ballet of Flanders (Belgium), Northern Ballet, the London Olympics, New English Bal- let Theatre, The Royal Ballet School, and Juice Opera, among others. He was invited twice to create works for the New York Choreographic Institute, an affiliate of New York City Ballet, and has participated in Dance Lines, a Royal Opera House choreographic initiative. Recently, he was awarded the 2018 Choreo- graphic Fellowship with Ballet X, Philadelphia, which culminated in a new creation for their 2018 summer season. His latest endeavor, The McNicol Ballet Collective was launched in 2017 as a collaborative European project to create ex- perimental new works that draw on the artists’ collective experiences. Andrew McNicol writes: “The title Yonder Blue takes inspiration from Siri Hustvedt’s wise and illuminating book A Plea for Eros . I love how she described ‘Yonder’ as ‘a word that wobbles,’ its meaning shifts and moves. It implies distance, the space between here and there. It’s appealing because it’s tangible yet hard to grasp; it lives more in the imagination than reality. You can never really find yourself ‘Yonder.’ Once you ar- rive, you become ‘here,’ and so ‘Yonder’ recedes forever back into the imaginary horizon. Blue similarly shifts and holds multiple associations. We think of nature—the infinite ocean and the boundless sky. We attribute it to the qualities of a person—honesty, integrity, loyalty—or an emo- tional state—feeling blue, melancholy in addi- tion to a name, implying a person, individual or loved one. Most importantly, both words move and encapsulate the idea of distance. They relate to people and nature, the human and the physi- cal, internal, external, the real and imagined.” The music by Peter Gregson is presented by ar- rangement with G. Schirmer, Inc., publisher and copyright owner. Andrew McNicol THE JOFFREY BALLET Classically trained to the highest standards, The Joffrey Ballet expresses an inclusive perspective on dance that reflects the diversity of America through its company artists, extensive repertoire, Acad- emy, and community engagement programs. Considered one of the premier companies performing today, the Joffrey plays a vital role in the dance community as one of the largest dance company and dance education provider in Chicago and the greater Midwest region. In 1956, a time during which most touring companies performed only reduced versions of ballet classics, Robert Joffrey and Ger- ald Arpino formed a six-dancer ensemble that toured the country in an old station wagon pulling a U-Haul trailer. Over the next 65 years, the Joffrey moved from city to city, stage to stage, brandishing a reputation as America’s Company of Firsts. The Joffrey Ballet was the first dance company to perform at the White House at Jacqueline Kennedy’s invitation, the first to appear on American television, the first classical dance company to use multimedia, the first to create a ballet set to rock music, the first to appear on the cover of Time Magazine ( Astarte ), and the first company to have a major motion picture based on its origins (Robert Altman’s The Company ). In 1995, the company took up permanent residence in Chicago—the Joffrey’s home for the last quarter-century—and blazed a path forward as a Chicago icon. In October 2007, following the retirement of former Artistic Director and Joffrey co-founder Gerald Arpino, former Joffrey artist Ashley Wheater became the third Artistic Director in the company’s storied history. Six years later, the Joffrey named longtime Chicago arts leader Greg Cameron as its new Executive Director, later appointing Cameron President and Chief Executive Officer in 2018. Wheater and Cameron’s tenure together has been marked by critical and box office success, raising the organization’s status among peer institutions around the globe. During the 2021/22 season, the Joffrey ushered in a new era as resident dance company at the Lyric Opera House. Today, The Joffrey Ballet ranks among the top dance companies in the world, presenting an annual home performance season in Chicago and touring performances nationally and internationally. Artistic and Music Staff Nicolas Blanc, Rehearsal Director • Adam Blyde, Rehearsal Director Jorge Ivars, Company Pianist • Christine Rocas, Interim Rehearsal Director Scott Speck, Music Director • Ashley Wheater, MBE, The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director Company Administration and Production Staff Gregg Benkovich, Shoe Manager • Matthew Carney, Head Electrician Cody Chen, General Manager • Ellie Cotey, Costume Manager Brittany Crinson, Head of Wigs and Makeup • Catherine Eby, Company Manager Jeremy Gubman, Artistic Administrator and Assistant to the Artistic Director Amanda Heuermann, Stage Manager • Jerica Hucke, Draper Barbara Luchsinger, Lead Stitcher • Chris Maravich, Lighting and Video Supervisor Alyssa Piertrzyk, Stitcher • Finlay Ross, Soundperson Katherine Selig, Principal Stage Manager • Adam Todd, Head Carpenter Shandee Vaughan, Production Manager • Cassandra Westover, Head of Props John Wilson, Assistant Electrician/Programmer • Scott Wolfson, Technical Supervisor RAVINIAMAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2 – SEPTEMBER 15, 2024 80 CHERYLMANN(JOFFREY)