joffrey ballet

Dancing Joffrey’s Jane Eyre

October 15, 2019 by 4dancers

by José Pablo

My name is José Pablo, aka JP, at least that’s what everyone calls me in the Company–and I love it. I’m writing this to tell a little bit about how I got to The Joffrey Ballet, what it’s like being in a professional company and about the process of putting together the ballet Jane Eyre; but first, some background.

I was born and raised in Queretaro, Mexico, and started my ballet training at the age of six. I came to Chicago for the first time when I was 14 years old when Ashley Wheater offered me a scholarship for the Joffrey’s Summer Intensive in YAGP Mexico in 2015. Once I was in the summer intensive, I auditioned for the Joffrey Academy and was offered a full scholarship for the full year as a Pre-Professional Level VI student; so I moved to Chicago all by myself to continue with my training. I got the incredible opportunity of being in the children’s cast of Christopher Wheeldon’s The Nutcracker. A year later I was offered another scholarship, this time for the Conservatory Program; another year passed and Raymond Rodriguez, Head of Trainee and Studio Company at Joffrey, promoted me to Studio Company where I got to take classes with the main Company various times as well as learn, rehearse and perform with them. It was very exciting to see all the dancers in the Company especially when I wanted to become one of them one day.

JP in the Academy’s performance of Coppelia, 2018. Photo by Matt Glavin

This is my first season with The Joffrey Ballet, and my first season as a professional dancer. After being a student, everything is very different in a company. In the Academy, I had all sorts of classes, from ballet to contemporary or character, modern, or variations. In the Company we take ballet class first thing in the morning and then rehearse all day long. The most challenging thing for me right now is that I’m 17 and I’m still in high school. I do online school and I think it’s a great way to finish my academic studies, but sometimes it can be really frustrating.

Learning Jane Eyre has been fun. At times it was a slow learning process which is nice for me because I’m still getting used to learning so much choreography in such little time–but it has definitely been a wonderful experience to learn a ballet with such a beautiful and dramatic story. My roles in the ballet are a D-Men and little John. As D-Men, we do a lot of dancing with the “Janes” (there is a young Jane and an adult Jane), and it’s very interesting because our job is to be all the negativities and insecurities that Jane has, so even though the audience can see us, we have to feel and make them feel like we aren’t really there–almost as if we were ghosts– except we’re in Jane’s head. As John (Mom’s favorite son), I get to dance with my sisters Georgina and Elizabeth which are very spoiled as well, and basically what we do is make young Jane’s life impossible. We fight her, we kick her and make fun of her until our Mother decides that she needs to go. She thinks Jane is the troublemaker even though she came to our house because she didn’t have anywhere else to go.

I hope everyone can come see Jane Eyre and enjoy it as much as we do when we are dancing it. Want to know a little bit more about me? Go to joffrey.org/cuevas to read my bio and follow me on Instagram as @jpcastro_1912.

Joffrey’s Jane Eyre opens on October 16 and runs through the 27th. Tickets are still available.

José Pablo Castro Cuevas joined The Joffrey Ballet in July 2019.

Mr. Castro was born in Queretaro, Mexico, and started dancing at the age of six. He participated for the first time in the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) Mexico in 2013 and received scholarships for the Escuela Superior de Musica y Danza de Monterrey and for PROVER Programa Profesional de Ballet en Córdoba, Veracruz, Córdoba, where he moved to continue his training under the direction of Martha Sahagun and Adria Velazquez. In 2015, he competed in the National Ballet Competition in Mexico City and got an invitation to the L’École Supérieure de Ballet du Québec and was mentioned as an honorific dancer. He attended YAGP Mexico once again in 2015 in which he received a scholarship for the Joffrey Academy of Dance in Chicago.

Mr. Castro moved to Chicago at the age of 14 to join the Joffrey Academy’s Pre-Professional Program Level VI, and then the Conservatory Program, both directed by Karin Ellis-Wentz. Shortly, Raymond Rodriguez, Joffrey’s Head of Trainee and Studio Company offered him a promotion to the Studio Company. During his time at the Joffrey Academy, he had the chance to perform with the main Company several times, including Christopher Wheeldon’s world premiere of The Nutcracker in 2016, as well as in the following two seasons, and Wayne McGregor’s INFRA. He performed as one of the lead dancers in Gerald Arpino’s Viva Vivaldi and as Franz in the ballet Coppélia, both during his time as a member of Joffrey’s Studio Company.

Anna Karenina, Happiness, and Dance Career Satisfaction

February 18, 2019 by 4dancers

Anna Karenina. Victoria Jaiani, Alberto Velazquez, and Joffrey ensemble. Photo by Cheryl Mann.

by Luis Eduardo Gonzalez

Anna Karenina premiered this past Wednesday at the Auditorium Theatre. The story was originally written by Leo Tolstoy in 1878, and been adapted into various media including opera, film, television, ballet, figure skating and radio drama. Yuri Possokhov took on the task of doing it for himself and as far as I’m concerned excelled. There is always more excitement as well as stress with a world premiere rather than something that has already been choreographed. There are so many aspects to work out in terms of production and seeing what does and doesn’t work on the stage, but what I have found most interesting is the way that Yuri has been able to simplify one of the most nuanced and complicated novels to fit a ballet setting without losing the essence of the story or the message that I think was originally intended by Tolstoy. The clarity that comes with having to simplify a story as nuanced as Tolstoy’s for the sake of something that works on screen or on a stage is that it makes it easier to draw the parallels and, in a way, draw a more profound correlation between the message of the story and life. The beauty of a masterpiece like Anna Karenina is that someone like Tolstoy spent most of his life writing this to articulate his thoughts and social commentary on the world around him. Having read the book, and seen a few of the movies I think specifically for us as dancers there may be more to learn from this story than initially meets the eye.

[Read more…]

Dancing ‘Glass Pieces’ And Finding Flow

February 6, 2018 by 4dancers

Joffrey dancers — *Valeriia Chaykina and Luis Eduardo Gonzalez rehearse Body of Your Dreams*
*Choreographer: Myles Thatcher © Todd Rosenberg Photography 2018*

by Luis Eduardo Gonzalez

“Dance is low on the totem pole of the arts, because you’re not left with a painting…a book that will stay there, a score you can read.” ~Jerome Robbins

Jerome Robbins (born Rabinowitz) was a visionary whose energetic and comprehensively eclectic approach to dance lead him to conceive a body of work which has proven to be as poignant and invigorating today as it was upon its creation. The quote above is one of my favorites of his because it sheds light on the parallels between dance and the course of life. A dance performance, for the performer as well as for the audience, is an experience that is shared in that specific way only once. As every moment passes by; every connection, and every expression that takes place on stage, is gone forever. All that is left are the memories that are burned into the minds of all who took part in that exchange.

Glass Pieces is one of the 61 ballets that Robbins choreographed and I was exited to hear that it is one of the four works included in The Joffrey Ballet’s winter program. Having read much about his life and accomplishments, as well as being an admirer of works like West Side Story and Fancy Free, I wanted to know what the experience of dancing one of his works is like.

We learned the choreography from stager Jean-Pierre (JP) Frohlich, whose talent in choreographic memory was discovered and encouraged by Robbins himself. JP’s soft spoken but direct demeanor, combined with his irrefutable mastery of the ballet, gave the dancers a palpable sense that we were in good hands. The steps are complex in musicality and after running certain sections it was evident that stamina was going to be a factor. Every piece has its challenges, but the difficulty in this choreography felt dramatically overshadowed by the energy that comes with the steps and with the stimulating Philip Glass score. We could feel the energy in the room after the first run though, an energy that any dancer can relate to as being “in the zone.” The complex musicality and technique required for the choreography demanded a state of heightened focus that lead to a sense of ecstasy and a sense of clarity. We felt exactly what to do from one moment to the other and sense of time disappeared. We forgot ourselves and felt a part of something larger.

*Luis* *Eduardo Gonzalez*
*© Todd Rosenberg Photography 2018*

Moments like these are the reason most of us do what we do, but unfortunately for a lot of us, “in the zone” is not where we spend most of our dance careers. In a perfect world, we would wake up every day free of pain, be on our leg for every turn, politics and favoritism would not play a role in the work we are given, and going on stage or into a new spot in rehearsal to expand experiences and push our limitations would never be a source of anxiety; however, we all know that such a situation is either very rare or does not exist. Dancers have a million things to consider at any given moment, yet at the same time it is that attempt at omnipotent consideration that deprives us of truly living in every precious moment. In doing some research on the subject, I came across an article that psychologically broke down the concept of “in the zone”, more simply defined as “flow” by Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. He claimed the secret to “flow” is his Goldilocks principle: “not too hot, not too cold…just right.” In other words, feeling inspired, but not overwhelmed.

Csikszentmihalyi’s concept got me thinking about the definition of luck that my teacher gave me as a student which is simply – when preparation meets opportunity. I realized that we enter “flow” by striking a balance between skill and challenge. In the case of a professional dancer or an advanced student, most of the technical skill has already developed and what needs to be allowed to grow is the artistic development that each new experience can provide. The truth is that growth is available to us only if we strip down our need for control and perfectionism and surrender to what we can learn from the present moment. After diving deep into the history of Robbins’ work and the concepts that some of his quotes suggested, I found myself slowly letting go of my own criticism while I was dancing his steps. Perfection is always something to strive for, but it became obvious that attempting analysis over my work while it was taking place, not only altered the outcome, but defeated the purpose of why the steps were made, as well as why I was getting the chance to dance them.

In the end, I think it is important to keep in mind the simple fact that life is short and that our careers as dancers are even shorter. The impermanence of every moment, situation, and sensation is what makes them so beautiful and precious, in dance as well as in life. In the words of Robbins, “Dance is like life. It exists as you are flitting through it, and when it’s over, it’s done”. Although I understand the concept theoretically, I cannot say I’ve mastered it in practice. There are days when working for yourself and your craft feels easier than others. It is however, through experiences like the one I’ve shared, that one can find moments of “flow”. A life spent chasing these moments, be it through dance or otherwise, in my book, and I think in Robbins’, is one well spent.

The Joffrey Ballet’s Modern Masters program opens February 7th and runs through the 18th at The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University.

Contributor Luis Eduardo Gonzalez joined The Joffrey Ballet in July 2015.

Mr. Gonzalez, is originally from Bogota, Colombia, where he grew up before moving to Atlanta, Georgia. His training came primarily from the continued direction of Maniya Barredo, former prima ballerina of Atlanta Ballet, and current director of Metropolitan Ballet Theatre. Mr. Gonzalez has received the Star Student award at Regional Dance America’s SERBA, been awarded 3^rd place at the Regional Youth American Grand Prix competition in 2008, given first place pas de deux at the American Ballet Competition in 2013, and selected to compete as the only representative of Colombia in the 2014 Jackson International Ballet Competition.

Mr. Gonzalez began his professional career with The Houston Ballet II, where he had the opportunity to dance works by Stanton Welch, among other renowned choreographers, as well as tour both nationally and internationally. At 18, he joined Orlando Ballet where he danced for three years and performed roles such as the Jester in Swan Lake, Peter in Peter and the Wolf, Ghoul’s trio in Vampire’s Ball, Franz’s friend in Coppelia, and Cavalier in the Sugar Plum Pas de deux in The Nutcracker.

The Four Temperaments – A Theme With Variations

February 2, 2018 by 4dancers

**Music Director Scott Speck, Photo by Ben Harper**

We are fortunate today to be joined by the Music Director for The Joffrey Ballet, Scott Speck. We asked him some questions about the music for Joffrey’s upcoming performance of Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments. He shares some fascinating insights about the composer, the score, and the musicality of the choreographer.

Musically, what instruments does this ballet feature, and how difficult is the score?

This score is deceptively simple. It calls for only piano and strings — and sometimes only solo strings at that. But the music is extraordinarily complex, not only in difficulty but in language.

Balanchine often used the music of Stravinsky for his choreography. How is Hindemith’s score different musically? Are there any ways it is similar?

Stravinsky and Hindemith were both great twentieth-century composers who had to grapple with the same question. This was a period when tonal music had fallen by the wayside — temporarily, it turns out! But serious composers were told that atonal or even twelve-tone music was the way to go, and both composers struggled to find a new way to incorporate or preserve tonality in their music.

Stravinsky did this by emulating Mozart, in what was called the Neoclassical style. Of course, he retained his utterly original musical personality. To many people, Neoclassical music sounds like classical music, but with some arresting harmonies, sudden changes of key, and “wrong notes” added. That’s an oversimplification, but it really explains the effect. Stravinsky went in and out of tonality, but his concept of tonality itself did not change from the traditional definition. It was based on a home key, a tonic triad made up of three notes that sound good together — and functional harmonies that pulled toward or away from that tonic triad.

Hindemith is sometimes also described as Neoclassical, but he decided to reinvent the rules of music. His pieces often begin and end with a tonic triad, but he bases many of his harmonies and melodies on bigger intervals — often the fifth or the fourth. Everyone can sing a perfect fourth — “Here Comes the Bride” is one example — or a fifth, as in the opening notes of the Star Wars theme. But imagine piling one fourth or fifth on top of another — that doesn’t happen in traditional tonal music, and it brings us into uncharted harmonic places. Furthermore, very few of Hindemith’s resulting harmonies are “functional” — that is, you seldom feel that one chord is “pulling” you toward another, as in the dominant/tonic relationship that characterizes most traditional classical music. His output sometimes sounds “modal,” not unlike an old British melody — but at other times, for long stretches, it often sounds downright atonal. What I find so fascinating about Hindemith’s music is how true he remained to the system of rules he created.

Is there anything you can point out that the audience may want to listen for in the music?

The Four Temperaments is a theme with variations. The theme is stated very clearly at the very beginning, and it comes back in many different guises. Each movement depicts a different side of human personality: melancholic, sanguinic, phlegmatic and choleric. So, for example, in the choleric variation, the theme appears in an angry disguise.

Also, we can’t forget that this piece is a piano concerto. It is filled with thorny and virtuosic passages for the pianist, and the soloist who can pull it off with artistry is a great musician indeed. For our performances, Kuang-Hao Huang plays the solo part. He has worked with us many times in the past and is a wonderful collaborator.

What challenges does this score present in terms of working with the dancers?

The choreography is very specific, and so the tempos must be just right. Like Hindemith or Stravinsky, Balanchine had his own complex musical language, and one of our jobs is to honor that.

What do you enjoy most about conducting this ballet?

I love George Balanchine, because of his uncanny way of incorporating the music in his steps. I use the word “incorporating” carefully — he finds a way to allow the dancers to literally “embody” the music. When a musical phrase is embellished, perhaps within a variation, Balanchine does the same with his choreography. When the music becomes simpler, so does the dance. But he knows when enough is enough — he rarely sticks to something so literal as having the dancers leap when the music rises, or go down to the floor when it falls. He is looking beyond the notes, the the heart of the music, and to its inner meaning. He’s able to create in us the emotional response that most likely the composer intended — and sometimes he creates a surprisingly unexpected response, allowing us to glean something we never would have gotten from the music alone. Balanchine is immortal because he allows us to “see” the music.

It’s a thrill to perform this piece with The Joffrey Ballet, whose Artistic Director Ashley Wheater is thoroughly attuned to music. He breathes it — such a rare thing, in my experience working with ballet companies. And that love and reverence for music extends to our Joffrey dancers, who are so incredibly open-hearted and open-minded, not to mention technically brilliant. This production will be a joy, and I can’t wait.

Contributor Scott Speck is Music Director of the Joffrey Ballet and Artistic Director of the Chicago Philharmonic. He is also Music Director of the Mobile (AL) and West Michigan Symphony orchestras.

His books Classical Music For Dummies, Opera For Dummies, and Ballet For Dummies have been translated into 20 languages and are available around the world. Visit his website here.

Dance For Life Chicago 2017

August 16, 2017 by 4dancers

On August 19th, Dance for Life Chicago will once again take place at the Auditorium Theatre, and anyone who has attended in the past knows that this performance isn’t one to be missed. The atmosphere is always highly charged, as an enthusiastic audience comes together to support the dance community in our city. It’s a night like none other in terms of the variety of Chicago dance talent gathered together on stage.

Each year the performance is preceded by a Gala Celebration at Hilton Chicago, located nearby at 720 South Michigan Avenue. The show itself begins at 7:30, featuring performances from Giordano Dance Chicago, Joffrey Ballet, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, as well as Visceral Dance Chicago and Jessica Miller Tomlinson Choreography. Add to that a collaboration between Chicago Human Rhythm Project, Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater, and Trinity Irish Dance, and you have a full evening of dance – topped off by a finale choreographed by Randy Duncan. Carisa Barreca and Kevin Sciretta of The Second City will be the emcees for the night, adding a lighthearted touch to the festivities.

As if such a gathering of Chicago dance companies isn’t enough in and of itself, the proceeds from Dance for Life Chicago 2017’s benefit performance will be contributed to the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and Chicago Dancers United’s Dancers’ Fund, which provides financial support to dance professionals experiencing critical health and life issues. This yearly event has raised more than 5.5 million dollars since it began in 1992.

Visit Chicago Dancers United to learn more about the performance, the Dancers’ Fund, or to get tickets for this special event.

4dancers is a media sponsor for this event. We have supported Dance for Life for many years, and are proud to stand behind this cause and do our part to give back to the Chicago dance community.

Disclosure – Affiliate & Ad Info

Copyright Notice