Global Visionaries

APRIL 26 –MAY 7

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Global Visionaries April 26–May 7, 2017

4 | Letter from Ashley Wheater 5 | Letter from Greg Cameron 7 | Global Visionaries Program allet Notes 10 | B

15 | Bios 16 | Artists of the Company 23 | Joffrey Boards 25 | Supporters rom Studio to Stage: 42 | F Young Lives Transformed Through Dance

48 | Director’s Cut: Alexander Ekman

THE JOFFREY BALLET ASHLEY WHEATER Artistic Director GREG CAMERON Executive Director CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS Founder and editor in chief: RANCE CRAIN Crain’s Custom Media, a division of Crain’s Chicago Business, serves as the publisher for The Joffrey Ballet program books.

Crain’s Custom Media provides production, printing and media sales services for the Joffrey program books. For more details or to secure advertising space in the programs, please contact: CRAIN’S CUSTOM MEDIA Director: FRANK SENNETT 312.649.5278 FSENNETT@CRAIN.COM Exclusive Agent: BRYAN DOWLING 773.360.1767 BRYAN@MEDIA8MIDWEST.COM Project Manager: JOANNA METZGER 312.649.5241 JMETZGER@CRAIN.COM Graphic Design: CHIRP DESIGN, INC. 312.226.5333 LYNDA@CHIRP-DESIGN.COM

PERFORMS AT:

Cover: Joffrey Dancers: Anna Gerberich & Stefan Goncalvez | Photo by Cheryl Mann

2 | Joffrey Ballet 2016–2017 SEASON

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“We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down.” — Kurt Vonnegut This sentence summarizes the thrill and terror of the creative process.

Global Visionaries brings together three works created for the Joffrey within the last two years.

In 2015, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa created Mammatus to Michael Gordon’s stormy music. This dynamic work was a hit during our offsubscription September program. I am pleased to bring Mammatus into our season repertoire.

One year ago, choreographer Yuri Possokhov, The Joffrey Ballet, and The Cleveland Orchestra collaborated to create The Miraculous Mandarin, which premiered on stage with the orchestra at Severance Hall in Cleveland. Though Béla Bartók wrote the orchestral score for ballet, very few choreographers have conquered this challenging story. Yuri has produced one of the most convincing and harrowing adaptations in the hundred-year history of the music.

Most recently, we have been working with Alexander Ekman, who created Episode 47 for today’s program. In the studio, the atmosphere is “serious play,” rather like hours spent in a childhood sandbox. Alex began with a large trove of music and a general idea about the type of movement he wanted, but he found inspiration in the individual dancers and together they explored further. He took one hour from rehearsal and asked each dancer to improvise. Cumulatively, they discovered some beautiful responses to the music, some of which is evident in the final work.

For ballet, the studio is the laboratory, where ideas bump together, filter and gel. I am proud of the Joffrey dancers, who immerse themselves fully in the process.

I am reminded of Ayn Rand’s words, “…your body is a machine, but your mind is its driver, and you must drive as far as your mind will take you...”

We create because we must.

Ashley Wheater Artistic Director

4 | Joffrey Ballet 2016–2017 SEASON

WELC

Robert Joffrey would indeed be proud of the Company that bears and honors his name. As we end our 61st anniversary season as America’s Ballet Company, we salute Mr. Joffrey and his belief in taking risks and celebrating the creativity of our artists and the innovative choreographers reflected in Global Visionaries. Our mission and founding values challenge and encourage us each day to not lose sight of “developing our wings”...I would argue on our way UP! The Joffrey is not only celebrated in Chicago — at the end of March we made a triumphant return to New York. We danced, we educated, and we shared the story of our founders. Touring is indeed a part of the Joffrey DNA but our strongest commitment is to Chicago, our home for the past 22 years.

We, of course, could do none of what we do without the generous and steadfast support of our subscribers and donors. Thanks to our entire family of stakeholders, we are able to commission new work, train the next generation of dancers, and give the youth of Chicago a voice that speaks louder than words.

As the season and school year wraps up, young dancers from around the globe will join us for the myriad summer programs offered by our Academy of Dance. We thank you for the important role that you have played in creating our past and ensuring a healthy and vibrant future.

We look forward to seeing you at Lyric Opera in September as the Joffrey, the Lyric, the L.A. Opera, and celebrated choreographer John Neumeier present the world premiere of Orphée et Eurydice. Then it is back to our performance home, the Auditorium, for Giselle in October. Enjoy the summer and know that we will be busy preparing for a season guaranteed to engage, challenge, and inspire. Thanks for being the “wind beneath our wings.”

Joyfully,

Greg Cameron Executive Director

LCOME 2016–2017 SEASON Joffrey Ballet | 5

ASHLEY WHEATER Artistic Director GREG CAMERON Executive Director ROBERT JOFFREY Founder GERALD ARPINO Founder Artists of The Company Matthew Adamczyk | Derrick Agnoletti | Yoshihisa Arai | Amanda Assucena Artur Babajanyan | Edson Barbosa | Miguel Angel Blanco | Anais Bueno | Fabrice Calmels Raúl Casasola | Valeriia Chaykina | Nicole Ciapponi | Lucia Connolly | April Daly Fernando Duarte | Cara Marie Gary | Stefan Goncalvez | Luis Eduardo Gonzalez Dylan Gutierrez | Rory Hohenstein | Anastacia Holden | Dara Holmes | Riley Horton Victoria Jaiani | Hansol Jeong | Gayeon Jung | Yumi Kanazawa | Brooke Linford Graham Maverick | Jeraldine Mendoza | Jacqueline Moscicke | Aaron Renteria Christine Rocas | Paulo Rodrigues | Chloé Sherman | Temur Suluashvili Olivia Tang-Mifsud | Alonso Tepetzi | Elivelton Tomazi | Alberto Velazquez Mahallia Ward | Joanna Wozniak | Joan Sebastián Zamora

SCOTT SPECK Music Director GERARD CHARLES Director of Artistic Operations | Ballet Master NICOLAS BLANC Ballet Master | Principal Coach ADAM BLYDE SUZANNE LOPEZ Ballet Masters PAUL JAMES LEWIS Senior Pianist | Music Administrator GRACE KIM Company Pianist Patrons are requested to turn off pagers, cellular phones, and signal watches during performances. The taking of photographs and the use of recording devices is not allowed in this auditorium. Program and artists subject to change.

6 | Joffrey Ballet 2016–2017 SEASON

GLOBAL VISIONARIES

APRIL 26–MAY 7, 2017

Global Visionaries Production Sponsor Jane Ellen Murray Foundation

THE MIRACULOUS MANDARIN Choreography and Stage Direction by YURI POSSOKHOV Music by BÉLA BARTÓK Set and Lighting Design by ALEXANDER V. NICHOLS Costume Design by MARK ZAPPONE WORLD PREMIERE: April 7, 2016, The Joffrey Ballet, Severance Hall, Cleveland, OH The Miraculous Mandarin was co-commissioned by The Joffrey Ballet and The Cleveland Orchestra The Miraculous Mandarin Production Sponsor The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation The Miraculous Mandarin is presented by arrangement with Boosey & Hawks, Inc., publisher and copyright owner.

INTERMISSION

EPISODE 47 Choreography by ALEXANDER EKMAN Music by BRAD MEHLDAU TRIO, DJANGO DJANGO, TIGA, MOBY Costume Lighting and Scenic Design by ALEXANDER EKMAN Lighting Design realized by ALEXANDER V. NICHOLS Assistant to the Choreographer JULIA EICHTEN WORLD PREMIERE: April 26, 2017, The Joffrey Ballet, Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL Episode 47 was commissioned by The Joffrey Ballet in association with Cal Performances, University of California, Berkeley Episode 47 Production Sponsor

INTERMISSION

GLOBAL VISIONARIES

Global Visionaries Presenting Sponsor Margot and Josef Lakonishok

2016–2017 SEASON Joffrey Ballet | 7

GLOBAL VISIONARIES (continued)

APRIL 26–MAY 7, 2017

GLOBAL VISIONARIES

8 | Joffrey Ballet 2016–2017 SEASON

MAMMATUS Choreography by ANNABELLE LOPEZ OCHOA Music by MICHAEL GORDON Costume and Scenic Design by DIEUWEKE VAN REIJ Lighting Design by ALEXANDER V. NICHOLS WORLD PREMIERE: September 16, 2015, The Joffrey Ballet, Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL Michael Gordon’s Weather One, for Strings by arrangement with G. Schirmer, INC. Publisher and copyright owner.

Mammatus Production Sponsor Denise Littlefield Sobel

Casting details for performances of Global Visionaries can be found on the program insert.

Photo by Cheryl Mann

2016–2017 SEASON SPONSORS

LIVE MUSIC SPONSORS The Marina and Arnold Tatar Fund for Live Music

Cheryle and Joel V. Williamson

SEASON PRESENTING SPONSORS ROMEO & JULIET

THE NUTCRACKER Margot and Josef Lakonishok The Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust Hancher Auditorium, University of Iowa

SEASON PRODUCTION SPONSORS ROMEO & JULIET This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

GLOBAL VISIONARIES Margot and Josef Lakonishok MAMMATUS Denise Littlefield Sobel THE NUTCRACKER

FOOL’S PARADISE Anne L. Kaplan Bill and Orli Staley YEAR OF THE RABBIT

GLOBAL VISIONARIES Jane Ellen Murray Foundation THE MIRACULUS MANDARIN The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation EPISODE 47

Mary Jo and Doug Basler Rosemarie and Dean Buntrock Sandy and Roger Deromedi Pamella Roland DeVos and Daniel DeVos Sonia Florian The Walter E. Heller Foundation Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University Bruce Sagan and Bette Cerf Hill Bill and Orli Staley Foundation Women’s Board of The Joffrey Ballet

SEASON PARTNERS

DOMESTIC AIRLINE PARTNER

OFFICIAL PROVIDER OF PHYSICAL THERAPY

OFFICIAL HOTEL

OFFICIAL HEALTH CLUB

2016–2017 SEASON Joffrey Ballet | 9

GLOBAL VISIONARIES

BALLET NOTES

THE MIRACULOUS MANDARIN Béla Bartók composed the pantomime-ballet The Miraculous Mandarin in 1918–1919, based on a magazine story by Menyhert Lengyel. The dramatic story (a “pantomime grotesque”) follows the harrowing tale of the mandarine, but is ultimately about the power of love. “For The Miraculous Mandarin, I focused on the presence of the Cleveland Orchestra on stage with the dancers of the Joffrey to make a unique production tailored to their collaboration,” said Possokhov.

“It is important to me to create ballets where the storytelling is vital.

I believe that this story is a really strong one where the actions and interpersonal relationships develop beautifully. I followed the original libretto for the piece, using seven dancers as the main characters.

My goal was to reinforce the intent of the original work that would engage the audience in the story and the music.”

“We were so pleased at the reaction of the premiere in 2016 with the Cleveland Orchestra on stage with the dancers,” said Artistic Director Ashley Wheater. “We want to recreate that excitement here on the Auditorium’s stage with our own Chicago Philharmonic.”

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

10 | Joffrey Ballet 2016–2017 SEASON

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GLOBAL VISIONARIES (continued)

BALLET NOTES

EPISODE 47 How can we express joy through our movements?

I asked the dancers this question on our first day creating.

I leaned back in my chair, observed the dancers, and started to smile.

To observe dancers feeling joy on stage is contagious.

Episode 47 is my 47th piece. A piece created in only two weeks in Chicago. For the first time in a long time, I wanted to just arrive in the studio without preparing too much. I wanted to see what the dancers would bring to the piece. The turnout is something completely different than I expected — that is the pure joy of creating in the moment. To be open to dancers’ talents and unique expressions can bring personality and depth to the work. Through playing we have come up with this quirky universe.

Seeing a new work come alive in front of us, together, is the best job in the world. I have to give a big thank you to Julia Eichten who has helped me create this work.

I hope you will feel joy when you watch this piece. — Alexander

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

12 | Joffrey Ballet 2016–2017 SEASON

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GLOBAL VISIONARIES (continued)

BALLET NOTES

MAMMATUS Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, called “a masterful choreographer with an edge” by the Temecula Performing Arts Examiner, spent four weeks working with the Joffrey dancers creating Mammatus. The title is derived from the Latin word for a specific cloud formation. For this work, she decided to take a different choreographic direction, moving away from dissecting human behavior to create a completely new environment inspired by animal movements and the energy in nature.

“In nature, nothing is symmetrical, so I was looking to create an organic chaos,” said Lopez Ochoa. “I like to give myself a challenge.

For me, the exciting part of choreography is to try something new.”

The score, Weather One by composer Michael Gordon, begins with a thunderstorm, immediately setting the pace of the piece. Lopez Ochoa worked closely with set and costume designer Dieuweke Van Reij to create a brand new environment. The set is an asymmetrical, surrealistic world complete with a large LED light sculpture and fog, as if the dancing is happening on a cloud. Groups of dancers migrate around the stage like abstract birds or insects forming sinuous, organic duets, wearing black and white costumes that reflect how hot and cold air collide to make a storm.

Courtesy of Ballet X Bill H Photography

14 | Joffrey Ballet 2016–2017 SEASON

BIOS

ASHLEY WHEATER Artistic Director Born in Scotland and raised in England, Ashley Wheater was trained at The Royal Ballet School. Wheater began his professional career with The Royal Ballet and danced at the London Festival Ballet, The Australian Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet.

In 1997, he became Ballet Master at San Francisco Ballet, and in 2002, Assistant to the Artistic Director.

In 2007, Wheater was appointed Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet. New work is the life blood of a company, and he has introduced numerous premieres to the repertoire. In 2008, the Boeing Corporation recognized his commitment to community outreach and diversity in the world of dance, presenting him the “Game Changer” award. In 2010, Wheater, representing The Joffrey Ballet, was named Lincoln Academy Laureate, the highest honor presented by the State of Illinois. The Chicago Tribune selected Wheater as 2013 “Chicagoan of the Year” for his contributions to dance. In 2014, Wheater accepted the Chicago Spirit of Innovation Award for The Joffrey Ballet and in 2015, he received the University of Chicago Rosenberger Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the Creative and Performing Arts.

He also serves as the Artistic Director of the Joffrey Academy of Dance, the Official School of The Joffrey Ballet.

SCOTT SPECK Music Director Scott Speck has inspired international acclaim as a conductor of passion, intelligence, and winning personality. In addition to his position as Music Director for the Joffrey, he is the Artistic Director of the Chicago Philharmonic and Music Director of the Mobile (AL) and West Michigan Symphony Orchestras. He has led major orchestras at London’s Royal Opera House, the Paris Opera, Washington’s Kennedy Center, San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House, and the Los Angeles Music Center.

He has been Conductor of the San Francisco Ballet; Music Advisor/ Conductor of the Honolulu Symphony; and Associate Conductor of the Los Angeles Opera. He was named Principal Guest Conductor of the China Film Philharmonic in Beijing.

Speck is the co-author of three of the world’s best-selling books on classical music and dance: Classical Music for Dummies, Opera for Dummies, and Ballet for Dummies. These books have been translated into twenty languages and are available around the world.

A Fulbright scholar and summa cum laude graduate of Yale; Speck is a regular commentator on NPR, the BBC, ABC Australia, and Voice of Russia. He has been featured in TED talks and at the Aspen Ideas Festival. His writing appears in numerous magazines and journals.

2016–2017 SEASON Joffrey Ballet | 15

Matthew Adamczyk

Derrick Agnoletti

Fabrice Calmels

Raúl Casasola Madrid, Spain

St. Petersburg, Russia

Van

Ware, MA

Ashley Wheater Artistic Director

Paris, France

San Jose, CA

Yoshihisa Arai

Hiroshima, Japan

Valeriia Chaykina

Ama

Rio D

Ni

Stefan Goncalvez

Luis Eduardo Gonzalez

Dylan Gutierrez

Rory Hohenstein

Anastacia Holden

D

Yumi Kanazawa

Brooke Linford*

Graham Maverick

Jeraldine Mendoza

Jacqueline Moscicke

Aa

Olivia Tang-Mifsud

Alonso Tepetzi*

Elivelton Tomazi*

Alberto Velazquez

Mahallia Ward*

São Paulo, Brazil

Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles, CA

16 | Joffrey Ballet 2016–2017 SEASON

Bogota, Colombia

Alpine, UT

Orizaba, Mexico

Los Angeles, CA

San Francisco, CA

Santa Catarina, Brazil

Washington, D.C.

San Francisco, CA

Havana, Cuba

Ann Arbor, MI

Milwaukee, WI

Austin, TX

W

Jo

Roll

ai

an

ina

Amanda Assucena*

Artur Babajanyan

Nicole Ciapponi

Lucia Connolly

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

ussia

Vancouver, Canada

den

Dara Holmes*

cicke

Aaron Renteria

I

WI

d*

Wilmington, NC

Corona, CA

Yerevan, Armenia

Los Angeles, CA

Riley Horton

Edson Barbosa

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

April Daly

Rockford, IL

Miguel Angel Blanco

Córdoba, Mexico

Fernando Duarte*

Cara Marie Gary

Hansol Jeong

Gayeon Jung

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Victoria Jaiani

Belton, SC

Kansas City, MO

Tbilisi, Rep. of Georgia

Namyangju, South Korea

Christine Rocas

Paulo Rodrigues*

Chloé Sherman

Manila, Philippines

São Paulo, Brazil

Anais Bueno

Havana, Cuba

New York, NY

Seoul, Korea

Temur Suluashvili

Tbilisi, Rep. of Georgia

2016–2017 ARTISTS OF THE COMPANY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DANCERS, VISIT: Joanna Wozniak

Rolling Meadows, IL

Joan Sebastián Zamora

JOFFREY.ORG/1617DANCERS

Cali, Colombia

■ NEW JOFFREY DANCER

| *PROMOTED FROM THE JOFFREY ACADEMY OF DANCE 2016–2017 SEASON Joffrey Ballet | 17

BIOS

YURI POSSOKHOV Choreographer, The Miraculous Mandarin

Photo by David Allen

Russian-born Yuri Possokhov is among the most active and imaginative choreographers working in ballet today. After receiving his early training at the Moscow Ballet School, he danced with the Bolshoi Ballet for ten years, working primarily with ballet master Yuri Grigorovich. During that decade, he was promoted through the ranks to principal dancer. In 1992, he joined the Royal Danish Ballet as a principal dancer at the invitation of ballet master Frank Andersen. The following December, Possokhov was cast as Prince Desiré in Helgi Tomasson’s The Sleeping Beauty and, after being invited to perform in San Francisco Ballet’s opening night gala, he decided to move west. In 1994, Possokhov joined San Francisco Ballet (SFB) as a principal dancer, and spent the next 12 years as a dancer with the Company. In 1999, he organized and performed in a Russian tour entitled “Ballet Beyond Borders,” with 16 dancers from SFB performing on the tour, which traveled to five cities throughout Russia. Following his retirement as a principal dancer from SFB, Possokhov was named choreographer-in-residence in May 2006. As a choreographer, Possokhov’s early credits include Songs of Spain, choreographed in 1997 for dancer Muriel Maffre; A Duet for Two, created the same year for Joanna Berman; and Impromptu Scriabin, for Felipe Diaz. In 2000, he completed a new work for a dancer at the Mariinsky Ballet, as well as 5 Mazurkas for the Marin Dance Theatre.

Possokhov’s Magrittomania was commissioned for SFB’s Discovery Program in 2000, receiving an Isadora Duncan Dance Award for Outstanding Choreography for this work the following year. Works for the SFB include: Damned, Don Quixote, Study in Motion, Reflections, Ballet Mori, Firebird, Fusion, Diving into the Lilacs, Classical Symphony, RAkU, Francesca da Rimini, The Rite of Spring, and Swimmer. Possokhov is a frequent guest at the Bolshoi Ballet, where his most recent full-length, Hero of Our Time, premiered in 2015 to critical acclaim. In 2016, Possokhov was invited to collaborate with Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and singer-songwriter Nanna Øland on a new Cinderella for Tivoli Ballet Theatre. For The Joffrey Ballet, Possokhov has choreographed Bells, Adagio, Don Quixote, and The Miraculous Mandarin.

18 | Joffrey Ballet 2016–2017 SEASON

BIOS

ALEXANDER EKMAN Choreographer, Episode 47 Alexander Ekman is an international choreographer/director creating dance pieces for opera houses, theatres, and museums.

He also directs films and music videos as well as live performances in pop-up locations.

Ekman is known for his fast-paced timing, witty humor, and clever transitions. He aims to create work which the majority can relate and connect with. Since 2006, he has devoted his time creating pieces which both entertain and question the observer. He aims to transform the atmosphere in the audience and to always surprise the audience.

Photo by T.M. Rives

Around 50 dance companies worldwide have performed works by Ekman. A few of them are the Royal Swedish Ballet, Cullberg Ballet, Compañia Nacional de Danza Goteborg Ballet, Iceland Dance Company, Bern Ballet, Cedar Lake Contemporary Dance, Ballet de l’Opéra du Rhin, The Norwegian National Ballet, Boston Ballet, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Sydney Dance Company, The Royal Ballet of Denmark, and Vienna Ballet. He has also created for festivals such as the French Europa Danse and the Athens International Dance Festival.

His work Cacti has become a worldwide hit and has been performed by 18 dance companies. Cacti was nominated for the Dutch dance prize Zwaan 2010, for the National Dance Award (UK) 2012, and also for the British prestigious Olivier Award.

In 2014, Ekman created his own version of Swan Lake, a new take of the most famous ballet of them all. A Swan Lake received enormous attention worldwide. Ekman filled the stage with 6,000 liters of water creating a real lake on stage. A Swan Lake is available on DVD and the documentary Rare Birds by T.M. Rives shows the process of how it became possible to create a lake inside an opera house.

He has also collaborated closely with top fashion designer Henrik Vibskov, who created the costumes for Ekman’s A Swan Lake. Vibskov then adapted the choreography for his fall collection which was shown in Paris and Copenhagen during fashion week.

In 2015, Ekman created his own version of Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Royal Swedish Ballet, which became an instant hit with the audience and critics.

He received the Swedish Medea Award for “Inventor and renewer” in September 2015, as well as the Såstaholm Award and the Birgit Cullberg Scholarship, and in 2016, he received the German theatre award Der Faust for his ballet COW for the Semperoper Ballet.

2016–2017 SEASON Joffrey Ballet | 19

BIOS

ANNABELLE LOPEZ OCHOA Choreographer, Mammatus

Annabelle Lopez Ochoa has created works for more than 40 companies worldwide. After training at Royal Ballet School of Flanders in Belgium, she danced for 12 years, including as a soloist at Scapino Ballet, before focusing her energy solely on choreography. In 2003, the newspaper NRC called her a “rising star of the Dutch dance scene,” and in 2007 she was invited to participate in New York City Ballet’s (NYCB) prestigious New York Choreographic Institute.

Lopez Ochoa has choreographed for NYCB, Atlanta Ballet, Ballet Hispanico, Ballet Nacional de Cuba, Cincinnati Ballet, Compañia Nacional de Danza, Dutch National Ballet, English National Ballet, Finnish National Ballet, Royal Ballet of Flanders, The Joffrey Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, West Australian Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Scottish Ballet, and The Washington Ballet, among other companies.

Among the honors her work has received, Broken Wings, created for English National Ballet, was named one of 2016’s best premieres by Dance Europe and is nominated for a Critics’ Circle National Dance Award; Sombrerisimo received Cuba’s Villanueva Award in 2015; A Streetcar Named Desire won the Best Choreography (Classical) award from Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards and was nominated for an Olivier Award in 2012; and Replay won first prize at the Choreographers Competition in Bornem, Belgium, in 2002.

JULIA EICHTEN Assistant to the Choreographer, Episode 47 Julia Eichten grew up dancing in Minnesota. She is a graduate of The Juilliard School under the directorship of Lawrence Rhodes. Upon graduation, she received the Hector Zaraspe award in recognition of her choreography. She has shown her work around New York City at venues ranging from The Le Poisson Rouge to Dumbo Dance Festival and Dance Theater of Harlem, as well as choreographic residency at The Yard in Martha’s Vineyard in 2011. She has performed professionally with Camille A. Brown & Dancers, as well as Aszure Barton & Artists. Eichten is a founding member of L.A. Dance Project and she has had the pleasure to perform around the world in works by Benjamin Millepied, Merce Cunningham, Justin Peck, Martha Graham, Danielle Agami, Emanuel Gat, Sidi Larbi, and William Forsythe.

In the spring of 2015, she had the world premiere of her piece, O’de, in collaboration with L.A. Dance Project and Lil Buck at the Palace of Versailles. Last summer at the Joyce Theater, she showed her work, Monsieur, which the New York Times dubbed, “an elegantly clumsy solo.” In June of this year, she will premiere her latest work, JAM, on L.A. Dance Project at the Joyce Theater.

20 | Joffrey Ballet 2016–2017 SEASON

BIOS

BÉLA BARTÓK Composer, The Miraculous Mandarin Béla Bartók was born in the Hungarian town of Nagyszentmiklós (now Sînnicolau Mare in Romania) on March 25, 1881, and received his first instruction in music from his mother, a very capable pianist; his father, the headmaster of a local school, was also musical. After his family moved to Pressburg (now Bratislava in Slovakia) in 1894, he took lessons from László Erkel, son of Ferenc Erkel, Hungary’s first important operatic composer, and in 1899 he became a student at the Royal Academy of Music in Budapest, graduating in 1903. His teachers there were János Koessler, a friend of Brahms, for composition and István Thoman for piano. Bartók, who had given his first public concert at the age of eleven, now began to establish a reputation as a fine pianist that spread well beyond Hungary’s borders, and he was soon drawn into teaching: in 1907 he replaced Thoman as professor of piano in the Academy.

Bartók’s earliest compositions offer a blend of late Romanticism and nationalist elements, formed under the influences of Wagner, Brahms, Liszt and Strauss, and resulting in works such as Kossuth, an expansive symphonic poem written when he was 23. Around 1905 his friend and fellow-composer Zoltán Kodály directed his attention to Hungarian folk music and, coupled with his discovery of the music of Debussy, Bartók’s musical language changed dramatically: it acquired greater focus and purpose — though initially it remained very rich, as his opera Duke Bluebeard’s Castle (1911) and ballet The Wooden Prince (1917) demonstrate. But as he absorbed more and more of the spirit of Hungarian folk songs and dances, his own music grew tighter, more concentrated, chromatic and dissonant — and although a sense of key is sometimes lost in individual passages, Bartók never espoused atonality as a compositional technique.

2016–2017 SEASON Joffrey Ballet | 21

BRAD MEHLDAU Music, Episode 47

BIOS

Jazz pianist Brad Mehldau has recorded and performed extensively since the early 1990s. Mehldau’s most consistent output over the years has taken place in the trio format. His musical personality forms a dichotomy. He is first and foremost an improviser, and greatly cherishes the surprise and wonder that can occur from a spontaneous musical idea that is expressed directly, in real time. Mehldau has performed around the world at a steady pace since the mid-1990s, with his trio and as a solo pianist. In addition to his trio and solo projects, Mehldau has worked with a number of great jazz musicians, including a rewarding gig with saxophonist Joshua Redman’s band for two years, recordings and concerts with Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden and Lee Konitz, and recording as a sideman with the likes of Michael Brecker, Wayne Shorter, John Scofield, and Charles Lloyd.

DJANGO DJANGO Music, Episode 47 Although this psychedelic art pop quartet formed in Dalston, London at the end of 2008, the bandmembers had met earlier in the decade at the Edinburgh College of Art. By the time of the release of the July 2009 debut 7” Storm, critics had already latched onto their vocal and experimental similarity to cult folktronica pioneers the Beta Band. Filled with sirens, bells, and surf guitar, their second single — April 2010’s Wor — sounded like the Ventures jamming with Hot Chip. The group’s self-titled debut arrived in 2012 and was a Mercury Prize nominee. In early 2014, Django Django was tagged to curate a compilation album for the popular British series Late Night Tales, for which they also recorded a cover version of the Monkees’ track Porpoise Song. A year later, in May 2015, they delivered their sophomore LP, Born Under Saturn.

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS | 2016–2017 HONORARY CHAIRMAN | Mayor Rahm Emanuel OFFICERS Zachary D. Lazar, Jr. Chairman of the Board Lorna Ferguson 1st Vice Chair Sonia Florian Anne Kaplan Vice Chairs Adam DeWitt Treasurer Ronald J. Allen Secretary Patti S. Eylar Women’s Board President Ashley Wheater Artistic Director Greg Cameron Executive Director Kathleen Hechinger Assistant Treasurer DIRECTORS Patty Perkins Andringa Mary Jo Basler Marc Berman Roger Deromedi Pamella Roland DeVos Terence Donnelly Fred Eychaner Shelley MacArthur Farley

Jamie-Clare Flaherty Chip Flannagan Emily Follas Patrick M. Gallagher, Jr. Mrs. Robert W. Galvin Dana Hokin Garvey Linda Chaplik Harris Richard Holson III Una C. Jackman Guy Lakonishok Donna M. LaPietra Michael Larsen Barry Litwin Judith MacLeod James McDonough Coco Meers Jess Merten Stuart Miller Leslie D. Minier Daniel L. (D.L.) Morriss Susan Oleari Diane Patience Stephen Reiss Jeffrey C. Rubenstein Bruce Sagan Eric C. Schieber, M.D. Liz Sharp Courtney Shea Ross Shelleman Ildefonso Alvim de Abreu e Silva Chuck Smith Maureen Dwyer Smith

Rita Spitz Dawn M. Stanislaw Lauren F. Streicher, M.D. Ben Strobel MarrGwen Townsend Jason J. Tyler Ronald V. Waters III Amanda Williamson Mrs. Joel V. Williamson Bryony Winn Elizabeth Yntema LIFE DIRECTORS Grace Barry Patricia H. Gerber Pamela B. Strobel Joseph H. Wender PAST CHAIRPERSONS William M. Daley Fred Eychaner Gary E. Holdren Dr. David A. Kipper† C. Steve McMillian Bruce Sagan Maureen Dwyer Smith Pamela B. Strobel Jason J. Tyler Ronald V. Waters III As of March 8, 2017 † Deceased

DRIVING PROGRESS

Thanks to the leadership and support of ITW and Board Director Michael Larsen, The Joffrey Ballet uses the power of dance to make a positive impact on people and in communities across Chicago.

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WOMEN’S BOARD OF THE JOFFREY BALLET | 2016–2017 Patti S. Eylar President Noren Ungaretti 1st Vice President Merritt DeWitt Kathy Kalesperis Smith 2nd Vice Presidents Ellie Forman Secretary Courtney C. Shea Treasurer Jessica Steffensen Sandi Hartstein Members-at-Large Dora J. Aalbregtse Elisabeth Adams Mrs. Keene Harwood Addington III Julie O’Donnell Allen Laura Ferris Anderson Melissa Anton Raheela Anwar Dr. Emily L. Arch Annie Atzeff Melissa M. Babcock Grace Barry Kimberly Bartuch Mary Jo Basler Nancy Gottlieb Bauer Heidi Best Jetta Boschen Dorothy Bousseau Sophia P. Bross Marisa Bryce Mrs. John E. Burke Mary Patricia Burns Mary Kay Mudd Bushonville Patsy Callahan Wendy Lynn Chronister Joan Colmar Rachel De Marte Sandra Deromedi Kelly Dettmann 24 | Joffrey Ballet 2016–2017 SEASON

Bonnie Deutsch Pamella Roland DeVos Ellen Distelheim Jill Dodds Maia Dunkel JoNan Eastridge Christine Du Boulay Ellis Beth Engel Deborah Engle Shelley MacArthur Farley Lydia Fisher Jamie-Clare Flaherty Katherine Fox Katherine E. Freiburger Beth Fulkerson Astra Gamsjaeger Patricia H. Gerber Darcy E. Goldfarb, MD Sue-Gray Goller Donna Greenberg Stephanie Grinage Shana Bear Guthman Mrs. Marjorie E. Habermann Mrs. Michael F. Harron K. Susan Heintz Kathleen A. Henson Elizabeth Browne Hess Mrs. John W. Higgins Leslie S. Hindman Dana Hokin Garvey Courtney A. Hoffmann Mrs. David Hoffmann Sharon King Hoge Sherry Lea Holson Marci Holzer Brooke Hubbuch Melinda Jakovich Candace Collins Jordan Anne Kaplan Mrs. Brian Karaba Jackelyn Kastanis Elizabeth Ann Kasten

Heidi Keeling Kerrie Kennedy Wendy Kilcollin Alissa King Kathleen Klaeser Laura Kofoid Mrs. Frederick A. Krehbiel* Donna M. LaPietra Whitney Lasky Anne Lazar Dania Leemputte Anita E. Livaditis Leslie Logsdon Mary Keough Lyman Judith MacLeod Lisa Klimley Malkin Joan Malliband Traci Mansur Anita Mark Vida Marks Heather Martin Kristina McGrath Astrid A. McKinnon Helen Hall Melchior* Amanda Merten Ms. Julianne Migely Patricia Miller Lucy Minor Anne Simon Moffat Brooks Morgan Linda Curtis O’Bannon, MD Christine Ott Mrs. Jay L. Owen, Jr. Mrs. John R. Pacholick Mary Ellen Pavone Judith Pierpont Ibby Pinsky Victoria Poindexter D. Elizabeth Price Rona Radler Hallie Blanchard Rehwaldt Emily Rubenstein

Camille Kearns Rudy Elizabeth Dunkel Ryan Maggie Scheyer Sarah Schrup Andréa J. Schwartz Liz Sharp Anne Shea Carolyn Sheridan Ms. Veronica Siegel Amelia Silva Mrs. Howard Silverman Mrs. Patricia Simpson Wright Marilyn Slattery Maureen Dwyer Smith Maria Smithburg Rita Spitz Dawn Stanislaw Constance Steinhaus Liz Stiffel Carol J. Stone Cheryl Tama Oblander Lauren D.W. Tatar Marina D.W. Tatar Melissa Trandel Yolanda Tyler Kathryn Vail Victoria C. Verity Chrissie Walker Mrs. John R. Walter Ann Waters Mrs. Thomas E. Wells IV Mary Agnes Welsh Pam Phillips Weston Kim White Diana Weiss Widman Elizabeth Wippman Joyce M. Wippman Leslie Zentner Julie Zuckerman As of March 1, 2017 *Honorary Life Member

SUPPORTERS The Joffrey Ballet would like to extend thanks to those who provide us with funding that ensures quality and engaging experiences for a variety of audiences. The following is a list of those who made contributions in the amount of $300 or more between February 15, 2016 and February 15, 2017. Although space does not permit us to list all of our friends, we are grateful for the support from each and every one of our loyal donors. $500,000+ Alphawood Foundation Chicago Clear Channel Airports Fred Eychaner The Grainger Foundation Hancher Auditorium, University of Iowa Margot and Josef Lakonishok The Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust $100,000–$499,999 Abbott Fund Athletico Physical Therapy Mary Jo and Doug Basler BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois Rosemarie and Dean Buntrock Chicago Athletic Clubs Conagra Brands Dentons Sandy and Roger Deromedi Daniel and Pamella DeVos Foundation Sonia Florian Paul Galvin Memorial Foundation Trust Guarantee Trust Life Insurance Company The Walter E. Heller Foundation JW Marriott Anne L. Kaplan Beth Levine The Reva and David Logan Foundation NIB Foundation Polk Bros. Foundation Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University Bruce Sagan and Bette Cerf Hill The Satter Foundation Bill and Orli Staley Dr. and Mrs. Arnold Tatar

Mr. and Mrs. Joel V. Williamson Women’s Board of The Joffrey Ballet $50,000–$99,999 Allstate Insurance Company Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. BMO Wealth Management BrickStreet Insurance Chauncey and Marion Deering McCormick Family Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Adam DeWitt The Julius N. Frankel Foundation Mr. and Mrs. David H. Hoffmann ITW George Jewell JHL Capital Group LLC The Joyce Foundation Kolcraft Enterprises, Inc. Nancy and Sanfred Koltun The John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation MacLean-Fogg Company The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust Negaunee Foundation Mr. and Mrs. John Patience The Shubert Foundation Denise Littlefield Sobel Wells Fargo $25,000–$49,999 Anonymous Abbott Laboratories The Allstate Foundation Francis Beidler Foundation Marc and Sharen Berman Neil Bluhm Marlene Breslow-Blitstein and Berle Blitstein The Brinson Foundation Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation The Chicago Community Trust The Crown Family Dr. Jill S. Dodds and Dr. Guriqbal Nandra Janet and Craig J. Duchossois Exelon Patti Eylar and Charles Gardner Mr. and Mrs. William Farley Mr. and Mrs. F. Conrad Fischer Fox Ford Lincoln Lloyd A. Fry Foundation Jill Garling and Thomas Wilson Karen Gray-Krehbiel and John Krehbiel, Jr. Harris Family Foundation Sherry Lea and Richard Holson III

Susan and Richard† Kiphart La Perla Fashions Make It Better Media Mr. and Mrs. E. Barry Mansur Masuda, Funai, Eifert & Mitchell, Ltd. Mayer Brown LLP Merrill Lynch & Company Lucy Minor Jane Ellen Murray Foundation National Endowment for the Arts Alexandra Nichols and John D. Nichols The Northern Trust Company The Poetry Foundation Prince Charitable Trusts Sage Foundation Eric C. Schieber, M.D. Ms. Courtney C. Shea Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Smith, Jr. Maria Smithburg and William D. Smithburg Rita Spitz and David Blears Stout Pamela and Russ Strobel Mr. and Mrs. Ronald V. Waters III Mr. and Mrs. Miles D. White Elizabeth Yntema and Mark Ferguson for the Ferguson-Yntema Family Trust $10,000–$24,999 Anonymous Mr. and Mrs. William Adams IV Mr. and Mrs. Ronald J. Allen Ariel Investments, LLC Nancy Gottlieb Bauer Baxter International Inc. Meta S. and Ronald Berger Family Foundation The Boeing Company Burberry Kay and Rhett Butler Lisa and Jim Challenger DeSantis Foundation Deborah and Cody Engle Lorna Ferguson and Terry Clark Ms. Jamee C. Field and Mr. Michael Kane Tiffany Flannagan and Chip Flannagan Nancy Follis Suzanne and Albert M. Friedman Patrick M. Gallagher † Deceased 2016–2017 SEASON Joffrey Ballet | 25

SUPPORTERS $10,000–$24,999 (continued) Gantz Family Foundation Dana Hokin Garvey and Robert Garvey GCM Grosvenor Sabrina and Antonio Gracias GrubHub, Inc. Sherry and Michael Guthrie Joan Hall Sandi and Barry Hartstein Leslie Hindman Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP Hyatt Hotels Foundation Jenner & Block LLP Jerome Robbins Foundation and Trust Jewell Events Catering JPMorgan Chase Ms. Julie M. Kaltenrieder Brian and Yvette Karaba Dennis D. Kendzora Olivia Kittle and Brian Kittle Margaret Kittle-Kamp and Thomas Kittle-Kamp Dennis and Kathleen Klaeser Kovler Family Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Herbert W. Krueger Kryolan Professional Make-Up Julie and Guy Lakonishok Dr. Lynda Lane and Ben Lane-Korn Mr. and Mrs. Larry Langdon Michael and Jennifer Larsen Ms. Whitney Lasky and Mr. Jerry Lasky Latham & Watkins Mr. and Mrs. Zachary D. Lazar, Jr. Lefkofsky Family Foundation Leibovitz Family Philanthropic Fund Jay Leibovitz Elizabeth Liebman Macy’s Coco B. Meers and Ethan Meers Martha Melman and Rich Melman Ann Nash and Tom Nash New York Choreographic Institute Cathy Osborn and William Osborn D. Elizabeth Price and Lou Yecies Hallie Blanchard Rehwaldt and Thomas Rehwaldt Ms. Tracy Rose John W. and Jeanne M. Rowe Jeffrey C. Rubenstein Cari and Michael Sacks Patricia Schmalzl and William Schmalzl 26 | Joffrey Ballet 2016–2017 SEASON

Dr. Scholl Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey S. Sharp Melissa de Abreu e Silva and Ildefonso Silva Siragusa Family Foundation Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom Melissa and Chuck Smith Southwest Airlines Jessica and Erik Steffensen Ben Strobel Andrew Thorrens and Donald Mizerk U.S. Bank Foundation Pamela Phillips Weston and Roger L. Weston Diana and Stuart Widman William Blair & Co., LLC Amanda Williamson and Matthew Johnson Workiva Mr. and Mrs. Robert K. Zentner $5,000–$9,999 Anonymous (2) Ada Addington and Whitney Addington Emily Strobel Amiet and Michael Amiet Melissa Anton and John Anton Dr. Emily L. Arch Edward Beam Luann Blowers and David Blowers Greg Cameron and Greg Thompson Mrs. Joyce Chelberg Michael Cragg Credit Suisse Christine Du Boulay Ellis Paula Fasseas and Peter Fasseas Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation Emily Follas Jay Franke and David Herro Katherine and Richard Freiburger Christine Gallagher and Greg Gallagher Ethel and William Gofen The Marvin and Elaine Gottlieb Family Foundation Richard and Mary L. Gray John R. Halligan Charitable Fund The Irving Harris Foundation Janet W. and Robert A. Helman Mr. and Mrs. John T. Hildy Holly Hunt Illinois Arts Council Agency Mary Ittelson

Melinda Jakovich and Lucien Lagrange Jen Kurth and Brian Van Klompenberg Lannan Foundation Meir Lewis Mr. and Mrs. Barry Litwin Luminarts Cultural Foundation Fellowship by Myrna Kaplan Robert R. McCormick Foundation Jess and Amanda Merten Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Nordstrom, Inc. Thomas O’Keefe Stephen Reiss and Rena Hozore Reiss Tricia Rooney and Ross Shelleman Susan and David Ruder Betty Seid and Richard Seid Mr. and Mrs. David Sensibar Carolyn and Michael Sheridan Sidley Austin, LLP Veronica Siegel Sills Foundation Jeanette Stevens Liz Stiffel Cheryl Tama Oblander and Scott Oblander Lorraine Trachtenberg Mr. and Mrs. Jason J. Tyler Mr. and Mrs. John R. Walter Dia Weil and Edward Weil Hilary and Barry Weinstein Tamar Weiss Mary Agnes Welsh Bryony and David Winn $2,500–$4,999 Anonymous (2) Dora Aalbregtse and R. John Aalbregtse Bridgette, David, and Chloë Alexander Evelyn Alter Abbe Aron and Adam Aron Mr. and Mrs. Francis Beidler III Ms. Carolyn A. Blessing John Brazzale Paul Chasnoff and Joe Hopper Wendy Lynn Chronister and Peter Rogers The Colmar Foundation Terri and Alfred D’Ancona Amina Dickerson and Julian Roberts Shawn M. Donnelley and Christopher M. Kelly

SUPPORTERS $2,500–$4,999 (continued) Elizabeth Duquette Marilyn Fields and Larry Fields Christine Fisher and Paul Fisher Jamie-Clare Flaherty Mimi Frankel and Bud Frankel Sue-Gray Goller Michelle Goodman and Larry Goodman Stephanie Grinage and Richard Grinage Mr. and Mrs. John W. Higgins Sarai Hoffman and Stephen Pratt Courtney A. Hoffmann and Sebastian Hoffmann Brooke Hubbuch and Nick Hubbuch Lauren Huefner Masahiro Kasai and William Myers Jackelyn Kastanis and Taki Kastanis Jeffrey Kerr Laura Kofoid and David Ricci Robert Kohl and Clark Pellett Dania Leemputte and Patrick Leemputte Leslie Logsdon and Duncan Bourne Colleen Loughlin and John Sirek Lisa Klimley Malkin and Cary J. Malkin Joan Malliband and David Malliband George Mariner and Michael Payette Heather Martin and Sean Martin John R. Menninger Pamela Meyer Ms. Julianne Migely Patricia Miller and Christopher Miller Prof. Keith and Anne Moffat Peggy Morris and Pat Morris Jazelle Morriss and Daniel L. Morriss Barbara and Jonathan Moss Linda Curtis O’Bannon, MD Susan G. Oleari Virginia Owens and James Owens Victoria Poindexter and Joseph P. Gaynor III Carol Pollock Leticia Rodriguez-Marsico Mickey Rolfe

Christine Ruttenberg and David Ruttenberg The Richard and Ellen Sandor Family Foundation Ms. Maggie Scheyer and Mr. Eric J. Scheyer Andréa J. Schwartz and Dr. Steve Stryker Lynda Silverman and Howard Silverman Thomas G. Sinkovic Ms. Kathy Kalesperis Smith and Mr. Dion Grimes Smith Dawn Stanislaw Penelope Steiner and Robert Steiner Dr. Lauren Streicher and Mr. Jason Brett Nathan Tannenbaum Foundation Jennifer Tengelsen and Erich Tengelsen Tom Ford International Melissa Trandel Dana Shepard Treister and Dr. Michael Roy Treister Richard and Noren Ungaretti Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Vail, Jr. Leslie Warner and Stephen Warner $1,500–$2,499 Anonymous (5) Greg Albiero Patty Perkins Andringa Raheela Gill Anwar and Dr. M. Naveed Anwar Annie Atzeff and Kristopher Atzeff Carey August and Brett August Oliver Badgio Jennifer Birmingham Gary and Linda T.† Blumenshine Cary Bomier and David Bomier Ms. Evelyn Bosenberg Anthony Bruck Carolyn Bucksbaum Tamara Buday and Robert Buday Suzette Bross Bulley and Allan E. Bulley III Mary Kay Mudd Bushonville and Art Bushonville Mr. and Mrs. Patrick J. Callahan, Jr. Gerald Carter Clark Chandler Lew Collens Ray Coronado

Bette Jane Crigger Pamela Crutchfield Dr. John Dainauskas Mr. and Mrs. Terence Donnelly Rees Donofrio and Joseph Donofrio Ms. Maia Dunkel The Elia Group Llc Hattie A. and Marie V. Fatz Foundation Dr. and Mrs. Anthony G. Finder Arthur Frank Darcy Goldfarb, MD Keith Goldstein and Rodney Goldstein Ann Gootee and James Gootee Anthony and Susan Grosch Shana Guthman and David Guthman Anastasia and Gary Gutting Christy Hand and Matthew Hand Dr. and Mrs. Alan G. Harris Stacie R. Hartman K. Susan Heintz Cynthia Helle and Dan Helle Jim Henry Marci and Ronald Holzer Myrna Kaplan Sherry Kaplan and Barry Kaplan Mr. and Mrs. William O. Kasten Wendy Kilcollin and T. Eric Kilcollin Roberta Killeen and Timothy Killeen Polly Kintzel KPW Family Foundation Sarah Ladgenski and Derek Ladgenski Robin and Jack Lavin Mr. and Mrs. L. J. Lawson III Deej and Hunter Leggitt Alexandra Leichtman Sherren Leigh Mia Levy and Paul Levy Beth Loeb Judy and John MacLeod Elizabeth Marcus and Ira Belcove Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Marks James D. McDonough Astrid A. McKinnon and McKay McKinnon Helen Hall Melchior Ken Norgan Lee and Sharon Oberlander Mary Jane O’Connor

Anthony and Izabel Olson Sharon Olson and Fred Fleischbein Christine Ott Mr. and Mrs. John R. Pacholick Beth Parin Kristie Paskvan Mary Ellen Pavone, MD and Christopher Novak Kathleen Pipala and Michael Pipala Bonnie Price and Jack Hirsch Donald H. Ratner and Bruce A. Gober Harriet Ross and Irwin Ross Barbara and Donald Ruhman Sahara Enterprises, Inc. Salamader Resort And Spa A. Sue Samuels Sarah Schrup Lois Scott and David May Anne Shonk Amelia Silva and Alejandro Silva Craig Sirles Marilyn Slattery Beth Smetana and Gerard Smetana Patricia Smith Smithburg Family Foundation Shirley Stanley and Paul Stanley Ned Stebbins Constance and Orin Steinhaus Patricia Sternberg Carol Stone and David Stone Lauren D.W. Tatar and Scott Borstein Tawani Foundation Courtney Thompson Nancy Timmers and Michael Timmers Carol Trapp and James Trapp Lauren Vitale John Walcher Debbie Wang and David Hoyt Richard and Diane Weinberg Olga Weiss and George Honig Elizabeth Wippman and Tom Wippman Joyce M. Wippman William Ziemann Julie Zuckerman and Daniel Zuckerman

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SUPPORTERS $1,000–$1,499 Anonymous (2) Mr. and Mrs. Keene Harwood Addington III Amsted Industries Anderson-Barnicle Family Foundation Anne and Mark Bagan The Ann Barzel/Patrick Henry Arts Fund Sandra Bass Christopher Begy Bernstein Charitable Foundation Thomas Berry Judy Block and Philip Block Shaun Block and Andrew Block Virginia Bobins and Norman Bobins Mr. and Mrs. Ralph A. L. Bogan, Jr. Robyn Bowland Bradbury Family Jeanne Brett Stephen Burns Michelle L. Collins Mrs. John C. Colman Corinne Corky and Larry Richman Lawrence Corry Patricia O’Neill Cox Chrissy Davis and Matt Davis Diana Widman Design Fine Jewelry Lois Eisen and Stephen Eisen Paul Fangman Regan Friedmann and Philip Friedmann Elisabeth Geraghty and Robert Geraghty Linda Graubart and Jeffrey Graubart Tracy Hamilton and Jay Hamilton Patricia and O.J. Heestand Kathleen Henson Dennis Holtschneider Patricia Huffman and Robert Huffman Howard Kirschbaum Avril Klaff Patricia Koldyke and Martin Koldyke Susan Koltun and Thomas Koltun Erica Kuhlmann Lew and Laurie Leibowitz Peggy Lim and Yung Bong Lim Jim and SuAnne Lopata 28 | Joffrey Ballet 2016–2017 SEASON

Jessica Lundevall and Torjus Lundevall Sue Mazzone and Don Mazzone Jo Ann McNaughton-Kade and Christopher Kade Lynne Mcnown Richard & Martha Melman Foundation Julie Moller and Scott Moller Morgan Stanley-Shayne Fund Nike, Inc. Mary Nixon and Ted Nixon Joanna Norcross Mr. Jonathan F. Orser Ibby Pinsky and Milton Pinsky Sheila Pizer and Howard Pizer Madeleine Plonsker and Harvey Plonsker Richard and Charlene Posner Allan Reich Carol Roberts The Elbert W. Rogers Foundation Jane Nicholl Sahlins and Bernard Sahlins Anne Searle Bent and Stephen Bent Thomas Shapiro Stephanie Sick and William Sick Marcey Siegel and Kenneth Siegel Beth Silverman Stearns Family Charitable Fund Joanne Storm Ann-Marie Streibich and James Streibich Peggy Swartchild and James Swartchild Mr. and Mrs. Todd Vieregg Kathleen Vondran and John Vondran Ashley Wheater and Brian Johnson $750–$999 Anonymous Mr. and Mrs. Brian W. Babcock, Sr. Marisa Bryce Ellen Carnahan and Bill Daniels Jenny Cizner Kelly Dettmann and Brian Dettmann Dorothy Ellesin-Janus and Christopher Janus

Beth Fulkerson and Joshua Kellman Marc and Carol Gordon Marjorie Habermann The Holzer Family Foundation David Israel Elaine Jaharis and Steven Jaharis Alissa King and Thomas King Zach Leonard Nichole Mann Kerber Marion and Terry Martin Natalie Matwijiszyn Karen McEniry Donna Milanovich Lydia Ringwald Deborah Ross and Jeffrey Ross Camille Kearns Rudy and Robert M. Rudy Julia Simpson Karen and Richard Weiland $500–$749 Anonymous Fillomena Albee Sara Albrecht Ann Allison and Richard Vitkus James Amend Mina Amir-Mokri Courtney Ashley Christine Bakalar and John Bakalar Carol Anne Been and Daniel Freedman Susan Belgrad and Donald Belgrad Megan Bero Heidy and Phil Best Aaron Boesky Jetta Boschen and Dallas Boschen Adrianne Boylen Mrs. Walter F. Brissenden Judy Bross and John Bross Debbie Buckley Enid Collins Laura Danforth Cathy Deutsch Julia and Matt Doherty James Dornenburg Michael Downing Joseph Eatherly Sonia Evers Joan and James Fencil Ellie Forman and Jeremy Forman Erica Fornari J. Victor Frandel Astra Gamsjaeger

Patricia Gentry Gigi New York Linda Glick and Robert Glick Amy and Michael Gordon Wes Gordon Donna Greenberg and Jack Greenberg Joel Guillory Sandra Guy Patrick and Karen Heick Ross Heim Geoffrey and Adrianna Hewings Holzman Design LLC Ellen Horween Rose Houston IBM International Foundation Ellen Israel and Rich Israel Nancy Jacobs Paul Judy Melvin M. Kaftan Revocable Living Trust Rachel Klein and Neil Klein Ms. Donna M. LaPietra and Mr. William Kurtis Scott Leibovitz Douglas Leister Jacqueline Lentz Kathy Lipp and Roman Lipp Susan Loiacano Phillip Lumpkin Sharon Mackes Patricia Hickey Manz Jeanne Martinez and John Segreti Erika Maschmeyer and Jon Maschmeyer Michael and Linda Mason Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc. Lisa Mezzetti Barbara Moser and David Moser Alice Moss Meryl Lyn Moss and Charles Moss Maggie and Michael Murzanski Ruth O’Brien and Stuart Rice Margaret O’Connor and Michael O’Meara Mr. and Mrs. Jay L. Owen, Jr. Pappas Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Papuga Lynn Pearl Leland Hutchinson and Jean Perkins Alice Perry and Raymond Perry Maria Pinto Mary Prescott

SUPPORTERS $500–$749 (continued) Karine Provost Julie Pryor and A Keith Housman Boyd Rice Christine Riker and Walter Riker James Rocks Janice Rodgers Mr. and Mrs. Morton I. Rosen Emily Rubenstein and Angel Rivera Jennifer Seda Elizabeth Shepherd and Scott Kinsloe Caryn Skurnick and Gerold Skurnick Susan Stern and James Elliott Mr. and Mrs. Harvey J. Struthers, Jr. Kartika Sujdak Mary Summers and William Summers Supera Family Foundation Cynthia Taylor and Gregory Taylor Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Townsend Joan Traynelis Robert Veasey Lynne Walton Michelle Wasson and Joel Farran I.B. Weil and Thomas Weil LaDonna Wicklund and Gary Wicklund Paula Wise Wrigley, A Subsidiary of Mars, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Paul Zelisko $300–$499 Anonymous (3) Linda Abrahamson Derrick Agnoletti Margery Al-Chalabi and Suhail Al-Chalabi Kristine Anderson and Tom Coonan Lynn Arensman and Robert Arensman Kimberly Bartuch and Brian Bartuch Steven Bashwiner Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Bates Jr. Andrea H. Bauer Suzanne Bessette-Smith Lois and Stanley Birer Marshall Blaise

Blow Out Junkie Marie Bousfield and Aldridge Bousfield Jacqueline Brody Beth Sprecher Brooks Marion Cameron Linda Campbell Denise Casalino Frances Chapman Cathleen Choi Liz Cleveland Tom and Bette Cogan Ann Cole and Roger Cole Arlene Coustan and Harvey Coustan April Daly Robert Delaney Virginia Demos Gary Drescher Maria Dubycky and Roman Dubycky Sandra Dumalski and Raymond Dumalski Adam Dunn Frank and Faith Dusek Joan and Warren Eagle Amal Elahmady Regina Murphy Eugenia Kim Thelma Evans Dr. Robert A. Fajardo Adrienne and Robert Z. Feldstein Dr. W. Clinton Fisher and Lois Farrell Fisher Joan Flavin Sarah Frick Mr. and Mrs. Jay R. Fried Niki Gabrielson Christine Geiger Virginia Gluckman Hannah Goldberg Anne Gottlieb Jack and Robin Graham Ginger Griffin Deborah Gubin Joyce Hasmonek Marsie R. Hass and Scott D. Hite Trudy Havens and Gary Neilson Florentino and Kelly Hernandez Joanna Horsnail Joyce Ibers and James Ibers Kathleen Ihrig and Glenn Ihrig Sarah and Michael Jacobs Jenny Patinkin Gayle Jensen Pamela Johnson

Joyce Johnston Marissa Kalman and Gregg Kalman Isabella & Alexandria Kasprisin Helen N. Kedo Sandiya Killion David Kimball Mary Kimble Sanja Kirovski Drs. Kristi Kirschner and Raymond Curry Sue Cleary Koch Tina Koegel and Ron Koegel Roger Kramer Lynn Kresch and Ari Kresch John Kurtz & Gerry Salvacion James Clark and Christina Labate Lana Jewelry Janet Lang Anne Laumont Alison Leff Saralyn Levine Dr. and Mrs. Andrew O. Lewicky Kathleen Lewis Ann Logue and Rik Lantz Sarah Lombardi Persephone Ma Brittany Malone Sandra Mangurian Marissa Martin Laura Martinez and Andrew Martinez Thomas McCaffer Mr. and Mrs. John C. McCarter Rebecca Miles-Steiner Meredith Mitchell Sanford Moltz Beverly Mook and Wallace Mook Brooks Morgan and Mr. Howard C. Morgan Dr. and Mrs. David D. Morimoto Steven Morris Suzanne Muchin and David Brown Kathleen Mueller Kristina Mulhall and John Mulhall Carol Mullins and Steve Mullins Eileen M Murray Bradley Nelson Network for Good Elaine Newquist Ed Oldfield One Two Lash

Rebekah Parker Craig Peterson Mr. and Mrs. James W. Pierpont Thomas Pool Razan Prassas and Stephen Prassas Ravinia Festival Association Nicole Reifman Thomas Roberts Florence Ann Romano John Rosenheim Linda Rosenson and Harold Rosenson Floyd Rueger M. Catherine Ryan Elizabeth Saar Laura Sage Carol Ann Saikhon Constance Sampson Jenna Schlageter Marilyn Schmitt Sandra Schmoll and Jon Schmoll Meaghan Schneider Jana Schreuder and Eric Schreuder Mary Shea and Charles Shea Elisa Shlofrock-Zusman Sarah Shu Melissa Skoog and Chris Dunagan Brittany Smith Drs. April and Frank Smith Rodd Specketer Linda Stein Bruce Stevens Laurene Szkatulski Joani Tarsitano James Van Metre Arlene Wagner and Albert Wagner Emily Wall Cliff Wallach Annie Wallis and Tom Whitehead Ceta Walters Kathleen Warner Sherry Weiss and Albert Weiss Barbara H. West John Wheeler Linda Wise Amy Yi and Peter Yi Joan Zajtchuk and Russ Zajtchuk † Deceased

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SUPPORTERS RUDOLF NUREYEV FUND AT THE JOFFREY BALLET The Joffrey shares Rudolf Nureyev’s commitment to storytelling, through great works of the past and compelling new works of today.

We gratefully recognize the donors listed below for their gifts and pledges to the Rudolf Nureyev Fund for the creation, production, and performance of full length story ballets.

DON QUIXOTE Daniel and Pamella DeVos Foundation Sonia Florian Susan and Richard† Kiphart Nancy and Sanfred Koltun NIB Foundation Rudolf Nureyev Dance Foundation SLEEPING BEAUTY Marc and Sharen Berman Stephen Reiss and Rena Hozore Reiss Pamela and Russ Strobel GISELLE Mary Jo and Doug Basler Sandy and Roger Deromedi Lorna Ferguson and Terry Clark Mr. and Mrs. Richard S. Holson III Jane Ellen Murray Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Joel V. Williamson LES SYLPHIDES Mr. and Mrs. Ronald J. Allen Carolyn A. Blessing Torrence Boone and Ted Chapin Robyn Bowland Butler Rubin Saltarelli & Boyd LLP Greg Cameron and Greg Thompson Paul Chasnoff and Joe Hopper Dillon Foundation Mrs. Christine Du Boulay Ellis Deborah G. Engle Mr. and Mrs. William Farley Mr. and Mrs. F. Conrad Fischer Chip and Tiffany Flannagan Dana Hokin Garvey and Robert Garvey Sarai Hoffman and Stephen Pratt Una C. Jackman Brian Johnson and Ashley Wheater

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Anne Kaplan Julie and Guy Lakonishok Mr. and Mrs. Zachary D. Lazar, Jr. Stanley and Lucy Lopata Charitable Foundation Judy and John MacLeod Coco and Ethan Meers Jess and Amanda Merten Barbara and Jonathan Moss Thomas J. O’Keefe Victoria Poindexter and Joseph Gaynor Carol G. Pollock Jeffrey C. Rubenstein Bruce Sagan and Bette Cerf Hill Dr. Eric C. Schieber Terry Schwartz Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey S. Sharp Courtney C. Shea Ms. Rita Spitz and Mr. David Blears Dawn Stanislaw Jeanette Stevens Dr. and Mrs. Arnold M. Tatar Courtney A. Thompson Townsend Family Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Stephen B. Warner Olga Weiss and George Honig Amanda Williamson and Matthew Johnson Susan Schaalman Youdovin and Charlie Shulkin William Ziemann ROMEO & JULIET Patty Perkins Andringa Victor Cassidy and Donna Hapac Ms. Jamie-Clare Colvin and Mr. Nicholas Colvin DeVries Fine Arts International Inc. Julia R. Doherty Dr. and Mrs. Alan G. Harris Kathleen and Mark Hechinger Mr. and Mrs. Barry Litwin James D. McDonough Wendy Nicholson Cheryl Tama Oblander and Scott Oblander Ruth O’Brien and Stuart Rice Dana Shepard Treister and Dr. Michael Roy Treister Sallie Wilson Elizabeth Yntema and Mark Ferguson Simone Zurawski As of August 31, 2016

Joffrey Ballet 2016–2017 SEASON

THE JOFFREY BALLET STAR SOCIETY The Joffrey Ballet Star Society recognizes those individuals who have invested in the future of The Joffrey Ballet through a planned gift. We wish to thank the following for their commitment to our legacy.

Mr. and Mrs. Brian W. Babcock Mr. D. Jeffrey Baddeley D. Jeffrey and Joan H. Blumenthal Christine Du Boulay Ellis Dr. and Mrs. David L. Faulk Patricia H. Gerber Michael Goldberger Sue-Gray Goller Barbara and John Henigbaum Marci and Ronald Holzer Paul Chasnoff and Joe Hopper Ms. Darlene Johnson Mr. Stuart Kane Ms. Linda Levey Mr. John McAllister Prof. Keith and Anne Moffat Drs. Bill and Elaine Moor Jane Ellen Murray Mr. Jonathan F. Orser Constance and Orin Steinhaus Elisabeth Wilcox Szegho Ms. Marilyn J. Ward Diana and Stuart Widman Andrea and Rich Winship Mrs. Anna Mary Zarrelli TRIBUTE GIFTS Contributions were made to celebrate the following individuals between February15, 2016 and February 15, 2017.

The Joffrey Ballet thanks the donors for their generosity.

IN HONOR OF Yoshihisa Arai Dr. Emily L. Arch Annie Atzeff Meta S. Berger Greg Cameron Gerard Charles Joan Colmar April Daly Terri D’Ancona Merritt and Adam DeWitt Ellen Distelheim J. Elise Edwards Deborah Engle Ms. Ann Eylar Patti S. Eylar Lorna Ferguson Taylor Fikes Jamie-Clare Flaherty Mary B. Galvin Sue-Gray Goller

Rivian Hartman Sandi Hartstein Jacqueline Jaffe Mary E. Johnson Sarah M. Jordan Yvette Karaba Laura Kofoid Julie and Guy Lakonishok Barry Litwin Helen Hall Melchior Prof. Keith and Anne Moffat Cheryl Tama Oblander Susan Oleari Hallie Blanchard Rehwaldt Jeffrey C. Rubenstein Camille Kearns Rudy Bruce Sagan Liz Sharp Courtney C. Shea Ross Shelleman John Shimkus Lynda Silverman Kathy Kalesperis Smith Gayle R. Tama Cheryl Tama Oblander Lauren D.W. Tatar Olga Thorrens Mary Agnes Welsh Diana Widman Ashley Wheater Cheryle and Joel V. Williamson Elizabeth Yntema IN MEMORY OF Robert Albee Linda Blumenshine Eric B. Eatherly Ronald Fishman Saul Gerber Ruth Altenberg Gold Mrs. Francis J. Klimley Elizabeth E. Mertz Dianne Nishimura John O’Neal Barbara Rich Natalie Senoff Virginia Tallman Walter F. Tama JOFFREY AUXILIARY BOARD GOVERNING COUNCIL 2016–2017 Emily Strobel Amiet Carolyn Blessing CO-CHAIRS Michael Amiet Lauren Huefner Jaqueline Lentz Sarah Lombardi Rees Mason Natalie Matwijiszyn Dan Patton John P. Walcher † Deceased

DONORS Donors from February 15, 2016 through March 15, 2017. Please contact 312.341.2364 with questions or concerns. $100,000+ The Baryl Family Thomas Baryl Efroymson Family Fund, a CICF Fund Sonia Florian MacArthur Foundation Linda and Jim Mitchell NIB Foundation Pasquinelli Family Foundation Maria Pasquinelli $50,000–$99,999 Denise Littlefield Sobel $25,000–$49,999 The Bluhm Family Charitable Foundation Caryn and Jerry Skurnick Chauncey and Marion Deering McCormick Family Foundation Joyce Chelberg The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust Exelon Patti Eylar and Charlie Gardner Anne L. Kaplan Polk Bros. Foundation Dia S. and Edward S. Weil, Jr. $10,000–$24,999 Allstate Insurance Company Kathleen and Nicholas Amatangelo Avison Young Scott Bauer Virginia and Norm Bobins Marge* and Lew Collens The Colmar Foundation Deborah and Bruce Crown Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church Suzan and Robert Held Richard Helldobler, PhD. and Robbie Brown Illinois Arts Council Agency Renee and Mel Katten Lauri S. Bauer Foundation Phil Lumpkin Suzanne Martin and Hart Weichselbaum Helen Hall Melchior Ann and Tom Nash The PrivateBank Rivers Casino Robert M. and Diane v.S. Levy Family Foundation The Robert Thomas Bobins Foundation Sage Foundation Jill and John Svoboda Anne Voshel Sue and Bob Wieseneck

$5,000–$9,999 A. Montgomery Ward Foundation Arts Midwest Touring Fund Bruce R. Bachmann* Maria Bechily and Scott Hodes Sidney* and Sondra Berman Epstein J. Kamala Buckner Shelley and William Farley Jody and Stephen Griffitts Sherry and Mike Guthrie Marguerite D. Hark Harrison & Held LLP David Herro and Jay Franke David Hiller John R. Halligan Charitable Fund Katten Muchin Rosenman Foundation, Inc. Graziela and John Kaufman Janet and Thomas Leopold Pamela G. Meyer Tania and Alexei Moskalenko New England Foundation for the Arts Northeastern Illinois University Theatrical Stage Employees Union Local Two Patty and Dan Walsh $2,500–$4,999 Barbara Bluhm-Kaul Foundation John P. Brazzale Geneva and Robert Calloway Tammy and Rob Campbell Chicago Cabaret Professionals Shawn M. Donnelley and Christopher M. Kelly Mary B. Galvin The Grainger Foundation Karen and Matthew Kaplan Clark Pellett and Robert Kohl D. Elizabeth Price Roosevelt University Dave Samber and Darrell Windle Lynda Jo and Noah Shlaes Nancy and Sy Taxman Karen and Ed Weil, III $1,000–$2,499 Anonymous Floy and Lee Barthel Linda and Eric Boasmond Douglas Bragan Barbara Clayton Crowe Horwath LLP Pamela Crutchfield Terri R. and Alfred E. D’Ancona III C.J. Dillon and Steve Clements Elissa Efroymson and Adnaan Hamid Lois and Stephen J. Eisen Joan and Robert Feitler Fran and Henry Fogel Virginia and Peter Foreman Franczek Radelet, P.C. Regan and Philip Friedmann Friends of Edward M. Burke Madeleine and Joseph Glossberg Larry Glowczewski

Judie and Richard Green Patricia Harris Rose Houston Ivanhoe Theater Foundation Dr. Jennifer R. Jackson Amy and Kent Jidov Nancy and Frank Karger, Jr. Sidney Kerley Margie Korshak and Charles H. Goodman Sally and Jonathan Kovler Janet A. Lang Leah Laurie Anne and Alan Lerner Fifi and Ronald Levin Lloyd A. Fry Foundation Jessica and Torjus Lundevall M & J Kennelly Foundation Elizabeth and Matthew McNicholas Carolyn Meyer and Michael Prussian MGLM Architects Charles R. Middleton and John S. Geary Lucy Minor Catherine and Leo Miserendino McGhee and Frantz Ossé Grayce Papp Patricia and Ken Pell Lorna and Ellard Pfaelzer Margaret and Dave Radelet Nancy and Ben Randall Carol Roberts Mary and Charles Rubens, II Amy and Michael Rubin Dani and Peter Rusnak Dr. Ken Shanoff and Stephen Young Thomas Shapiro John B. Simon Sofia Solomon Pamela and Russ Strobel Peggy and James Swartchild, Jr. Ginnee Tallman* and Bill Ziemann Dr. Eugene Thomas Nancy and Steven Tumen Variety - The Children’s Charity Elizabeth and Daniel E. Weil I.B. and Tom Weil Robert L. Weil Jane Wells and Burt Ferrini Nike B. Whitcomb and Jim McKechnie* Sally and Shepherd Young *Our friends remembered

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND ADMINISTRATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

EXECUTIVE STAFF

CREATIVE ENGAGEMENT

The Honorable Rahm Emanuel Mayor of Chicago Honorary Chairman, Board of Directors

Tania Castroverde Moskalenko Chief Executive Officer Judie Moore Green Chief Development Officer Colleen Flanigan Chief Marketing Officer C.J. Dillon Chief Programming Officer Michael Bauman Interim Chief Financial Officer

Kristen Smiley Hansel Director of Creative Engagement Colt Neidhardt Creative Engagement Associate

Charles R. Gardner Chairman, Board of Directors Norman R. Bobins | Vice-Chair John Svoboda | Vice-Chair Bruce Crown | Treasurer Ann Nash | Secretary Nicholas S. Amatangelo Thomas R. Baryl Amanda Brimmer Lew Collens Joan Colmar Henry Fogel Robert Held Richard Helldobler Mel Katten, Chair Emeritus John R. Kaufman Sidney Kerley Phil Lumpkin Tangella Maddox Ali Malekzadeh Suzanne Martin Helen Hall Melchior Maria L. Pasquinelli Denise Littlefield Sobel Seymour Taxman Edward S. Weil, Jr. Robert L. Wieseneck EMERITUS DIRECTORS

Sondra Berman Epstein David D. Hiller Kenneth L. Tucker

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FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

Denise Cosman Senior Director of Accounting Cynthia Darling Director of Accounting Kathy Bliss Assistant to CEO/Board Liaison DEVELOPMENT

Kathryn TeBordo Associate Director of Institutional Giving Kelly Saroff Associate Director of Individual Giving Raechel Hofsteadter Development Associate MARKETING AND SALES

Nicole Wetzell Director of Sales Lily Oberman Associate Director of Communications Lisa Klier Marketing Manager Luke Bandoske Digital Content Associate Zachary Bird Christopher Dorsey Madison Jones Julian Otis Ticket Sales Representatives

PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS

Stephen Sell Director of Production & Facilities Beth Kaskel Director of Operations Noé Villagómez, Jr. Front of House Manager Mary Mazza Box Office Treasurer Scott Zissman Assistant Box Office Treasurer Annie Slaughter Patron Services Coordinator Ashley Young Event Coordinator Kam Hobbs Operations and Production Associate Sharon Butler Patron Services Carl Ward Assistant House Manager Steven Olvera Assistant Concession Manager Tim Steimle Carpenter Robert Patterson Properties Pat Donahue, Jr. Electrician Brad Friebolin Audio Engineer Bill Karcz Flyman Dale Kuypers Volunteer Usher Coordinator Frank Romeo Custodial Foreman Emeritus Marie A. Cali Theatre Manager Emeritus Bart Swindall Historian

2017–18 SEASON

THE THEATRE FOR THE PEOPLE

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

INTERNATIONAL DANCE SERIES Shen Wei Dance Arts September 23–24, 2017 Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo — La Belle March 3–4, 2018 Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater March 7–11, 2018 Ballet Nacional de Cuba — Don Quixote May 18–20, 2018

DANCE SERIES

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater October 6, 2017 Hubbard Street Dance Chicago March 23–24, 2018 Giordano Dance Chicago June 9, 2018

A GOLDEN EVENING OF DANCE Gala Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Auditorium Theatre’s Re-Opening November 12, 2017

Auditorium Theatre Re-Opening (1967)

SUBSCRIBERS SAVE UP TO 30% IN THE BEST SEATS!

AuditoriumTheatre.org 312.341.2300

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Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Untitled America, photo by Paul Kolnik. Hubbard Street dancers Jacqueline Burnett and Jeffery Duffy in Niebla by Alejandro Cerrudo, photo by Todd Rosenberg. Auditorium Theatre re-opening, courtesy of the Auditorium Theatre.

FACILITIES AND SERVICES EFROYMSON PATRON SERVICES CENTER is located in Aisle 1 of the main floor and is open throughout performances to assist patrons with any needs they may have.

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THE AUDITORIUM THEATRE HAS A STRICT POLICY OF NO LATE SEATING. Patrons arriving after the performance begins, or leaving the seating area for any reason, will be seated in a designated section and may take their ticketed seats at intermission.

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CONCESSIONS are available throughout the theatre lobbies.

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OUTSIDE FOOD AND BEVERAGE ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE THEATRE. For Joffrey performances, all purchased snacks must be consumed in the lobby. Only bottled water is allowed in the seating area.

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RESTROOMS are located on the lower level and in the Baryl Family Lobby (third floor).

Accessible restroom facilities are located in the southwest corner of the main lobby and on the third floor.

ACCESSIBILITY: The Auditorium Theatre is accessible to all patrons and fully complies with ADA requirements. Various levels of accommodations are available to patrons who require assisted listening devices, signed performances, or accessible seating.

Additionally, our Efroymson Patron Services Center office, located in Aisle 1 of the main lobby, is open throughout performances to assist patrons with any needs they may have.

For more information on accessibility, please call 312.341.2300.

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EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBER during performances is 312.341.2389.

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FIRE NOTICE: The exit indicated by a lighted sign nearest to your seat is the shortest route out of the theatre. In the event of a theatre evacuation, WALK TO THAT EXIT.

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PUBLIC TELEPHONES are located in Patron Services.

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Please turn off all ELECTRONIC DEVICES that may ring, beep, vibrate, or otherwise produce a sound that may disrupt the performance. Electronic devices include mobile phones, pagers, and watches.

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SMOKING IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED in the theatre and within 25 feet of any entrance.

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COAT CHECK is seasonal and located in the main floor lobby.

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THE USE OF VIDEO, PHOTOGRAPHY, or any other recording devices is strictly prohibited in the theatre during performances.

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OST AND FOUND: Found articles should L be left with Patron Services located in Aisle 1 of the main lobby. To determine whether a personal article has been turned in to the Lost and Found, please call 312.341.2389.

Any items lost or presumed stolen are not the responsibility of the Auditorium Theatre.

FIREARMS: In compliance with the Illinois Firearms Concealed Carry Act, the Auditorium Theatre prohibits the carrying of weapons of any kind in the theatre and on theatre property.

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AN ATM is located in Aisle 1.

A complete guide to our facilities and services is available at 1 | AuditoriumTheatre.org 2 | Box Office froymson Patron 3 | E Services Center Office

BIOS

TIGA Music, Episode 47

Based in Montreal, Tiga is a DJ/producer who has effectively worked the underground and the mainstream with his wry brand of campy electro and stark techno. Born in Montreal, Canada, Tiga’s first exposure to his future came from touring the Goa area of India with his DJ father throughout the ‘80s. Following in his father’s footsteps, Tiga began spinning in Montreal’s cooler clubs in the early ‘90s, bringing the acid house sound to Canada. Seeing as how there weren’t any events like the Goa parties he had attended, the DJ made his own and later was credited with throwing Canada’s first proper rave. The events continued as Tiga opened one of the earliest technoonly record stores, DNA, and he also started the Turbo label with fellow DJ Mark Dillon. The DJ was comfortable playing and releasing other people’s music and didn’t seriously concentrate on creating his own tunes until the 2000s. From Billboard.com

MOBY Music, Episode 47 Often tagged the king of techno — as well as the first face of techno — Moby is notable among the hordes of anonymous DJs merely because he has stepped out from behind his turntable to seek the attention typically awarded only to rock stars. Yet his music — a symphonic combination of disco beats, punk-rock speed, and anthemic lyrics — withstands the focus.

In high school, Moby formed his first band, the Vatican Commandos.

After dropping out of college, he moved to New York and started hanging out in dance clubs and DJing. By 1990, he had released some singles and EPs for the underground dance label Instinct. This led to some remix projects and a record deal with Elektra. With the release of 1995’s Everything Is Wrong, Moby stretched the techno sound.

Moby’s 1996 follow-up Animal Rights revealed his passion for punk and hardcore. With 1999’s Play, Moby managed to capture both critical acclaim and legions of new fans.

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MICHAEL GORDON Composer, Mammatus

BIOS

Composer Michael Gordon merges subtle rhythmic invention with incredible power in his music, embodying, in the words of The New Yorker’s Alex Ross, “the fury of punk rock, the nervous brilliance of free jazz and the intransigence of classical modernism.” Over the past 25 years, Gordon has produced a strikingly diverse body of work, ranging from large-scale pieces for high-energy ensembles and major orchestral commissions to works conceived specifically for the recording studio. Transcending categorization, this music represents the collision of mysterious introspection and brutal directness.

Gordon has been commissioned by Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the BBC Proms, BAM, and the Sydney 2000 Olympic Arts Festival, among others. His music has been featured prominently in the dance works of Emino Greco | PC, Wayne McGregor, Pina Bausch’s Tanztheater Wuppertal, Heinz Spoerli, Ashley Page, and Club Guy & Roni.

MARK ZAPPONE Costume Design, The Miraculous Mandarin Mark Zappone served Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) for five seasons as costume designer, shop supervisor, and wardrobe master (1983– 1988). He then moved to Monte Carlo, where he managed costume shops for Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo and Le Cabaret de Monte-Carlo, and subsequently continued on to Switzerland and Amsterdam with Holiday on Ice, then back to Seattle to work with a variety of companies, including PNB. Zappone has collaborated with many well-known choreographers and designers, including Lucinda Childs, Maurice Sendak, Christopher Wheeldon, Kent Stowell, Twyla Tharp, George Balanchine Trust, Helgi Tomasson, Molissa Fenley, Dominique Dumais, Kevin O’Day, Martin Pakledinez, Christopher Stowell, Yuri Possokhov, Paul Tazewell, Paul Gibson, and Nuno Corte-Real, among others. In addition to his many designs for PNB, he has designed for San Francisco Ballet, New York City Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Spectrum Dance Theatre, Peter Boal: Solos, and Wear Moi Dancewear of London.

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BIOS

ALEXANDER V. NICHOLS Lighting Design, Global Visionaries Broadway credits include: Wishful Drinking, Hugh Jackman — Back On Broadway, Nice Work If You Can Get It, off-Broadway productions: In Masks Outrageous and Austere, Los Big Names, Horizon, Bridge and Tunnel, Taking Over, Through the Night, and In the Wake. Nichols served as Resident Lighting Designer for Pennsylvania Ballet, Hartford Ballet, American Repertory Ballet, and as lighting supervisor for American Ballet Theatre. Other dance credits include San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, Royal Winnepeg Ballet, Alvin Ailey, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, ODC/SF, and the Margaret Jenkins Dance Company. Recent projects include the museum installation Circle of Memory, a collaboration with Eleanor Coppola, recently presented in Stockholm, Sweden; and video and visual design for LIFE: A Journey Through Time, a collaboration with Frans Lanting and Philip Glass, recently presented at the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.

The Joffrey Ballet congratulates MELISSA THODOS AND THODOS DANCE CHICAGO for 25 years of inspiring the Chicago dance community with dance creation, education, and performance.

Photo by Cheryl Mann

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THE OFFICIAL ORCHESTRA OF THE JOFFREY BALLET GLOBAL VISIONARIES

VIOLA Rose Armbrust-Griffin Principal

CLARINET Charlene Zimmerman Principal

SCOTT SPECK Artistic Director

Claudia LasareffMironoff Matthew Mantell Charles Pikler Benton Wedge

Gene Collerd Linda Baker

CELLO Barbara Haffner Principal

BASS CLARINET Linda Baker

JAMES BERKENSTOCK Artistic Advisor THOMAS MANNING Board Chairman DONNA MILANOVICH Executive Director VIOLIN Robert Hanford Concertmaster Mathias Tacke Principal Second Violin Bernardo Arias Stephen Boe Jennifer Cappelli Injoo Choi Renée-Paule Gauthier Sheila Hanford Carmen Kassinger Helen Kim Laura Miller Boen Irene Radetzky Florentina Ramniceanu Rika Seko Paul Vanderwerf

Margaret Daly Larry Glazier Judy Stone BASS Gregory Sarchet Principal Andrew Anderson Timothy Shaffer FLUTE John Thorne Principal Janice MacDonald PICCOLO Karin Ursin OBOE Anne Bach Principal Deb Stevenson ENGLISH HORN Erica Anderson

E FLAT CLARINET Gene Collerd

BASSOON John Gaudette Principal Nathaniel Hale Steven Ingle CONTRABASSOON Steven Ingle HORN Jonathan Boen Principal Melanie Cottle Steven Replogle Fritz Foss TRUMPET David Inmon Principal David Gauger Chris Hasselbring TROMBONE Reed Capshaw Principal Adam Moen

For more information about our 27th Anniversary Season, please visit us online at: chicagophilharmonic.org

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BASS TROMBONE Terry Leahy TUBA Charles Schuchat Principal TIMPANI Robert Everson Principal PERCUSSION Joel Cohen Principal Michael Folker Richard Janicki Michael Kozakis HARP Marcia Labella Principal PIANO/KEYBOARD Paul James Lewis Principal Grace Kim Principal Kuang-Hao Huang Principal MUSIC LIBRARIAN Michael Shelton PERSONNEL MANAGER Terrell Pierce

BIOS

DIEUWEKE VAN REIJ Costume Design, Mammatus Dieuweke van Reij (Netherlands) works as a scenographer for opera, dance, and theatre. She worked amongst others for Orkater, National Theatre, Dans group Amsterdam, and Oper Berlin.

Van Reij designed Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Liaisons Dangereux (Augsburg Ballet), Celeste (National Ballet Cuba), and Broken Wings (National Ballet London).

With opera director Floris Visser, she did the scenography for Rossini’s Il signor Bruschino (NL/DE), Bizet’s Carmen (Delft, NL), Puccini’s La Boheme (Osnabruck, DE), Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice (Reisopera, Enschede), and Janacek’s Jenufa (State Opera Hannover), and she designed the costumes for Mozart’s Così fan tutte for the Bolshoi Theatre Moscow, for which she was nominated at the Golden Mask Awards in Russia. In 2016, she won the Dutch theatre award for her designs of The Return of Hansel and Gretel (Orkater NL).

MAKING CONNECTIONS This season, The Joffrey Ballet toured to New York for its first full engagement as a Company in 22 years.

Thank you to Southwest Airlines, the Joffrey’s Domestic Airline Partner, for keeping us connected with our audiences on tour and at home in Chicago.

Photo by Cheryl Mann

2016–2017 SEASON Joffrey Ballet | 39

ADMINISTRATION

ASHLEY WHEATER Artistic Director

GREG CAMERON Executive Director

ARTISTIC Gerard Charles Director of Artistic Operations/ Ballet Master

Amanda Heuermann Stage Manager

Paul Key Director of Technology

Ellie Cotey Head of Wardrobe

John Kurtz Director of Facility Operations

Nicolas Blanc Ballet Master/Principal Coach

Gregg Benkovich First Assistant/Shoe Manager

Lakesha Kuye Senior Accountant

Adam Blyde Suzanne Lopez Ballet Masters

Kate Shattock Second Assistant

Lauren Martin Executive Assistant

Debra Schoell Lead Stitcher

Terry McDonough Controller

Barbara Luchsinger Stitcher

Christine O’Brien Board Manager

Daria Wright Head of Hair & Make-up

Abby Smith Administrative Assistant

Erin Tinsley Head Electrician

Amy Wicklund Director of Human Resources

Steven Lange Head Carpenter

Erin Winkler Payroll & Accounts Payable Coordinator

ACADEMY Karine Provost Academy Director Raymond Rodriguez Head of Studio Company and Trainee Program Karin Ellis-Wentz Head of Pre-Professional Programs Sally Braybrooks Academy Associate and Social Media Coordinator Allie Deaver-Petchenik Administrative Assistant

George Paulin Sound Engineer

Bridget Holmes Communications Coordinator

Marybeth Cave Assistant Electrician

Sarah Mazzulla Student Services Administrator

Joe Principe Flyman

Cara Scrementi Academy Production Manager COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Erica Lynette Edwards Director of Community Engagement Caitlyn Huynh Community Engagement Associate Elizabeth Salmonowicz Community Engagement Manager Michael Smith, Evelyn Sanchez, Linda Swayze Community Engagement Program Coordinators COMPANY ADMINISTRATION & PRODUCTION Blair Baldwin Company Manager Erin Brown Artistic & Production Administrative Assistant Katherine Selig Principal Stage Manager

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Gregg Moeller Properties Head

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Joffrey Ballet 2016–2017 SEASON

DEVELOPMENT Sarai Hoffman Chief Development Officer Rose Dillon Development Associate Julia Doherty Director of Major Gifts Vince Firpo Associate Director of Donor Relations Jerry Ochoa Assistant Director of Individual Giving Chelsea Robinson Manager of Events Petrina Suiter Assistant Director of Institutional Giving Courtney Tan Women’s Board Coordinator FINANCE & OPERATIONS Kathleen Hechinger Deputy Director & Chief Financial Officer Aaron Glynn Database Analyst

MARKETING Brian Smith Chief Marketing Officer Colene Byrd Director of Sales & Patron Services Vicki Crain Marketing Manager Sam Fain Group Sales Manager Sarah Fiala Marketing Director Casey Peek Patron Services & Marketing Associate Kyle Cornell, Allison Diamond, Fernando Fernandez, Alisa Philips Patron Services Associates MUSIC Scott Speck Music Director Grace Kim Company Pianist Paul James Lewis Senior Pianist/Music Administrator Kirk Muspratt Cover Conductor

FROM STUDIO TO STAGE YOUNG LIVES TRANSFORMED THROUGH DANCE

Eleven-year-old Christian Ayala’s first exposure to dance came through the Joffrey’s Community Engagement program. Currently serving more than 5,000 young people each year, the program provides students across Chicago with creative and educational dance programming. The Joffrey’s visit to Christian’s school sparked in him a passion for dance.

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(Clockwise from left) Johnny Philbert, Paulo Rodrigues, Jonathan Dole, Christian Ayala. All photos by Todd Rosenberg

“I didn’t know this other world existed,” Christian recalls of his first dance class. “Right away I knew that dancing was something I was supposed to do.”

Christian is now on a full scholarship to the Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet.

Being a part of the Joffrey Academy gives Christian unparalleled access to the world of dance. He routinely finds himself in the same room with pre-professional dancers including Jonathan Dole, a member of the Joffrey Academy’s Trainee Program and recipient of the Eric B. Eatherly Memorial Scholarship, and Johnny Philbert, a dancer with the Joffrey Studio Company, whose training is supported by a dance fellowship through the Luminarts Cultural Foundation. Both serve as inspiration for Christian, who hopes to one day be where they are.

“It’s a lot of hard work. But if you keep at it, I know you can do it.” Those words of encouragement from Jonathan only deepen Christian’s commitment to dance.

These young dancers benefit from the generosity of donors who believe in their artistic journeys and support scholarships to the Joffrey Academy.

The Joffrey strives to provide highquality dance education to all, regardless of ability to pay, and this drive has effects beyond the studio walls of the Joffrey Academy. Students like Christian need look no further than the Joffrey’s Company to see role models whose careers were impacted by scholarships to the Joffrey Academy.

Company member Paulo Rodrigues came to the Joffrey Academy Trainee Program in 2013 before joining the Company in 2015.

At the Academy, he was the first recipient of the Richard Ellis and Christine Du Boulay Ellis Scholarship.

Paulo has fond memories of the first time he was called as a Trainee to dance with the Company.

“Everyone was so supportive and friendly. They helped me with my technique and made me feel like I was already a part of the Company. Now that I am, I look for opportunities to support other dancers who want to someday dance professionally.”

When asked about his goals as a dancer, Christian has a simple answer that brings a wide smile to his face. “I want to dance for the Joffrey.” With the encouragement of fellow dancers in the Joffrey Academy, Company members, dedicated Joffrey staff, and supporters who believe that he too can contribute to the world of dance, Christian is well on his way to making that goal a reality.

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Students like Christian who participate in Community Engagement programs in Chicago schools can continue their exploration of dance by taking classes at Joffrey Tower thanks to the Beth Levine Bridge Program. The classes serve as a bridge between students’ first exposure to dance and their participation as dancers in the Joffrey Academy.

Students demonstrating excellent behavior, attendance, and progress are then eligible for full scholarships to the Joffrey Academy.

We are grateful to The Reva and David Logan Foundation who challenged our community to support scholarships to the Joffrey Academy for these young dancers and helped jumpstart the Joffrey’s scholarship campaign by generously matching contributions to the Joffrey Academy in 2016.

The lives of aspiring dancers are truly transformed by the dedication to equality in arts education exhibited by the Beth Levine Bridge Program, The Reva and David Logan Foundation, and all donors to the Joffrey Academy.

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“I love that Trainees have classes with [Joffrey Artistic Director] Ashley [Wheater]. He pushes us to dance with our whole body and not just our legs. That is the difference between a pre-professional dancer and a professional dancer.”

— Jonathan Dole

“Being a Luminarts Fellow is great! It has allowed me to meet and talk to people outside the world of dance who care about the art and want to help me succeed in my goals.”

— Johnny Philbert

The Joffrey Ballet would like to extend thanks to those who provide support for scholarships to the Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet.

Linda Abrahamson Anderson-Barnicle Family Foundation Suzanne and David Arch Peter J. Barack William Barrett Martha E. Beavers Luann Blowers and David Blowers John Brazzale Paul Glavin Luminarts Cultural Foundation Fellowship

by Myrna Kaplan Aaron Martell Jo Ann McNaughton-Kade and Christopher Kade Janice Rodgers Betty Seid and Richard Seid Rita Spitz and David Blears Penelope Steiner and Robert Steiner Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Townsend Scott Yonover Eric B. Eatherly Memorial Scholarship Donors Ashley Becker Suzanne Bessette-Smith Jason Bird Tammy Blevis Aaron Boesky Frances Chapman Sarah Cioffi Gina Cocking and William Turner Natalie M. DeRose Adam Docks Adam Dunn Joseph Eatherly The Elia Group LLC Kristina Entner and Edward Malone Paul Fangman Brett Feinberg Fran and Dennis Ferrazzano Sarah Fiala Ann Finn Julie Fleetwood and Robert Fleetwood Nancy Follis J. Victor Frandel Jill Franklin Joyce Gallego

Beverly Goldenberg and Michael Goldenberg Lori Goldman and Alan Goldman Valerie Goldstein Hannah Jurowicz Melvin M. Kaftan Revocable Living Trust Howard Kirschbaum Kathi Kobylarz and Patrick Kobylarz Lynn Kresch and Ari Kresch Alison Leff Leibovitz Family Philanthropic Fund Barak Leibovitz Jay Leibovitz Lew and Laurie Leibowitz Rena Leibovitz Scott Leibovitz Bill Leone Francine Less and Richard Wark Holly Liberatore Alexander Lourie Michael Merar Laura Mishkin Teresa Molenda and Richard Zielinski Morgan Stanley-Shayne Fund Robert Nachman Elizabeth Neukirch Christine Nichols Ann Nikchevich and Richard Nikchevich Karen O’Malley Deborah Page and Thomas Page Suzanne Palm Pappas Foundation Emily Perrine and W. P. Perrine William Perrine Zachary Raimi Irene Renieris Jennifer Rogers Roberta Salas

Steven Schwartz Bryan Segal Jeremy Segal Michael R. Shoemaker Sills Foundation Beth Silverman Wendi Sloane Katherine Sprenger Kartika Sujdak Keren Toby James Whitney Bobby Xydis Richard Ellis and Christine Du Boulay Ellis Scholarship Donors Anonymous Mary Jo and Doug Basler Audre M. Carlin Richard Covello B. J. Degler Sandy and Roger Deromedi Christine Du Boulay Ellis Lorna Ferguson and Terry Clark David L. Hearn and Lise Hearn Werner and Paula Meier Patricia Sayre Patricia B. Sigurdson Pamela and Russ Strobel Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Townsend Dana Shepard Treister and Dr. Michael Roy Treister Robert F. Vander Schaaf Loesken Vanderpoel Jocelyn S. White The Reva and David Logan Foundation Challenge Donors Anonymous Patty Perkins Andringa Constance Bonbrest Bradbury Family Jeanne Brett John R. Brundage

Mrs. Joyce Chelberg Lawrence Corry Julia and Matt Doherty Wendy Eager Lorna Ferguson and Terry Clark Carla B. Hairston Sarai Hoffman and Stephen Pratt Laura Kalinski Dennis D. Kendzora Robert Kohl and Clark Pellett Mr. and Mrs. Zachary D. Lazar, Jr. Lefkofsky Family Foundation The Reva and David Logan Foundation Teresa McDonough Prof. Keith and Anne Moffat Karine Provost Thomas G. Sinkovic Katherine M. Stelletello Karen Straub Andrew Thorrens and Donald Mizerk John Washburn Mr. and Mrs. Ronald V. Waters III I.B. Weil and Thomas Weil Gifts received between January 1, 2012 and March 20, 2017.

To learn more about how you can impact the lives of the next generation of great dancers, visit Joffrey.org/scholarship or contact Vince Firpo at 312.386.8909.

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FINAL BOW “ Anastacia is a standout.

I have respected her since my first weeks at the Joffrey. She has incredible intelligence, technique, coordination and control. She brings musicality to her movement, which is not necessarily clear from the choreography. It is a form of alchemy and the basis of true artistry.” — Ashley Wheater

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T H E J O F F R E Y C E L E B R AT E S R E T I R I N G D A N C E R S

ANASTACIA HOLDEN & MAHALLIA WARD

“I have admired Mahallia since first watching her dance in the Academy. She brings a lovely quality to the stage. I will remember her from standout roles in Continuum, Fairy Godmother in Cinderella and Sylvia. I know that she will bring the same beauty and grace to her next role as mother for her new baby. I wish her the best in her move towards family in North Carolina.” — Ashley Wheater

Photos by Cheryl Mann

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CUT: DIRECTOR’S

ALEXANDER EKMAN IT’S ALL ABOUT THE TIMING When the Chicago Dancing Festival proposed that the Joffrey perform Alexander Ekman’s Episode 31 at the 2013 summer festival, Joffrey Artistic Director Ashley Wheater not only embraced the opportunity as a challenge to his dancers and audience, but immediately saw it as a path to bringing more of Ekman’s witty work to Chicago — the ultimate goal being a work set specifically on the Joffrey. A few years later, that goal comes to fruition with the world premiere of Episode 47 on this Global Visionaries program and moving forward with one of the Swedish choreographer’s acclaimed full-length works — Midsummer Night’s Dream — slated for spring of next season.

Continued on page 50.

2016–2017 SEASON Joffrey Ballet | 49

Ekman (continued)

Ekman, 33, started dancing at the age of five and went on to perform with European companies including the Royal Swedish Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater II, and Cullberg Ballet. “I’ve always been dancing,” he said. While dancing in Sweden, he participated in a choreographic workshop, and as they say, the rest is history. In 2006, he stopped dancing to choreograph full time and has created over 40 works. “I never made the decision to not dance; I just decided to choreograph more, and at some point it was a conflict between Alex-the-dancer and Alex-the-choreographer.”

Even though the Joffrey has previously performed Ekman’s work, the process of creating a new work is like starting from scratch. “When you do an existing work, you step into other people’s shoes,” Ekman said. “Now, it’s the first time I’m meeting many of them. It’s quite a remarkable atmosphere here. I’ve worked with over 40 companies now and it’s quite rare to find this kind of equality within the group. It’s a family. I sometimes miss being part of a group and just being one of the dancers, but I’m responsible for their lives in the theater and I take that seriously.”

50 | Joffrey Ballet 2016–2017 SEASON

Ekman is known globally for his humor and originality, frequently incorporating multi-media elements like voiceover commentary, live singing, LED screens, short films, as well as elements of nature like water (A Swan Lake) and hay bales (Midsummer Night’s Dream). One thing unique to his work is the timing. He uses a director’s eye to curate even his shorter, non-narrative works, so there is a through line for the audience to follow. “I can do ballet or whatever, I don’t care about the ingredients, but the timing is the same. I love timing.

Something can work or not depending on just one second.

I find that quite fascinating.”

Ekman is known globally for his humor and originality

Joffrey audiences are familiar with his shorter works, but Ekman has now created three full-evening ballets.

After tackling such big projects, setting smaller pieces suddenly seems a bit less daunting.

All photos by Todd Rosenberg

Joffrey Dancer Amanda Assucena

“With a full-length ballet like Midsummer, there are a lot of things happening, it’s not just dance. It’s almost like a movie — directed from beginning to end,” said Ekman.

“Episode 47 is fun and we did do some improvisation to bring in the dancers’ personalities. Without a set story, I could be more random, but it’s a bit more frightening because I didn’t come into it knowing what it would become. It’s important sometimes to dare to not know. I have no rules for my work, but I think it’s very important to surprise the audience. When we get surprised, we wake up from our expectations and can be taken anywhere.”

2016–2017 SEASON Joffrey Ballet | 51

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