Mar 25 & 26, 2023

Digital Program for The Joffrey Ballet

Mobile-friendly Program
Of Mice and Men

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Advisory: This production Of Mice and Men includes the use of a prop gun and a gunshot sound effect.

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Kari Schloner

Greetings! Welcome to this very special performance by The Joffrey Ballet! They say that the third time's the charm and that certainly holds true this weekend. The Joffrey was originally scheduled to be part of the 2020-2021 season that was entirely reshaped due to the pandemic, and then was rescheduled again after the January parapet wall collapse here at Northrop. It is truly a delight to welcome them to the Carlson Family Stage tonight for a program that will showcase the depth and breadth of The Joffrey Ballet’s excellence.

This performance is emblematic of the pandemic’s ongoing silver linings. The arrival of COVID-19 in March of 2020 forced us all to reimagine our relationship to live performances and large gatherings and to reconstruct the ways that audiences and artists connected. While many of our performances moved to various online formats, others, such as The Joffrey Ballet, faced cancellation or indefinite postponement. Instead, we innovated, invested in artists, audiences, and the future, and the Northrop Centennial Commissions program was born. This program provided eight companies, whose performances were either canceled or postponed, with residencies and financial support to create new work, while simultaneously offering our communities opportunities to engage with the artists throughout the process. This transformational program will continue to support at least one company each year, acting as a runway to Northrop’s centennial anniversary in 2029 and leaving behind a legacy of new work to be appreciated for generations to come. Northrop is very proud to be a co-commissioner of The Joffrey Ballet’s reimagined Of Mice and Men. I invite you to take a couple minutes to watch this beautiful video about the process of its creation.

I also want to give a special thanks to our subscribers and donors. You helped to make tonight's performance possible. When performances were canceled due to the arrival of the pandemic in March 2020, 239 of you donated the value of your tickets to Northrop. These ticket donations were the seeds that became the Northrop Commissioning Project Fund. If you donated your ticket back to Northrop, or have made a donation to this fund since then, thank you for dreaming big with us. I invite you to learn more about the Northrop Centennial Commissions program, our current projects, and how you can support the ongoing creation of new work infused with new perspectives. Thank you, and enjoy tonight’s performance.

Gratefully,

Kari Schloner
Executive Director 

 

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Jeff Bieganek

Welcome to a very special Northrop 2022-23 Dance Season event! It is a privilege to have you in attendance at The Joffrey Ballet featuring another Northrop Centennial Commission—Of Mice and Men—John Steinback’s literary classic adapted by choreographer Cathy Marston. To those who donated to this vital commissioning program that supports new works—thank you.

I hope you can join us for upcoming Dance Series performances which offer moments of beauty and surprise, as will our remaining ENCORE event—a pre-performance dinner with members from The State Ballet of Georgia. I know you’ll be inspired by these extraordinary opportunities to connect with the art and artists, and I invite you to bring family and friends to share these memorable experiences with you.

As we enjoy this season and look to the future, I invite you to support Northrop’s programs, helping to shine bright lights on our stage. Please consider supporting the important work that Northrop is doing now and in the future to inspire positive change in our world. The Northrop Advisory Board is growing along with new opportunities to engage, if you are interested in learning more, please contact us at northrop@umn.edu. And if you see me in Northrop, please don’t hesitate to introduce yourself! I would love to meet you.

Thank you for attending. Your presence makes Northrop all the better, and we look forward to seeing you at many more Northrop events!

Jeff Bieganek, Northrop Advisory Board Chair

 

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THE JOFFREY BALLET

Sat, Mar 25 & Sun, Mar 26, 7:00 pm 
Carlson Family Stage

The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director Ashley Wheater MBE
Conductor Michael Morciz

The Joffrey Ballet in Serenade

Photo by Cheryl Mann

Serenade

(32 minutes)

Composed by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreography by George Balanchine
Staged by Deborah Wingert
Costumes Design by Barbara Karinska
Lighting Design by Jack Mehler
Lighting Recreated by Chris Marawich

Valeria Chaykina, Victoria Jaiani, Gayeon Jung, Edson Barbosa, Stefan Goncalvez, Lucia Connolly, Anabelle de la Nuez, Natali Taht, Miu Tanaka, Coco Alvarez-Mena, Anais Bueno, Olivia Duryea, Dara Holmes, Yumi Kanazawa, Nae Kojima, Brooke Linford, Princess Reid, Basia Rhoden, Christine Rocas, Julia Rust, Lauren Bemisderfer*, Isadora Bless*, Brian Bennett, José Pablo Castro Cuevas, Jonathan Dole, Yuchan Kim

World Premiere: Mar 1, 1935, American Ballet, Adelphi Theater, NY
Joffrey Ballet Premiere: Apr 27, 2022, Lyric Opera House, Chicago, IL

Choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust

Intermission (15 minutes)

The Joffrey Ballet in Of Mice and Men

Photo by Cheryl Mann

Of Mice and Men

(55 minutes)

Choreography by Cathy Marston
Composed by Thomas Newman
Scenario by Cathy Marston And Edward Kemp
Based on the book by John Steinbeck
Set & Lighting Design by Lorenzo Savoini
Costume Design by Bregje Van Balen

George | Xavier Núñez and Alberto Velazquez
Lennie | Dylan Gutierrez
Curley | Zachary Manske
Curley's Wife | Amanda Assucena
Candy | Yoshihisa Arai
Crooks | Brian Bennett
Slim | Jonathan Dole
The Boss | Valentino Moneglia Zamora
Carlson | Graham Maverick
Whit | José Pablo Castro Cuevas
Women of Weed | Gayeon Jung, Yumi Kanazawa, Brooke Linford
Soledad Bar Women| Lucia Connolly, Dara Holmes
Men of Weed and Ranch Workers | Derek Drilon, Hyuma Kiyosawa, Aaron Renteria

World Premiere: Apr 27, 2022, Lyric Opera House, Chicago, IL

OF MICE AND MEN Copyright © 1937 by John Steinbeck
Copyright © renewed 1965 by John Steinbeck
OF MICE AND MEN © Choreography by Cathy Marston

Intermission (15 minutes)

The Joffrey Ballet in The Times Are Racing

Photo by Cheryl Mann

The Times Are Racing

(22 minutes)

Choreography by Justin Peck
Music by Dan Deacon
Staged by Craig Hall
Costume Design by Humberto Leon
Lighting Design by Brandon Stirling Baker
Sound Design by Abe Jacob

Dara Holmes, Edson Barbosa, Jeraldine Mendoza, Dylan Gutierrez, Anais Bueno, Brooke Linford, Christine Rocas, Graham Maverick, Valeria Chaykina, Lucia Connolly, Yumi Kanazawa, Princess Reid, Julia Rust, Miu Tanaka,Yoshihisa Arai, Evan Boersma, José Pablo Castro Cuevas, Hyuma Kiyosawa, , Valentino Moneglia Zamora, Aaron Renteria

World Premiere: Jan 26, 2017, New York City Ballet, David H. Koch Theater, New York, NY
Joffrey Premiere: Feb 12, 2020, Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL

Original Beatles Compositions (SESAC) administered by 2011 Ribbon Music (SESAC) administered by Domino US Publishing Company (SESAC).
Selections from Dan Deacon’s America
USA I — Is A Monster  | USA II — The Great American Desert
USA III — Rail | USA IV — Manifest

Costume Construction by The Joffrey Ballet Costume Shop

Northrop's Ballet Orchestra for The Joffrey Ballet

Orchestra Prepared by Rebecca Arons / RDA Productions

First Violin
Stephanie Arado, Concertmaster 
Heidi Amundson
Karl Braaten
Catherine Himmerich
Ashley Ng
Stephanie Skor
Lindsey Bordner
Elizabeth York

Second Violin
Leslie Shank, Principal
Maisie Block
Mary Alice Hutton
Kseniya Khvashchynskaya
Renata Steve
Hillary Kingsley
Meredith Vaughn

Viola
Susan Janda, Principal 
Nicole Swanson
Thomas Bandar
Jenny Nilsson
Kelsey Farr

Cello
Sally Dorer, Principal
Rebecca Arons
Ben Osterhouse
Will Richardson

Bass
Fred Bretschger, Principal
Charles Block
Nadja Gale

Flute
Alicia McQuerrey

Flute/Piccolo
Bethany Summersgill

Oboe
Michael Dayton

Oboe/English Horn
Jeffrey Marshak

Clarinet
Karrin Meffert-Nelson

Clarinet/Bass Clarinet
Paul Schimming

Bassoon
Matthew Bertrand

Horn
Charles Hodgson
Jenna McBride-Harris
Katelyn Lewis

Northrop's Ballet Orchestra for The Joffrey Ballet
Orchestra Prepared by Rebecca Arons / RDA Productions

Trumpet
Martin Hodel
Chris Volpe

Trombone
Phillip Ostrander
Carson King-Fournier

Bass Trombone
John Tranter

Tuba
Jason Tanksley

Timpani
Kory Andry

Percussion
Stephen Kimball

Coco Alvarez-Mena

Coco Alvarez-Mena

Originally from Miami, Florida, Coco Alvarez-Mena is proud to be a first-generation Cuban-American. She began her training at Dance Town Dance Studios under the direction of Maria Eugenia Lorenzo and Manny and Lory Castro. She then attended The Harid Conservatory for pre-professional Vaganova ballet training on full scholarship. Upon graduation in 2015, she was awarded the Cerrone Award for excellence in dance performance. Alvarez-Mena went on to attend USC’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance on a quarter tuition scholarship and is honored to be part of the inaugural graduating class. At USC, Alvarez-Mena trained and collaborated choreographically with William Forsythe and Jodie Gates while being mentored by Balanchine répétiteur Zippora Karz. She also performed alongside professional companies at USC and Laguna Dance Festival. After graduating in 2019 she joined Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT) as a corps de ballet dancer. She spent three seasons with the company and was fortunate to work with several world-renowned repetiteurs and choreographers. Some of her favorite works from her time at OBT include In the Middle Somewhat Elevated and The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude by William Forsythe, In Dreams by Trey McIntyre, and Dreamland by Dani Rowe. In addition to her work with OBT, she has been hired to dance for various multi-media projects and company guestings including The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet and Barak Ballet. Alvarez-Mena has admired The Joffrey Ballet since she was a young girl and is incredibly excited for her first season as a Company Artist.

Yoshihisa Arai

Yoshihisa Arai

Born in Hiroshima, Japan, Yoshihisa Arai began his ballet training when he was 10 years old with the International Ballet Academy under Mika Tamaru. In 2005, he joined The Royal Ballet School in London where he performed in CoppéliaLe CorsaireLa SylphideGallantries by David Bintley, and Unwritten by Natalie Weir. The same year, he appeared before Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall at Buckingham Palace, performing an original work as part of an ensemble. Arai graduated with honors and received The Royal Ballet School Achievement Award. In 2007, he performed at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, with the Paris Opera Ballet School and was a Prix de Lausanne finalist. At The Royal Ballet, he performed roles in The Rite of Spring and George Balanchine’s Jewels, among many others. In 2008, Arai joined Northern Ballet under the direction of David Nixon. During his time there he danced in many acclaimed roles in The NutcrackerA Midsummer Night’s DreamWuthering HeightsSwan LakeMadame ButterflyGiselleDangerous Liaisons, and Cleopatra. He collaborated with Dame Gillian Lynne in 2010, developing an original role for the 45th anniversary gala for Northern Ballet. In 2011, he joined Tulsa Ballet as a demi-soloist, where he worked with internationally acclaimed choreographers and performed in pieces including The Merry WidowIn the Middle, Somewhat ElevatedSix DancesNine Sinatra SongsRomeo and Juliet; and Le Spectre de la Rose. At the Joffrey, Arai has performed a principal role in Sylvia by John Neumeier, landed a leading role in The Nutcracker choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon OBE, appeared in the role of Prince in Cinderella by Sir Frederick Ashton, and performed in pieces by Balanchine, Jiří Kylián, Wayne McGregor, and Justin Peck, among other world-renowned choreographers. In 2016, he created an original role for The Miraculous Mandarin, and in 2018, he choreographed Firebird Suite for The Joffrey Ballet Studio Company. 

Amanda Assucena

Amanda Assucena

Amanda Assucena started ballet at the age of eight in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At age 14, she moved to the United States and completed her ballet studies at The Harid Conservatory in Florida. Assucena joined The Joffrey Ballet in 2013, and since then has performed works by world renowned choreographers like Liam Scarlett, Christopher Wheeldon, Yuri Possokhov, John Neumeier, George Balanchine, Frederick Ashton, Alexander Ekman, Justin Peck, Wayne McGregor, Cathy Marston, and Jiří Kylián. Her repertoire includes lead roles such as Juliet, Cinderella, Odette/Odile, Giselle, Sylvia, Sugarplum Fairy, Anna Karenina, and Jane Eyre. Since joining the Joffrey, Assucena has performed on stages all over the world such as England, France, and Russia.

Edson Barbosa

Edson Barbosa

Edson Barbosa was raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and began his training in ballet, jazz, and tap at age 10 at Grupo Cultural de Dança, Ilha, with Patricia Marques. He was voted Best Male Dancer at the Festival de Danca de Joinville in 2012 — the largest dance competition by number of dancers, as documented by Guinness World Records. He received a full scholarship to study at the Miami City Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Washington Ballet, The Harid Conservatory, and Princess Grace Academy. He was also a Top 12 finalist at the Youth American Grand Prix in New York in 2010 and 2012, Top 6 finalist at the Beijing International Ballet Invitational for Dance Schools in China, and performed at the Opening Ceremony as a guest artist at the Danzamerica in Argentina. Barbosa was a prize winner at the prestigious Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland, where he was voted the best male dancer of the 40th edition in 2012, receiving a scholarship to be a trainee at the San Francisco Ballet School under the direction of Patrick Armand. While in the school he worked in contemporary workshops with Antoine Vereecken and Wayne McGregor, performed lead roles in ballets choreographed by renowned artists in the dance world, such as Christopher Wheeldon, Val Caniparoli, Myles Thatcher, Parrish Maynard, and the main company's director, Helgi Tomasson. Barbosa has had the opportunity to work in the main company's productions of Ramyonda, Giselle, The Nutcracker, and Romeo & Juliet, as well as Serge Lifar's Suite en Blanc, John Cranko's Onegin, Christopher Wheeldon's Cinderella, and Yuri Possokhov's Firebird. With The Joffrey Ballet, Barbosa has performed Balanchine’s Prodigal Son; Possokhov’s RaKu and The Miraculous Mandarin; Tudor’s Lilac Garden; Wheeldon’s Swan Lake, Fool’s Paradise, and The Nutcracker; Robert Joffrey’s The Nutcracker; Ekman’s Tulle, Episode 31, and Joy; Caniparoli’s Incantations; Welch’s Son of Chamber Symphony; Peck’s In Creases and Year of the Rabbit; Lopez Ochoa’s Mammatus; Neumeier’s Sylvia; Thatcher’s Body of your Dreams; Ashton’s Cinderella; Arpino’s Round of Angels; as well as The Red Boy in Welch’s Maninyas, Young Couple in Blanc’s Evenfall, The Dude in Kudelka’s The Man in Black, Spanish Solo in Arpino’s Viva Vivaldi, the White Pas de Deux in Kylián’s Forgotten Land, Tybalt in Pastor’s Romeo & Juliet, and Solo in McGregor’s Infra. He also originated the Man Duet role in Page’s Tipping Point.

Brian Bennett

Brian Bennett

Brian Bennett is from Lanham, MD. He began his dance training in the Competition circuit where he performed tap, jazz, hip hop, and contemporary routines at talent competitions across the United States, winning multiple awards. He began his ballet training in high school at Baltimore School for the Arts under the direction of Norma Pera. During this time he attended summer programs on full scholarship with San Francisco Ballet School, American Ballet Theatre, and George Mason University. After high school, Bennett attended Butler University in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science degree in Arts Administration under the direction of Larry Attaway. After his time at Butler he was awarded a scholarship to attend Joffrey Academy of Dance as a Trainee under the Artistic Direction of Raymond Rodriguez and Ashley Wheater MBE before becoming a company artist with Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT), under the direction of Kevin Irving, for OBT's 2019-2020 season. He danced with OBT for 2 years before returning to Chicago. This is his first season as a company artist with The Joffrey Ballet.

Evan Boersma

Evan Boersma

Evan Boersma was born in Chicago, Illinois, and grew up in Dyer, Indiana. He began dancing at a local dance studio at age five and continued until age 14. In 2013, Boersma was accepted to the dance department at the Chicago Academy for the Arts under the direction of Randy Duncan. At the Academy, he received his classical training from Natalie Rast, Guillermo Leyva, and Patrick Simoniello while also receiving training in jazz and modern dance. He graduated from the Academy in May, 2017. Boersma competed in the Youth American Grand Prix in 2017 where he was awarded first place in Chicago, and invited to compete in the YAGP Finals competition in New York City. Boersma attended The Joffrey Ballet Summer Intensive in 2014 and 2017, where he was invited to join the Joffrey Studio Company for the 2017-2018 season. In the fall of 2017, Boersma was promoted to the main company. During his time with the Studio Company, he danced roles in ballets including Viva VivaldiNapoli, and Episode 31.

Anais Bueno

Anais Bueno

Anais Bueno joined The Joffrey Ballet in 2013. She grew up in Córdoba, Mexico, where she started her first ballet lessons at Fomento Artístico Cordobés at the age of six years old. While in Mexico, she successfully took part in two national ballet competitions, winning the silver medal and later the gold. At the Youth America Grand Prix in 2003, Bueno won a scholarship to the John Cranko School in Stuttgart, Germany, where she continued her dance education under the direction of Tadeusz Matacz until she graduated in 2007. In the 2007–2008 season, Bueno joined The Stuttgart Ballet’s corps de ballet, performing in many John Cranko works such as Romeo and Juliet, Onegin, Taming of the Shrew, and Swan Lake. It was in Stuttgart where she got her first solo opportunity dancing Giselle’s Peasant Pas de Deux and worked with choreographers such as John Neumeier, Marco Goecke, Christian Spuck, and Demis Volpi. In 2012 she joined Boston Ballet for one season, where she performed the lead role in Jiri Kylian’s Tar and Feathers, soloist roles in Frederick Ashton’s Sleeping Beauty, and danced various works by George Balanchine such as Symphony in C, Serenade, and Coppelia. Since joining the Joffrey, Bueno has danced many roles in different ballets, including Stanton Welch’s La Bayadere and Maninyas, Robert Joffrey’s The Nutcracker, Christopher Wheeldon’s Continuum, Swan Lake, and Fool’s Paradise, Alexander Ekman’s Episode 31, Tulle, and the world premiere of Joy, Justin Peck’s In Creases, Year of the Rabbit, and The Times are Racing, Mammatus by Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa, Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine, as well as the leading roles in Val Caniparoli’s Incantations, Wayne Mcgregor’s Infra, and Ekman’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, the roles of Marie and The Golden Statue in Wheeldon’s The Nutcracker, Jane in Cathy Marston’s Jane Eyre, and originated the role of Kitty in Yuri Possokhov’s Anna Karenina. Bueno has performed in different countries, including Canada, Cuba, Japan, Hungary, England, China, Spain, Germany, and Korea. She has been featured in Mexico’s Vogue magazine and on the cover of Dance Magazine Europe.

Valeria Chaykina

Valeria Chaykina

Valeria Chaykina was born in Podporozhye, a small town in Russia. At the age of seven she moved to St. Petersburg, Russia, to receive her ballet education at the Vaganova Ballet Academy. Throughout the years of her training at the Academy, she worked with great teachers and the stars of the Russian ballet like Konstantin Zaklinsky and Altynai Asylmuratova. Chaykina has also performed at the Mariinsky Theatre with The Academy and danced the main role of Marie in Vaganova’s The Nutcracker at the age of 13. After graduating The Academy in 2012, she joined Leonid Jacobson St. Petersburg State Academic Ballet Theatre as a soloist and has performed several roles in classical ballets including Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and Giselle. In 2013, Chaykina moved to Moscow where she joined Moscow Ballet, also as a soloist, and toured around the world performing in theaters in Spain, Italy, Japan, and Lebanon. In 2014 Chaykina came to America to train in Balanchine technique and was accepted at the Miami City Ballet School on a full scholarship. While there, she trained with Lourdes Lopez, Geta Constantinescu, Olivier Pardina and danced principal roles including George Balanchine's Western Symphony (Second Movement principal), Harald Lander's Études, and Mikhail Fokine's Les Sylphides. That year, Chaykina was also chosen for the second season of Teen Vogue's Strictly Ballet online TV series and was featured in the June/July issue of Teen Vogue magazine. In 2015, Chaykina joined The Joffrey Ballet. Since joining the Joffrey, she has performed numerous roles including Spring Fairy in Sir Frederick Ashton's Cinderella; Peasant Pas de deux in Lola DeAvila’s Giselle; Lover’s Pas de deux in Alexander Ekman’s Midsummer Night’s Dream; Trio in Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's Mammatus; Spanish dance and cygnets in Christopher Wheeldon’s Swan Lake. And other great works like Myles Thatcher's Body of Your Dreams; Jerome Robbins’ Glass Pieces; George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments; Justin Peck's Year of the Rabbit and The Times Are Racing; Yuri Possokhov’s Anna Karenina; John Neumeier’s Sylvia; Christopher Wheeldon’s The Nutcracker; Nicolas Blanc’s Beyond The Shore; Alexander Ekman’s JOY; Krzysztof Pastor’s Romeo and Juliet; and Cathy Marston’s Jane Eyre.

Lucia Connolly

Lucia Connolly

Lucia Connolly was born in Los Angeles, California, and began her training at age five with Westside School of Ballet under the direction of Yvonne Mounsey. There she performed in many ballets including The Nutcracker (Sugarplum Fairy), Sleeping Beauty (Aurora), Serenade (Waltz Girl), and Don Quixote (Kitri). In 2016, she graduated from The School of American Ballet. There she performed in Jerome Robbins’ Fanfare in the annual Workshop Performance. She also danced at both the Women's Choreographic Institute and the New York Choreographic Institute appearing in new works by Rachel Hutsell and Dana Genshaft. Connolly has attended summer programs at The School of American Ballet, San Francisco Ballet School, and Boston Ballet School, all on scholarship. She has also performed two seasons with Barak Ballet, originating roles in Aether by Melissa Barak, and Tableaux Vivants by Nicolas Blanc. Her other interests include going to the beach, cooking, and hanging out with family and friends, without whom nothing would be possible.

José Pablo Castro Cuevas

José Pablo Castro Cuevas

José Pablo Castro Cuevas was born in Queretaro, Mexico, and started dancing at the age of six. He participated for the first time in the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) Mexico in 2013 and received scholarships for the Escuela Superior de Musica y Danza de Monterrey and for PROVER Programa Profesional de Ballet en Córdoba, Veracruz, Córdoba, where he continued his training under the direction of Martha Sahagun and Adria Velazquez. In 2015, he competed in the National Ballet Competition in Mexico City and got an invitation to the L’École Supérieure de Ballet du Québec and was mentioned as an honorific dancer. He attended YAGP Mexico once again in 2015 in which he received a scholarship for the Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, in Chicago. Castro moved to Chicago at the age of 14 to join the Joffrey Academy’s Pre-Professional Program Level VI, and then the Conservatory Program, both directed by Karin Ellis-Wentz. Shortly after, Raymond Rodriguez, the Abbott Academy Director of the Joffrey Academy, offered him a promotion to the Studio Company. During his time at the Joffrey Academy, he had the chance to perform with the main company several times, including Christopher Wheeldon’s world premiere of The Nutcracker in 2016, as well as in the following two seasons, and Wayne McGregor’s INFRA. He performed as one of the lead dancers in Gerald Arpino’s Viva Vivaldi and as Franz in the ballet Coppélia, both during his time as a member of Joffrey’s Studio Company.

Anabelle de la Nuez

Anabelle de la Nuez

Anabelle de la Nuez has performed on stage since the age of two. She began her formal training at the age of six, at de la Dance Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, under her parents, Meridith Benson and Mario de la Nuez. She was fortunate enough to perform in de la Dance Company’s productions for 16 years. As a student in the school, she performed all the typical roles in The Nutcracker, moving on to Clara at age 13. At 15, she was promoted from the school to the company where she quickly grew into performing the lead roles in ballets such as Giselle, Coppelia, La Sylphide, Paquita, The Nutcracker, Cinderella, and Swan Lake. De la Nuez spent two summers attending American Ballet Theatre’s summer intensive. She participated in YAGP in 2018 and 2019, where she was invited to compete in the New York City finals. Coming from a dancing family, De la Nuez shares her passion for dance with her parents, her older sister Amelie, twin sister, Angelina, who is currently dancing with Grand Rapids Ballet, and older brother Michael, who dances with American Ballet Theatre. De la Nuez was offered a contract with Joffrey at 17 and is thrilled to begin her first year with the company.

Jonathan Dole

Jonathan Dole

Jonathan Dole was born in Bellingham, WA, and grew up in Sacramento, CA. He began dancing at a small studio doing one tap class a week. By age 15 he had been convinced to try a ballet summer intensive and found a new love, ballet. He then moved to the biggest dance school in the Sacramento area and began training in ballet and contemporary. In 2016, Dole joined the Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, as a Trainee. In 2017, he attended the Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP) where he was awarded first place in Chicago and was invited to compete in the YAGP International Finals in New York City. Dole was awarded top 12 senior men in the New York International Finals. He continued his training at the Joffrey Academy for two more years as a Studio Company member, taking summer programs with The Bolshoi Ballet, Houston Ballet, and The Royal Ballet. In 2019, Dole was promoted to the main company at The Joffrey Ballet. During his time with the Academy, Dole performed in Swan Lake as Von Rothbart, Nicolas Blanc’s Ferdinand the Bull, Don Quixote, Gerald Arpino’s Viva Vivaldi and Suite Saint-Saens, Alexander Ekman’s Episode 31, and Bournonville’s Napoli.

Derek Drilon

Derek Drilon

Derek Drilon grew up in Vancouver, Washington. He began his training at Northwest Classical Ballet (NCB) under the direction of his mother, Maricar Drilon in 2009. During his years at NCB, he performed numerous principal roles in several full-length ballets and contemporary works including international performances in countries such as China, Canada, France, and the Philippines. Drilon joined the Studio Company of The Joffrey Ballet in 2015, where he danced in The Nutcracker Suite (Cavalier) and in Coppelia (Franz). He also performed with the main company in Robert Joffrey’s The Nutcracker (Snow Wind) and Sir Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella (Court Couple). In 2016, he joined Boston Ballet under the direction of Mikko Nissinen and associate direction of Peter Stark. With Boston Ballet II, he performed in La Bayadere (Solor), George Balanchine’s Haieff Divertimento, Christopher Wheeldon’s The American (Principal Couple), and Flames of Paris pas de deux, as well as in the main company such as Ivan Liska’s Le Corsaire, Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker, William Forsythe’s Artifact 2017, Jorma Eli’s Pièce d’ occasion, Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty, John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet, and August Bournonville’s La Sylphide. In 2016, he was the Grand Prix winner of the Youth America Grand Prix semi-final in Chicago, IL. After moving on to the final round in New York, he was the only male candidate representing the U.S. to place among the top six Senior Men. Drilon was also a competitor in the 2018 XI USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, MS. Since joining the Joffrey, he has performed in Christopher Wheeldon’s Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, Yuri Possokhov’s Anna Karenina, Liam Scarlet’s Vespertine, Yoshihisa Arai’s Afternoon Watch, Andrea Walker’s HOME, Nicolas Blanc’s Beyond The Shore, Stephanie Martinez’s Bliss!, Justin Peck’s The Times Are Racing, and the world premiere of Nicolas Blanc’s Under The Trees’ Voices. In 2019, Drilon was invited to join Ballet Philippines as a Guest Artist for their 50th anniversary season where he performed the role of Albrecht in Giselle. After a year and a half hiatus from the stage, he danced his first live performance in May of 2021 as Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake with Barlow Ballet Theatre. Soon after, he appeared as a Guest Artist with Long Beach Ballet also performing the role of Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake.

Fernando Duarte

Fernando Duarte

Fernando Duarte grew up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and received their training at the Escola Estadual de Danças Maria Olenewa. In 2008, they were awarded a full scholarship to train at The Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, FL. With the guidance of the teachers at Harid, and Franco De Vita and Raymond Lukens at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in New York, they were offered a traineeship with the Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, where they danced lead roles in ballets such as Cinderella, Coppélia and contemporary works by former Academy Artistic Director Alexei Kremnev. Since joining The Joffrey Ballet, Duarte has danced many roles in the Joffrey's extensive repertory such as Lar Lubovich’s Othello, Yuri Possokov’s Don Quixote, Krzysztof Pastor’s Romeo & Juliet, Val Caniparoli’s Incantations, and Justin Peck’s In Creases. Duarte received the Jeannot B. Cerrone Award for excellence in dance performance, an award given to the students who most improve during an academic year at The Harid Conservatory.

Olivia Duryea

Olivia Duryea

Olivia Duryea was born and raised in Haslett, Michigan. She received her early training at the Happendance School under the direction of Diane Newman and Patricia Villanueva and performed for several years with Capitol Ballet Theatre of Michigan under the direction of Gregory George. Accepted into the Joffrey Academy, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, in 2014, Duryea danced as a Trainee from 2014-2016. She was then invited to join the Joffrey Studio Company for the 2016-2017 season. During her time with the Academy, Duryea performed in Sir Frederick Ashton’s Symphonic Variations, Gerald Arpino’s Suite Saint-Saens, and George Balanchine’s Serenade. She also had the privilege to perform with the Joffrey’s main company in productions including Sir Frederick Ashton's Cinderella, Christopher Wheeldon's The Nutcracker, and Krzysztof Pastor's Romeo & Juliet.

Stefan Goncalvez

Stefan Goncalvez

Stefan Goncalvez was born in São Paulo, Brazil. He began his dance training at the age of ten at Clube Paineiras and Raça Centro de Dança in São Paulo. At 13, he started his formal ballet and contemporary training with Pavilhão D Centro de Artes. Goncalvez received a scholarship to attend the Harid Conservatory in 2010. In 2012, he was awarded the Rudolf Nureyev Fellowship Award. Upon graduating in 2014, Goncalvez received the Rory Schwartz Fellowship and Estelle Dennis Scholarship Awards to further his training at The Washington School of Ballet under the direction of Kee Juan Han. He also competed at YAGP, where he won the Youth American Grand Prix Award.

Dylan Gutierrez

Dylan Gutierrez

Dylan Gutierrez grew up in Van Nuys, California, and received his training at the Los Angeles Ballet Academy under the direction of his mother Andrea-Paris Gutierrez. In 2006, he was awarded a full scholarship to train at The Royal Ballet School in London. With the guidance of Gailene Stock, Gary Norman, and Meelis Pakri, he was offered a job as an apprentice with the San Francisco Ballet where he danced ballets such as The Four Temperaments and West Side Story Suite. Since joining The Joffrey Ballet, Gutierrez has danced many roles in the Joffrey’s extensive repertory. Favorite roles danced include Death in The Green Table, Basilio in Don Quixote, Prince Siegfried in Christopher Wheeldon’s Swan Lake, Prince Albrecht in Giselle, Main Pas de Deux couple from Wayne McGregor’s INFRA, Sanguinic in George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments, and Justin Peck’s Year of the Rabbit and the Pas de Deux in The Times Are Racing. Gutierrez has also been a part of several Joffrey world premiere roles including Buffalo Bill, and The Great Impresario in Christopher Wheeldon's The Nutcracker, Vronsky in Yuri Possokhov's Anna Karenina, Stone Furies in John Neumeier's Orpheus and Eurydice, and most recently the role of Lennie in Cathy Marston’s Of Mice and Men, set to premiere in 2022. Gutierrez is 1/3 part of the production company Action Lines, alongside fellow dancer Xavier Núñez and friend/writer Eric Grant. Action Lines has created several original dance films for The Joffrey Ballet, including their inaugural project, an original installation for the 150 Media Stream titled Interim Avoidance.

Dara Holmes

Dara Holmes

Dara Holmes was born in Livingston, NJ, but raised in Wilmington, NC. She began her first classes of ballet and tap at Dance Elite at age six. At age eight, she began her formal training of ballet at the Wilmington School of Ballet after attending a week-long outreach program with the school. She studied there on full scholarship from 2000-2007 under the directorship of Elizabeth Hester. Holmes attended summer programs such as North Carolina School of the Arts, School of American Ballet, Chautauqua Dancing Festival, Kirov Academy of Ballet, and Joffrey Academy’s International Summer Dance Intensive. She was accepted into the HARID Conservatory on a full-tuition scholarship in 2007 and graduated in 2010. Holmes then joined the Joffrey's Trainee Program in 2010 for one year. Since joining the Joffrey, Holmes has danced in many ballets including Incantations, Son of Chamber Symphony, Swan Lake, La Bayadère, Don Quixote, Forgotten Land, Tulle, and The Nutcracker. She was also nominated for a 3Arts Award in 2015.

Victoria Jaiani

Victoria Jaiani

Born and raised in Tbilisi, Georgia, Victoria Jaiani began her training at the age of ten at V. Chabukiani Ballet School. She continued her studies in New York and in June 2003 was awarded a Bronze Medal at the New York International Ballet Competition. Since joining the Joffrey, she has danced leading roles in many ballets, including Christopher Wheeldon’s Swan Lake (Odette-Odile), Stanton Welch’s La Bayadère (Nikia, Gamzati), Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella (Cinderella), Giselle (Giselle), John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet (Juliet), Yuri Possokhov’s Don Quixote (Kitri), Ronald Hynd’s The Merry Widow (Henna Glawari), Lar Lubovitch’s Othello (Desdemona), and the Sugar Plum Fairy in Robert Joffrey’s The Nutcracker. Jaiani originated the lead pas de deux in Edwaard Liang’s Age of Innocence and Woven Dreams; Possokhov’s Bells; Welch’s Son of Chamber Symphony; and James Kudelka’s Pretty BALLET. Other significant performances include George Balanchine’s Apollo (Terpsichore), Stravinsky Violin Concerto Aria II; Christopher Wheeldon’s After the Rain, Carousel (A Dance) (Julie); Wayne McGregor’s INFRA; Jiří Kylián’s Forgotten Land (Black pas) and Return to a Strange Land; William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated; Possokhov’s RAkU; Jerome Robbins's In the Night (3rd pas) and Ballerina in The Concert (or, The Perils of Everybody); Justin Peck’s In Creases; Welch’s Maninyas; Antony Tudor’s Lilac Garden, Dark Elegies, and Operetta Star in Offenbach in the Underworld; Lar Lubovitch’s …smile with my heart; Frederick Ashton’s Monotones II; Gerald Arpino’s Sea Shadow, Round of Angels, Reflections, Kettentanz, Birthday Variations, and Viva Vivaldi; Nicolas Blanc’s Evenfall; and Alexander Ekman’s Tulle. In 2010, Jaiani was featured on the cover of Dance Magazine and was named “Chicagoan of the Year” by the Chicago Tribune Arts Critic. In 2012, Today’s Chicago Woman named her one of Chicago’s top women in the arts. In 2013, Chicago Magazine named her “best dancer.” Jaiani is married to Joffrey dancer Temur Suluashvili.

Gayeon Jung

Gayeon Jung

Gayeon Jung was born and raised in Seoul, Korea. She studied ballet at the Sunhwa Arts Middle School and Sunhwa Arts High School. As a student, she was a guest member of the Universal Ballet performing small Clara in The Nutcracker in 2004 and 2005. In 2011, she studied at the Korea National University of Arts and graduated in July 2014. During her school years, she performed in many ballets including pas de deux from The Flames of Paris, Sleeping Beauty, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, La Fille mal gardée, La Esmeralda, Diana and Actéon, Le Corsaire, Markitenka, Swan Lake (White Swan/Black Swan), and Grand Pas Classique. Jung has also performed internationally in various galas. Jung has competed in numerous competitions throughout her career. In 2008, she received the Bronze Medal in The Seoul International Dance Competition in Korea. In 2011, she received the Gold Medal in "Sicilia Barocca" International Dance Competition. In 2012, she received the Gold Medal, Best Female Dancer Prize, and the Best Duet Award (with Kimin Kim) at the Arabesque Ballet Competition in Perm. At Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP) in 2012, she was awarded the Bronze Medal in Senior Female Category, and Gold Medal in the Pas de Deux section. In 2014, she was awarded Gold Medalist in the Cape Town International Ballet Competition, South Africa. That year she also received the Bronze Medal and Best Couple Prize at the USA International Ballet Competition.

Yumi Kanazawa

Yumi Kanazawa

Yumi Kanazawa was born in Tokyo, Japan. She began her training at the Lauridsen Ballet Centre in Torrance, California under Diane Lauridsen. After competing in the Prix de Lausanne in 2013, Kanazawa went on to study at the San Francisco Ballet School under the direction of Patrick Armand. She joined the San Francisco Ballet Trainee program in 2015. During her time in the San Francisco Ballet School and Trainee Program, she performed in many ballets with the school, including those choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan, George Balanchine, and Helgi Tomasson. She performed with the main company in Natalia Makarova’s La Bayadère; George Balanchine’s Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet and Coppelia; Helgi Tomasson’s Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Giselle, and Don Quixote co-staged with Yuri Possokhov. Since joining The Joffrey Ballet in 2016, Kanazawa has performed in many ballets and contemporary works including Wayne McGregor’s Infra; Cathy Marston’s Jane Eyre (Young Jane, Adele); Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine; Christopher Wheeldon’s Swan Lake, Commedia, and The Nutcracker; Yuri Possokhov’s Anna Karenina; Justin Peck’s Year of the Rabbit and The Times are a Racing; Jerome Robbins’ Glass Pieces; and George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments.

Yuchan Kim

Yuchan Kim

Yuchan Kim was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. After training at Sunhwa Arts Middle School and Universal Ballet Junior company from 2014 to 2017, he studied ballet on full scholarship at Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington D.C. and graduated with honors in June 2019. That same year, he joined Joffrey Ballet Studio Company for two seasons. Kim has performed with The Joffrey Ballet, Joffrey Studio Company, and Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington DC, including roles in The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, La Bayadere, Ocean and Pearls and Who Cares?. Kim has received awards from various international competitions including Korea’s Seoul International Ballet Competition and International Ballet Competition (IBC). Kim was the semi-finalist in Switzerland’s Prix de Lausanne and at Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) semi-finals in Korea, he received first place in both classical and contemporary divisions in 2018 and 2019. In 2021, Kim received the Grand Prix award at the YAGP semi-finals in Chicago and won first place at the YAGP finals in Tampa. Kim has also received recognition as a choreographer, receiving the first place in IBC (Korea, 2018), YAGP (Korea, 2018 and 2019) and YAGP (Chicago, 2021). Kim was one of the selected choreographers for Young Moves Student Choreography Project in 2020 while he was a member of Joffrey Studio Company.

Hyuma Kiyosawa

Hyuma Kiyosawa

Hyuma Kiyosawa was born in Soest, Germany in 2001 and raised in Nagano prefecture, Matsumoto City, Japan. He was offered to join The Joffrey Ballet after receiving Silver medal at the 2018 USA XI International Ballet Competition in Jackson, MS. at the age of 17. In 2018, He was awarded the Cultural Art Grand Prize from Matsumoto City, Japan. He began his ballet training at the age of six at Aoki Chieko Ballet School and afterward with Momoko Ballet Studio. He attended Kiev State Ballet School in Ukraine until 2012, under the instruction of Mr. Constantin Edward Costchcov. From 2012 to 2015, he received his training at Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington D.C. under the instructions of Mr. Nikolai Kabaniaev, Mr. Nikoloz Makhateli, and Mr. Stanislav Issaev. From 2015 to 2018, he was under the instruction of Mr. Nikolai Kabaniaev at City Ballet School in San Francisco. In 2019, he was a guest artist at Ballet Manila and performed lead roles in Cinderella, Paquita, Pas de Deux from Diana and Acteon, and more in neoclassical pieces. His heart is always with dogs and his muscles are mostly made out from mangos.

Nae Kojima

Nae Kojima

Nae Kojima is from the Gold Coast, Australia, and began dancing at the age of five at Amanda Bollinger Dance Academy. At age 16, she moved to the U.S to attend the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington D.C. where she trained under the guidance of Bat Udval, Evgenia Singur, Stanislav Belyaevsky, and Anastasia Dunets. After graduating from Kirov in 2019, Kojima joined The Joffrey Ballet Studio Company in Chicago. There, she performed Fascinatin’ Rhythm from George Balanchine’s Who Cares?, works by Lar Lubovitch, and was also selected to perform in the main company’s The Nutcracker by Christopher Wheeldon. In 2021, Kojima returned to her home country and toured regional Victoria as a guest artist with the Projection Dance Company for their ‘Australian Stars of Ballet’ gala performances. Later that year, she joined Atlanta Ballet’s second company, performing the roles of Young Marie in Yuri Possokhov’s The Nutcracker, Butterfly Pas in Bruce Well’s Snow White, and the corps de ballet of Giselle. Nae is very excited to be returning to Chicago for her first season with The Joffrey Ballet.

Brooke Linford

Brooke Linford

Brooke Linford was born in Alpine, Utah. She received her early training at Jacqueline's School of Ballet under the direction of Jacqueline Colledge, Heather Gray, and Brittnee Squires. While there, she performed with Utah Regional Ballet and Utah Regional Ballet II. In 2011, she competed in the YAGP New York finals and was offered a scholarship to the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre, which she attended from 2011-2012. Linford danced in the Trainee Program at the Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, from 2012-2014.

Zachary Manske

Zachary Manske

Zach Manske grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota training in various styles and competing in local and national competitions. He played the role of “Billy Elliot” in the Broadway national tour of Billy Elliot the Musical. Manske also attended Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists where he trained in ballet, modern, jazz, composition, and other forms. He guested with Minnesota Dance Theater in many performances, including Loyce Houlton’s Nutcracker Fantasy and Carmina Burana from 2014 to 2017. Manske graduated with a BFA in Dance from the University of Southern California’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance under the direction of Jodie Gates in 2021. He performed works by masters such as William Forsythe, George Balanchine, Paul Taylor, and more. During his time at USC, Manske had the opportunity to guest with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet in The Nutcracker. After graduation, Manske joined the Grand Rapids Ballet as a company dancer for their 2021-2022 season under the direction of James Sofranko. He also enjoys choreographing and most recently debuted Shakespeare in Love at Grand Rapids Ballet’s Jumpstart program in 2022. This is his first season with The Joffrey Ballet.

Graham Maverick

Graham Maverick

Graham Maverick started his ballet training with his mother and Ruby (Harold) Christensen at the age of three. He continued his training with the San Francisco Ballet School at age seven, staying there until he was 19 years old. While at the San Francisco Ballet, he performed the role of Prince in The Nutcracker for two years, along with dancing many other children’s parts throughout the years. Maverick additionally appeared in many other ballet productions with the company and in the annual Spring Student Showcase. In the summer of 2006, he trained at the School of American Ballet under Jock Soto. As a Trainee at the San Francisco Ballet, he worked with and performed choreography by John Neumeier, Helgi Tomasson, and Parrish Maynard. He also performed in works by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. In the spring of 2008, he received The Bay Area Ballet Award for the best young ballet dancer in the San Francisco Bay Area, sponsored by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; this culminated in his participation at the 2008 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival.

Jeraldine Mendoza

Jeraldine Mendoza

Jeraldine Mendoza was born in San Francisco, California, and trained at City Ballet School of San Francisco since the age of five, under the artistic direction of Galina Alexandrova. At age 17, Mendoza was invited to graduate in the Russian course at the prestigious Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow. She later won First Place at the YAGP San Francisco Regional Semi-Finals in 2011. Within her first year with the Joffrey, Mendoza danced lead roles in Yuri Possokhov’s Don Quixote, Robert Joffrey’s The Nutcracker, Wayne McGregor’s INFRA, Edwaard Liang’s Age of Innocence, and Jerome Robbins’s In the Night. In 2012, she won the prestigious young artists’ scholarship from the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship Fund, under the nomination of Artistic Director Ashley Wheater, making her the first Chicago artist to win since the award’s inception. Mendoza later graced the cover of Dance Magazine in May 2015, the magazine’s first-ever international issue. Since joining the Joffrey, Mendoza has danced principal roles in Stanton Welch’s La Bayadére (Nikiya), Son of Chamber Symphony, and Maninyas; Jiři Kylián’s Forgotten Land; Gerald Arpino’s Sea Shadow, Light Rain, and Round of Angels; Twyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs; George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante and The Four Temperaments; Christopher Wheeldon’s Continuum, Swan Lake (Odette/Odile), Liturgy, Fool’s Paradise, The Nutcracker, and Commedia; Jerome Robbins’s Interplay and Glass Pieces; Krzysztof Pastor’s Romeo & Juliet (Juliet); Yuri Possokhov’s RAkU, Miraculous Mandarin, and Anna Karenina (Kitty); Anthony Tudor’s Lilac Garden; Alexander Ekman’s Tulle and Midsummer Night’s Dream; Justin Peck’s In Creases, Year of the Rabbit, and The Times Are Racing; Val Caniparoli’s Incantations; Myles Thatcher’s Passengers; John Neumeier’s Sylvia (Sylvia); Ashley Page’s Tipping Point; Sir Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella (Cinderella); Lola de Avila’s Giselle (Giselle, Myrta); Nicolas Blanc’s Beyond the Shore, Lorelei, and Under the Trees’ Voices; Andrew McNicol’s Yonder Blue; Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine; and Cathy Marston’s Jane Eyre (Blanche).

Xavier Núñez

Xavier Núñez

Born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, Xavier Núñez began training at age ten at The Hartt Community Dance Division in Hartford, Connecticut. In 2010, he continued his training at the International Ballet Academy in Cary, NC, under Miguel Campaneria. In 2012, he was awarded the silver medal at the World Ballet Competition in the professional category. He was then accepted into American Ballet Theatre Studio Company under the artistic direction of Kevin McKenzie and Franco De Vita. There, he went on to perform in international galas dancing in George Balanchine’s Tarantella and Alexei Ratmansky’s Le Carnaval Des Animaux in Italy and France. In 2013, Núñez joined The Tulsa Ballet under the direction of Marcello Angelini where he performed ballets including The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Cinderella, and The Three Musketeers. In 2015, he joined The Sarasota Ballet where he performed in works such as Balanchine’s Jewels, Stars and Stripes, Dominic Walsh’s Wolfgang for Webb, Ashton’s Rakes Progress, and many more. In 2017, Núñez took part in the Concours de Opera National de Paris where he ranked sixth, giving him a contract for the 2017-2018 season with the Paris Opera Ballet. Returning to the states, Núñez began performing as a guest artist with companies and schools both internationally and nationally.

Princess Reid

Princess Reid

Princess Reid grew up in Jacksonville, FL. She started studying ballet at age seven at The Florida Ballet under the direction of Laurie Picinich-Byrd where she danced until she was 18. Soon after, she joined Orlando Ballet's second company in 2015, where she stayed until May 2018. While in Orlando, Reid performed in Don Quixote, Serenade, and Val Caniparoli's A Cinderella Story, to name a few. Reid was also given the opportunity to perform Robert Hill's Requiem at the American Dance Competition gala in 2016 and in June 2018, she competed in the prestigious USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi. Along with ballet, she enjoys reading and cooking.

Aaron Renteria

Aaron Renteria

Aaron Renteria studied under Lola de Ávila and Patrick Armand at the San Francisco Ballet School at age 13, spending three years in the School and two in the Trainee Program. Later, he became a member of the San Francisco Ballet (SFB) company after one year as an apprentice. In the SFB School’s annual showcases and during the Trainee Program, Renteria’s repertory included George Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes and Western Symphony; Helgi Tomasson’s Con Brio and Sleeping Beauty; Parrish Maynard’s Fractals; Christopher Wheeldon’s Danses Bohemiennes; and Myles Thatcher’s Spinae and Stone and Steel. At SFB, he danced in many ballets, including Helgi Tomasson’s Concerto Grosso, Caprice, Romeo and Juliet, Don Quixote, Giselle, The Fifth Season, and The Nutcracker; Christopher Wheeldon’s Rush and Cinderella; George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, Symphony in C, and Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet; Serge Leifar’s Suite en Blanc; and Yuri Possokhov’s Swimmer, Firebird, and Rite of Spring. Since joining the Joffrey, Renteria has danced in ballets such as Jerome Robbins’ Interplay and Glass Pieces; First Theme in George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments; Nicholas Blanc’s Beyond the Shore; Andrew McNicol’s Yonder Blue; Ballroom Manager in Yuri Possokhov’s Anna Karenina; Krzysztof Pastor’s Romeo & Juliet; Christopher Wheeldon’s Fool’s Paradise and The Nutcracker; Alexander Ekman’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, Justin Peck’s Year of the Rabbit; Yuri Possokhov’s Bells; and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Mammatus.

Basia Rhoden

Basia Rhoden

Basia Rhoden was born and raised in Fresno, California. During her youth, she participated in competitive ballet, jazz, and contemporary. At age 14, she decided to narrow her focus to ballet, moving to Arizona to attend Master Ballet Academy, run by Slawomir and Irena Wozniak. During her two years at Master Ballet Academy, Rhoden attended many national and international competitions. She was the bronze medalist for senior females at the YAGP NY Finals in 2018, a finalist at Beijing International Ballet and Choreography Competition 2018, and the silver medalist for senior contemporary at ADC IBC 2018. Rhoden was also chosen to be the only US female Pre-Select representative at Prix De Lausanne 2019, where she was selected for a scholarship by Patrick Armand to join the San Francisco Ballet School. Rhoden spent her first year in the San Francisco Ballet School at its top level, then was advanced to the Trainee Program for the following two years. As a trainee, she performed choreographic works by Dana Genshaft, Victor Plotnikov, and Davide Occipinti. During that time, she also rehearsed and danced Corps de Ballet roles with the SFB Company, such as in Helgi Tomasson’s The Nutcracker and Swan Lake; Yuri Possokhov and Tomasson’s Don Quixote; Ulrik Bournonville’s La Sylphide; and George Balanchine’s Symphony in C.

Christine Rocas

Christine Rocas

Prior to joining The Joffrey Ballet, Christine Rocas danced with Ballet Manila in the Philippines. While there, she had the opportunity to perform in The Nutcracker (Sugar Plum Fairy), Le Corsaire (Medora), La Bayadère (Nikiya), Swan Lake (Odette/Odile), Sleeping Beauty (Bluebird pas de deux), and Don Quixote (Dryad Queen). Rocas participated and won several prestigious awards from differing international ballet competitions. In August 2003, she received a finalist certificate in the Junior Division of the 9th Asian Pacific International Ballet Competition in Tokyo, Japan. She was also chosen as a full scholar in the 2004 Aberdeen International Youth Festival in Aberdeen, Scotland. In 2005, she participated in the Helsinki International Ballet Competition in Helsinki, Finland, where she became a semi-finalist in the junior division. During that year, she received the Arpino Award and was also the silver medalist in the New York International Ballet Competition. Since joining the Joffrey, Rocas has performed in Apollo, Cinderella (Cinderella and Summer Fairy), The Dream, Giselle (Giselle), The Green Table, Light Rain, Les Présages, The Nutcracker, In the Night, Reflections, Pretty BALLET, Crossed, Age of Innocence, After the Rain, Stravinsky Violin Concerto, Romeo & Juliet (Juliet), and The Merry Widow.

Julia Rust

Julia Rust

Julia Rust was hired just a month after turning 17 and is excited for her third season with the Joffrey. Born and raised in Noblesville, Indiana, she trained with Alyona Yakovleva-Randall and the faculty of Indiana Ballet Conservatory. She furthered her training during summers at many esteemed international schools and then at The Washington School of Ballet (TWSB) on scholarship. A graduate of TWSB, she worked extensively with Xiomara Reyes and Rinat Imaev, and was chosen by Julie Kent to dance in The Washington Ballet’s productions of Serenade, Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, and The Nutcracker at The Kennedy Center and Wolf Trap. She also continues to be mentored by Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsky. Rust was awarded the Silver Medal at the prestigious USA International Ballet Competition. The USA IBC is known as the “Olympics of Ballet”, and the late Robert Joffrey was instrumental in its founding. Prior to this, she was awarded the Grand Prix Award at the Youth America Grand Prix Semifinal and went on to place in the Top 12 at the World Finals in NYC. She is also the recipient of the Fernando Bujones Memorial Award at ADC|IBC. She has danced in "The Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow" Gala in Salt Lake City, The International Ballet Festival of Miami, and the Awards Gala and Encore Gala at USA IBC. During her debut season with the Joffrey, she had the honor to dance in Christopher Wheeldon’s Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments, Yuri Possokhov’s Anna Karenina, Andrea Walker’s World Premiere of HOME, and Alexander Ekman’s Tulle. She was also chosen to dance in Joffrey’s tours to New York City in Balanchine: The City Center Years, Minnesota, and California. She shares her passion for ballet with her twin sister and best friend, Morgan Rust, who currently dances with The Washington Ballet.

Natali Taht

Natali Taht

Natali Taht was born in Tallinn, Estonia. She began her ballet training at the age of 10 at Tallinn Ballet School. At the age of 14, after winning the 3rd place prize at the Tallinn International Ballet Competition, she received a scholarship to study at the Zurich Dance Academy in Switzerland, under the directorship of Steffi Scherzer and Oliver Matz. During her studies she represented the school at Prix de Lausanne and Tanzolymp Berlin, winning the silver medal. Upon graduation in 2020, she joined Tulsa Ballet II, where she worked with and performed pieces by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Andrew McNicol, Itzik Galili, Val Caniparoli, and others. She joined The Joffrey Ballet in 2022.

Miu Tanaka

Miu Tanaka

Miu Tanaka was born in Chiba, Japan, and began dancing at the age of four with Studio en dehors and trained at the K-Ballet School under the direction of Tetsuya Kumakawa from 2013 to 2016. In 2016, she joined the John Cranko School in Stuttgart, Germany, under the direction of Tadeusz Matacz and Anna Jojic, graduating in 2018. While there, she performed in many roles including Glinka pas de trois and as a soloist in Leonid Lavrovsky’s Classical Symphony. In 2018, she joined the Joffrey Academy of Dance’s Trainee Program and was promoted to the Studio Company after one month and performed principal roles in Paquita and Coppélia, as well as being featured in Xiang Xu’s Winning Works piece Vessels Bearing. Awards include first place in the Machida Ballet Competition (2015), second place in the NBA Ballet Competition (2016) and Top 12 in the senior category at the New York finals at the Youth America Grand Prix (2018).

Alberto Velazquez

Alberto Velazquez

Alberto Velazquez, originally from Havana, Cuba, started ballet at age nine at The National Ballet School of Cuba. He then continued his studies in Mexico with his mother, Adria Velazquez. At the age of 17, he moved to New York City and joined American Ballet Theatre’s school, eventually joining the second company. In 2011, Velazquez joined The Joffrey Ballet, and has performed many works by choreographers such as John Neumeier, Christopher Wheeldon, Jiří Kylián, Frederick Ashton, Wayne McGregor, Liam Scarlett, Yuri Possokhov, George Balanchine, and William Forsythe. In his time with The Joffrey, he has performed roles such as the Prince in Cinderella, Siegfried in Swan Lake, Albrecht in Giselle, Cavalier in The Nutcracker, Aminta in Sylvia, Romeo, and Count Vronsky in Anna Karenina. Velazquez has performed in stages all over the world, including Russia, Italy, and France.

Valentino Moneglia Zamora

Valentino Moneglia Zamora

Valentino Moneglia Zamora was born in Murcia, Spain, where he trained at The Conservatorio Profesional de Danza de Murcia and Robles Ballet School under José Antonio Robles and Alberto Muñoz. While studying, Moneglia performed in José Carlos Martínez’s Don Quijote with the Compañía Nacional de Danza of Spain. After graduating, he joined the Joffrey Studio Company in 2016 until he joined the main company. During his time with the Studio Company, Moneglia performed works such as Siegfried in Swan Lake, the Waltz Boy in George Balanchine’s Serenade, Don Quixote, lead roles in Gerald Arpino’s Viva Vivaldi and Suite Saint-Saens, August Bournonville’s Napoli, and Alexander Ekman’s Episode 31. He also performed with the main company in productions such as Christopher Wheeldon’s The Nutcracker and Krzysztof Pastor’s Romeo & Juliet.

The Joffrey Ballet in The Times Are Racing

Photo by Cheryl Mann

About The Joffrey Ballet

Ashley Wheater MBE The Mary B. Galvin Director
Greg Cameron President and CEO
Anne L. Kaplan Board Chair
Robert Joffrey Founder
Gerald Arpino Founder

Artistic and Production Staff:

Nicolas Blanc Rehearsal Director
Adam Blyde Rehearsal Director
Suzanne Lopez Rehearsal Director
Scott Speck Music Director
Micheal Moricz Assistant Conductor & Company Pianist
Jorge Ivars Company Pianist
Cody Chen General Manager
Jeremy Gubman Artistic Administrator And Assistant To The Artistic Director
Catherine Eby Company Manager
Shandee Vaughan Production Manager
Katherine Selig Principal Stage Manager
Amanda Heuermann Stage Manager
Chris Maravich Lighting & Video Supervisor
Scott Wolfson Technical Supervisor

Biographies:

Ashley Wheater

The Mary B Galvin Artistic Director Ashley Wheater. Photo by Erik Unger

Ashley Wheater MBE

The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director

Ashley Wheater has dedicated his life to dance. He was born in Scotland and trained at The Royal Ballet School in England. He worked with Frederick Ashton, Kenneth MacMillan, and Michael Somes in numerous ballets at Covent Garden, including Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Manon, Anastacia, and The Dream. Wheater danced with Rudolf Nureyev in Nureyev and Friends at the London Coliseum. 

On Nureyev’s advice, Wheater joined the London Festival Ballet and danced in his Romeo and Juliet and Sleeping Beauty. He danced in Glen Tetley’s Sphinx and Greening and in Festival Ballet’s large repertoire of classics and new creations. Under the artistic direction of John Field, he was promoted to Principal Dancer at the age of 20. 

In 1982, he joined the Australian Ballet where he continued dancing principal roles in both classical and contemporary work, especially in the John Cranko full-length ballets. 

In 1985, at the invitation of Gerald Arpino, Wheater joined The Joffrey Ballet. For the next four years, he performed various works by American choreographers including William Forsythe, Gerald Arpino, Mark Morris, Paul Taylor, and Laura Dean, as well as repertoire by Ashton and Cranko. 

Joining the San Francisco Ballet in 1989, he continued his creative career working under Helgi Tomasson, and with choreographers James Kudelka, David Bintley, and many more. In 1997, he retired from dancing and was appointed Ballet Master and, later, Assistant to the Artistic Director at the San Francisco Ballet. 

Since his appointment in 2007 as artistic director of The Joffrey Ballet, his passion and commitment to the Joffrey have been evident in the quality that he has brought to the dancing and to the repertoire. He has invited world-renowned choreographers, as well as fresh young talent, to create new work for the company. Wheater has added new full-length works to the Joffrey’s repertoire, including Lar Lubovitch’s groundbreaking Othello, Ronald Hynd’s The Merry Widow, and Yuri Possokhov’s Don Quixote.

In 2008, Wheater was the recipient of the Boeing Game-Changer Award in recognition of his commitment to community engagement in Chicago and to the celebration of diversity through dance. He sits on the Advisory Board for Dance Magazine, serves as the Artistic Advisor for ChiArts, and is the Advisor to the Arts for the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. In 2010, Wheater, representing The Joffrey Ballet, was named Lincoln Academy Laureate, the highest honor presented by the State of Illinois, and in 2013 the Chicago Tribune named him “Chicagoan of the Year.” In 2015, Wheater received the University of Chicago Rosenberger Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the Creative and Performing Arts. In December 2019, he was appointed to be a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Greg Cameron

President and CEO

Driven by his lifelong love for the arts, for his hometown, and for connecting with people from every background, Greg Cameron leads the Joffrey Ballet as President & CEO, responsible for organization-wide administration and strategy. Under Greg’s partnership with Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director Ashley Wheater MBE, the Joffrey has set new records at the box office and built the strongest financial foundation in its history.

His 2013 appointment was the culmination of three decades of work in arts administration and philanthropy. “I always loved art, but I wasn’t a great artist,” he says. “I could paint by numbers, or I could connect the dots. I realized early on I was a good dot connector. I could connect people to each other and help them get involved with the things they believe in.”

As a child in suburban Chicago, Greg ran a makeshift theater out of his garage and sold more mints than anyone else for his local YMCA. And as an adult, he turned those passions into a career raising funds for the cultural organizations he loves. At the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs; the Art Institute of Chicago; the Museum of Contemporary Art, where he rose to the role of Deputy Director and Chief Development Officer; and WTTW/WFMT, where he served as COO, Greg dedicated himself to supporting art and artists and to creating meaningful experiences for others.

“The Joffrey brings it all together for me,” he says. “It’s about collaboration, partnership with the community, honoring and supporting artists, and telling stories that truly move people.”

Today, Greg leads the Joffrey’s efforts to support unforgettable productions and new commissions, reach out to organizations and communities across Chicago, and open up world-class ballet for audiences from all backgrounds. Greg serves on the Dance/USA Managers’ Council for Large Budget Organizations, while also staying an active member of the Chicago cultural community, volunteering for a wide range of nonprofit organizations and civic committees. These include the Facing History and Ourselves Chicago Advisory Board, Enrich Chicago, and current Chair of the State Street SSA Commission.

George Balanchine

Choreographer - Serenade

George Balanchine transformed the world of ballet. He is widely regarded as the most influential choreographer of the 20th century, and he co-founded two of ballet’s most important institutions: New York City Ballet and the School of American Ballet. Balanchine was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1904, studied at the Imperial Ballet School in St. Petersburg, and danced with the Mariinsky Theatre Ballet Company, where he began choreographing short works. In the summer of 1924, Balanchine left the newly formed Soviet Union for Europe, where he was invited by impresario Serge Diaghilev to join the Ballets Russes. For that company, Balanchine choreographed his first important ballets: Apollo (1928) and Prodigal Son (1929). After Ballets Russes was dissolved following Diaghilev’s death in 1929, Balanchine spent his next few years on a variety of projects in Europe and then formed his own company, Les Ballets 1933, in Paris. There, he met American arts connoisseur Lincoln Kirstein, who persuaded him to come to the United States. In 1934, the pair founded the School of American Ballet, which remains in operation to this day, training students for companies around the world. Balanchine’s first ballet in the U.S., Serenade, set to music by Tchaikovsky, was created for SAB students and premiered on June 9, 1934, on the grounds of an estate in White Plains. Balanchine and Kirstein founded several short-lived ballet companies before forming Ballet Society in 1946, which was renamed New York City Ballet in 1948. Balanchine served as the Company’s ballet master from that year until his death in 1983, building it into one of the most important performing arts institutions in the world, and a cornerstone of the cultural life of New York City. He choreographed 425 works over the course of 60-plus years, and his musical choices ranged from Tchaikovsky (one of his favorite composers) to Stravinsky (his compatriot and friend) to Gershwin (who embodied the choreographer’s love of America). Many of Balanchine’s works are considered masterpieces and are performed by ballet companies all over the world. Courtesy of New York City Ballet.

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Composer - Serenade

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) composed some of the most beloved themes in all of classical music. Tchaikovsky started piano lessons at age four and showed remarkable talent, eventually surpassing his own teacher’s abilities. At age ten, he was sent to St. Petersburg to study at the School of Jurisprudence. In 1859, he took a position as a civil servant in the Ministry of Justice, but longed for a career in music, attending concerts and operas at every opportunity. He finally began study in harmony at age 21, and enrolled at the St. Petersburg Conservatory the following year, eventually studying with the illustrious composer and pianist Anton Rubinstein. In Moscow, Tchaikovsky became associated with the Bolshoi Theatre, and there he composed his first ballet, Swan Lake, in 1875. Within a few years Tchaikovsky was an established composer, beloved throughout Russia.

Cathy Marston

Choreographer- Of Mice and Men

Cathy Marston is an award-winning choreographer, artistic director and Clore Cultural Leadership Fellow. After education in Cambridge, she spent two years at the Royal Ballet School, before launching a successful international career now spanning over twenty-five years. She will become Director of Ballett Zurich, Switzerland, from August 2023.

Marston’s great gift is to join artistic dots, creating forms for stories, emotions and ideas. She inherited a passion for literature from her English-teacher parents; for her, stories inspire dance. As Associate Artist of the Royal Opera House for five years (2002–07), she created a critically acclaimed interpretation of Ibsen’s Ghosts, before the tempest… after the storm — after Shakespeare’s The Tempest — and many other short works. During her six-year tenure directing the Bern Ballett, Switzerland, (2007–13) she became influenced by the ideas of German theatre traditions, which blended with her background in the British cultural philosophies and her contemporary-ballet dance language, resulting in her unique, hybrid signature. She lends new perspectives to old narratives, for example in her adaptation of Charles Webb’s novel, The Graduate, in Mrs Robinson, Edith Wharton’s novella, Ethan Frome, in Snowblind, Charlotte Bronté’s Jane Eyre, or DH Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover. Likewise, she offers unusual perspectives in her biographically inspired works, The Cellist, Victoria and Witch-hunt. Ever-more widely recognised for her distinctive style of dance-drama, she won the South Bank Sky Arts Award for Best Dance Production for Victoria (Northern Ballet), the UK National Dance Award for The Cellist (The Royal Ballet), The Suit (Ballet Black) and has been short-listed for both the Olivier Awards and National Dance Awards for several other works including Jane Eyre and Victoria (Northern Ballet.) In 2020 the International Institute for Dance and Theatre awarded her their prize for Excellence in International Dance.

Marston has also embraced the digital stage, capturing her works for the screen as well as creating work especially for the camera. The Cellist, Victoria and other short works have been live streamed to cinema/TV and are available on DVD/digital platforms. Her specially created film works include Mrs Robinson (a short, location-shot adaptation of the full work for San Francisco Ballet), Bertha (Joffrey Ballet), Switchback (Ballet Unleashed) and Drift in which she performs herself.

Marston’s portfolio includes creations and collaborations with The Royal Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Northern Ballet, English National Ballet, Cuban National Ballet, Danish Royal Ballet, Ballet Black, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens and many more. In addition to commissioned works she has founded two project-based companies in the UK — The Cathy Marston Project — and Switzerland — Compagnie La Ronde. From these structures she has self-produced, commissioned and toured several programs of work. Cathymarston.com

Thomas Newman

Composer- Of Mice and Men

Thomas Newman is widely acclaimed as one of today’s most prominent composers for film. He has composed music for more than 80 motion pictures and television series and has earned fourteen Academy Award nominations, one Emmy Award and six Grammy Awards.

He is the youngest son of Alfred Newman (1900–70), the longtime musical director of 20th Century Fox and the composer of scores for such films as Wuthering Heights, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Diary of Anne Frank and All About Eve. As a child, Thomas pursued basic music and piano studies. However, it was not until after his father’s death that the younger Newman, then age 14, felt charged with the desire to write. He later studied composition and orchestration at USC with Professor Frederick Lesemann and noted film composer David Raksin, and privately with composer George Tremblay. He completed his academic work at Yale University, studying with Jacob Druckman, Bruce MacCombie and Robert Moore. Newman also gratefully acknowledges the early influence of another prominent musician, the legendary Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim, who served as a great mentor and champion.

A turning point in Newman’s career took place while he was working as a musical assistant on the 1984 film, Reckless, for which he soon was promoted to the position of composer. And so, at the age of 27, Newman successfully composed his first film score. Since then he has contributed distinctive and evocative scores to many acclaimed films, including Desperately Seeking Susan, The Lost Boys, The Rapture, Fried Green Tomatoes, The Player, Scent of a Woman, Flesh and Bone, The Shawshank Redemption, Little Women, American Buffalo, The People Vs. Larry Flynt, Oscar and Lucinda, The Horse Whisperer, Meet Joe Black, American Beauty, The Green Mile, Erin Brockovich, In The Bedroom, Road to Perdition, Finding Nemo, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Cinderella Man, Jarhead, Little Children, The Good German, Revolutionary Road, Wall-E, The Help, The Iron Lady, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Skyfall, Spectre, Victoria & Abdul, The Highwaymen, Tolkien, Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies, and the critically acclaimed 1917. Newman also composed the music for HBO’s acclaimed 6-hour miniseries Angels in America directed by Mike Nichols. He received an Emmy Award for his theme for the HBO original series Six Feet Under. His current film projects include director John Madden’s Operation Mincemeat, director Marc Forster’s White Bird: A Wonder Story, and Amblin Entertainment’s The Last Voyage of the Demeter.

In addition to his work in film and television, Newman has composed several works for the concert stage, including the symphonic work Reach Forth Our Hands, commissioned in 1996 by the Cleveland Orchestra to commemorate their city’s bicentennial, as well as At Ward’s Ferry, Length 180 ft., a concerto for double bass and orchestra commissioned in 2001 by the Pittsburgh Symphony. His latest concert piece was a chamber work entitled It Got Dark, commissioned by the acclaimed Kronos Quartet in 2009. As part of a separate commission by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the work was expanded and adapted for symphony orchestra and string quartet, and premiered at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Dec of 2009. In Oct 2014, Newman and musician Rick Cox released 35 Whirlpools Below Sound, an evocative, contemporary collection of avant-garde electronic soundscapes which the two collaborators developed over a period of 25 years, and which constitutes a fascinating departure from Newman’s work in film music. Newman also was commissioned by the prestigious Joffrey Ballet in Chicago to compose the score for a new ballet adaptation of the Steinbeck novel Of Mice and Men, which premiered in Apr of 2022.

Justin Peck

Choreographer - The Times Are Racing

Justin Peck is a Tony Award winning choreographer, director, filmmaker, and dancer based in New York City. He is currently the acting Resident Choreographer of New York City Ballet.

Peck began choreographing in 2009 at the New York Choreographic Institute. In 2014, after the creation of his acclaimed ballet Everywhere We Go, he was appointed as Resident Choreographer of New York City Ballet. He is the second person in the institution’s history to hold this title. 

After attending the School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center from 2003-06, Peck was invited to join the New York City Ballet as a dancer in 2006. As a performer, Peck has danced a vast repertoire of works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Alexei Ratmansky, Lynn Taylor-Corbett, Benjamin Millepied, Christopher Wheeldon, and many others. In 2013, Peck was promoted to the rank of Soloist, performing full-time through 2019 with the company.

Peck has created over 50 dance-works – more than 20 for New York City Ballet. His works have been performed by Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Australian Ballet, Dresden Semperoper Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, Boston Ballet, Juilliard, National Ballet of Canada, Miami City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, LA Dance Project, Dutch National Ballet, the School of American Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Houston Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Ballet Austin, Atlanta Ballet, Ballet Bordeaux, Finnish National Ballet, Ballet MET, Royal Danish Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, University of Southern California (USC), and Ballet Arizona. 

Working on a wide array of projects, Peck's collaborators include composers Sufjan Stevens, The National, Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly, Dan Deacon, Caroline Shaw, Chris Thile, Stephen Sondheim, M83, Dolly Parton; visual artists Shepard Fairey, Marcel Dzama, Shantell Martin, John Baldessari, Karl Jensen, George Condo, Steve Powers, Jules de Balincourt; fashion designers Raf Simons, Mary Katrantzou, Humberto Leon (Kenzo, Opening Ceremony), Tsumori Chisato, Dries Van Noten; and filmmakers Steven Spielberg, Sofia Coppola, Damien Chazelle, Elisabeth Moss, Frances Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, and Jody Lee Lipes. 

In 2014, Peck was the subject of the documentary Ballet 422, which presents Peck's craft and creative process as a choreographer in great detail, as he creates New York City Ballet’s 422nd commissioned dance.

Peck has worked extensively as a filmmaker. In particular, his focus has been exploring new innovative ways of presenting dance on film. Peck choreographed the feature films RED SPARROW (2016) starring Jennifer Lawrence and directed by Francis Lawrence; West Side Story (2021) in collaboration with director Steven Spielberg; and Maestro (2022) in collaboration with director/actor/writer Bradley Cooper. Peck's work as a director-choreographer for music videos include: The Dark Side of the Gym (2017) for The National; Thank You, New York (2020) for Chris Thile; and The Times Are Racing (2017) for Dan Deacon. In 2018, Peck directed the New York Times Great Performers Series (starring Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Lakeith Stanfield, Glenn Close, Toni Collette, Yoo Ah-in, Emma Stone, Olivia Colman, Regina Hall, Yalitzia Aparicio, Elsie Fischer, and Rachel Weisz).

Peck choreographed the 2018 Broadway revival of Carousel. The production was directed by Jack O'Brien and stars Jessie Meuller, Joshua Henry, & Renée Fleming. 

Peck has been awarded the National Arts Award (2018), the Golden Plate Honor from the Academy of Achievement (2019), the Bessie Award for his ballet Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes (2015), the Gross Family Prize for his ballet Everywhere We Go (2014), and the Tony Award for his choreography on Broadway’s Carousel (2018).

Dan Deacon

Composer - The Times Are Racing

Dan Deacon is an American composer and performer whose work focuses on a maximalist approach to density with a fixation on sample manipulation, synthesis, mechanical instruments, and audience collaboration. Deacon’s recorded work includes five studio albums, including 2012’s America, from which the music in The Times Are Racing is taken. Collaborations and commissions include work for Kronos Quartet, So¯ Percussion, The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and the LA Philharmonic. His feature-film scoring work includes Twixt (Francis Ford Coppola, 2011), Rat Film (Theo Anthony, 2016), Time Trial (Finlay Pretsell, 2017), and Well Groomed (Rebecca Stern, 2019). Over the past decade, he has toured internationally with artists including Arcade Fire, Miley Cyrus, Future Islands, and The Flaming Lips. His compositions have premiered at Carnegie Hall, the Barbican Centre, and Lincoln Center. Deacon’s most recent album is Mystic Familiar, released Jan 31, 2020 by Domino Records. He lives in Baltimore, MD.

The Joffrey Ballet

Season Sponsors:

Abbott Fund

Alphawood Foundation Logo

Daniel and Pamella DeVos Foundation logo

The Florian Fund 

Anne L. Kaplan

Nancy & Sanfred Koltun

Serenade Sponsors

Patti Selander Eylar

Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation

Of Mice and Men

Special Thanks to Commissioning Sponsors

Producing Sponsor

Denise Littlefield Sobel

Major Sponsors

Anne L. Kaplan

Prince Charitable Trusts logo
Of Mice and Men
was created with funds from the Prince Prize for Commissioning Original Work, which was awarded to Cathy Marston and The Joffrey Ballet in 2019.

Northern Trust

Rudolf Nureyev Fund at The Joffrey Ballet

Courtney Shea

Sponsors

Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation

Northrop at The University of Minnesota

National Endowment for the Arts

This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts

Additional support for the commissioned score provided by the Charles and Joan Gross Family Foundation 

 

Northrop Acknowledgements

The Northrop Advisory Board

The Northrop Advisory Board is committed to the growth and awareness of Northrop’s mission, vision, and the continued future of presenting world-class dance and music in our community. If you would like more information about the advisory board and its work, please contact Cynthia Betz, Director of Development, at 612-626-7554 or betzx011@umn.edu.

Northrop Advisory Board Members

  • Cynthia Betz
  • Jeff Bieganek, Chair
  • Kristen Brogdon
  • Dr. Robert Bruininks
  • John Conlin
  • Deb Cran
  • Susan DeNuccio
  • Karen Hanson
  • Cari Hatcher
  • Jill Hauwiller
  • Bob McMaster
  • Katheryn Menaged
  • Gary Reetz
  • Robyne Robinson
  • Toni Pierce-Sands
  • Kari Schloner
  • Kao Lee Vang
  • Donald Williams

Thank you for supporting Northrop!

Make Legendary Performances Possible!

At Northrop, we believe in connecting great artists and ideas with our community and to a new generation of audiences. Your gift helps make memorable arts experiences possible by supporting extraordinary performances and new arts commissions, and helping ensure accessibility to everyone through live-streamed programming, outreach to diverse communities and subsidized student tickets. Our Friends are at the center of Northrop’s biggest ideas and brightest moments on stage.

Become a Friend of Northrop today! 
Donate online at northrop.umn.edu/support-northrop

Ways to Give:

  • Annual Giving, a yearly gift amount of your choice.
  • Monthly Giving, choose a recurring gift amount that works for you.
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  • Matching Gifts, double your gift through your company’s matching gift program.

To learn more about supporting Northrop please contact:
Cynthia Betz
betzx011@umn.edu or 612-626-7554 

Friends of Northrop

A special thank you to our patrons whose generous support makes Northrop's transformative arts experiences possible. Make your mark on Northrop's future by becoming a Friend today, learn more by visiting northrop.umn.edu/support-northrop.

We gratefully acknowledge the support from, Arts Midwest Touring Fund, Minnesota State Arts Board, Marbrook Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, and New England Foundation for the Arts.

We extend a special thank you to our event sponsors the Graduate Hotel Minneapolis, PNC Bank, and RBC Wealth Management.   

Director's Circle

10,000+

  • Drs. Robert Bruininks and Susan Hagstrum
  • Robert Lunieski

5,000+

  • Jerry Artz
  • Kurt and Susan Bjorklund, Dedicated to Silas and Victoria Ford
  • Ellie Crosby, The Longview and Crosswols Foundations
  • Nancy Gossell
  • Richard Gregory
  • Gail and Jack Kochie
  • Randy Hartten and Ron Lotz
  • Jennifer Marrone and David Short

2,500+

  • Nancy and John Conlin
  • Susan DeNuccio
  • Gail and Stuart Hanson
  • Voigt Lenmark and Family, In Loving Memory of Mary Jean Lenmark
  • Shawn Monaghan and Greg Plotnikoff
  • Thomas and Conchy Morgan, In Memory of Sylvia and Henry Frisch 
  • Sandra Morris
  • Gary A. Reetz
  • Scarborough Fair Boutique
  • Donald Williams and Pamela Neuenfeldt

Friend's Circle

1,000+

  • Mary Benson
  • Frederick L. Betz
  • Jeff Bieganek
  • Rob Carlson and Gregg Larson
  • Deb Cran and Robert Craven
  • Fran Davis
  • Karen Hanson and Dennis Senchuk
  • Minhchau and Lawrence Harms
  • Sally and Richard Leider
  • Dana and Lori Klimp
  • Bob and Susanna McMaster
  • Tim and Gayle Ober
  • Anne and James Parker
  • Marianne Remedios and John Wald
  • Stephanie Rupp
  • Kathryn Sedo and Scott Beers
  • David Vanney and Catharine Ruther

500+

  • Anonymous
  • Margaret Albrecht
  • Jeanne Andre
  • Susan and Kurt Bjorklund
  • Kathryn Cahill, In Honor of Ferne Rowland
  • R. and J. Cameron
  • Will and Ginny Craig
  • Stephen Davis and L Murray Thomas
  • Meghan DeBruycker Legacy Fund-Willmar Area Community Foundation
  • Peter and Kathy Ganzer
  • Ramona Hanneken
  • Gayle Henton
  • Glenn Lindsey
  • Lara Kluge
  • Mark and Cecilia Morrow
  • David Musolf
  • Robin Oertel
  • Lance Olson
  • Richard Taylor

250+

  • Anonymous
  • Elissa Adams and Michael Margulies
  • Paul Aslanian
  • Thomas and Jill Barland
  • Bill and Julie Brady
  • Kristen Brogdon
  • Kate Christianson
  • Diane Demos
  • Pat Gaarder
  • Stephen Gordon and Patricia Gavan-Gordon
  • Kathy Gremillion
  • Denise and Corey Holtz
  • Kimberly Hutchens
  • Jennifer and Mark Johnson
  • Mina Kinukawa
  • Emily Maltz
  • Mason and Gwen Myers
  • Derrill Pankow
  • Elizabeth Parker
  • David Perlman
  • Shannon Pierce
  • Ann Piotrowski
  • Kathleen Porter
  • Patricia and Joseph Pulice
  • Holly Radis-McCluskey and Glen McCluskey
  • John Reay and Karen Hanson
  • Danielle Robinson-Prater and Joel Prater
  • Gordon Rouse and Sylvia Beach
  • James Steman
  • Bonnie Vidlund
  • Cheryl Wall
  • Steven and Barb Zawadski

100+

  • Anonymous
  • Atashi Acharya
  • Jan Adams
  • Marcia Anderson
  • Joseph Bingham
  • Mayrinda Cain
  • JaNan Cavanaugh
  • Karen Charles
  • Stephen and Mary Chicoine
  • Sandra Daly
  • Melissa Davis
  • Timothy and Judith Dove
  • Robert Dufault and Ann Wilcox
  • Jean Durades
  • William Durfee and Devorah Goldstein
  • George Ehrenberg
  • Kristin Elizondo
  • Annalee Gray
  • Lisa and Dan Gray
  • Joan Haldeman
  • Nancy Hammer
  • Catherine Hart and Andes Gonzalez Leon
  • Cari and Matthew Hatcher
  • Richard Hruby and Kimberly Broderick
  • William Humphrey
  • Ann Jaede
  • Barry and Karen Johnson
  • Tovio Kallas and Beatrice Holton
  • Dana and Eric Kassel
  • Micki and Neil Kay
  • Leslie Koepke
  • Jill Lammer
  • Jeffrey Land
  • Laura Landy
  • Alan and Peggy Lathrop
  • James and Sharon Lewis
  • Mary McKenna
  • Toni McNaron
  • Kelly McQueen
  • Margaret Michaelson
  • Sally Moore
  • Gwen Myers
  • Douglas Myhra
  • Michael and Lisa Nekich
  • Stephen Nelson and Joan Bren
  • William and Jennifer Neujahr
  • Sarita Parikh
  • David and Mary Parker
  • Elizabeth Parker
  • Donald Pastor and David Goldstein
  • Steven Pincus
  • Bridget and David Reddan
  • Debra Reischl
  • James Schmitz and Sara Thompson
  • John Shreves
  • Jan and Alan Sickbert
  • Carol Skinner
  • Dimitri Smirnoff
  • Wendy Steele
  • Barbara Stoll
  • Ertugrul and Karen Owens Tuzcu
  • Michael Weinbeck
  • Cathy Westrum and Annelynn Westrum
  • Monica Winker-Bergstrom
  • Millie Woodbury
  • Mark Wright and Elizabeth Walton
     

Up to $99

  • Mark Abe
  • Berit Ahlgren
  • Kent Akervik
  • Gerald and Georgianna Allan
  • Kevin and Shirley Arms
  • Robert Arntsen
  • Michael and Jessica Austin
  • Christopher Bearg
  • Elizabeth and Wolfgang Bergman
  • Anna Betz
  • Tierra Boose
  • Mary Boyer
  • Patti Brase
  • Willie Bridges
  • Kristin Card
  • Ariel Carter
  • Betty Clark
  • David and Nancy Claussen
  • Michael Cohen
  • Massimo Costalonga
  • Virginia Dale
  • Susan Dardarian
  • Vicki Donatell
  • Dake Dorris
  • Byron Douglass
  • Frances Durkin
  • Marcia and Berkan Endres
  • Valerie Fazedin
  • Jessie Fett
  • Susan Gahan
  • Leslie Gerstman
  • Tippi and Bryan Goodwin
  • Joanne and John Gordon
  • Birgit Grund
  • Jeffrey Haddorf
  • Michael Hamerski and Susan Thurston-Hammerski
  • Paul and Charlotte Hardt
  • David and Julie Hartung
  • Joyce and Eugene Haselmann
  • Nancy Haskin
  • Jill Hauwiller
  • Addie Hazelton
  • Laura Helgeson
  • Mary Helmin
  • Colleen Hermann
  • Christina Herzog
  • Susan Hommeyer
  • Sheri Horton
  • Janet Horvath
  • Jerome and Judith Ingber
  • Ann Ivey
  • Ramona Jacobs and Charles Christianson
  • Janet Johnson
  • Rick Johnson
  • Ronald Joki
  • Aseem Kaul
  • David Kearn
  • Joan and Timothy Kenny
  • Cassandra Kiehn
  • Dwayne King
  • Carrie Klemenhagen
  • Thomas and Mary Kuhn
  • Doni Kvam
  • Mike and Sharon Lane
  • Linda Leamer
  • Kathryn LeFevere
  • Jane Leonard and Lori Lippert
  • Barbara Lind and Craig Poeschel
  • Nancy Litin
  • Ann Loushine-Thomsen
  • Marcelienne and Roger Lundquist
  • Nancy Marcy
  • Cynthia Marsh and C.W. Vandersluis
  • Kenneth and Judith Matysik
  • Robert and Kristin McClanahan

Up to $99 (continued)

  • Alli Mertins
  • Sanjay Mishra
  • Jill Mitchell
  • Daniel Moore and Laura Tempel
  • Summer Morrison
  • Kate Mueller
  • Scott Nelson and Roxanne Hart
  • Shelley and James Nichols
  • Margaret Nola
  • Nina Norum and Ronald Hays
  • Mary and Doug Olson
  • Barbara Owens
  • Carol and Peter Parshall
  • Matthew Peak
  • Marjorie Pearson
  • Beth Peck
  • Christina Peterson
  • Elizabeth Peterson
  • Virginia Phoenix
  • Charisse Pickron
  • Steven Pincus and Michelle Strangis
  • Jacqueline Rivera
  • Mary Roberts and Edward Kraft
  • Judith Rohde
  • Susan Rohde
  • Maria Rosengren
  • Shayla Saldivar-Pena
  • Amy Nelson Sander
  • Edward Sarnoski
  • Christine Schaefer
  • Hollie Schultz
  • Thomas Scott
  • James Sewell and Sally Rouse
  • Elizabeth Sharpe 
  • Michele and Chris Shepherd
  • Rebecca and John Shockley
  • Sarah Showalter
  • Jan and Alan Sickbert
  • Barbara Sletten
  • Emily Soltis
  • Theodore Sothern and Barry Leon
  • Bruce Spang
  • Richard Steege
  • Ronald Stevens
  • Vicki Strahan
  • Jonathan Tallman
  • Marie-Luise and Anita Teigen
  • Ivette Tejeda
  • Jon Thomas
  • Rodney and Carol Thompson
  • Michelle Tolliver
  • Kay Troan
  • Arthur Troedson
  • Kathleen Tuma
  • Nancy Tykwinski
  • David Ulaszek
  • Alla Valdberg
  • Tatiana Valdberg
  • Bill Venne and Douglas Kline
  • Katherine and Peter Vondelinde
  • Carolyn Wahl
  • Samuel Walling
  • Renee Warmuth
  • Kathleen Warner
  • Jeanie Watson
  • Brian and Katherine Weitz
  • Darryl and Janet Weivoda
  • Jonathon White
  • Mary Wiley
  • Clay and Karen Williams
  • Monica Winker-Bergstrom
  • Rachel Wolff
  • Roger Worm
  • Yuhsuan Yeh
  • Roberta Zohara

This season’s listing is current as of 3/17/23

Please contact Trisha Taylor at taylort@umn.edu if you have any corrections or questions.

Northrop's Aeolian-Skinner Organ

Thank you to the generous donors who continue to support programming for Northrop’s beloved Aeolian-Skinner Organ. It is because of you that this magnificent instrument’s voice will be enjoyed by many for years to come.

Organ Supporters

  •  
  • Dean Billmeyer
  • Drs. Robert Bruininks and Susan Hagstrum
  • Dee Ann and Kent Crossley
  • David Cruickshank
  • Salvatore Franco
  • Reid Froiland
  • Nils and Heather Halker
  • Charlie Johnson
  • Joseph Kuznik
  • Kristin Lefferts
  • Lisette Lilac
  • Peter Lund
  • Pamela Neuenfeldt and Don Williams
  • Holly Radis-McCluskey and Glen McCluskey
  • David and Rachelle Willey
  •  

The Northrop Organ Advisory Board

  •  
  • Michael Barone
  • Cynthia Betz
  • Dean Billmeyer
  • Kristen Brogdon
  • Dr. Robert Bruininks
  • Dee Ann Crossley
  • Laura Edman
  • Cathie Fischer
  • Nils Halker
  • Cari Hatcher
  • Pamela Neuenfeldt
  • Kari Schloner
  •  

The Heritage Society Members

The Heritage Society honors and celebrates donors who have made estate and other planned gifts for Northrop at the University of Minnesota. 

  • Nancy M Allen*
  • Jerry L Artz
  • John W Follows*
  • Stephen Gordon and Pat Gavan-Gordon
  • Peter S Lund
  • Darlene M Sholtis

*Deceased

Support By

Minnesota State Arts Board logo
National Endowment for the Arts

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

This activity is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit arts.gov.

We extend a special thank you to our ENCORE event sponsors the RBC Wealth Management and Graduate Hotel Minneapolis.

RBC Wealth Management logo
Graduate Minneapolis logo

Thank you for viewing. Mobile-friendly digital programs have replaced printed programs in support of fiscal stewardship (focusing funds on the artists appearing on our stage), environmental sustainability (reducing paper consumption and not contributing to supply chain issues), and visual accessibility (allowing you to zoom in on the content). Want to enjoy the program after the event? You can find it linked from the event page on Northrop's website.

Live Captions