Northrop Presents
The Joffrey Ballet:
American Icons
2025–26 Northrop Season
With Live Orchestra
Thu, Mar 5, 7:30 pm
Part of the 50% Off Sale, Nov 28–Dec 11! Use promo code 2026WINTER50
In honor of their 70th anniversary, the beloved Joffrey Ballet revisits Northrop with American Icons, a tribute to four dance legends. Featuring iconic works that have shaped the history of American dance, the soaring program is brought to life with live orchestra, including a stirring piece played by Northrop Organist Greg Zelek that highlights our glorious Aeolian Skinner Op. 892. Witness the daring and enduring spirit that defines the Joffrey's maverick legacy. American Icons celebrates dynamic works by four trailblazing 20th-century artists: Joffrey co-founders Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino, prolific dance pioneer Martha Graham, and Joffrey alum Glen Tetley.
Remembrances: Choreography by Robert Joffrey | Music by Richard Wagner
In this intimate duet by Robert Joffrey, visionary founder of The Joffrey Ballet, a woman sings of past love, while another views a dance-reenactment of the memory.
Kettentanz: Choreography by Gerald Arpino | Music by Johann Strauss Sr., Johann Mayer
Inspired by classical Viennese balls and gardens, Kettentanz is highly regarded as one of Arpino's signature works.
Secular Games: Choreography by Martha Graham | Music by Robert Starer
Secular Games presents a playful exploration of human nature and the lengths to which we go to impress one another.
Voluntaries: Choreography by Glen Tetley | Music by Francis Poulenc
A masterpiece of emotional depth and soaring movement set to Poulenc's Concerto in G Minor for Organ, Strings, and Timpani, Tetley's Voluntaries is a tribute to the late John Cranko.
Top image: Glen Tetley's Voluntaries. Photo © Erik Berg.
Articles & More
“The Joffrey Ballet continues to surprise audiences with innovation and superior technical prowess.”—Third Coast Review
“[Gerald Arpino] moved people, he gave them beauty, he gave them excitement. He allowed people to go to the ballet and not be intimidated by it.”—Variety
To Help You Decide
You might enjoy this performance if you love(d):
- The Joffrey Ballet (2023)
- American Ballet Theatre
- Dance Theatre of Harlem
- The State Ballet of Georgia
- BalletMet
This will be the Joffrey’s 16th performance at Northrop; the last was in Mar 2023.
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Related Event(s)
Know Before You Go
Event Information
- Seating: Ticket Required
- Performance Begins: 7:30 pm
- Tickets: Check the email you provided when you placed your order to locate your digital ticket. Be sure to check your spam or junk mail folders if you do not see them.
- Detailed Event Information: Check back for more information closer to the date.
If you need assistance, please call 612-624-2345, email umntix@umn.edu.
Important Links–Planning Your Visit
Learn More - Explore These Themes
The content below derives from the Northrop Across Campus Program that supports Northrop's mission towards intersections between performing arts and education for the benefit of all participants now and for generations to come.
Find ways to make thematic connections to these suggested topics:
- Dance: Ballet, Graham Technique, Modern
- U.S. History
- Theatrical Production
- Music: Classical, Organ
Dive deeper with these resources that provide additional information about the performers, the history of the artform, and the artistic process.
Joffrey Ballet: American Icons website
Video: "2025-2026 Season | Celebrating 70 Years of The Joffrey Ballet"
"Geraldo Arpino: 1923–2008: Giant of American Dance"—Chicago Tribune
Joffrey Ballet Mission, Values, and History
Video: "Secular Games by Martha Graham"
Video: "Martha Graham's Artistic Legacy"
"Uncovering the Hidden Life of Martha Graham, Modern Dance Icon" —Columbia News
Glen Tetley Ballet: A Modern Dance Choreographer website
"Glen Tetley: A 'New Look' For the Stuttgart: Choreographer Glen Tetley: Offering a 'New Look' for the Stuttgart"—The Washington Post
Video: "Voluntaries (Principals)"
Video: "A Day in the Life of Joffrey Studio Company Member Maria Jose Esquivel Losada"
Start a conversation about the performance or encourage reflection, using these questions as inspiration.
The Joffrey Ballet’s mixed repertoire program American Icons features works by legendary choreographers throughout U.S. history: Robert Joffrey, who founded the prestigious Chicago ballet company alongside Gerald Arpino; Glen Tetley, ballet and modern dance fusionist; and Martha Graham, the “mother of modern dance” and one of the most influential artists in American history.
- What makes an American icon? Why, or why not, is it important to celebrate them in the present day?
- How does the diverse stylistic range of the program, from Graham Technique to ballet, reflect the current landscape and legacy of dance in America?
When the company was founded by Joffrey and Arpino 70 years ago, it consisted of a six-dancer ensemble that toured the country in an old station wagon pulling a trailer. Now, The Joffrey is considered Chicago’s resident ballet company, and reflects a legacy of firsts: the first dance company to perform at the White House, at Jacqueline Kennedy’s invitation; the first to appear on American television; the first classical dance company to use multimedia; the first to create a ballet set to rock music; the first to appear on the cover of TIME Magazine (featuring the ballet Astarte); and the first company to have a major motion picture based on its origins (Robert Altman’s The Company).
- How would you imagine the experience of a dancer at The Joffrey 70 years ago differs from or remains the same as that of a company member today? How might cultural attitudes towards classical ballet and dance have changed or remained the same?
- How might the trailblazing legacy of The Joffrey subvert and/or preserve classical ballet and dance tradition?
The grand finale of the program culminates with the highly technical Voluntaries, choreographed by Tetley as a memorial tribute to his friend and fellow choreographer and dancer, John Cranko. This finale also features dancers accompanied by Northrop’s 40-foot-tall, 7,000-pipe Aeolian-Skinner Op. 892 organ, played by Northrop Organist Greg Zelek.
- Dance is not typically accompanied by a concert organ. Why do you imagine this might be the case? What might be some of the challenges and advantages of orchestrating and performing with this unique pairing?
- What are some rehearsal techniques that dancers and organists (or other musicians) may need to employ when preparing for a dance performance with live music?
- How might nontraditional arrangements and instrumentation affect the larger landscape of dance and art, especially considering the trailblazing history of Joffrey founders Tetley and Graham?
Acknowledgments
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.
