Documentary goes behind the curtain at Chicago's Joffrey Ballet
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Ensemble cast performs in formation in "The Joffrey Ballet: The Next Movement." Photo: Courtesy of Erin Morgan Taylor
A documentary airing Friday on PBS goes behind the curtain of one of the world's most prestigious dance companies — Chicago's Joffrey Ballet.
The big picture: "The Joffrey Ballet: The Next Movement" follows five choreographers as they create new works for 2024's Winning Works program.
- That's Joffrey's annual program featuring emerging choreographers of color. Performances take place in the spring at the MCA.
Zoom in: The documentary was directed by Cam Be, who honed his talent at Chicago's Kartemquin Films.
What to expect: Each choreographer has two weeks to bring a new work to the stage. That involves more than teaching the moves; it's consultations with the costumer, practice runs with stage directors and relationships with the dancers.
- Born and bred on the South Side, Houston Thomas returns to the Joffrey and Chicago for the first time since his mother died of cancer in 2017. An emotional visit to his childhood home with his dad shows how much his family contributed to his growth as a dancer.
- Manoela Gonçalves loses a week of prep time after a delayed visa keeps her home in Rio de Janeiro. She reveals how she's learning to relinquish the quest for perfection she experienced as a dancer.
What they're saying: "Coming here to this country, every single thing was different. But dance is a very universal language. This is something that connects everyone," dancer and influencer Jainil Mehta says about the experience of working in Chicago.
State of play: Winning Works performances take place in the spring at the MCA.
- Joffrey's current production "Liliom" runs through Sept. 27. It tells the story that inspired Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical "Carousel" and features a live 17-piece jazz band.
Plus, Mehta leads a dance class with Naach Chicago on Sunday in Lincoln Park.
What's next: "The Joffrey Ballet: The Next Movement" airs Friday on WTTW at 8pm.