No Nutcracker, But Joffrey Ballet Staying Active

WDCB’s Gary Zidek catches up with Joffrey Ballet artistic director Ashley Wheater to talk about adapting during the pandemic.

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WDCB's Gary Zidek catches up with Joffrey Ballet artistic director Ashley Wheater to talk about the company's efforts to adapt during the pandemic.

“It would have been our first year at the Lyric Opera House, you know, you can spend years making lots of good plans, but it doesn’t mean to say they’re going to happen when you want them to. We have tried to keep the spirit of the Nutcracker alive in Chicago, but its probably the first year for nearly all of us that we have not been dancing the Nutcracker.” - Joffrey Ballet artistic director Ashley Wheater talking about a December with no Nutcracker production.

Joffrey Ballet artistic director Ashley Wheater in 2017.

This year marked the 25th anniversary of the Joffrey Ballet moving from New York City to Chicago. The city has embraced the company’s fresh approach to programming and choreography.  The Joffrey has also become a holiday tradition for many local families who make a point to see the company’s crowd-pleasing production of The Nutcracker every year.  Of course this holiday season is unlike any we’ve experienced, and Joffrey’s Nutcracker is among a list of local holiday traditions that are on hiatus this year because of the pandemic. But the acclaimed ballet company is hoping to engage with its fans and supporters over the next several months through a new virtual series that will offer free programming.

Image of Joffrey’s new video podcast, On Cue,

You can check out the Joffrey Studio Series at joffrey.org/studioseries

And if you’re missing the Nutcracker, you watch the Emmy Award-winning 2017 documentary, MAKING A NEW AMERICAN NUTCRACKER, here: joffrey.org/nutcrackerdoc