Joffrey Ballet premiere brings top professionals to IU

The atmosphere of the IU Auditorium was buzzing with excitement as audience members came by the dozens to see the Joffrey Ballet on Tuesday.

“They look incredible,” junior Hana Slevin said. “There is something so raw and passionate about the Joffrey.”

As the audience members were taking their seats, dancers backstage were warming up and preparing to go on. Some dancers were tying their point shoes and doing the final touches of their makeup while others who were not performing that night were getting massages with the physical therapist.

While the dancers were preparing to perform, the audience members were eagerly looking for their seats and waiting for the performance to begin.

“I’m from Chicago, and we always went to see ‘The Nutcracker,’” freshman Erin Kilhefner said. “It’s spring, and there is nothing better than ballet in the spring.”

As the audience members waited for the show to begin, backstage the atmosphere was filled with excitement and tension.

One of the dancers, Lucas Segovia, was not able to perform as scheduled. A niece he was very close to had passed away.

As dancers were expressing sympathy to Segovia, the unfortunate tragedy was a reminder that the dancers the audience was so eager to watch were human.

However, the show had to go on, but in the ballet world everything is double cast, so as some dancers empathized, others put on their game face and prepared to dance.
 
“It takes a lot of discipline and a lot of determination to be a dancer,” company member Valerie Robin said. “It requires passion. If you’re not passionate, you shouldn’t do it.”

The dance menu of the night included a mix of contemporary and classical ballet dances.

“Classical ballet is beautiful, but now what we are seeing more in the dance world is an experiment,” Robin said.

The Joffrey ballet trains with classical ballet every day, Robin said. However it was a major part of Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino, the original founders of the Joffrey, to include new and experimental works, said Robin.

As the lights dimmed, the curtain rose and dancers rushed on stage in simple white leotards and flowing dance skirts.

While the performers danced, the audience was transported to another world, where a universal language of dance and movement was used.

“It’s live art. You don’t get to see that anymore. Now everything is digital,” Robin said. “It’s living, breathing human beings creating art. You can’t get better than that.”