The Golden Hour 💛💛💛💛💛

Review of The Joffrey Ballet 02/20/2025

In another lifetime, I was a theatre maker and even reviewed performances for two separate publications (which explains some of the writings here dated prior to my entering the Substackiverse.) I will occasionally be publishing a review of a performance I saw that is notable for one reason or another. If you are an organization seeking to add me to your press contact list, please email me directly. For anyone else wishing to skip these posts, I will tag them under “reviews” and will include this preamble at the top for easy opt-out. For an at-a-glance rating view, I’ll include an “out of seven” 💛 scale.

The Golden Hour

Last Thursday, I took my mother to the ballet. I had ended up with tickets in the most genuinely happy-accident sort of way and it happened to be the prestigious Joffrey ballet, now in its 25th season, and it the performance was to take place at the historical Lyric Opera, Chicago. Just look at this place. Art Nouveau never got the memo its 2025 and I might be a sucker for that aesthetic.

The performance was delivered in four parts, with four distinct choreographers, and a cast that played multiple roles within the program.

Under the Trees' Voices

Choreography: Nicholas Blanc | Music: Ezio Bosso

The first offering of the first act began with a live symphony pulling the strings in a melancholic tone; dancers began to come to life under a set of giant transparent leaves, themselves dressed in earthy leafy costumes.

This opening number featured the entire cast, with athleticism and beauty prevalent and body lines exceptionally fluid. According to the synopsis, it was supposed to represent the “persistence of community and connection in the age of distance and isolation.” It was also supposed to be reminiscent of the 2020 post-pandemic thaw of public sentiment as restrictions lifted, but that didn’t quite speak to me. After all, for some of us, community and connections entirely shifted during the pandemic. If it weren’t mentioned in. the program, I wouldn’t link this piece to the attitudes of post-2020 at all.

Instead, the scene evoked the magic of the woods, the mischievousness of the forest faeries, and the morning dew that makes old and young foliage dance. It held the spirit of a reality that cares not about pandemics or human folly. It triumphed knowing that nature remains alive and well outside of our beliefs and philosophies. 💛💛💛💛💛

Heimat

Choreography: Cathy Marston | Music: Richard Wagner

The second act featured five performers. The plot was a simple slice of life, depicting a happy family in the countryside: a mother, a father, a son, and two daughters, each with his or her own personality. The costumes, a pastel dream-like palette, added to the feeling of an easygoing afternoon, and the acting moments brought the first laugh of the evening as the siblings sparred for attention from the parents.

This act was performed well and was pleasing to the eye. It didn’t intend to have a huge emotional impact, because there wasn’t a conflict introduced to the story, but it was executed expertly. 💛💛💛💛💛

Andante

Choreography: Yuri Possokhov | Music: Dmitri Shostakovich

We returned from intermission to watch this angular and dynamic piece. The story portrayed was a taboo, intimate setting of a throuple dealing with the pitfalls of a non-monogamous relationship.

This is one of those subjects that dance is best suited for, as intellectualizing too much about it feels inadequate and degrading. Dance provides the sort of nuance you feel and not the sort you understand and even defining it now cheapens its meaning.

Yet, as much as I find the theme provocative, there was something not quite aesthetically pleasing about this piece. Some of it was the costuming (assuming they were supposed to be on a beach in bathing suits), but the muscle tone of the woman accented by her costume rendered her rather masculine, not so much as the wallflower that the dance was choreographed for. Dance speaks with bodies and body type can have a significant impact (even subconsciously) on how we perceive a theme. It was still expertly performed be it not my favourite. 💛💛💛💛

Princess and the Pea

Choreography: Dani Rowe | Music: Jim Stephenson

This was the final act and, in this author’s humble opinion, a well worthwhile wait. Not only did the piece begin with a theatrical trope - a narrator! Dressed in a suit navigating images on a nostalgic carousel slide projector with striking images echoing the ‘60s era of modern chic, he spoke! And told the story inspired by the folk The Princess and the Pea.

I’m a storyteller myself, so it’s no wonder this one appealed to me the most. But the costumes and accessories were exquisite and unique.

The characters were distinct and funny, with plenty of dynamics within the dances. This piece required the most facial performance, which, again, appeals to my physical theatre roots, but my mum and I both agreed that this piece could have been stretched and have taken the whole two hours without losing interest.

There were some exceptional performances: the Princess and her two Servants, and the Girl and the Carrot featured in this photograph delivered extraordinary movement and acting skills:

I would never have thought the mash-up of a fairy tale with ballet in a ‘60s visual pattern ala Austin Powers would work well but it did. It was a feast for the eyes and laughter for the belly. 💛💛💛💛💛💛

Conclusion

There are certainly performing art forms that are seeing shrinking audiences; ballet and opera are two of those, and with their pretty hefty overhead, tickets can get a bit pricy, causing an even bigger burden to fill those seats. Modern ballet is its own niche, so it was truly inspiring to see great attendance by a spectrum of generations. The skill it takes to perform ballet is undeniable - a sheer pinnacle of human physicality. Let’s hope we can sustain its magic.

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