The Joffrey Ballet: an American Revolution of Dance

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THE 221 Dance Appreciation 14 May 2013 The Joffrey Ballet: An American Revolution of Dance In 1956, two men with barely any money or connections established a ballet company that came to revolutionize American ballet: the Joffrey Ballet. These two masterminds were Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino. Regarded as one of the most prestigious dance companies in the nation, the Joffrey Ballet never fails to astonish and captivate those who faithfully frequent their performances to this day, over forty years later. The twosome took traditional ballet technique and boldly integrated it with modern dance. They combined art with social statement, setting ballet pieces to pop and rock music. Robert Joffrey was one of the few artistic directors that worked to inspire his students to believe that despite their flaws - whether they were too round, too short, too tall, etc. - they could dance. This philosophy stemmed from Joffrey’s own experiences of being ridiculed by former dance teachers because of his own physical deformity. Growing up with bowlegs, his pediatrician recommended physical exercise to allow Joffrey to strengthen his structural frame, although Joffrey always maintained that the doctor recommended it because it would help with his asthma. Said Gerald Arpino, “I think Bob took ballet primarily to strengthen his frame - his structural frame - even more than asthma” (Anawalt, Ch.2). Upon the physician’s recommendation for exercise, Robert’s father Joseph’s first instinct was to enroll his son in boxing classes, and so Robert was exposed for the first time to instructed physical movement (Anawalt, Ch.2). It was after discovering the talents of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly that Robert Joffrey developed a desire to dance. He was able to convince his parents to allow him to quit boxing to take up tap dancing instead, and soon thereafter became a student at Dorothy

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