Archive for LAUREN
August 1, 2008 at 3:55 pm · Filed under dance, LAUREN, joffrey
LAUREN STEWART
Joffrey Ballet
Chicago, Illinois USA
BIO | POSTS
Here are some photos of the new Joffrey tower. We moved in on Thursday for class and the company officially comes back to work on August 4th. The facility includes three floors including a floor for a new school, the company and administrative offices. More to follow…here’s a few pics!
Jonathan Dummar sews shoes before class-all the studio windows have amazing views of state st.
Main entrance to our new studios.
Studio B
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May 29, 2008 at 7:43 pm · Filed under dance, injuries, joffrey ballet, LAUREN
Last week I sprained my ankle in company class and have been in physical therapy since starting the healing process. It was the first sprain of my career, so it was pretty severe. The day it had occurred I had an ankle bone similar to the size of a tennis ball, but in less than a week the swelling has decreased dramatically and bruising has been flushed in directions away from the ankle bone(i.e to my toes and outside of my calf). Luckily, Joffrey is on layoff for the next four weeks and I have ample time to recover. My progress is going well and I have been working on releves this week in therapy on the reformer. 
I have been having my ankle taped for support and bruising in my toes is clear in this picture.
Joffrey uses Athletico in the East Bank Club in Chicago for therapy.
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May 28, 2008 at 7:25 pm · Filed under dance, chicago, performance, LAUREN, joffrey
Wilkins and Shives final bow with Mr. Arpino and Artistic Director Ashley Wheater
On May 25th the Joffrey ended its 2007-2008 season at the Auditorium Theater with a farewell performance honoring Maia Wilkins, Michael Levine and Willy Shives. Three major dancers who have influenced and shaped the Joffrey as the company it is today. Shives will stay within the Joffrey family as a ballet master next season and Levine and Wilkins will continue their artistic endeavors guesting nationally and internationally. As a dancer, I feel so fortunate to have shared the stage with such incredible artists and will miss them immensely! It was such a memorable event watching their final performance amongst my peers…having seen numerous retirement performances as a student in new york it is quite a different feeling when experiencing firsthand. Levine and Wilkins performed Aprino’s “Sea Shadow”, Wilkins and Shives performed Arpino’s ” Ruth Ricordi per due”, and Shives surprised everyone with a solo choreographed by fellow dancer Brian McSween. Additional ballets from Joffrey’s spring season buttressed this special program; Twyla Tharp’s “Waterbaby Bagatelles”, Paul Taylor’s “Cloven Kingdom”, and Lar Lubovitch’s “…Smile with my heart”. Tears were shed, bouts of laughter, stories told…the incredible impact of Levine, Wilkins, and Shives will never vanish. Thanks for the memories, thanks for the lessons, thanks for the inspiration!
Levine and Wilkins after Arpino’s “Sea Shadow”.
Shives and Wilkins in Tudor’s “Lilac garden”
Wilkins and I at Joffrey’s 2008 Spring Gala
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April 22, 2008 at 3:18 am · Filed under dance, website, photography, LAUREN, joffrey
Two colleagues of mine have recently created a non-profit dance photography magazine titled “On Center Magazine” which features the beautiful and gifted artists of the Joffrey ballet. Sasha Fornari, a photographer for Joffrey and Michael Smith, a company dancer and aspiring photographer are the two co founders of this new publication. Both have also contributed their work to Joffrey’s blog, JPointe. Their composition, attention to detail, and unique perspective evoke images of inspiration and sheer beauty. For further information please visit www.oncentermagazine.com
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February 28, 2008 at 4:22 am · Filed under dance, chicago, joffrey ballet, dress rehearsal, LAUREN
Valerie Robin and ensemble in the 1st song.
Joffrey is currently performing a trio of ballets by Anthony Tudor at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago; celebrating the centennial of Tudor’s birth. Our winter season opened February 20th and runs through March 2nd. The middle ballet on the program is Dark Elegies, a personal favorite of mine. Set to Gustav Mahler’s ‘’Kindertotenlieder'’ ('’Songs on the Death of Children'’), which are sung by Stephen Salters, the ballet depicts a community in mourning. Yet the nature of the disaster that has struck remains unspecified and one is free to speculate and imagine all sorts of catastrophes. The texts of the songs concern the deaths of children, cradling gestures recur and the dancers resemble devastated parents. It is such a powerful piece with so many opportunities to interpret and reflect upon one’s own life experiences. It is such a joy to watch my fellow peers bring an equal amount of skill and emotion to their dancing. As a dancer, it’s also an amazing experience to have live accompaniment on stage - whether it be vocal or instrumental.
1st song.
Stephen Salters and dancer Heather Aagard kneeling.
Victoria Jaini and Michel Levine in the 2nd song.
Erica Lynette Edwards in the 4th song.
Victoria Jaini and Michel Levine in 2nd song.
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January 29, 2008 at 4:41 am · Filed under dance, tour, florida, joffrey ballet, LAUREN
Joffrey recently toured to Florida January 15th thru the 22nd with a “Cool Vibrations” program. We traveled to West Palm Beach, Naples, and Sarasota with one performance in each venue. The program consisted of Twyla Tharp’s Deuce Coupe, Donald Byrd’s Motown Suite and Laura Dean’s Sometimes it Snows in April. It’s a pretty upbeat mix of repertoire with music of the Beach Boys, Motown classics, and Prince. It was a special treat for the company to escape the frigid and snowy conditions in Chicago, but the overwhelming response from the Florida audiences was especially rewarding. We returned to Chicago after tour to prepare for our upcoming winter season at the Auditorium Theater. We will perform Anthony Tudor’s Dark Elegies, Lilac Garden and Offenbach in the Underworld to celebrate the Tudor Centennial.
Maia Wilkins and Michael Levine in Motown Suite (Above and below)
Mauro Villaneuva in his solo in Motown Suite.
Dancer Calvin Kitten observes from the wings during Motown Suite.
Thomas Nicholas and Jennifer Goodman during their pas de deux in Motown Suite.
Sometimes it Snows in April. (above and below)
Lido Beach Resort in Sarasota, FL.
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