US premiere of Liam Scarlett’s Carmen opens The Joffrey Ballet’s 70th Anniversary Season
On 18 September, The Joffrey Ballet opens its 70th anniversary season with the US premiere of Liam Scarlett’s Carmen, set in 1930s Spain. In the context of a nation on the brink of civil war, uncompromising and seductive Carmen insists on loving whom she chooses.
The company’s artistic director, Ashley Wheater, said,
It’s a privilege to open our season with the U.S. premiere of Liam Scarlett’s Carmen, an evocative and theatrical masterwork. Carmen is fearless – magnetic, passionate, and impossible to contain. Liam’s choreography demands both physical rigor and emotional depth, pushing our artists to their fullest potential and captivating audiences in the process. This production sets the tone for a powerful season.
The performances are close-packed, with ten shows from Thursday to Sunday over two weekends until 28 September.
Scarlett’s ballet received its world premiere at the Norwegian National Ballet in 2015. It was designed Jon Bausor, who collaborated with Scarlett on Firebird for Norwegian National Ballet, as well as Hansel and Gretel (The Royal Ballet) and Lest We Forget (English National Ballet).
Joffrey Ballet’s President and CEO, Greg Cameron, said,
We begin our 70th anniversary and 30th year in Chicago with boldness and momentum. Carmen lights the fuse for a season that defines who we are: a company in motion, reaching beyond expectations. This year, we step into a new chapter at the Lyric Opera House, one defined by scale, ambition, and vision. It’s a threshold moment for the Joffrey and for our city.
Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Italian ballerina Carla Fracci.
Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
