| EVENT REPORT 01.07.09 10:24 AM |
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| Dance Partners |
| Joffrey ballerinas teamed up with the cast of Broadway in Chicago's Dirty Dancing for a performance that marked the opening of the Academy of Dance. |
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Julia Jankowski, events coordinator for the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, spent two months planning Monday night’s event titled "Have the Time of Your Life: An Evening of Song and Dance With the Cast of Dirty Dancing." The event drew some 165 guests—including Chicago's first lady, Maggie Daley—and served as a relaxed grand-opening celebration for the Academy of Dance, Official School of the Joffrey Ballet.
The event’s centerpiece was a two-act performance that featured dancers from the ballet company and the Broadway in Chicago show, a collaboration which came about thanks to a longtime friendship between Kaitlin Hopkins (who plays Baby Houseman’s mother, Marjorie, in the touring company of Dirty Dancing) and Christopher Conway, executive director of the Joffrey Ballet. Further solidifying the link between the two organizations, several Dirty Dancing cast members are also former Joffrey dancers, including Britta Lazenga, who cohosted the evening’s performance. |
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PHOTO GALLERY |
 | The night began in the Melk Studio on the fourth floor of the new Joffrey Tower, where the ballet company rehearses.
Photo: Herbert Migdoll |
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 | Members of the Joffrey Ballet and the cast of Dirty Dancing performed cabaret-style numbers.
Photo: Herbert Migdoll |
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 | The cocktail reception featured a silent auction offering wine, dance-related memorabilia, and artwork from local galleries.
Photo: Herbert Migdoll |
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 | Jewell Events Catering provided a spread of fruits, veggies, and cheeses.
Photo: Herbert Migdoll |
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Further support for the evening came from sponsor Jewell Events Catering, which donated wine, cheese, and crudités for an hour-long cocktail reception that kicked off the event.
—Amalie Drury
RELATED TOPICS
Joffrey Ballet, Broadway in Chicago, Maggie Daley
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