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  1. Venues & Destinations
  2. United States
  3. Chicago

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.

Amalie Drury
January 7, 2009

Julia Jankowski, events coordinator for the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, spent two months planning Monday nightโ€™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 guestsโ€”including Chicago's first lady, Maggie Daleyโ€”and served as a relaxed grand-opening celebration for the Academy of Dance, Official School of the Joffrey Ballet.

The eventโ€™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 Housemanโ€™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 eveningโ€™s performance.

Further support for the evening came from sponsor Jewell Events Catering, which donated wine, cheese, and cruditรฉs for an hour-long cocktail reception that kicked off the event.

The evening's dance performance
The evening's dance performance
Photo: Herbert Migdoll
The night began in the Melk Studio on the fourth floor of the new Joffrey Tower, where the ballet company rehearses.
The night began in the Melk Studio on the fourth floor of the new Joffrey Tower, where the ballet company rehearses.
Photo: Herbert Migdoll
Members of the Joffrey Ballet and the cast of Dirty Dancing performed cabaret-style numbers.
Members of the Joffrey Ballet and the cast of Dirty Dancing performed cabaret-style numbers.
Photo: Herbert Migdoll
The cocktail reception featured a silent auction offering wine, dance-related memorabilia, and artwork from local galleries.
The cocktail reception featured a silent auction offering wine, dance-related memorabilia, and artwork from local galleries.
Photo: Herbert Migdoll
Jewell Events Catering provided a spread of fruits, veggies, and cheeses.
Jewell Events Catering provided a spread of fruits, veggies, and cheeses.
Photo: Herbert Migdoll
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