The Joffrey Ballet recently announced it will host an evening of free public performances in the heart of downtown Chicago in Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park.
Created as a gift to all Chicagoans, and the first event of its kind, The Joffrey Ballet’s Joffrey for All Celebration will feature dance workshops in the lawn and performances by Joffrey Company Artists, the Joffrey Academy of Dance, and students from the Joffrey Community Engagement programs starting at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 25.
The Joffrey Ballet’s Joffrey for All Celebration celebrates the Joffrey’s mission to create a Joffrey for All. In the last decade, Joffrey has launched several initiatives to welcome dancers of all backgrounds into the Joffrey community. Joffrey offers more than $500,000 in scholarships and financial aid annually, increasing access to professional and educational opportunities regardless of financial barriers. Joffrey’s new, state-of-the-art studio space at 1920 S. Wabash expands the Company’s access to students from Chicago’s South and West sides.
The Joffrey for All strategic plan forms pathways for every person to experience the joy of dance. With a focus on impact through education, the Joffrey Academy of Dance’s Adaptive Dance programs offer the opportunity for neurodivergent students and students with diverse movement abilities to improve their mind and body awareness while engaging in creative expression.
Launched in 2022 under the Joffrey for All plan, the Academy’s new Contemporary Ballet Trainee program is the first full-time contemporary ballet training program offered by a classical ballet company in the U.S., providing dancers a holistic training model that emphasizes a vast range of techniques beyond traditional ballet.
The weekend-long Joffrey for All celebration kicks off with a ticketed event in the Old Post Office on Friday, June 23.
The Joffrey Ballet’s Joffrey for All celebration, Sunday, June 25, 5:30 p.m., Millennium Park’s Pritzker Pavilion, Cost: Free to the public.
Description: This summer, the Joffrey will create an unforgettable summer experience as a gift to all Chicagoans. All three arms of the Company, including the Joffrey Community Engagement programs, the Joffrey Academy of Dance, and the Joffrey Company Artists, will perform for free at the event, in addition to offering dance workshops on the park lawn prior to performances.
Located in Millennium Park – the true heart of the city – ensures the event will be accessible to all communities. Dance has a unique ability to unite people in the community, no matter their background; this celebration will honor Chicago’s enduring spirit and Joffrey’s collective commitment to making the Joffrey for All.
Sir. Real. A Joffrey Celebration, Friday, June 23, 7:30 p.m., Chicago’s Old Post Office, 433 W. Van Buren. Cost: $1000/person. Other sponsorship levels available.
Description: In honor of President and CEO Greg Cameron’s 10-year anniversary of extraordinary leadership, the Joffrey Ballet will transform the Old Post Office into an all-consuming surreal dreamland for the senses, with bizarre surprises and dazzling curiosities around every corner. Leading with empathy and a focus on Joffrey’s impact, Cameron’s vision to create a Joffrey for All will be his lasting legacy.
His 2013 appointment was the culmination of three decades of work in arts administration and philanthropy. “I always loved art, but I wasn’t a great artist,” Cameron says. “I could paint by numbers, or I could connect the dots. I realized early on I was a good dot connector. I could connect people to each other and help them get involved with the things they believe in.”
As a child in suburban Chicago, he ran a makeshift theater out of his garage and as an adult, he turned those passions into a career raising funds for the cultural organizations he loves.
“The Joffrey brings it all together for me,” he says. “It’s about collaboration, partnership with the community, honoring and supporting artists, and telling stories that truly move people.”
Today, Cameron leads the Joffrey’s efforts to support unforgettable productions and new commissions, reach out to organizations and communities across Chicago, and open up world-class ballet for audiences from all backgrounds.
The Joffrey is grateful for the support of Celebration Presenting Sponsors Chicago Free For All Fund at The Chicago Community Trust, Anne L. Kaplan, The Negaunee Foundation, Northern Trust, Wilson Garling Foundation, The Women’s Board of The Joffrey Ballet, Zell Family Foundation; and Co-Chairs Abbott with Juliana and Robert Ford, Luann and David Blowers, W.C. Cameron Family and Greg Thompson, Marc DeMoss, William and Shelley Farley, Brendan Fernandes, Sherry and Richard Holson III, with Guarantee Trust Life Insurance Company, ITW, Lashana Jackson, Sally and Jon Kovler, the Pritzker Foundation, and Yolanda and Jason Tyler. Special thanks to Honorary Co-chairs Nick Cave and Bob Faust and Anne Eleanor Roosevelt.
The Joffrey Ballet is one of the premier dance companies in the world today, with a reputation for boundary-breaking performances for more than 60 years. The Joffrey repertoire is an extensive collection of all-time classics, modern masterpieces, and original works.
For more information on the Joffrey Ballet and its programs, visit joffrey.org.
