Joffrey Ballet takes a leap into what USC has to offer

USC is getting a taste of some talent from the country’s finest dancers.

Members of the world-renowned Joffrey Ballet from Chicago is participating in a three-week residency at the University of South Carolina in preparation for a performance on April 5.

The collaboration also includes the USC dance program’s Betsy Blackmon dancers and the USC Symphony Orchestra.

Members of both are excited about the opportunities the collaboration brings. 

“I’ve never been that nervous for an audition ever,” said freshman dance major Brianna Geist.

Geist has been following Joffrey for years, and she has always dreamed of working with them.

She saw that Joffrey was coming before she committed to USC and said it was a big reason for her to choose the school.

She has been anticipating and preparing for the three-week residency all year.

Now that the dancers are here, she said she is trying to cherish every moment, whether that’s watching them through the studio window or taking their master classes.

“They’re just otherworldly, like, they’re truly incredible human beings,” she said.

The collaboration came about because USC President Michael Amiridis was working in Chicago before he came to USC. He formed a relationship while there with the Joffrey Ballet’s executive director, said Jennifer Dekert, USC’s dance director.

“That connection kind of blossomed into an opportunity for Joffrey to come to USC” once Amiridis was in Columbia, Dekert said.

She said the partnership began as a dream, but as the dates aligned, it soon became a reality, bringing her students incredible opportunities to learn from the professionals.

The goal for many dancers in the program is to make it to the professional world after graduation.

“We really try to bring in guest artists that provide them with a professional dance experience,” Dekert said.

She is proud of her students and grateful to the school for providing them with the opportunity.

“It just fills me with so much joy and gratitude to this university that our students can do this,” Dekert said. “I’m just so proud of my dancers because they’re such amazing humans and beautiful artists, and I’m always so impressed by how they show up.”

Orchestra members are excited as well.

The orchestra and dance programs at USC don’t typically work together, so the collaboration is a new experience for everyone.

Many of the musicians haven’t performed a ballet piece before, said Conductor Scott Wiess. Performing for a ballet is different because musicians have to match the tempo of the dancers, he said.

But the quality of the company should make the learning curve easier.

“It is the opportunity to collaborate with one of the nation’s leading ballet companies,” he said. “That’s all super exciting.”

Orchestra members, such as junior French horn player Sadie Becht, are excited to be playing music for a ballet because dancers bring the art to life.

She thinks ballet has some of the best music, so she is excited to play it.

Addison Sullivan, a sophomore clarinet player, says it has always been a dream of hers to play music for ballets. 

“So many employers are going to look at that and be like, ‘Joffrey Ballet? What the heck?’” Sullivan said.

She also thinks the publicity will be great for the orchestra.

“Oh, my God, the Joffrey Ballet is performing with the USC Symphony Orchestra! Hello!” she said.

Like Geist, sophomore dance student Julie Malloy has always looked up to Joffrey and is excited to be able to work with them.

She said the dancers have been wearing USC T-shirts and posting on their Instagram accounts, showing their wide audience what USC has to offer.

She’s happy she and her fellow dancers are getting more recognition because of the collaboration.

USC senior dancer Katarina Kendall hopes the publicity will get more people to come to the university dancers’ shows.

“I think a lot of times, people don’t even know that we have a dance program,” Kendall said.