When Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet heard about the devastating flood that left its longtime affiliate Hancher Auditorium’s stage submerged under 18 inches of water, the dance company took the initiative to reach out a helping hand — and a pointed foot.
“It’s been such a long and consistent relationship,” Joffrey Ballet artistic director Ashley Wheater said about the bond between Joffrey and Hancher. “I want to continue that tradition.”
The UI Symphony Orchestra will accompany dancers of the Joffrey Ballet in two benefit concerts for Hancher Auditorium and the UI School of Music at 6 p.m. today in Chicago and again at 8 p.m. on Sept. 11 in the Des Moines Civic Center. Tickets for the Chicago show are $100 — which includes a $75 donation — and $50 to $250 for the Des Moines event, which also includes a donation.
The Chicago concert will be an intimate kickoff event held in the Joffrey’s loft dance studios rarely open to the public. In contrast, the Des Moines concert will radiate the feel of a grand gala.
“More than anything, this is an opportunity to prove that the arts is still very much alive here at Iowa,” said Charles Swanson, the executive director of Hancher. He strategically selected the Des Moines concert date to coincide with the Iowa-Iowa State football game, which will be played Sept. 12, to join the forces of arts and sports for one meaningful weekend.
The program is to be a powerful demonstration of the beauty and joy of the performing arts. In the first collaboration between the two, the Joffrey has commissioned the UI Symphony Orchestra to prepare a repertoire of accompaniments for the dance performances, including Kettentanz, Ésmile with my heart (incorporating the song “Smile,” arranged by Philip Glass), Carousel, and Age of Innocence.
“What’s really important about all this is that there’s still a great collaboration happening,” Wheater said. “[Hancher and the Joffrey] have collaborated in good times, and we have collaborated in bad times.”
Indeed, the Joffrey is no fair-weather friend. Their relationship’s long history proves that this loyalty is both waterproof and weather-resistant.
It all began two years after the opening of Hancher in 1972, when the Joffrey first glided onto the Hancher stage. After a promising first experience working with the auditorium, Joffrey remained a dependable contact for future billings. In 1978, a snowstorm immobilized traffic on the Ohio Turnpike, marooning five Joffrey company costume and set trailers en route to Iowa. However, making the most of the situation, Hancher rallied community resources to provide costuming for the dancers’ Rodeo performance. Impressed by such generosity, Joffrey’s tie to Hancher has only become tighter as the decades have ticked by.
“Without the Des Moines Civic Center and without Joffrey, all of this wouldn’t be happening,” a very grateful Swanson said. He characterized it as a classic example of Midwestern hospitality.
Swanson, Wheater, and UI Symphony Conductor William Jones are all excited about the grand-scale collaboration to demonstrate the vibrancy of Iowa’s arts scene.
“The flood is not going to stop us,” Swanson said. “Hancher is still alive.”