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A sad day

Posted by Chris under Uncategorized

I got home from a business trip today to discover in Crains and the Tribune and via the Joffrey blog that Gerald Arpino, internationally-renowned Co-Founder and Artistic Director Emeritus of The Joffrey Ballet, had passed away peacefully today in his Chicago home after a long illness.

My wife and I have been attending the Joffrey for over ten years, and every performance we’d look the the stage left balcony and he’d be sitting there, leaning forward ready to watch the company he loved so much. It somehow felt oddly comforting to see him there at each performance.

We attended last Saturday, to view Ashley C. Wheater, the new Artistic Director for the Joffrey and sadly noticed that Mr Arpino was not there.

But we’ll be looking to the balcony each time as just like our ongoing support and attendance of the Joffrey hasn’t wavered, I seem to think that Mr. Arpino will still be watching each performance of the company that he grew and nurtured so well.

And even in his passing he’s left the company a legacy, not only in what he’s done but in bringing in Mr. Wheater as the performance of the new fall season of Postcards, In The Night and Age of Innocence were the best we have every seen of the Joffrey.