Today, the Joffrey Ballet announced cancellations through December 2020 in light of the COVID-19 crisis. This means the outright cancellation of two productions: Manon, which was to launch the season in October, and Christopher Wheeldon’s Nutcracker, which was created specifically for the Joffrey and Chicago. Combined with the cancellation of Don Quixote, which was set to close the 2019-20 season …

This morning, Joffrey Ballet artistic director Ashley Wheater announced the company’s 2020-21 season. A year of milestones, the upcoming season marks Joffrey’s 65th season, its 25th in Chicago, the five-year anniversary of its reimagined Nutcracker, and its inaugural season at Lyric Opera House. Running from October 14, 2020 to May 2, 2021, the season will feature four programs. The season …

Culminating in “The Times Are Racing” by choreographer Justin Peck, Joffrey’s mixed-rep program features “ballet, contemporary, comic, and a ‘sneaker ballet,’” artistic director Ashley Wheater describes.

Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker isn’t just a popular holiday ballet. The composer grouped eight pieces in his Nutcracker Suite, which is often performed in concert. But, which movement of the “Nutcracker Suite” are you? Are you the “Spanish Dance?” “The Waltz of the Flowers?” Take the quiz and find out!

For many of us, just hearing the lyrics “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood,” is enough to transport us back to our childhoods.