The Dance Historian Is In, Online: The Dance Historian Is In: Trinette Singleton on The Joffrey Ballet

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For this Dance Historian Is In, former Joffrey Ballet dancer Trinette Singleton presents touchstones from the Joffrey Ballet’s history with works from the repertoire and the Joffrey Methodology. Beginning with the early 1960s following the Joffrey Ballet’s split with Rebecca Harkness, Singleton discusses the events of that first year as the company began to establish itself. Singleton highlights various works that went into the repertoire during that period, along with the 1967 addition of The Green Table, an important milestone for the company.

That year was also the year Joffrey produced his groundbreaking multimedia ballet, Astarte. It thrust both the company and Singleton into major news attention. Singleton explores the creation of this work, which has always been a topic of interest to many.

The program presents an overview of the work of the Joffrey Ballet’s co-founder Gerald Arpino, who was a prolific, often underrated choreographer. The Arpino Chicago Centennial Celebration was a recent testimony to his choreographic genius. Some of the pieces performed for the Centennial Celebration will be highlighted.

A few years ago, a small group of dancers who had studied with Robert Joffrey decided it was time to create a record of his teaching method. Through the efforts of those dancers and the Arpino Foundation, a document titled the Joffrey Methodology has resulted. Singleton speaks about the process of documentation and shows a video of a few exercises from Joffrey’s actual classes.

For more than 10 years, The Dance Historian Is In at the Library for the Performing Arts has highlighted a diverse range of dancers and choreographers across history. This series began when archivist and historian David Vaughan started volunteering at the Jerome Robbins Dance Division. Vaughan began a monthly program showing his favorite dance films from the Division's extensive collection, through which he unearthed many treasures, and helped acquire in even more. Vaughan continued the series until the end of his life. Today, we honor his memory and work by inviting dance historians from all over the world each month to carry on the tradition of highlighting dance history through the Dance Division's moving image collection.

Photo Credit: Robert Joffrey Backstage during a performance of the Robert Joffrey Theatre Ballet. Uncredited photographer, 1950s. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.

This event will take place online via Zoom as well as in person at The Library for the Performing Arts.

*A streaming link will be emailed to everyone on the morning of the event for those wishing to attend virtually.

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ASSISTIVE LISTENING AND ASL | ASL interpretation and real-time (CART) captioning available upon request. Please submit your request at least two weeks in advance by emailing accessibility@nypl.org.

BRUNO WALTER POLICY | Please note that any unoccupied seat will be released five minutes before the show begins and holding seats for anyone beyond that is prohibited. There is no food or drink allowed inside the venue.

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