Robert Joffrey
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Robert Joffrey (1930-1988) was an American dancer, teacher, producer, and choreographer, known for his highly imaginative modern ballets. Of Afghan parentage, he was born in Seattle, Washington, and originally named Abdulla Jaffa Anver Bey Khan.
Joffrey studied ballet and modern dance in New York City and made his debut in 1949 with the French choreographer Roland Petit and his Ballets de Paris. From 1950 to 1955, he taught at the New York High School for the Performing Arts, where he staged his earliest ballets.
In 1954, he formed his own company, which premiered Le bal masqué (The Masked Ball, 1954; music by French composer Francis Poulenc) and Pierrot Lunaire (1955; music by Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg). Joffrey's other works include Gamelan (1962) and Astarte (1967; to rock music with special lighting and motion-picture effects).
The Robert Joffrey Ballet began residence at the New York City Center in 1966. In 1982, it moved its principal activities to Los Angeles, California, and in 1995, it moved to Chicago, Illinois. Noted for its experimental repertoire, the company was called the "Joffrey Ballet of Chicago" after its move, but has now returned to simply Joffrey Ballet. Besides Joffrey's works, its repertoire includes many works by Gerald Arpino (Joffrey's long-time assistant and now the artistic director), and ballets commissioned by Joffrey from unproven choreographers, as well as works by such respected choreographers as George Balanchine, Alvin Ailey and Twyla Tharp.
