NAME: Joffrey, Robert (born as Anver Bey Abdullah Jaffa Khan)

BIRTH DATE/LOCATION:
24 December 1928 (or 1930), Seattle

DEATH DATE/LOCATION:
25 March 1988, New York University Hospital, age 59

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Photo: courtesy Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations.

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  • identification & bio
  • key contact
  • human repositories
  • video documentation
  • photographic documentation
    		•
  • movement notation
  • production materials
  • oral history
  • personal papers
  • immediate needs
    		•
  • other relevant information
  • overview of works
  • bibliography
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    IDENTIFICATION AND BIO:
    Born of an Afghani Muslim father and an Italian Catholic mother, Robert Joffrey cofounded the Joffrey Ballet with Gerald Arpino in 1956. The company grew from a small station-wagon touring group to become one of the most prominent dance troupes in the U.S. In addition to serving as artistic director and chief administrator of the company, Joffrey was also a teacher and frequent choreographer. He created seventeen works for the Joffrey, including Persephone (1950), Pas de Deésses (1954), Astarte (1967), Remembrances (1973) and Postcards (1980). He also made dozens of dances for other occasions, ranging from galas to fashion shows, and from musical theater to opera. His early training was with Mary Ann Wells in Seattle and with Alexandra Fedorova, at the School of American Ballet and the High School of the Performing Arts in New York City. He also studied modern dance with May O'Donnell and Gertrude Shurr. During his lifetime, Joffrey received many honors, notably the Dance Magazine Award (1963), Capezio Award (1974), and the Dance/USA National Honors (1988). Joffrey's death, due to AIDS complications, was concealed—apparently at his behest—until the publication of Sasha Anawalt's book on the Joffrey company in 1996.

    KEY CONTACT PERSON(S)/EXECUTOR OF ESTATE:
    Jon H. Teeuwissen, Executive Director
    Joffrey Ballet of Chicago
    70 E. Lake, Suite 1300
    Chicago, IL 60601
    312-739-0120 (phone)
    312-739-0119 (fax)
    jteeuwissen@joffreyballet.org

    HUMAN REPOSITORIES OF THE WORK
    (name and contact info, relationship to the artist and the work, assessment):
    Gerald Arpino and dancers of Joffrey Ballet Chicago.

    VIDEO DOCUMENTATION
    (location, format, condition, assessment):
    In addition to videotapes held by the Joffrey company, the following tapes are available for viewing at the Dance Collection of the New York Public Library:

    City Center Joffrey Ballet (1967? or 1968?)—compilation video including excerpts from Joffrey's Pas des Déesses in rehearsal; danced by members of City Center Joffrey Ballet; one 3/4 in. videocassette (32 min); call number MGZIC 9-5279.

    Persephone: Act I (1952)—motion picture with choreography by Robert Joffrey; danced by Lillian Wellein (Persephone), Helen Murielle (Demeter) and company; one film reel (11 1/2 min., 275 ft.); call number MGZHB 4-411.

    Postcards (1991)—compilation video of choreography by Robert Joffrey; videotaped in performance for the Jerome Robbins Archive at New York State Theater, New York, on 14 March; danced by the members of the Joffrey Ballet; one 3/4 in. cassette (32 min.); call number MGZIC 9-2645.

    Remembrances (1973)—videotaped in studio rehearsal, in rehearsal clothes, with at the Joffrey Ballet School, New York, 21 September 21, choreography by Robert Joffrey; music by Richard Wagner; danced by the City Center Joffrey Ballet; one 3/4 in. videocassette (29 min.); call number MGZIC 9-5365.

    City Center Joffrey Ballet documentary interview footage (1975)—compilation video recorded for the documentary telecast by / WNET/13, New York, on 19 January; produced and directed by Merrill Brockway; danced by the City Center Joffrey Ballet; includes interview with Joffrey; one 3/4 in. videocassette (48 min.); call number MGZIC 9-5579.

    PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION
    (location, format, condition, assessment):
    The following works are documented photographically at the Dance Collection of the New York Public Library:

    Scaramouche (1952)—photograph by Zachary Freyman in Dance Magazine (October): 53-56.

    Le Bal Masqué (1954)—the NYPL Dance Collection has photographic documentation; call number MGZEA.

    The Ball (Le Bal) (1956)—the NYPL Dance Collection has one photograph of the Robert Joffrey Theater Ballet II; call number MGZE.

    Kaleidoscope (1956)—the NYPL Dance Collection has one photograph of the Robert Joffrey Theater Ballet I; call number MGZE.

    Remembrances (1973)—the NYPL Dance Collection has several photographs of this piece.

    Postcards (1980)—the NYPL Dance Collection has seventeen entries for this piece including reviews and several photographs.

    MOVEMENT NOTATION
    (location, type [including notes taken by dancers], assessment):
    The Dance Notation Bureau has completed a labanotation score for Pas des Deésses. The score is archived at DNB along with programs, reviews, photographs, and an invitation to the premiere.

    PRODUCTION MATERIALS
    (scores, sound recordings, set/costume designs):
    The Joffrey company maintains all materials necessary to support its performances.

    ORAL HISTORY:
    The following soundtapes serve as an oral history of Robert Joffrey at the Dance Collection of the New York Public Library:

    Interview with Robert Joffrey (1976)—sound recording; host: John Gruen; broadcast 10 October 1976 by radio station WNCN; Robert Joffrey discusses his new ballet, Remembrances; the Joffrey's forthcoming season; some of the history of the company; one sound cassette (30 min.); call number MGZTC 3-632 Side A.

    PERSONAL PAPERS
    (location of newspaper clippings, printed programs, press releases, notes, files, diaries; assessment):
    Joffrey's personal papers are in the possession of Gerald Arpino.

    IMMEDIATE NEEDS
    (archival assistance? storage? other?):
    None identified.

    OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION:
    The Joffrey maintains a company archive that is now split among warehouse space in Chicago, the Joffrey school in New York, Gerald Arpino's Chicago apartment, and the company's studios in Chicago. The company has no archivist as of 2003. Many of the company's videotapes and records have been dubbed and copied, however, for the Dance Collection of the New York Public Library. Tom Mulvihill, assistant to Gerald Arpino, explained that many consultants have advised the company as to the disposition of its archives, but there is little desire at present to actually hire an archivist on account of the additional effort that would be required on the part of all the staff.

    PARTIAL LIST OR OVERVIEW OF WORKS
    (title, premiere date, music, production notes, performers):
    This list is compiled from the chronology of works at the back of Sasha Anawalt's book (see below):

    Robert Joffrey in a Program of Original Dance Compositions (1948)

    Hide and Seek (1951)

    Persephone (1952)

    Scaramouche (1952)

    Umpateedle (1953)

    Pas des Deésses (1954)

    Le Bal Masqué (1954)

    Pierrot Lunaire (1955)

    Harpsichord Concerto in B Minor (1955)

    Workout (1956)

    The Ball (Le Bal) (1956)

    Within Four Walls (1956)

    Kaleidoscope (1956)

    Remembrances (1973)

    Postcards (1980)

    BIBLIOGRAPHY:

    • Anawalt, Sasha. 1996. The Joffrey Ballet: Robert Joffrey and the Making of an American Dance Company. New York: Scribner.
    • Folkart, Burt A. 1988. "Robert Joffrey, Ballet Company Founder, Dies." Los Angeles Times (26 March).
    • Hering, Doris. 1955. Dance Magazine (May): 14, 54-55, 62, 78, illus.
    • Horst, Louis, Selma Jeanne Cohen and others. 1955. "Reviews of the Month." Dance Observer (May): 67-74.
    • Horst, Louis, Selma Jeanne Cohen and others. 1954. "Late Spring Reviews." Dance Observer (August-September): 102-106.
    • Update Dance/USA. 1988. "Robert Joffrey." May/June: 7.
         		 
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