Joffrey Ballet’s ‘Golden Hour’ Glistens With Grace

The Joffrey Ballet lights up Chicago with a mesmerizing glow in its show “Golden Hour” at the Lyric Opera House. 

The two-hour-and-thirty-minute runtime divides itself across four separate acts, including two 15-minute intermissions. “Under the Trees’ Voices” opens as a tribute to environmental issues, followed by “Heimat,” which details a peaceful and joyous family. The penultimate act “Andante” conveys the joys and tensions of romantic relationships, and “Princess and the Pea” closes with a whimsical take on the childhood story. 

“Under the Trees’ Voices,” which premiered in 2021, was choreographed with costume concepts by Nicolas Blanc, who dedicated the piece to his grandfather Huber Chassin. 

From the intricate green foliage on the dancers’ costumes to the three-feet-long leaves hanging solemnly onstage, the theme of nature was expertly realized. 

Featuring a live pit band below the stage, audience members took in the dances in tandem with excellent orchestral music. Dancers were also able to expertly dance in the silence.

After the first intermission came 2022’s “Heimat,” choreographed by Cathy Martson with only five dancers. 

“Heimat” was a tear-jerking portrayal of a joyful family living a generally mundane life with only minor conflicts. Overly simplistic with not much occurring, the show explored the hope for what loving families should be — affectionately uneventful. 

Donning same-styled monochromatic pastel outfits, the dancers costuming portrayed their individual personalities and lives with different colors, though they were still connected as a familial unit. 

The shift from the large orchestra to a quartet reflected the small stage ensemble and intimacy of personal relationships. The tempo was lightly upbeat when the children were fighting for their mother’s attention and then softly solemn during moments between parents. 

“Andante,” choreographed by Yuri Possokhov, made its world debut at “Golden Hour.” The section opened with a striking scene of a man and woman embracing in light, while another man lay sprawled on the floor in agony under a spotlight. 

“Andante” portrayed the story of two men vying for the same woman. The three-person show ended in a full circle, once again presenting the loving couple with the interloper distraught on the floor.

The costuming was unexpectedly retro, the bright colors being a seeming tribute to the ‘80s — the woman wore a bright purple leotard while the man sported blue athletic shorts atop his own leotard. While the couple’s costumes complemented each other, the excluded man’s costume was modern with a white button down and green shorts. 

“Princess and the Pea” came after the second and final intermission. Choreographed by Dani Rowe, this section also made its world debut at Joffrey’s “Golden Hour.” 

The piece was set in a world where the princess from the original tale transformed the entire world into peas. People ate only peas, clothed themselves in pea-green and were legally bound to only recognize the color of peas. The princess reigned as a tyrant. 

The protagonist, Penelope — nicknamed Pea — was raised by her fathers who were forced to raise her in a pea-tinted world as the law stated. Upon finding an orange carrot, Pea is introduced to the beauty of color — illegal for her to see. 

After the authorities discover her crime, they seize Pea’s fathers and send her to work at a farm and later a prison. 

The plot thickens when Pea imaginatively competes in the “Mattress Match” — a ploy by the princess to trick her subjects and maintain her rule. The lively scene featured real mattresses, a massive wooden cloud and a man dressed as a carrot who encouraged Pea. 

The act culminated with Pea winning the competition, showing forgiveness to the princess before a final celebratory dance of vegetables and color. 

With elaborate costumes and dramatic props, “Princess and the Pea” blended whimsy, creative choreography and exuberant facial expressions to convey the story. Though costumes sometimes overshadowed the talented dancers, the piece remained a fun, lighthearted tale of growth. 

The Joffrey Ballet has been innovative in history through how it’s evolved classical ballet to include lyrical and contemporary dance, which “Golden Hour” demonstrates. “Golden Hour” beautifully presented a variety of themes with its different sections, having something for everybody. 

“Golden Hour” is showing at the Lyrical Opera House until March 2.