2025 Winning Works | Roderick George's 'Soul Cry'

SoulCry | A World Premiere by Roderick George

SoulCry is inspired by Roderick's profound fascination with George Orwell’s 1984 and its unsettling parallels to our present reality. As we navigate a shifting era of human behavior and authoritarian influence, this work centers on those whose voices are silenced by the ideologies shaping society’s transformation. While SoulCry began as a response to these connections, his true focus became the music—how it curates an ominous sense of what’s to come and evokes the fear and suppression we internalize under governing systems, capturing the silent scream of emotions we cannot contain. The score’s haunting strings heighten this tension, embodying both urgency and the rigid binary thinking that enforces control. Yet even as our souls scream, an innate revolt for freedom persists—an undeniable force that will ultimately prevail. For Roderick, working with the Joffrey Academy dancers is not only a dream but also a reflection of Chicago’s radical influence on the American system, further fueling his passion for bringing SoulCry to life.

A Glimpse into Rehearsal

Students in the Grainger Academy of The Joffrey Ballet's Studio Company, Ballet Trainee, and Contemporary Ballet Trainee programs had the pleasure of working with Roderick during his two-week residency in late January.

See this work premiere March 14-23 at MCA Chicago. Purchase tickets at joffrey.org/winningworks.