Mozart, dancing frogs and a message of inclusion

It’s rare to see the Joffrey Ballet and Chicago Symphony Orchestra on stage together, but that is not the only reason to head to Symphony Center this weekend as the two premier institutions come together for three nights only, Nov. 10-12 in Orchestra Hall.

The evening begins with two musical selections, sans dancers, opening with Mozart’s “Symphony No. 34” followed by Maurice Ravel’s “Le tombeau de Couperin.” Choreographers Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Cathy Marston headline the program, each creating a world premiere for Joffrey Ballet.

The dancers are accompanied by the CSO under Maestro Harry Bicket’s baton.

Bicket is no stranger to the Joffrey Ballet. A Baroque specialist, he conducted Joffrey’s 2017 production of Christoph Willibald Gluck’s 1774 opera “Orphée et Eurydice,” choreographed and directed by John Neumeier in a first-ever collaboration between Joffrey and the Lyric Opera.Bicket expressed excitement about working with the Joffrey again.

“I love these cross-pollinations for many reasons,” he said via email. “On a personal level, I love being challenged and being taken out of my comfort zone.”

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