The necessary work of performing — and enjoying — old dances
The fall’s most exciting dance programs celebrate an ephemeral art form by excavating the past.
The Washington Post
September 6, 2024
“Atonement” from the Joffrey Ballet: Spinning written narratives into movement is a specialty of choreographer Cathy Marston, whose credits include works inspired by Charlotte Brontë’s “Jane Eyre,” John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men,” D.H. Lawrence’s “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” and Charles Webb’s “The Graduate.” Now, she has reimagined “Atonement,” Ian McEwan’s 2001 novel, whose story is also known from an acclaimed film adaptation.
In Marston’s take, central character Briony Tallis is a successful choreographer, wrestling with the reverberations of a lie and a love story anchored in 1935 England. Set to music by Laura Rossi, the ballet gets its U.S. premiere from the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago after being seen this year at Switzerland’s Ballett Zürich, where Marston is director and chief choreographer. And, it will return there in June. Lyric Opera House, Chicago, Oct. 17-27, joffrey.org.
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