1) The Joffrey Ballet relies on live music from the Chicago Sinfonietta orchestra to stay perfectly synchronized with dancers' movements during performances. 2) As music director, Scott Speck uses his baton to cue musicians to match tempos and transitions to dancers' leaps, jumps, and positions from his view of the entire stage. 3) Both dancers and musicians benefit from live music versus recordings, as it allows for flexibility and feedback between the two groups that enhances the artistic experience.

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IN SYNC
AT JOFFREY
E
merging from the orchestra pit, Janice MacDonald is
Chicago Sinfonietta performing with the Joffrey Bal-
let, she relies on Joffrey Music Director Scott Speck’s
baton movements to create perfect harmony between
music and dance.
The Joffrey Ballet 2011-2012 season, titled New Generation,
launches this month, featuring cutting-edge work by world-renown
choreographersandcomposers,includingtheU.S.premiereofWayne
McGregor’s Infra and music by Max Richter. The need for sychroniza-
tion between dancers and music is not only critical, but dependent on
several factors. Often with just two orchestra rehearsals before dress
and the show, the orchestra relies on Mr. Speck. For it’s Mr. Speck
who pays close attention to details of which, most likely, the audience
isn’t even aware.
“My conducting podium is situated in a position that lets me see all
with the Joffrey as guest conductor during its 2009-2010 season and
became music director in October 2010. “When a dancer leaps, my
baton follows the same arc as the dancer’s body, landing at the same
moment so that the music can connect exactly.”
This polished act of the conductor’s baton wouldn’t be possible
with recorded music, which often encourages dancers to approach
The advantage of live music at the
Joffrey Ballet helps dancers jump,
leap and soar in perfect harmony.
BY SARAH OSTERMAN
Joffrey Ballet Music Director Scott Speck

2. movement mechanically and statically.
“You miss that mental element; the musician has to follow the dancer
and the dancer follows the music,” explains Ashley Wheater, artistic di-
rector of the Joffrey Ballet. “If you take away that music, you’re taking
away a whole side of a dancer’s sensitivity.”
According to Mr. Speck, ballet without live music is karaoke – literally,
because karaoke is the Japanese word for “empty orchestra.” While hav-
variability.”
When Mr. Wheater began looking for a new music director a couple
years ago, he recalled working with Mr. Speck at the San Francisco Ballet,
where they had collaborated on large projects like Othello. It seemed like a
2010 season, which included the Shakespeare classic.
“It’s a very complicated score, but he was absolutely fantastic with
helping the dancers understand the music,” says Mr. Wheater, who’s
accustomed to Mr. Speck partaking in studio rehearsals to study the
choreography and help dancers understand musical phrasing. Already
acquainted with Othello, Mr. Speck seemed destined to bring Elliot Gol-
denthal’s score, which he calls “virtuosic, haunting and complex,” to the
Auditorium Theatre.
Many scores used by the Joffrey are challenging, but the Chicago Sinfo-
nietta is used to taking on a variety of ballet music, from Stravinsky’s Vio-
lin Concerto to Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Romeo and
Juliet. After receiving individual parts, all musicians dive into personal
preparation until the two pre-performance rehearsals with Mr. Speck.
Luckily, for musicians like Ms. MacDonald, who like to become familiar
with the narrative and choreography, Mr. Speck provides DVDs of other
companies performing the same choreography.
Paul Zafer, concertmaster for the Chicago Sinfonietta, has actually at-
tended studio rehearsals to watch Mr. Wheater work with the dancers.
“It really does affect how I play,” says Mr. Zafer, “just knowing and be-
ing able to see it.” While this VIP access helps Mr. Zafer prep for his parts,
he relies on Mr. Speck during dress rehearsal and performance, when
necessary changes or adjustments come into play.
“If today’s prince is taller than yesterday’s, we can set a slower tempo
to accompany his leaps. If tonight’s ballerina can hold her arabesque a
second longer, we can stretch the music as she stretches her body,” says
Mr. Speck.
New Generation tackles music by 21st century composers like Philip
Glass and Thom Williams, as well as edgy choreography by William For-
sythe and Val Caniparoli, all of which will showcase the symbiotic rela-
tionship between the Chicago Sinfonietta and Joffrey Ballet.
“In performance, I’m the conduit between the two,” says Mr. Speck.
the musicians and me all at once.” n
Ballet without live music is
karaoke – literally, because
karaoke is the Japanese
word for “empty orchestra.”
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It's Your Biz
fact about business ownership. While it is not author Susan Wil-
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WAITY
The 11 Laws of Likability
How important is it to be liked? The answer, according to au-
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The Executive’s Bookshelf
What the career-savvy woman
should be reading this month.
ORIGINALLY PRINTED IN OCTOBER 2011 TODAY’S CHICAGO WOMAN / WWW.TCWMAG.COM