Meet the Artist: Ashley Wheater

The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet, Ashley Wheater, MBE, continues to shape the company’s dynamic vision of honoring classical tradition while embracing the voices and ideas shaping ballet today. 

Ahead of the company’s residency at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, Wheater shares insight into the deeply personal double bill Broken Wings and Wabash & You—two works that explore identity, transformation, and connection through distinct musical and cultural lenses. From the vibrant color of Mexican folk rhythms to the expressive pulse of contemporary soundscapes, the program offers a rare, intimate look at the emotional power and evolving artistry of contemporary ballet.

What inspired the decision to develop Broken Wings and Wabash & You?

Broken Wings was originally created for the English National Ballet in the UK, and I’ve been wanting to bring it to the Joffrey. Pairing it with Chanel DaSilva’s Wabash & You felt right, as Chanel’s piece is also deeply personal and rooted in her own story.

The intimacy of both pieces makes this program well-suited for venues like Notre Dame and the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Chicago, where the audience can truly connect with the emotional depth of the piece.

The contrast in musical styles adds another layer of richness. The music in Broken Wings draws inspiration from Mexican folk music, while Wabash & You will feature the vibrant energy of The Main Squeeze funk band live on stage with the dancers.

The Joffrey Ballet is known for honoring tradition while pushing ballet forward. How do these new works reflect that balance of classical technique and contemporary storytelling?

At the Joffrey, classical ballet is our foundation, but it is imperative that we embrace our current world and the voices of today’s choreographers. These two works embody this idea. They require our dancers to stretch beyond traditional vocabulary while remaining rooted in the discipline and precision that classical technique demands. Although they span different eras, both new works reflect the human story through themes of identity, transformation, and resilience. It’s a dialogue between past and present, and that is where and how our art form continued to grow and evolve.

What does it mean to the company to share these premieres with Notre Dame audiences before they reach a wider stage?

We’re incredibly excited and grateful to Notre Dame for inviting the Joffrey to perform and share this unique program with their audiences ahead of its Chicago debut. It is a beautiful opportunity to connect with a new community that values dance as an art form.

With many Joffrey supporters among Notre Dame alumni, it is especially meaningful to now bring two world-class institutions together in celebration of these new works.

What do you hope audiences take away from this program and from seeing the Joffrey Ballet in a more intimate or behind-the-scenes context?

I hope audiences leave with space to reflect on their own life experiences—and that they’re moved to feel something, whatever that emotion may be. Experiencing the Joffrey in a more intimate setting brings you closer to the artists, revealing the depth and individuality of each performer in a way that’s truly rare.

Ballet continues to evolve in exciting ways. What excites you most about where the art form is headed?

The possibilities for ballet have expanded in tremendous ways. We’re seeing choreographers break boundaries, integrate technology, and tell stories that reflect the world we live in. At the Joffrey, we are fully honoring our past while embracing the present. Our understanding of what dance can be is evolving, not just at the Joffrey, but across many ballet companies. The breadth of the ballet language from classical to contemporary and beyond is thrilling and full of potential.

As Wheater reflects on the ever-expanding possibilities of ballet, his passion for storytelling through movement remains at the heart of his vision for The Joffrey Ballet. By sharing these premieres with Notre Dame audiences before their Chicago debut, the company invites viewers to experience dance in its most immediate form—where tradition meets innovation, and every gesture tells part of the human story.