Joffrey Ballet adds three new dancers to company

The Joffrey Ballet is on a roll. Last week it was named the resident dance company of Lyric Opera of Chicago. On Saturday evening it opened in its first collaboration with the opera company: a new production of Gluck’s “Orphee et Eurydice,” created by John Neumeier that will run through Oct. 15. Just days later it will open the major production of its fall season, “Giselle,” which will run Oct. 18 – 29 at its current home, the Auditorium Theatre.

Now comes news from artistic director Ashley Wheater that the company has added three young “rising stars” to its 2017-2018 roster, for a total of 43 dancers.

The new company members include:

• Greig Matthew (from Aberdeen, Scotland), who trained with the Royal Ballet Upper School in London and performed several times with the Royal Ballet before joining the Wiener Staatsballett in 2011 in Vienna, where he was appointed to demi-soloist in 2012. During his career he has performed works by such prestigious choreographers as Kenneth MacMillan, William Forsythe, John Neumeier, Jerome Robbins and Christopher Wheeldon, and has been the recipient of many prizes.

• Olivia Duryea (from Haslett, Michigan), who joined the Trainee Program of the Joffrey Academy of Dance in 2014 and was promoted to the Joffrey Academy’s Studio Company in 2016. During this time, she performed with the Joffrey Ballet’s company in Sir Frederick Ashton’s “Cinderella,” Christopher Wheeldon’s “The Nutcracker” and Krzysztof Pastor’s “Romeo and Juliet.”

• Yuka Iwai (from Iwate, Japan), who joined the Trainee Program at the Joffrey Academy of Dance in 2014 and was promoted to the Joffrey Academy’s Studio Company in 2015. She also is a Youth America Grand Prix champion.

For tickets to “Giselle,” call (312) 386-8905 or visit www.Joffrey.org.