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photography by cheryl mann Wheeldon's Way For the First time in its 58-year history, the joffrey Ballet dives into Swan Lake. by thomas connors Swan Lake has long been a staple of ballet companies around the world, but The Joffrey Ballet—renowned for historic recreations and for championing such contemporary talents as William Forsythe—has never taken a crack at the Tchaikovsky-driven classic. Until now. This season, the company goes all out, mounting the swank, $1.5 million production created by acclaimed British choreographer Christopher Wheeldon. Hailed as one of "the most compelling alternative versions" of the landmark work, Wheeldon's rendition envelops the action in a Degas-inspired setting, as the imagination of a young dancer rehearsing Swan Lake carries him away from the studio and back again. Trained at The Royal Ballet School in the UK and a member of the company for two years, Wheeldon might not be where he is today if an injury hadn't left him laid up in front of the TV. "A commercial came on from Hoover, offering a round-trip ticket to the US upon purchasing a particular model of vacuum. I limped out and bought the vacuum—which I never used—got my ticket, flew to New York, The Joffrey Ballet's Dylan Gutierrez and Jeraldine Mendoza perform in a new Degas-inspired Swan Lake at Auditorium Theatre. continued on page 54 michiganavemag.com 53 CULTURE Hottest Ticket