Joffrey, Robert

orig. Abdullah Jaffa Bey Khan

(born Dec. 24, 1930, Seattle, Wash., U.S.—died March 25, 1988, New York, N.Y.) U.S. dancer and choreographer, founder-director of the Joffrey Ballet. He was the son of an Afghan father and an Italian-born mother. He studied dance in Seattle and later in New York, opened a ballet school in 1953, and in 1954 formed the first of several groups. In 1956 he founded the Robert Joffrey (later simply Joffrey) Ballet with Gerald Arpino (b. 1928). The company gained international fame and toured widely. In 1965 it became affiliated with the New York City Center. Joffrey's ballets include Persephone (1952), Astarte (1967), Remembrances (1973), and Postcards (1980). After Joffrey's death, Arpino became director; in 1995 he moved the company to Chicago, renaming it the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago.

Joffrey, Robert (b. Abdullah Jaffa Anver Bey Kahn) (1930–88) dancer, choreographer, teacher, artistic director; born in Seattle, Wash. Of Afghan descent, he trained at the High School of Performing Arts, New York City, and the School of American Ballet, and made his debut in 1949. He taught dance and choreographed ballets before forming his first company in 1954. The City Center Joffrey Ballet, which he founded in 1965, revitalized ballet with multimedia works such as Astarte (1967), and became a major force in the world of dance.