Who was Jerome Robbins?
Woetzel and Boal worked with Robbins during the mid 80s, a delicate time in the ballet world. The great choreographic master George Balanchine passed away in 1983 and some dancers feared the craft would flounder. We were lamenting the death of George Balanchine, and people were wondering where those influences would be found, Boal said. And there was Jerry stepping up and saying, I m right here. I m ready to work. So it was important for my generation to have him. Robbins was choreographing for the New York City Ballet at that time, and his presence there was a major factor in Woetzel s decision to join the company as a teen. Woetzel remembers sitting in on a rehearsal of Fancy Free and thinking: My God, it s better than the dreams. He and Boal worked together with Robbins on many dances, including In Memory Of… and Quiet City. It was an interesting year in New York because it was in the 80s, and AIDS was really affecting all New York artists, and Jerry was losing a lot of people tha
