World AIDS Day commemoration with Wrightwood 659 and the Joffrey Ballet
Wrightwood 659 and The Joffrey Ballet proudly announce a special World AIDS Day commemoration honoring those lost to the epidemic to be held at Wrightwood 659 (659 Wrightwood Avenue) Thursday, December 4, at 5:30pm. World AIDS Day, officially December 1, is a global movement to unite people in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Since 1988, communities have stood together on World AIDS Day to show strength and solidarity against HIV stigma and to remember lives lost.
The Joffrey Ballet was deeply affected during this period, losing several remarkable artists, including Company Founder Robert Joffrey at age 59 and his protégé Edward Stierle at just 23. Following Joffrey’s passing, Stierle choreographed Lacrymosa and, while on his own deathbed, completed Empyrean. As noted in a New York Times interview, Stierle’s dance partner observed, “Where Lacrymosa was about death, Empyrean is about celebration and hope.”
This public program will feature opening remarks by Greg Cameron, Joffrey Ballet President & CEO; a screening of Empyrean and discussion; and a memorial segment inviting attendees to share reflections and memories of those lost to AIDS. Tickets for this special program are complimentary with paid admission to Wrightwood 659.
Wrightwood 659 is currently mounting The Joffrey + Ballet in the U.S., a large-scale exhibition celebrating the rich history of The Joffrey Ballet. The exhibition premiered at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center in 2024, marking the first major retrospective of the company. Drawing from the Joffrey archive, acquired by the Jerome Robbins Dance Division in 2017 as the Library’s largest acquisition in a decade, the exhibition offers an in-depth look at the Joffrey’s contributions to ballet in the U.S. Highlights include rare film from the original performance of the groundbreaking ballet Astarte and Anna Sokolow’s Opus 65, as well as costumes, props, pointe shoes, posters, correspondence, and other ephemera from the company and the life of Robert Joffrey. The Joffrey + Ballet in the U.S. is organized by The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and curated by Dr. Julia Foulkes with assistance from Nicole Duffy. It is presented at Wrightwood 659 by Alphawood Exhibitions.
Also on view at Wrightwood 659 through December 20, 2025, are Scott Burton: Shape Shift, which examines the legacy of Scott Burton (1939–1989), an American original whose wide-ranging practice anticipated many of the strategies of today’s art; and Ellen Altfest: Forever, an intimate selection of oil paintings by the American representational painter.
