Friday, January 15, 2027

10 a.m.

10 East Randolph Street, 3rd Floor

Discover the artistry and craftsmanship that bring a Joffrey Ballet production to life. During this special visit, we’ll explore the creative work that happens long before the curtain rises, with a close-up look at the intricate costumes created for Joffrey productions.

Costume Manager Ellie Cotey will welcome us into the Costume Shop and share an insider’s look at the process of creating, constructing, and preparing costumes for the stage. Along the way, we’ll also learn about the design and creation of sets and how these visual elements come together to shape what audiences ultimately experience in performance.

Following the tour and presentation, there will be time for Q&A and conversation.

About Ellie Cotey

Ellie has been the Costume Manager at Joffrey Ballet for 12 years, part of a career that spans nearly two decades marked by meticulous costume construction. During her tenure at Joffrey, Ellie has led the costume shop across dozens of productions, including the full builds of world premiere ballets including Christopher Wheeldon's The Nutcracker and Yuri Possokhov's Anna Karenina, among many others. Prior to her current role, Ellie has also worked extensively throughout the Midwest as a designer, stitcher, and first hand at places including Milwaukee Ballet, Florentine Opera Company, American Players Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Northwestern University, and Timeline Theatre, and spent 5 seasons at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. She graduated with a BFA in Costume Production from the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee, where she was named Graduate of the Last Decade in 2016.

Capacity: 30 IWA members and guests

Contact: Ying Hirsh