“Raffaella”
COURTESY | Raffaellaballet.org
After six years in the making, “The Raffaella Ballet Movie,” which honors Raffaella Maria Stroik, screened in The Searle Center April 10.
The ballet, commissioned by Duncan and Ruth Stroik, intends to convey the life of their daughter Raffaella, who died in 2018 at age 23 and was a ballet dancer.
“The inspiration for the ballet is the life of Raffaella Stroik, who died before her time, and who was a beautiful ballerina,” retired New York City ballerina and choreographer Claire Kretzschmar said. “The story takes these different elements from her real life, and it weaves them together in a fairy tale.”
David Whalen, associate vice president for curriculum, briefly announced the nature of the ballet movie before it began and said Stroik’s contribution to the college far exceeded ballet.
“Raffaella Stroik, daughter of Duncan and Ruth Stroik, passed away while our Chapel, designed by Duncan, was under construction,” Whalen said in an email. “The ballet they commissioned is in her honor, and, in tribute to her affirmation, that beauty will save the world, was filmed and brought to Hillsdale for a screening as a way to enrich the college community.”
Kretzschmar said the performance’s key themes highlight the pursuit of good in the face of evil, excellence, and true romance. It is a story of life that pervades throughout the entire ballet.
“This is something that Duncan and Ruth envisioned for the story from the get go, and then recruited all of these artists to help bring it to life, including Michael Kurek, who did the original music, and their daughter, Gabrielle Stroik Johnson, who did the set design,” Kretzschmar said. “We had this great team of people making the ballet, and my role as the choreographer was to see that the story would come to life through movement and music on stage.”
The movie is intended to embody the beauty and excellence in Raffaella’s life, according to Whalen.
“It is an entirely new ballet, yet one expressive of ballet’s great tradition,” Whalen said. “Raffaella is a beautiful and poignant reminder of the power of dance to elevate our minds and hearts, and we were honored to have the Stroiks share this ballet with us.”
Sophomore Arimathea Bennett said the performance was spiritual and emotional.
“‘The Raffaella Ballet’ is a marvelous display of beauty. I particularly enjoyed the sets and the music, the soundtrack was composed for this specific ballet, and it was incredibly crafted. They were able to tastefully weave in pieces of iconic Catholic music like the Regina Caeli and, when I heard it, my ears perked up, and it brought me to tears,” Bennett said. “The entire story is so touching, and the Stroiks have done an excellent job of honoring their sister and daughter.”
