CV NEWS FEED // June 29 is the date set for the world premiere of “Raffaella,” a ballet honoring the life of a Catholic young woman who, before she passed away unexpectedly in 2018, worked “diligently to share the Beauty of God through the beauty of ballet.”
Raffaella Stroik, a native of South Bend, Indiana, was born in 1994. She attended Indiana University, where she majored in ballet performance. After graduating, Raffaella moved to St. Louis, Missouri, to be a professional ballerina for the St. Louis ballet. She performed leading roles in many well-known ballets such as “The Nutcracker,” “Swan Lake,” and “Giselle.”
“But Raffaella’s short life ended in tragedy,” Catholic News Agency’s Mary Farrow reported:
On Nov. 14, 2018, her body was found in a lake some 140 miles from St. Louis, where she was a member of the city’s ballet. She was 23 years old. Authorities ruled that there seemed to have been neither foul play nor self-harm.
Several years after the tremendous loss, Raffaella’s parents Duncan and Ruth set out to honor their daughter and her love of God, beauty, and ballet by creating a classical ballet inspired by her life and faith.
“Raffaella Stroik’s parents have written a beautiful fairytale story that captures both the essence of Raffaella’s life and the Catholic faith,” the ballet’s head choreographer, Claire Kretzschmar of the New York City Ballet, told CatholicVote.
The narrative of the ballet “follows a young peasant girl from a miraculous birth in 18th century Italy,” the webpage for ticket purchasing reads. “During her adventures she meets a mysterious Prince, and later a charming but false Prince, and she must choose which way to go.”
“Raffaella” will premiere on June 29 and 30 at the Morris Performing Arts Center in South Bend, Indiana.
Raffaella Stroik “was a devout Catholic who embodied her faith,” Kretzschmar said. “Everyone that I’ve met who knew Raffaella says that she was so kind and joyful, and that joy radiated when she was both onstage as a ballet dancer and offstage as daughter of God.”
“She went to Mass regularly, prayed often, and wanted others to experience the great joy and love that she had for God,” Kretzschmar added. “She shared her love for God particularly by cultivating her talents and working diligently to share the Beauty of God through the beauty of ballet.”
The central theme of the ballet is inspired by the motto that Raffaella lived by: “Beauty will save the world.”
“Raffaella firmly believed that Beauty, as seen and felt through God’s presence in art, in people, and throughout all of creation, would bring about the healing of people’s hearts and the saving of their souls,” Kretzschmar said of the theme. “Even in a world in which people have largely turned their hearts away from God, beauty can heal the wounds of the heart and stir in people a desire to give praise and thanks to the ultimate Creator of beauty.”
Joanne Carey, choreography assistant for “Raffaella,” also spoke about the theme, explaining that Pope St. John Paul II’s “Letter to Artists” charges artists with the responsibility of creating beautiful, powerful art that inspires souls to pursue the “right path” of loving God for eternity.
Raffaella “embraced that responsibility with such love, grace, strength and abandon,” Carey told CatholicVote, “and now we are charged with being her voice in this ballet. It’s humbling.”
Kretzschmar explained that Catholicism is incorporated into the ballet. “When the story is brought to life onstage, you will see references to the three archangels and Jesus, the True Prince, and you will hear references to Catholic hymns in the newly composed music by Michael Kurek.”
“Key themes” in the ballet will also include “the power of prayer, family life, and Beauty,” Kretzschmar said:
Every design element will be visibly beautiful – the sets, the costumes, the music, the movement and more. Truth will ground the themes in the ballet and the power of goodness and virtue over evil and vice will come to light in the ballet’s storytelling.
The production of the ballet began in September of 2023. Highlighting how God’s grace has been prevalent through the project, Kretzschmar said: “A majority of the production team is Catholic, which is something that was not planned but totally God’s providence! It has been wonderful to be able to work with talented artists who share this faith.”
“As the choreographer and the steward of this ballet, I also hope to embody truth, beauty, and goodness in the process of creating this work,” she noted.
Carey added, “God’s grace is indeed at work here and we continue to see it as we work on the ballet… I also felt grateful that the project would be in such loving hands and in the hands of someone who keenly listens to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and Our Lady.”
Kretzschmar said that choreographing the ballet has kept her busy, and that she has prioritized “[developing] the major design elements, like the music composition, set design, and casting in particular.”
New York City Ballet (NYCB) dancer Isabella LaFreniere is cast to play the central character of the ballet. “At NYCB, she has danced in over twenty featured roles including Firebird, Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake,” the ballet’s webpage reads. “While training in South Bend, she met and danced with Raffaella.”
Kretzschmar said that when choreographing in the studio,
I pray for God’s wisdom before I choreograph and I listen to the music over and over again to understand its layers and its relation to the ballet’s story. Then I improvise to the music and slowly build and tweak steps so that they satisfy both the music and the story. Despite the busy-ness, I have enjoyed the entire process very much.
Carey added that working collaboratively with Kretzschmar on the choreography “is what fills the ballet and makes sure the story is told and communicated fully, artistically, truthfully and beautifully.”
“Raffaella” will be “an extremely powerful work of art,” Kretzschmar said, “and I hope that all people who are able may come to experience God’s Beauty through the ballet.”
Readers can find out more about this ballet and purchase tickets by visiting its webpage here.
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