Lenten Campaign 2025
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The new ballet Raffaella is an exquisite response of two parents to “the trauma of losing a child before her time,” explains Raffaella’s father, Duncan Stroik. Raffaella Stroik lost her life at the young age of 23 in a tragic accident. Her loved ones created the joy-filled ballet Raffaella, a fictional retelling of her life, as a tribute to a young lady whose “greatest joy in her life was to share beauty with others through dance.”
“Beauty” and “joy” are certainly my biggest takeaways from Raffaella, which has not only been performed live, but is also available on YouTube, where it was viewed over 20,000 times in only two weeks.
Per their website, “Raffaella is the story of a girl born to dance, welcomed at birth by a mysterious holy man and a transcendent prince.” It takes the form of a traditional ballet, reminiscent of classics such as Sleeping Beauty, both hauntingly beautiful and uplifting.
Duncan Stroik, himself a well-known classical architect clearly familiar with beauty in his own work, shares,
One of the themes of the ballet is “Beauty will save the world.” And we looked for ways to bring beauty out in the story. The main way was through beautiful costumes, traditional sets, and most importantly through the medium of acting and dancing. Due to the artistry of the choreographer, Claire Kretzschmar, who was responding to the dramatic music of Michael Kurek, I believe that even the great trials of sword fighting, trauma and temptation are beautiful in their portrayal.
But true beauty is not only aesthetically pleasing to the eye. In Raffaella, beauty points to the eternal. As Mr. Stroik says,
True beauty points beyond us to something that is ineffable. If we are open to it, the transcendent beauty gives us a glimpse of eternal verities, things beyond ourselves, and even God. While not all of us are searching for truth and beauty, I have found that those who are can be enlightened by the beauty of nature, of art and architecture. I know many stories of people who admit to being converted by St. Peter's Basilica or an amazing rendition of Vivaldi or a Beethoven symphony.
Catholic viewers will notice that Raffaella is intrinsically intertwined with our faith. Part of the plot centers around Raffaella’s First Communion (it is worth noting that she is a teenager, which was a common age to receive in previous eras). Throughout the story, we watch as Raffaella falls in love with the Lord and shares that love with others. I was also delighted to hear strands of the Tantum Ergo woven into the musical score.
While the ballet is performed at a professional level, Mr. Stroik and the team produced Raffaella in the hopes that the common person - not just someone versed in ballet - would be impacted by its message. So far, he says about two thirds of their audiences had never seen a ballet before, but had “enjoyed it."
"I think that is because the music is exciting, the dancing tells a dramatic story, and the sets, costumes etc. are a joy to see.”
The work that went into this production was no small feat, but it was accomplished through a dedicated team of people who loved and were inspired by Raffaella. After 6 years of producing the ballet -- from the libretto to the music to the choreography, sets and costumes -- Raffaella was performed live in June 2024 at the Morris Civic Theater in South Bend, where Raffaella had danced many times.
From her parents who came up with the story to dance friends who performed the lead roles and her sister who designed the set, Raffaella was a labor of love.
In her obituary, Raffaella is quoted as saying often, “when I dance, I seek to share the joy of Creation. I feel close to God and try to share Him with the audience.” The ballet Raffaella lives up to Raffaella’s beautiful calling, an incredible tribute to her life.
You can watch Raffaella and find out more about the backstory of the ballet here.
