when robert joffrey and gerald arpino started the company in 1956, they did something different from what other touring ballet companies did. instead of just performing ballet classics, they had their six dancers dance new ballets by joffrey. the troupe first performed in a major city in chicago in 1957. the joffrey ballet originally settled in new york city, where joffrey was teaching dance to pay for the company. at that time, it was called the robert joffrey theatre ballet. the company began touring internationally in 1962. they first toured in the middle east and southeast asia. in 1963, the company performed in the ussr. after some troubles, joffrey built the company anew in 1965.