The Company (2003) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Ry was selected as the featured female dancer in Blue Snake after she impressed choreographer Robert Desrosiers during a spontaneous moment outside in a thunderstorm, where she danced to My Funny Valentine. This performance convinced the directors she was the one to watch, marking a pivotal shift in the company's creative direction and cementing her as the leading star for the ambitious new work.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, Ry's talent was already noted by Antonelli, who gradually gave her more prominent roles.

• ry
• blue snake
• robert desrosiers
• lead role
• thunderstorm dance

Ry met Josh Williams, a young chef working in a high-pressure kitchen, at the trendy bar where she worked her second job. Their relationship blossomed after a memorable scene where Josh saw Ry playing pool to Elvis Costello's rendition of My Funny Valentine, a motif that threads through the film.

Foreshadowing: The song My Funny Valentine becomes a recurring motif, first appearing during their meeting and later during Ry's thunderstorm audition.

• josh williams
• relationship
• chef
• bar
• my funny valentine

As Ry steadily earned more prominent roles within the company, tensions flared among some colleagues who struggled to integrate the changes. One dancer even requested removal from a number after his relationship with Ry ended acrimoniously. The narrative shows how success for one dancer can echo through the entire company, affecting the fragile cohesion of the tightly knit troupe.

Foreshadowing: The tension was seeded early when Antonelli began elevating Ry's profile, causing ripples through the ensemble.

• dancers
• tension
• ensemble
• relationships
• roles

Ry missed a complicated dinner prepared by Josh because the intensive rehearsal schedule for Blue Snake made it difficult to keep up with dinners or dates. The marathon pace of rehearsals for the demanding new work spilled into her personal life, forcing her to choose between the physically grueling production and her romantic commitments.

Foreshadowing: The strain between Ry's professional and personal lives had been building as Blue Snake rehearsals intensified.

• rehearsal schedule
• blue snake
• josh
• dinner
• conflict

During the Blue Snake premiere at the Kennedy Center, Ry sustained an arm injury toward the end of her solo. Choreographer Robert Desrosiers was forced to improvise and adapt until another dancer could be fitted into Ry's elaborate costume. Despite the on-stage drama, the performance was a triumph and the show's success was undeniable.

Foreshadowing: The production had already faced setbacks during rehearsals, including an injury to another dancer's Achilles tendon.

• kennedy center
• blue snake
• injury
• arm
• solo

Josh, who had also suffered a kitchen accident prior to the premiere, sneaked onto the stage during the bows to congratulate Ry. His presence on stage despite his own injury was a quiet, personal gesture that sealed their shared victory over adversity, and they shared a private moment of celebration as the main curtain fell.

Foreshadowing: Josh's kitchen accident was referenced earlier when his demanding kitchen work was shown mirroring Ry's high-pressure career.

• josh
• kitchen accident
• stage
• bows
• kennedy center

Alberto Antonelli was the company's artistic director, serving as the new artistic leader who guided the Joffrey Ballet through a demanding season of training, injuries, scheduling challenges, and financial pressures. He was described as warm yet exacting, steering the troupe with a balance of high standards and supportive leadership while staging bold new works like Blue Snake.

Foreshadowing: The film opens with Antonelli's arrival as artistic director, establishing the guiding ethos for everything that follows.

• alberto antonelli
• artistic director
• joffrey
• leadership

Like many of the younger dancers, Ry juggled a second job as a waitress at a trendy bar to make ends meet. Her mother's objections underscored the financial pressures that drove her to keep performing while supporting herself. The grind tested her stamina as the season intensifies.

Foreshadowing: The financial strain was established early as part of the reality facing young professional dancers.

• second job
• waitress
• bar
• financial pressure
• money

Between Blue Snake preparations, the company staged a memorable dance number on a swing set to Julee Cruise's haunting track The World Spins. This piece functioned as a tension-reliever and showcased the troupe's versatility, demonstrating the variety of choreographic styles the company embraced.

Foreshadowing: This lighter number provided contrast to the intensive Blue Snake rehearsals.

• the world spins
• swing
• julee cruise
• dance piece

During Blue Snake rehearsals, another dancer suffered a career-threatening injury to his Achilles tendon, which interrupted rehearsals and tested the company's resilience. This actual injury added to the pressure of the demanding production, and Ry's own performance demands also intensified under this pressure.

Foreshadowing: The injury foreshadowed the later injury Ry herself would sustain at the Kennedy Center.

• achilles
• injury
• rehearsal
• blue snake
• dancer

My Funny Valentine serves as a recurring motif throughout the film. It first appears when Ry meets Josh at the bar, playing seductively while playing pool. The song then reappears during Ry's pivotal thunderstorm dance that earns her the Blue Snake lead role. The Elvis Costello rendition becomes associated with her breakthrough moments.

Foreshadowing: The song's first appearance during the pool scene establishes its importance to Ry's romantic and professional journey.

• my funny valentine
• elvis costello
• theme
• song
• recurring motif