Monday, January 18, 2016

Tutu Divine

This week, the illustrious San Francisco Ballet launches its season with a grand opening night gala on Thursday January 21 at the San Francisco Opera House—and then the beauty of Programs 1 and 2.

Season highlights include the North American premiere of William Forsythe’s elegant ‘Pas/Parts’.

San Francisco Ballet is the oldest professional ballet company in America and the company has a traditional of introducing and presenting young dancers and choreographers. 


San Francisco Ballet in Tomasson's Swan Lake. (© Erik Tomasson)


I’m very excited about the new works by the young choreographer Justin Peck, who will create his first work for the company. And as well there will be a world premiere by Liam Scarlett, a brilliant choreographer and artist. And I’m looking forward to classic works by Balanchine, Cranko, Morris, Possokhov, Ratmansky, Robbins, Tomasson and Wheeldon, who all create magic and grace on-stage.

Special highlights for me among the eight very varied programs include Program 1 ‘Pas/Parts’, and ‘Magrittomania’.

For full-on swooning, there’s the full-length program ‘Swan Lake’ and at the very end of the season, the glorious and moving and utterly romantic ‘Onegin’.

I am looking forward to seeing the new programs—that are being perfected and practiced and polished in the ballet studios as we speak. Naturally, there are no images yet. You’ll just have to come and see them

Below I’ve selected images of highlights of the season—and listings of each program through May 2016.


Levitation and Catching Air—as Done by San Francisco Ballet Dancers. Highlights from the 2016 Season


Stella Abrera and Christine Shevchenko in Ratmansky's Seven Sonatas. (© Rosalie O'Connor. Courtesy American Ballet Theatre)

Yuan Yuan Tan in Tomasson's Swan Lake. (© Erik Tomasson)

Vanessa Zahorian in Balanchine's Coppélia. (© Erik Tomasson)

Yuan Yuan Tan in Possokhov's Magrittomania. (© Erik Tomasson)

Yuan Yuan Tan and Vitor Luiz in Cranko's Onegin. (© Erik Tomasson)

“This season is particularly exciting because of the incredible diversity of choreographers represented,” said SF Ballet Artistic Director and Principal Choreographer Helgi Tomasson. “In addition to legendary choreographers such as George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, I’ve programmed works by some of the most exciting contemporary choreographers working today, including Mark Morris, Alexei Ratmansky, and Christopher Wheeldon and of course Scarlett and Peck—and we are lucky to have such rich relationships with each of them.”

How to Choose

If I were going to see only four, I’d propose Programs 1, 3 (‘Swan Lake’) and 7, and 8 (‘Onegin’). But of course I also want to see each program. The San Francisco Ballet orchestra accompanies each performance.


- PROGRAM 1 -

Yuan Yuan Tan in Possokhov's Magrittomania. (© Erik Tomasson)

Yuan Yuan Tan And Tiit Helimets in Tomasson's 7 for Eight. (© Chris Hardy)

Dores André and Joan Boada in Tomasson's 7 for Eight. (© Erik Tomasson)

Vanessa Zahorian and Gennadi Nedvigin in Tomasson's 7 for Eight. (© Erik Tomasson)

Program 1 opens Sunday, January 24 and includes Helgi Tomasson’s 7 for Eight, Choreographer in Residence Yuri Possokhov’s Magrittomania, and the North American premiere of William Forsythe’s Pas/Parts. Tomasson’s 7 for Eight, set to four keyboard concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach.

Possokhov’s Magrittomania premiered in 2000 as part of the Company’s Discovery Program. The whimsical work, reprised most recently in 2006, was inspired by the work of Belgian surrealist René Magritte. The music, by Thom Willems, is comprised of 20 sections of styles from jazzy to orchestral. The work is rarely seen and SF Ballet’s presentation will be a North American premiere.

- PROGRAM 2 -

San Francisco Ballet in Wheeldon's Continuum©. (© Erik Tomasson)

San Francisco Ballet in Balanchine's Rubies. (© Erik Tomasson)

San Francisco Ballet in Balanchine's Rubies. (© Erik Tomasson)

Program 2 opens on Wednesday, January 27 with Christopher Wheeldon’s Continuum©, a world premiere by Liam Scarlett, and Balanchine’s “Rubies.” Christopher Wheeldon’s Continuum©, set to the music of György Ligeti, premiered during the 2002 Season. The work for four couples is a dazzling realization of Ligeti’s piano music.

Set to music by Igor Stravinsky, Balanchine’s “Rubies” is the middle piece in a full evening-length ballet, Jewels. Created in 1967 for New York City Ballet, the ballet in three parts (“Emeralds,” “Rubies,” “Diamonds”) was inspired by the jewelry of Van Cleef and Arpels and is distinct in mood and style.


- PROGRAM 3 -

Maria Kochetkova and Davit Karapetyan in Tomasson's Swan Lake. (© Erik Tomasson)

Vanessa Zahorian in Tomasson's Swan Lake. (© Erik Tomasson)

San Francisco Ballet in Tomasson's Swan Lake. (© Chris Hardy)

Program 3 opens on Friday, February 19 with Helgi Tomasson’s full-length Swan Lake. Tomasson choreographed his first production of Swan Lake for SF Ballet in 1988 and in 2009, he created a new version, featuring scenery and costume design by Jonathan Fensom; lighting design by Jennifer Tipton; projection and video design by Sven Ortel; and hair, wig, and makeup design by Michael Ward. 


- PROGRAM 4 -

Vanessa Zahorian in Balanchine's Coppélia. (© Erik Tomasson)

Gennadi Nedvigin in Balanchine's Coppélia. (© Erik Tomasson)

Program 4 opens on Tuesday, March 8 with George Balanchine’s Coppélia. The popular comedic ballet, set to a score by Léo Delibes, was first performed by the Paris Opéra Ballet in 1870, with original choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon. This new production of Alexandra Danilova and Balanchine’s Coppélia from 1974, includes commissioned scenic and costume design by Roberta Guidi di Bagno, with lighting design by Randall G. Chiarelli.


- PROGRAM 5 -

Maria Kochetkova, Vanessa Zahorian, and Dores André in Robbins' Dances at a Gathering. (© Erik Tomasson)

San Francisco Ballet in Possokhov’s Swimmer. (© Erik Tomasson)

Taras Domitro in Possokhov’s Swimmer. (© Erik Tomasson)

Maria Kochetkova and Tiit Helimets in Possokhov’s Swimmer. (© Erik Tomasson)

Program 5 opens on Wednesday, March 16 with Jerome Robbins’ Dances at a Gathering and Yuri Possokhov’s Swimmer. Dances at a Gathering, set to music by Frédéric Chopin, is widely considered a masterpiece. Created in 1969 for New York City Ballet, the hour-long work, set to 18 piano pieces, features ten dancers.

Possokhov’s Swimmer, inspired by the John Cheever story entitled “The Swimmer,” pays homage to American art of all types—literature, film, fine art and music—that has inspired Possokhov in some way. The multi-media work features music by Shinji Eshima, Tom Waits, Kathleen Brennan, and Gavin Bryars.


- PROGRAM 6 -

Vanessa Zahorian and Hansuke Yamamoto in Tomasson's Prism. (© Chris Hardy)

San Francisco Ballet in Tomasson's Prism. (© Erik Tomasson)

Taras Domitro in Tomasson's Prism. (© Erik Tomasson)

San Francisco Ballet in Wheeldon's Rush©. (© Chris Hardy)

Frances Chung and Gennadi Nedvigin in Wheeldon's Rush©. (© Erik Tomasson)

Frances Chung and Clara Blanco in Wheeldon's Rush©. (© Erik Tomasson)

Xiomara Reyes and Herman Cornejo in Ratmansky's Seven Sonatas. (© Rosalie O'Connor. Courtesy American Ballet Theatre)

Program 6 opens Tuesday, April 5 with Helgi Tomasson’s Prism, the SF Ballet premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s Seven Sonatas, and Christopher Wheeldon’s Rush©. Tomasson’s Prism, set to the music of Ludwig van Beethoven, features costume design by Martin Pakledinaz and lighting design by Mark Stanley.

Ratmansky’s Seven Sonatas, an SF Ballet premiere, is set to music by Domenico Scarlatti, with costume design by Holly Hynes, and lighting design by Brad Fields.

Wheeldon’s Rush©, set to Bohuslav Martinů’s Sinfonietta La Jolla, was premiered by SF Ballet at the Edinburgh Festival in 2004. 


- PROGRAM 7 -

San Francisco Ballet in Morris' Drink To Me With Only Thine Eyes. (© Erik Tomasson)

San Francisco Ballet in Morris' Drink To Me With Only Thine Eyes. (© Erik Tomasson)

Vanessa Zahorian and Davit Karapetyan in Balanchine's Theme and Variations. (© Erik Tomasson)

Lorena Feijoo and Vitor Luiz in Balanchine's Theme and Variations. (© Erik Tomasson)

Hansuke Yamamoto and Vitor Luiz in Balanchine's Theme and Variations. (© Erik Tomasson)

Program 7 opens Thursday, April 7 with Mark Morris’ Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes, a world premiere by Justin Peck, and George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations. Morris’ Drink to Me… was premiered in 1988 by American Ballet Theatre. The work for 12 dancers is set to music by Virgil Thomson, with costume design by Santo Loquasto and lighting design by Michael Chybowski.

Balanchine’s Theme and Variations for 26 dancers, was created in 1947 for Ballet Theatre (now American Ballet Theatre). The work is set to the final movement of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s third orchestral suite, consisting of 12 variations. 


- PROGRAM 8 -

Sarah Van Patten in Cranko's Onegin. (© Erik Tomasson)

Luke Ingham in Cranko's Onegin. (© Erik Tomasson)

San Francisco Ballet in Cranko's Onegin. (© Erik Tomasson)

Program 8 opens Saturday, April 30 and features the return of John Cranko’s Onegin. Last performed by SF Ballet in 2013, this dramatic full-length production is based on Alexander Pushkin’s novel in verse Eugene Onegin, set to a score by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and orchestrated by Kurt-Heinz Stolze. The ballet features scenic and costume design by award-winning designer Santo Loquasto.


Connecting with SF Ballet’s Online Communities

Follow @sfballet. SF Ballet has a rich digital presence offering numerous ways to connect with the artists of the Company. There’s a Facebook community (facebook.com/sfballet). And Twitter (twitter.com/sfballet).

To experience a backstage photographic journey from the perspective of the SF Ballet dancers on Instagram (instagram.com/sfballet). And for behind-the-scenes perspectives read short essays and interviews on our blog (sfballetblog.org). And best of all—there’s a YouTube page to see SF Ballet in motion (youtube.com/sfballet).

Subscription Tickets
Three, five, and eight program subscription packages to SF Ballet’s 2016 Repertory Season range in price from $75. For information, 415.865.200o or visit sfballet.org.

About San Francisco Ballet

As America’s oldest professional ballet company, San Francisco Ballet has enjoyed a long and rich tradition of artistic “firsts” since its founding in 1933, including performing the first American productions of Swan Lake and Nutcracker, as well as the first 20th-century American Coppélia.

San Francisco Ballet is one of the three largest ballet companies in the United States. Guided in its early years by American dance pioneers and brothers Lew, William and Harold Christensen, San Francisco Ballet currently presents more than 100 performances annually, both locally and internationally. Under the direction of Helgi Tomasson, the Company has achieved an international reputation as one of the preeminent ballet companies in the world.

For more information and tickets: 

415.865.2000


2 comments:

Donna in Potomac said...

They appear to defy gravity. Breathtaking!

Claudia said...

So proud to have such a talented ballet company in San Francisco. Thank you Diane for the beautiful and detailed introduction of the 2016 season.