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Fall Season @ State Theater Oct 16-27


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A big problem I felt – which didn't seem to be the case with the video of the Dutch production – is that the Prokofiev score was played so politely and respectfully that it didn't sound like Prokofiev.

I assume it's not a commercial video, as I could not find any trace of it on Amazon.com

Was it a private one?

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In a Meet the Artist interview Ruben Martin Cintas said that he thought that in rehearsal Wheeldon lavished his attention on the parts of the sisters and stepmother and less so with the main couple – less than he does in his shorter ballets. There was just too much to do and his heart was in the comedy.

The ballet is fun to watch for the most part, except for too many variations of seasons and too much for the Prince and Cinderella that didn't develop. There seemed to be a section of Carousel dropped in – where a whirling group of dancers at the ball keep Cinderella and the Prince apart – but less effective than in the Rogers & Hammerstein. Maybe it's should be a 45 minute or hour/15 ballet?

Regarding the choreography, here's a snippet of Laura Capelle's review of the Dutch production in the Financial Times:

As with Wheeldon’s recent Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland for the Royal Ballet, Cinderella’s merits are often more theatrical than choreographic. Meaning and character are layered on top of the steps rather than carved within them, and the ball scene and grand pas de deux for Cinderella and her Prince fail to get under Prokofiev’s skin

http://www.ft.com/in...l#axzz2SjzOo3wK

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I assume it's not a commercial video, as I could not find any trace of it on Amazon.com

Was it a private one?

It seemed to be on You Tube for maybe a week in December, I thought I would be able to study it carefully but then it was gone. As a production it seemed a bit more focused and finished and maybe "untranslated". The Prince was Matthew Golding and I think Anna Tsygankova played Cinderella.

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I assume it's not a commercial video, as I could not find any trace of it on Amazon.com

Was it a private one?

It seemed to be on You Tube for maybe a week in December, I thought I would be able to study it carefully but then it was gone. As a production it seemed a bit more focused and finished and maybe "untranslated". The Prince was Matthew Golding and I think Anna Tsygankova played Cinderella.

I see, thanks! Maybe they are planning to release it commercially, that is why it's been removed.

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Regarding the choreography, here's a snippet of Laura Capelle's review of the Dutch production in the Financial Times:

As with Wheeldon’s recent Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland for the Royal Ballet, Cinderella’s merits are often more theatrical than choreographic. Meaning and character are layered on top of the steps rather than carved within them, and the ball scene and grand pas de deux for Cinderella and her Prince fail to get under Prokofiev’s skin

http://www.ft.com/in...l#axzz2SjzOo3wK




Hmmm. Well that certainly was a positive review. Obviously some people react well to Wheeldon's approach, and others are disappointed. I do get the feeling that the ballet is a 'spectacle', so I'm sorry I wasn't able to go this year. But there's always next, since it's on the SF Ballet 2014 schedule now too.

One nice thing for the audience is that Cinderella apparently requires a large number of principal dancers to take part (rather than the usual organization of 2 leads, soloist, and corps).

Here's the only bit of video I've stumbled onto regarding Cinderella in performance:


I was just thinking that it's a shame NYC won't be seeing Neumeier's The Little Mermaid as well - both Yuan Yuan Tan and Sarah Van Patten are wonderful as the Mermaid, and Davit Karapetyan is so great as the Sea Witch.
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Program for the October tour:

David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center, New York

October 16-27, 2013

Program A—October 16 & 19, 8 pm

Trio* (Tomasson)

Ghosts* (Wheeldon)

Borderlands* (McGregor)

Program B—October 19, 2 pm

Trio (Tomasson)

Ghosts (Wheeldon)

Suite en Blanc (Lifar)

Program C—October 17 & 18, 8 pm

From Foreign Lands* (Ratmansky)

Beaux* (Morris)

Classical Symphony* (Possokhov)

Symphonic Dances* (Liang)

Program D—October 20, 2 pm

Suite en Blanc (Lifar)

From Foreign Lands (Ratmansky)

Symphonic Dances (Liang)

Cinderella—October 23, 24, 25 & 26 at 8 pm; October 26 & 27 at 2 pm

How to buy your tickets:

Two special pre-sale offers are available online, at Audience Rewards and beginning May 30, at Travelzoo. Tickets will be available to the general public starting June 10 by visiting our website or calling 212.496.0600

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And there you have it, New York, I didn't guess correctly about Ghosts, but that one has been well received on the West Coast, so hopefully the NY audience will enjoy the performance. I personally question the inclusion of Lifar's Suite en Blanc, especially as a closer. That work just seems too lightweight to me. Best used as an opener. And I still wonder why Neumeier's The Little Mermaid or Possokhov's RAkU isn't being performed in NYC.

Interesting that SFB avoids performing any Balanchine, I guess to give the NYCB audience a needed rest. But as MacCauley wrote back in 2008,

"Friday’s program began on a high with one Balanchine; Saturday’s program ended on a high with another, “The Four Temperaments,” the best account of this tremendous ballet I have seen in the world in several years. But, but, but ... Was I alone in wanting more attack and momentum, less demureness and containment?"

The NYC audience should get to see plenty of "attack" in at least McGregor's Borderlands. Whether it will be loved, I cannot say.

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NY Times reporting that the SFB's visit to NYC may be cancelled due to the ongoing labor dispute.

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/02/san-francisco-ballet-in-dispute-with-dancers/?ref=dance

But thankfully, the labor dispute is now over. ;) So keep your fingers crossed.

Edit: Maria Kochetkova posted this image today, mentioning that she is "getting ready for NY":

http://instagram.com/p/fBMaxEkUZy/#

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Casts for the mixed rep. http://www.sfballetblog.org/2013/10/nyc-casting-2013/

PROGRAM A: OPENING NIGHT – Wednesday, October 16, 2013 – 8:00PM

New York Premiere
Trio
Choreographer: Helgi Tomasson
Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Conductor: Martin West

Vanessa Zahorian, Vitor Luiz
Sarah Van Patten, Tiit Helimets,
Anthony Spaulding
Maria Kochetkova, Gennadi Nedvigin

INTERMISSION

New York Premiere
Ghosts
Choreographer: Christopher Wheeldon
Composer: C.F. Kip Winger
Conductor: Martin West

Yuan Yuan Tan, Damian Smith
Sofiane Sylve, Tiit Helimets, Shane Wuerthner

INTERMISSION

New York Premiere
Borderlands
Choreographer: Wayne McGregor
Composer: Joel Cadbury and Paul Stoney
Conductor: Martin West

Maria Kochetkova, Jaime Garcia Castilla
Sarah Van Patten, Pascal Molat
Frances Chung, Carlos Quenedit

Sofiane Sylve, Anthony Spaulding*
Koto Ishihara, Lonnie Weeks
Elizabeth Powell, Francisco Mungamba

Program C: OPENING NIGHT – Thursday, October 17 – 8:00PM

New York Premiere
From Foreign Lands
Choreographer: Alexei Ratmansky
Composer: Moritz Moszkowski
Conductor: Martin West

Russian: Vanessa Zahorian, Davit Karapetyan
Frances Chung, Gennadi Nedvigin
Italian: Pascal Molat, Sarah Van Patten, Dana Genshaft, Dores Andre
German: Sofiane Sylve, Shane Wuerthner, Luke Ingham, Luke Willis
Spanish: Frances Chung, Pascal Molat
Sarah Van Patten, Gennadi Nedvigin
Polish: Sofiane Sylve, Vanessa Zahorian, Dores Andre, Dana Genshaft
Davit Karapetyan, Shane Wuerthner, Luke Ingham, Luke Willis

INTERMISSION

New York Premiere
Beaux
Choreographer: Mark Morris
Composer: Bohuslav Martinů
Conductor: Martin West
Harpsichord: Bradley Moore

Henry Sidford*, Pascal Molat, Benjamin Stewart
Jeremy Rucker, Ruben Martin Cintas, Gennadi Nedvigin
Sean Bennett, Luke Willis*, Dustin Shane Spero

PAUSE

New York Premiere
Classical Symphony
Choreographer: Yuri Possokhov
Composer: Sergei Prokofiev
Conductor: Martin West

Maria Kochetkova, Hansuke Yamamoto
Frances Chung, Carlos Quenedit
Dores Andre, Jaime Garcia Castilla

New York Premiere
Symphonic Dances
Choreographer: Edwaard Liang
Composer: Sergei Rachmaninov
Conductor: Martin West

Yuan Yuan Tan, Luke Ingham
Sofiane Sylve, Tiit Helimets
Maria Kochetkova, Vitor Luiz

Program C: Friday, October 18 – 8:00PM

From Foreign Lands
Choreographer: Alexei Ratmansky
Composer: Moritz Moszkowski
Conductor: Ming Luke

Russian: Sasha De Sola, Davit Karapetyan
Maria Kochetkova, Vitor Luiz
Italian: Pascal Molat, Sarah Van Patten, Dana Genshaft, Dores Andre
German: Simone Messmer, Shane Wuerthner, Luke Ingham, Luke Willis
Spanish: Maria Kochetkova, Pascal Molat
Sarah Van Patten, Vitor Luiz
Polish: Simone Messmer, Sasha De Sola, Dores Andre, Dana Genshaft
Davit Karapetyan, Shane Wuerthner, Luke Ingham, Luke Willis

INTERMISSION

Beaux
Choreographer: Mark Morris
Composer: Bohuslav Martinů
Conductor: Ming Luke
Harpsichord: Bradley Moore

Henry Sidford, Pascal Molat, Benjamin Stewart
Jeremy Rucker, Ruben Martin Cintas, James Sofranko
Sean Bennett, Luke Willis, Dustin Shane Spero

PAUSE

Classical Symphony
Choreographer: Yuri Possokhov
Composer: Sergei Prokofiev
Conductor: Ming Luke

Vanessa Zahorian, Gennadi Nedvigin
Frances Chung, Carlos Quenedit
Clara Blanco, Jaime Garcia Castilla

INTERMISSION

Symphonic Dances
Choreographer: Edwaard Liang
Composer: Sergei Rachmaninov
Conductor: Martin West

Yuan Yuan Tan, Luke Ingham
Sofiane Sylve, Tiit Helimets
Maria Kochetkova, Vitor Luiz

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If you're choosing one, I'd go with Tan, who won't be dancing forever, or van Patten, who is unique and surprising. I love Kochetkova, but she dances in NYC a lot and will be guesting with ABT, and Chung, but I'd still pick one of the other two.

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Have others seen the recently-released DVD of this production? I bought mine via the UK amazon site. This is a GORGEOUS, luxurious production...1,000-times more beautiful and satisfying than the paltry Ratmansky at the Mariinsky. Only negative of the DVD is that it stars the perennial 'dynamic duo' of the Dutch ballet, Tsygankova and Golding, who doesn't know how to keep his face still, even in a small scene. The San Francisco principals should, no doubt, trump the stars of the DVD. All four Sfco ballerinas are fantastic, for different reasons.

Do-not-miss-it! yahoo.gif

re. the Mixed Bills: Too bad that Vito Mazzeo is gone, as he was wonderful as the 'third man' in the lyrical middle section of Tomasson's Trio, when it went to DC last year. Most of the other principals who I saw will be performing it here. Cannot wait to see that ballet again. Among the other works, I'm most looking forward to From Foreign Lands and any opportunity to see Sylve once again.

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Which of the casts for Cinderella are recommended?

I see about 20 performances of San Francisco Ballet each season. If I could only go to one performance of Cinderella, it would be Friday night with Vanessa Zahorian and her husband, Davit Karapetyan. Zahorian is a lyrical and effortlessly brilliant dancer and her acting is completely natural. Tan is a subtle, ethereal ballerina who excelled in Neumeier's Little Mermaid. I find tiny Kochetkova mannered in her dancing and contrived, cutesy and one-dimensional in her acting and stage manner, so I avoid her in the major roles. I saw Sarah van Patten and Frances Chung in Cinderella, and both were exceptional in dancing and characterization.

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Which of the casts for Cinderella are recommended?

I think the closing night cast of Cinderella is about the same as the original opening night cast (in SF). Chung and Van Patten as the stepsisters were especially good together. But as Helene says, Ms. Tan won't be around forever, and is definitely worth seeing in person. And seeing Sofiane Sylve in the mixed rep - I would recommend that - she's nearing the end of her performance career.

The Mixed Rep performances will have something from everybody principal-wise, so they are a good bet. I join Natalia in lamenting the loss (through retirement) of Vito Mazzeo, and Damian Smith, but the company doesn't exactly look weak right now. That's the good news.

One notable absence here seems to be Lorena Feijoo - maybe she goes off to visit in Cuba at this time of year? Who knows?

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I was looking forward to seeing Froustey during the 2 week run in NY. I'm disappointed that she is not part of the tour.

Yes, I can understand that, but to be fair to Ms. Froustey, she's brand new and doesn't know any of the rep. She would have had a lot to learn in a few short weeks on top of getting situated in SF. It was nice to hope for, but I m not totally suprised that it's not going to happen. I do wonder if she'll travel with the company to NY as backup/understudy, or if she's just waiting for Nutcracker time...

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Another thing to think about - the actual pairings. My own preferences tend toward:

Vanessa Zahorian and her husband Davit Karapetyan
Maria Kochetkova and Joan Boada
Sarah Van Patten and Tiit Helimets
Yuan Yuan Tan used to work primarily with Damian Smith (and they were a great team), and Vito Mazzeo I believe, and now that both are retired it's difficult to say who she best pairs with.
I'm also not really able to say who Frances Chung works best with - I think that is still being figured out.

But there is something to be said for mixing things up and creating suprise chemistry.

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Daniel Deivison-Oliveira, who got great notices in London, also seems to missing from the cast lists.

With Cinderella the part of Benjamin is an important counterpoint to the overly wholesome, Matthew Goldingish Prince. The ballet is a bit old fashioned, with lots of silly vaudeville-like routines, some of the dancing repetitious ... but lots of parts for company members, so all nights should yield a good show. Sarah Van Patten is a good actress, though sometimes she seems to move through a series of still frame reactions, as if for a David Bailey British Vogue layout.

The mixed rep nights should show the company off well. I liked From Foreign Lands, which is very light Ratmansky, and Borderlands, the most intense McGregor, with the company working all-out – and where Vito Mazzeo's height, that of a centering maypole, will be missed. Carlos Quenedit, who danced the same hand-signal part as Mazzeo in Symphony in Three Movements last season, is an interesting dancer to keep on eye on (opposite Frances Chung in Cinderella & Borderlands).

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