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SFB 2016 Tours


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Only one destination has been announced at this time: Iceland

"The Reykjavík Arts Festival has just announced that the San Francisco Ballet, under the direction of Helgi Tómasson, will perform at the festival this spring. There will be four performances in Harpa Concert Hall, on the Eldborg stage, May 28-30."
(Helgi Tómasson was born in Reykjavík, Iceland)

http://icelandreview.com/news/2015/12/11/san-francisco-ballet-perform-harpa-may

I wonder if from Iceland, there will also be a trip to Great Britain or Scandinavia...

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Does Helgi frequently take the company "home" to his native country?

I can't help but visualize some new corps dancer, excited about international touring, visualizing Paris and London and Beijing, and then... Iceland. I suppose the feeling would be much worse if it were an Oct/Nov tour.

That's a very early tour for them, though, right on the heels of their repertory season. Although the works will still be fresh in their mind, if they cull from 2016 season.

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Lucky for young'uns, there's a lot of info on the internet and social media that would make them think small city in Northern BC or Alaska, not London or Paris and certainly not Beijing -- there are more people in The East Village than in all of Iceland -- and they can even find out whether they might have a Bjork sighting while they are there. The only thing that should surprise them is sticker shock: although the exchange rate is now about 70% better than before the financial crisis, most food and drink has to be imported.

They might find being in the Blue Lagoon soothes their aches and pains. It will definitely make their skin baby soft :)

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Does Helgi frequently take the company "home" to his native country?

I couldn't find any evidence of a past tour to Iceland, but perhaps years ago.

Not everyone knows this, but Iceland is a small enough culture, that Helgi, and Björk for that matter, ARE their "full" names. It's only in dealing with the outside world - that expects to see family names as well - that the Icelanders use a Patronymic or Matronymic last name: Tomasson (son of Tomas), Björk Guðmundsdóttir (Guðmunds daughter).

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SFB dancers should be warned that the "North American" (and British) wing of Keflavik International Airport is a nightmare where departures are concerned. All of the flights, about a dozen each day, take off within 45 minutes of each other. This can't make life easy for the check-in staff, baggage handlers or air traffic controllers of such a small airport, so I assume it's a demand of the border agents who stamp travelers out of the Schengen Area. Seating in the waiting area is totally inadequate, and you'll rarely see queues like the ones in the departures cafeteria. Apparently flights to Iceland count as "mid-Atlantic" rather than "trans-Atlantic," so the price of Icelandair tickets does not include a meal, leading to a run on pizzas at the airport.

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Not everyone knows this, but Iceland is a small enough culture, that Helgi, and Björk for that matter, ARE their "full" names. It's only in dealing with the outside world - that expects to see family names as well - that the Icelanders use a Patronymic or Matronymic last name: Tomasson (son of Tomas), Björk Guðmundsdóttir (Guðmunds daughter).

Wow, one needs to live in a very small country to make THAT work. Then again, thanks to his success, Helgi can go by first name alone here in the U.S., or certainly throughout the ballet world! Iceland must be so very proud of him.

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A nice photo of the touring company:

13408777_1736570263257373_337886522_n.jp

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGT44sCHrfk/?taken-by=lapetitefrench_

Carlo Di Lanno seems to be missing from this photo (or is that him behind Helgi?), which does include Masha though, who was only in Iceland for a couple of days before returning to the ABT season.

The summer tour schedule is posted here. Next up is an appearance at the Napa Valley Festival...

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Carlo Di Lanno seems to be missing from this photo (or is that him behind Helgi?), which does include Masha though, who was only in Iceland for a couple of days before returning to the ABT season.

I believe it might be Max Cauthorn behind Helgi.

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Forsythe Project: 2016 Pas Parts Excerpts (San Francisco Ballet) promo:
https://vimeo.com/162575606

I think I see the following dancers: Sofiane Sylve, Carlo Di Lanno, Dores Andre, Frances Chung, James Sofranko, Maria Kochetkova, Francisco Mungamba, Wei Wang, Joseph Walsh (can't quite make out his partner though), Yuan Yuan Tan…

Learn more here:

http://www.musiccenter.org/forsythe

And here's a wrap up blog article for the Iceland tour:

http://sfballetblog.org/2016/06/sf-ballet-takes-iceland/

"Nearly two percent of the population of Iceland attended our four performances and one show was broadcast on Iceland’s public television nationwide"

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I think her hair is darker. Thanks for the link- a very good read. I intend to go to all three Forsythe performances this fall at the L.A, Music Center and am especially looking forward to seeing dancers from PNB and Houston Ballet, as well as Artifact Suite again, which I loved when I saw SFB perform it several seasons ago.

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"SF Ballet makes its Festival Napa Valley debut on Friday, July 22, accompanied by members of the SF Ballet Orchestra. The mixed-bill program features Tomasson’s The Fifth Season; van Manen’s Solo; various pas de deux from Tomasson/Possokhov’s Don Quixote; Forsythe’s in the middle, somewhat elevated; Petipa’s Le Corsaire; and Wheeldon’s After the Rain©."

Luke and Yuan Yuan at the festival
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIMfxiOjZeo/?taken-by=tanyuanyuansf

Maria Kochetkova waiting her turn

https://www.instagram.com/p/BIMFZgmAJ0o/?taken-by=balletrusse

The Festival Napa Valley tends to be a place where incredibly "successful" people can rub elbows and view imported culture. I wonder if Natalia Makarova will be there to see SFB (she lives nearby).

Next up: the annual Stern Grove Festival, San Francisco, CA

July 31, 2016

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Frances Chung is dancing Odette in Swan Lake Act II with Tiit Helimets at Stern Grove!

Thanks for the reminder, Josette - here's the official casting:

Stern Grove Festival - Sunday, July 31, 2016 - 2pm

SWAN LAKE ACT II

Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Choreographer: Helgi Tomasson

Conductor: Martin West

Odette: Frances Chung^

Siegfried: Tiit Helimets

Von Rothbart: Alexander Reneff-Olson

THE FIFTH SEASON

Composer: Karl Jenkins

Choreographer: Helgi Tomasson

Conductor: Martin West

Dores André, Aaron Robison

Mathilde Froustey, Carlos Quenedit

Yuan Yuan Tan, Tiit Helimets

Pas de Deux from AFTER THE RAIN©

Composer: Arvo Pärt

Choreographer: Christopher Wheeldon

Yuan Yuan Tan, Luke Ingham

RUBIES

Composer: Igor Stravinsky

Choreographer: George Balanchine

Conductor: Martin West

Piano: Roy Bogas

Vanessa Zahorian, Joseph Walsh

Jennifer Stahl

Did anyone see any casting for the Napa Valley Festival? I wonder if SFB found that little excursion to be worthwhile.

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I saw the casting and it was several pas de deux and tidbits, including Zahorian and Domitro in Le Corsaire, and Kuchetkova and new soloist Angelo Greco in Don Q pas de deux, I believe.

That's interesting that Greco took part. So he's ready to go. I haven't heard if Aaron Robison has put in an appearance yet, or if he still in 'moving to California' hell.

Somehow, it doesn't seem accidental that after acquiring dancers from Houston Ballet and La Scala, Tomasson then gets another Houston dancer and another La Scala dancer. Did they come recommended by their 'compatriots'?

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