PeggyR Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 SFB Opening Night Gala program and casts. It’s particularly good to see the excellent SFBallet Orchestra being given a chance to shine on their own in honor of their 40th anniversary. Opening Night Gala - Thursday, January 21, 2016 - 8:00PM In the event of injury or illness, casting is subject to change *Denotes dancer premiere in ballet THURSDAY, JANUARY 21—8:00PM—OPENING NIGHT “WALTZ OF THE HOURS” from COPPÉLIA Composer: Léo Delibes Choreographer: Alexandra Danilova and George Balanchine ©The Balanchine Trust (after Marius Petipa) Conductor: Martin West Jennifer Stahl with SF Ballet Students Pas de deux from CAROUSEL (A DANCE) Composer: Richard Rodgers Choreographer: Christopher Wheeldon© Conductor: Martin West Dores André, Joan Boada “Adagio” from CARMEN World Premiere Composer: Rodion Shchedrin Choreographer: Yuri Possokhov Conductor: Martin West Lorena Feijoo*, Vitor Luiz* TCHAIKOVSKY PAS DE DEUX Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Choreographer: George Balanchine Conductor: Martin West Frances Chung, Gennadi Nedvigin BARTOK DIVERTIMENTO Composer: Béla Bartók Choreographer: Helgi Tomasson Conductor: Martin West Natasha Sheehan+, Max Cauthorn*, Esteban Hernandez*, Wei Wang* +SF Ballet School Trainee Pas de deux from DON QUIXOTE, Act III Composer: Ludwig Minkus Choreographers: Alexander Gorsky and Marius Petipa Staging and additional Choreography: Helgi Tomasson and Yuri Possokhov Conductor: Martin West Vanessa Zahorian, Taras Domitro INTERMISSION SF Ballet Orchestra“INFERNAL DANCE” from FIREBIRDIn Celebration of San Francisco Ballet Orchestra’s 40th Anniversary Composer: Igor Stravinsky Conductor: Martin West GENTLE MEMORIES SF Ballet Premiere Composer: Karen LeFrak Choreographer: Jiří Bubeníček Conductor: Ming Luke Yuan Yuan Tan*, Tiit Helimets*, Vitor Luiz*, Carlos Quenedit* Pas de deux from “RUBIES” Composer: Igor Stravinsky Choreographer: George Balanchine Conductor: Martin West Maria Kochetkova, Pascal Molat SOLO Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach Choreographer: Hans Van Manen Joseph Walsh, Gennadi Nedvigin, Hansuke Yamamoto Pas de deux from SWAN LAKE, Act III Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Choreographer: after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov Conductor: Martin West Mathilde Froustey, Davit Karapetyan Pas de deux from PAS/PARTS North American Premiere Composer: Thom Willems Choreographer: William Forsythe Sofiane Sylve*, Carlo Di Lanno* Finale from THEME & VARIATIONS Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Choreographer: George Balanchine Conductor: Martin West Vanessa Zahorian, Luke Ingham* Link to comment
PeggyR Posted January 23, 2016 Author Share Posted January 23, 2016 A rather lackluster opening night gala, despite a few standout performances (and, unfortunately, one big disappointment). Overall, the night belonged to the men and Frances Chung. Chung in the Tchaikovsky PdD had charm, speed and brio to spare; my favorite performance of the evening. Since joining the company, Taras Domitro has gone well beyond his virtuoso technique and developed into a fine artist. But he demonstrated in the Don Quixote PdD that he can still pour on the bravura when he wants to. Not just thrilling, but a beautiful and musical performance. Other highlights included Gennadi Nedvigin, Joseph Walsh, Hansuke Yamamoto dancing impeccably at breakneck speed in Hans van Manen’s Solo; and Max Cauthorn, Esteban Hernandez and Wei Wang, highlighting the talent of the men in the corp de ballet, in Tomasson’s Bartok Divertimento. And mention must be made of Natasha Sheehan, a San Francisco Ballet School trainee, who more than held her own in the female role. The disappointment was Mathilde Froustey’s Black Swan. I don’t think she had a problem handling the technical demands (although the foutees did not go particularly well), but throughout her dancing was choppy, without flow or musical sensitivity, a surprise from this usually musical dancer. ETA re Froustey's performance: I just saw on her Facebook page that this was her first Black Swan, so I'll modify my criticism to say she may just need time to settle into this difficult role, and I look forward to her complete O/O later this season. Link to comment
pherank Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 The disappointment was Mathilde Froustey’s Black Swan. I don’t think she had a problem handling the technical demands (although the foutees did not go particularly well), but throughout her dancing was choppy, without flow or musical sensitivity, a surprise from this usually musical dancer. ETA re Froustey's performance: I just saw on her Facebook page that this was her first Black Swan, so I'll modify my criticism to say she may just need time to settle into this difficult role, and I look forward to her complete O/O later this season. At first I thought you were going to say that someone had broken their foot again! I'm glad that's not the case, only an off performance. Yes, that would have been her first performance of any Swan Lake O/O role - I think it was a case of nerves. I got the impression from her posts that she's been worrying about, and working on, this role for some time. Perhaps she let it get to her. But the gala never seems to bring out the best in the dancers. ;) Audience and dancers alike are so caught up in the characterizations of O/O that many seem to forget that, for example, the Black Swan PDD is a DANCE, not a dramatic monologue, not a chance to impress the Motion Picture Academy, but a dance, and it needs to be convincing as a dance. Link to comment
Quiggin Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 I agree with Peggy that it was a bit lackluster and, as galas often are, all over the place. Frances Chung reminded me of Tina LaBlanc (with Isaac Hernandez in his debut) in the Tchaikovsky pdd several years ago. Even though their attacks are a little different – Chung's less sharp, more rounded (Chung looks a bit like like Maria Tallchief in stature) – I wondered if LaBlanc, who now teaches in the school, had coached her. Rubies was the most disappointing, though Maria Kochetkova and Pascal Molat have done it well in years past. This time there was none of rubbery see-sawing between the partners, it could have been anyone's choreography. Would have like to have seen a bit of Justin Peck or Alexei Ratmansky's work since they're doing such innovative combinations of partnering. This would have helped break up the parade of pas de deux – and twice in a row in same color costumes (rubies red and Tchai pdd pink). Liked the lovely and complex shapes the students made in Coppelia Waltz of the Hours. Audience a bit more uniformly tastefully attired than in past years. And so white business class – what with Hayes Valley just outside and the Mission only a short bus ride away. Link to comment
PeggyR Posted January 24, 2016 Author Share Posted January 24, 2016 Quiggin, on 23 Jan 2016 - 4:15 PM, said: Rubies was the most disappointing, though Maria Kochetkova and Pascal Molat have done it well in years past. This time there was none of rubbery see-sawing between the partners, it could have been anyone's choreography. Agree about Rubies. It looked like a first sight reading: get the steps down, worry about interpretation and nuances later. This is the second time I've seen Kochetkova in Rubies and didn't really think it suited her either time. Audience a bit more uniformly tastefully attired than in past years. This is only my second Gala, so I mostly judge by the photos on SFGate over the years: yes, there probably were fewer awful/weird gowns this year, but from where I was sitting in the back of the Dress Circle I had full view of several ladies with enough body parts on full display to construct a whole new human being. Tasteless doesn't begin to describe them. And [the audience] so white business class ,,, While I don't like doing counts of these kinds of things, it does make you stop and think: eight choreographers (if you count the jumble of Don Q as one), all white males; and ten composers, nine white males, one white female (Karen LeFrak, Gentle Memories/Jiří Bubeníček). I guess we take progress where we can get it. Link to comment
pherank Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Paul Parish mentions this about Froustey: "Davit Karapetyan receives the award for Most Gracious Partner in the "Black Swan," where he saved Mathilde Froustey from a bad night by making her seem the complete object of his devotion. Her foot was giving her trouble, but she did her best and did not hold back on the dramatic sweep of her characterization." Link to comment
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