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Not to start a dogpile on SFB marketing choices, but I know the exact photograph you're referencing, and I had a similar head-scratching response to that. SFB truly has had an embarrassment of riches at least since the 10-12 years I've been following them closely. I don't mean to speculate too much, but I wouldn't be surprised if other dancers feel disheartened when one gets significantly better billing than the rest. More logistically speaking about Angelo Greco's leaving - it seems a shame to me that they're losing a smaller, powerful dancer. There are quite a few shorter principal/soloist women, and while there still are some smaller principal men on the roster, I thought Greco looked great partnering not only Misa, but Frances Chung, Sasha de Sola, and others. End of an era for sure.

From the press release for Coppelia: Production will salute departing PNB Rehearsal Director Otto Neubert. “I met Otto Neubert 41 years ago when he auditioned for New York City Ballet,” said PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal. “He was the most reassuring presence when I arrived at PNB. For twenty years I have watched him welcome countless students into the studio to start the arduous process of learning to be a gliding angel, scampering mouse, darting bug, or raucous Fritz. His talent to nurture and empower dancers of all ages and abilities is unmatched. Otto has always believed in dancers’ strength and artistry. He has guided hundreds to find the best path to success. Beyond his vital role as a coach, he's a shoulder to lean on and the go-to guy for a much-needed laugh. I can’t quite imagine PNB without this gentle lion, but I take comfort in knowing his legacy of care and commitment lives on in our students and our company.” Peter Boal called him a gentle lion, but there was nothing gentle about his portrayals of BvG in Swan Lake. No one else has that look that can paralyze the bravest and most determined Siegfrieds. Nor in his roaring Don Quixote. One of the most moving things I've seen in the company was him walking side by side with Jonathan Porretta, who's looked at him in awe with those big, saucer eyes. Two of the greatest character dancers. to him.

The last time I saw Kondaurova was in fall of 2019 in La Bayadere and Diamonds. She was breathtaking.

She’s a Barbie girl in a ballet world… Pacific Northwest Ballet presents Production will salute departing PNB Rehearsal Director Otto Neubert. May 31 – June 9, 2024 Marion Oliver McCaw Hall 321 Mercer Street, Seattle Center Seattle, WA 98109 Seven performances only! Friday, May 31 at 7:30 pm Saturday, June 1 at 2:00 and 7:30 pm Thursday – Saturday, June 6 – 8 at 7:30 pm Sunday, June 9 at 1:00 pm Streaming Digitally June 13 – 17 SEATTLE, WA – For the final performances of its 2023-24 Season, Pacific Northwest Ballet presents one of the happiest ballets on earth, George Balanchine’s Coppélia. A comical case of living dolls and mistaken identity, Coppélia promises bravura classical ballet, exquisite scenery and costumes, and pristine choreography for PNB Company dancers and 24 tiny dancers from the PNB School. Coppélia runs for seven performances, May 31 – June 9 at Seattle Center’s Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Tickets start at just $38. The production will also stream digitally June 13 – 17: Digital access is $40. For tickets and additional information, contact the PNB Box Office at 206.441.2424, in person at 301 Mercer Street, or online 24/7 at PNB.org. Audiences and critics were mesmerized when the curtain rose on PNB's 2010 premiere of its exquisite, wisteria-hued production of Coppélia: “The audience actually gasped when the curtain went up” (Journal Newspapers). The story is a lighthearted comedy about vivacious young Swanilda, her impetuous suitor Franz, and the eccentric toymaker Dr. Coppelius. Though Franz loves Swanilda, he is smitten by Coppélia, a life-sized doll whom he believes is real. When Swanilda steals into Dr. Coppelius' workshop and discovers the truth about Coppélia, she dresses up as her rival and amuses herself by tricking both toymaker and her beau. All ends well in the final act’s splendid wedding festivities, enhanced by the addition of 24 “baby” ballerinas who perform as the corps de ballet framing four solo variations. Beautifully detailed by Italian designer Roberta Guidi di Bagno's lavish sets and costumes, this production is a complete delight for all ages. “Coppélia...demands repeat viewing” (criticaldance.com). The emergence of the 24 “baby” ballerinas in Act III will have extra significance this time around, as it marks the final performances staged by PNB Rehearsal Director Otto Neubert, who will be retiring at the end of the season. Mr. Neubert joined Pacific Northwest Ballet in 1992 and has assisted PNB’s artistic directors in rehearsing, teaching, and scheduling the Company, as well as rehearsing countless PNB School students in their roles for George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® and other productions. He has also performed in PNB’s The Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, Prodigal Son, Giselle, and Swan Lake. Prior to joining PNB, he danced as a soloist with New York City Ballet and Stuttgart Ballet. “I met Otto Neubert 41 years ago when he auditioned for New York City Ballet,” said PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal. “He was the most reassuring presence when I arrived at PNB. For twenty years I have watched him welcome countless students into the studio to start the arduous process of learning to be a gliding angel, scampering mouse, darting bug, or raucous Fritz. His talent to nurture and empower dancers of all ages and abilities is unmatched. Otto has always believed in dancers’ strength and artistry. He has guided hundreds to find the best path to success. Beyond his vital role as a coach, he's a shoulder to lean on and the go-to guy for a much-needed laugh. I can’t quite imagine PNB without this gentle lion, but I take comfort in knowing his legacy of care and commitment lives on in our students and our company.” ABOUT THE PRODUCTION Music: Léo Delibes (Coppélia, ou la Fille aux Yeux d’Émail, 1869-1870; with excerpts from Sylvia, ou la Nymphe de Diane, 1876, and La Source [Naïla], 1866) Book: Charles Nuitter, after E.T.A. Hoffmann’s Der Sandmann, 1815 Choreography: Alexandra Danilova and George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust (after Marius Petipa) Staging: Judith Fugate and Garielle Whittle Scenic and Costume Design: Roberta Guidi di Bagno Lighting Design: Randall G. Chiarelli Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes (including two intermissions) Original Production Premiere: May 25, 1870; Paris Opera Ballet, choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon Petipa Production Premiere: November 25, 1884, Imperial Ballet, St. Petersburg, choreography by Marius Petipa (after Arthur Saint-Léon); revised 1894 by Enrico Cecchetti Balanchine Production Premiere: July 17, 1974; New York City Ballet (Saratoga Springs, New York) Pacific Northwest Ballet Premiere: June 3, 2010 Based on the book by Charles Nuitter, after E.T.A. Hoffmann’s Der Sandmann, Coppélia is considered one of the triumphant comic ballets of the 19th century and marked the passing of ballet supremacy from France to Russia. Originally choreographed by Arthur St. Léon in Paris in 1870, it was restaged by Marius Petipa in St. Petersburg in 1884 and revised by Enrico Cecchetti in 1894. Little, if any, of St. Léon’s choreography remains in today’s production, although Acts I and II retain his ideas and the story of mischievous young lovers. Balanchine provided entirely new choreography for Act III. Balanchine wrote, “In 1974, I decided we should stage Coppélia at the New York City Ballet and asked the ballerina and teacher Alexandra Danilova, celebrated for many years for her Swanilda, to collaborate with me on the choreography. I remember very well performances by the Russian Imperial Ballet of Coppélia and as a member of the company danced in the mazurka. “I have often said that Delibes is one of my favorite composers for dance. In our new Coppélia, we used the entire score of the three-act version. The first dance drama of really uniform excellence deserves no less! No part of the ballet is subordinate to any other; most important of all, ballet music in Coppélia participates in the dance drama as never before, Delibes’ charming, melodic music assisting the plot and unifying the music and dance. Tchaikovsky was directly inspired by Delibes’ score to write his own ballet music. Delibes is the first great ballet composer; Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky are his successors.” Balanchine and Danilova’s production celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. [Program Notes by Doug Fullington.] About the Designer: Roberta Guidi di Bagno is recognized as one of the world’s most respected and prolific scenic and costume designers. Born in Rome, Italy, she studied at the Accademia Libera del Nudo. She worked as an assistant to the late director and set designer for opera, theater and ballet, Pier Luigi Samaritani. For the past 45 years, she has worked extensively with many of the major opera houses and ballet companies around the world including Houston Ballet, Teatro alla Scala Milano, Teatro dell’Opera Roma, Queensland Ballet, English National Ballet, Zagreb National Theatre, Spoleto Festival Italy and USA, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Semperoper Ballet Dresden, Royal Danish Ballet, Teatro San Carlo Napoli, Maggio Musicale Firenze, Teatro Massimo Palermo, Teatro Filarmonico Verona, New National Theatre Tokyo, Joffrey Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, Shanghai Ballet, and Staatsballet Berlin. Ms. Guidi di Bagno has received a number of prestigious awards including the “Positano Massine Prize for Ballet” for her artistic accomplishments (1997), Premio Anita Bucchi, and Giornale della Danza’s “Best Costume Designer in 2012.” TICKET INFORMATION & SPECIAL EVENTS Coppélia runs for seven performances only, May 31 through June 9 at Seattle Center’s Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, and streams digitally June 13 – 17. Tickets to PNB’s performances may be purchased through the PNB Box Office: Phone - 206.441.2424 In Person - 301 Mercer Street at Seattle Center Online 24/7 - PNB.org Subject to availability, tickets are also available 90 minutes prior to showtimes at McCaw Hall. Advance tickets through the PNB Box Office are strongly suggested for best prices and greatest availability. Tickets for the live performances of Coppélia are $38 - $210 (discounts available for children up to 14.) Groups of ten or more may enjoy discounts up to 20% off regular prices (not valid on lowest-priced tickets or combined with other offers): Visit PNB.org/season/group-sales for more info. For information about special ticket offers including group discounts, The Pointe, Pay-What-You-Can, rush tickets, Beer and Ballet night, TeenTix, and more, visit PNB.org/offers. PNB’s digital presentation of Coppélia (available for viewing June 13 – 17) is $40. PNB CONVERSATIONS & DRESS REHEARSAL Thursday, May 30, 5:30 pm Nesholm Family Lecture Hall at McCaw Hall Join retiring PNB Rehearsal Director Otto Neubert, in conversation with cast members. PNB Conversations offer in-depth interviews with artists involved in putting our repertory on stage. Attend the Conversations event only or stay for the dress rehearsal of Coppélia. Tickets (suggested donation of $25) are available through the PNB Box Office. BALLET TALK Nesholm Family Lecture Hall at McCaw Hall Join dance historian Doug Fullington for a 30-minute introduction to each performance, including discussions of choreography, music, history, design, and the process of bringing ballet to the stage. One hour before performances. FREE for ticketholders. MEET THE ARTIST Nesholm Family Lecture Hall at McCaw Hall Skip the post-show traffic and enjoy a Q&A with Artistic Director Peter Boal and PNB dancers, immediately following each performance. FREE for ticketholders. Caveat Emptor: Like many performing arts, PNB struggles with ticket resellers. At their most mundane, third-party sites snap up less expensive tickets and sell them for a profit. At their most dastardly, they sometimes sell invalid tickets. For peace of mind and to enjoy the ballet at the best prices available, always purchase tickets directly from PNB. Suspected ticket scams should be reported to the Better Business Bureau. Health, Safety, and Accessibility: At this time, masks are encouraged but not required as part of the PNB audience experience. For details and info regarding PNB’s current health and safety policies, visit PNB.org/Health. For information on McCaw Hall accessibility, visit PNB.org/Accessibility. The show must go on: Pacific Northwest Ballet is committed to honoring its performance calendar. Performances will not be cancelled for weather, traffic, or acts of Congress. In the unlikely event that the status of a performance does change, an announcement will be posted on PNB.org.

I would love to see Scarlett's Hummingbird again. I remember how beautiful Lorena Feijo and Victor Luiz were in the pas de deux, and later saw YY Tan dance it. The ballet was removed by SFB from the announced season's repertoire when the Scarlett controversy surfaced. I knew that the Joffrey danced it in February. Ashley Wheater has been steadfast where the Scarlett ballets are concerned.

Yes, it was a great performance. The Costa Mesa crowd tends to be "clap happy", but much of that applause was deserved. I knew of Kondaurova because she was the first really believable 'contemporary' dance performer the Mariinsky had. I think those early tours were partly intended for Kondaurova to prove herself as a classical ballerina. She was an up-and-comer at that time.

I was there. She was superb and had the most successful characterization in making the two roles different that I have seen.

Classical ballet in LA has certainly struggled. You have just reminded me of the time I went to see Ekaterina Kondaurova and the Mariinsky perform Swan Lake in Costa Mesa, because I wanted to see a traditional version of Swan Lake. Seems like a lifetime ago.

Like PNB, the SFB audience has enjoyed watching young dancers come from the school and work their way up in the ranks.

SFB has had great dancers non-stop for decades, an embarassment of riches.

Lauren Strongin "is a certified instructor for the Dance for Parkinson’s program, has interned with the SF Ballet in their wellness department, focusing on mental healthcare accessibility for dancers, and has designed costumes for SFDanceworks and other companies. Lauren has managed social media and marketing for several small companies. Currently, she is a stager and trustee for the Liam Scarlett Trust and is completing her degree in medical anthropology at Stanford University." https://www.sfdanceworks.org/advisory-board Earlier this year, Strongin was stager/repetiteur for Liam Scarlett's Hummingbird at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. And last year she staged Scarlett's Frankenstein on the Joffrey Ballet .

Regarding Frankenstein: former SFB soloist (and Joe Walsh's wife) Lauren Strongin is a stager and trustee for the Liam Scarlett Trust. Earlier this year, Strongin was stager for Liam Scarlett's Hummingbird at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. And last year she staged Frankenstein for the Joffrey Ballet.

And Kuranaga will obviously miss dancing with him. The fact that Greco has spent the better part of a year not dancing, has made a difference. Rojo is free to bring in "her own people" at this point, especially with various dancers leaving the company. It's not a wonder that dancers get depressed and worried when they are sidelined for a season. It's a little different when you've danced for the A.D. for a number of years, but with a new A.D., they're looking to be impressed by the dancers right now - Etonne-moi! Rojo is used to Isaac Hernandez being her "star" to parade around. The mistake here is, San Francisco has done well without these "stars" for decades. The audience is less gullible in that respect.

According to the company's site, it will be the third movement of Glass Pieces, Chiaroscuro and Stars and Stripes. https://www.nycballet.com/season-and-tickets/spring-2025/andrew-veyette-farewell/

I received the 2024-25 subscribers calendar in the mail today. One listing made me a bit wistful. Andrew Veyette Farewell May 25, 2025 I’ll be quite sad to see him retire from NYCB. Any guesses or suggestions for rep he should perform? I’d love to see the pas he does in Everywhere We Go. He and Sterling Hyltin originated those parts

The director's husband is featured disproportionately in photographs by SFB online (there's a new one from Mere Mortals that I could not believe had been chosen) and on Facebook, and, if you add the director's brother-in-law, it's even more disproportionate in comparison with the other male principals. And I. Hernandez is dancing Swan Lake with Osipova. Houston Ballet is performing The Sleeping Beauty, Raymonda, and Theme and Variations next season - all perfect for Angelo Greco. He will be missed in SF and has a devoted following there. I especially loved him in Rhoden's Let's Begin at the End and Robbins's Other Dances, both of which he was paired with Frances Chung.

I think that Manon would have been a better encore program than Frankenstein. Audiences love it and word-of-mouth would work in its favor. However, there are ten Manon performances already scheduled in January/February.

I love this! Thanks so much for posting it.

One of my favorite clips of Robison rehearsing Manon with Houston Ballet. He waits until the absolute last second to catch her under her arms. A bit of daring I find myself watching for in other performances. Note the gasps from the dancers seated at the side. https://www.instagram.com/reel/6ux3nBxdMz/

I've bought 6 flex shows and will buy the rest when casting info becomes available and for any additional retirements. This is the way. (My way at least).

Both Aaron Robison and Joseph Walsh have danced Des Grieux in Manon with Houston Ballet. Lescaut, Manon's brother, is another plumb role.

Madrid may need a dose of Swan Lake. I know that Los Angeles certainly does, as the last time we had Swan Lake at the Los Angeles Music Center or Segerstrom Center of the Arts was around 2012. I was advised by an excellent source that we would have Swan Lake in 2025, but that season has not yet been announced officially, so we wait a bit longer for confirmation ....

Thank you for providing the links to the new soloists moving from ENB to SFB. They have both performed principal roles and Victor Prigent was a trainee with SFB in 2015/2016.

I disagree. With only six performances of Jewels, I don't think any should be taken away from the company's dancers and turned over to Sara Mearns. NYCB performed Jewels in the fall. It will perform them again in Washington in June. Typically it performs the ballet every other May or so. In other words, a lot. If NYCB has never cast Mearns in "Rubies", I don't see why the NBoC is obliged to provide her with the opportunity, just so that she can complete a Jewels trifecta before Mira Nadon does.