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Program 5: Celebrating Jerome Robbins


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To kick things off for Program 5:

Celebrating Jerome Robbins: 3/20

Helgi Tomasson and Patricia McBride, two of Robbins’ most celebrated interpreters, discuss Robbins, his work, and his legacy.

The year-long celebration of Jerome Robbins comes to San Francisco with SF Ballet’s Program 05: Robbins: Ballet and Broadway (March 20–25). Before the first performance, join Helgi Tomasson, Patricia McBride, Jean-Pierre Frohlich, and Ellen Sorrin as they share their memories and discuss Robbins’ work on the centennial anniversary of his birth.
https://www.sfballet.org/explore/classes-events/celebrating-jerome-robbins

Who's It For?
Patrons who want to learn more about Jerome Robbins, his legacy, and his connection to SF Ballet.

Fees
General Public: $15

Dates
March 20
5:30–6:30 pm

Location
Taube Atrium Theater
Wilsey Center for Opera
401 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco CA 94102

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Casting is up for opening night Tuesday 3/20 (https://www.sfballet.org/season/casting)

PROGRAM 05: ROBBINS: BALLET & BROADWAY

Tuesday, March 20 - 7:30 pm

OPUS 19/THE DREAMER
Composer: Sergei Prokofiev
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Conductor: Martin West

Carlo Di Lanno*, Sarah Van Patten

THE CAGE
Composer: Igor Stravinsky
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Conductor: Martin West

Novice: Maria Kochetkova*
2nd Intruder: Steven Morse*
Queen: Sofiane Sylve*
1st Intruder: Lonnie Weeks*

OTHER DANCES
Composer: Frédéric Chopin
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Conductor: Martin West

Frances Chung*, Angelo Greco*

FANCY FREE
Composer: Leonard Bernstein
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Conductor: Martin West

Esteban Hernandez*, Benjamin Freemantle*, Lonnie Weeks*
Sasha De Sola*
Dores André*

Casting is subject to change.

*Denotes premiere in ballet

Initial reaction:  WOW to the Fancy Free casting.  Not a single principal male - one soloist and two corps.  Lonnie dancing in two pieces.  So excited for opening night!!! 

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13 hours ago, sandik said:

The images from The Cage are an interesting juxtaposition to the score from Fancy Free...

There's a maddening tendency in trailerdom to use the score from one ballet, usually the most upbeat, to cut (and undercut) the other ballets to. Maybe they're implying that at this distance in time, as mid-century modern furniture tends to, all Robbins ballets begin look alike??

First two clips feature Taras Domitro whose way of drawing figures across the stage in comtemporary ballets – if there's an equivalent of pencil line character in dance – is greatly missed this year. 

Edited by Quiggin
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In the series of Dance in America Balanchine videos, they took one musical excerpt in the intros and one at the end for the credits, and they fit clips from all of the ballets being performed in that program into each musical selection.  That was in the '70's, so this is nothing new.

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You are all speaking to a long running, general problem of one art/craft (visual media) trying to present and interpret another (dance). And invariably, the so-called 'experts' doing the photography/videography/filming insist on doing their jobs in a way that they know to be considered professional and maybe even 'really awesome' to the many people who pay attention to photography/videography/film. The problem is, these visual records often hamper our experience of the dancing and the choreography - we get too many seemingly willy-nilly editing effects and not enough insight into the dance/ballet. That's ironic, given that video and film productions always have some kind of script and production plan, but they rarely seem to take into account the effective depiction of the dance production, and the music that is the backbone of the production (or not, as the case may be). Most of us end up feeling that it's best to just leave things with a very basic camera setup that shows the audience the entire stage at all times, with minimal body/face 'closeups'. But that's not an approach that cinematographers or film directors are going to love. Ballet is fairly unique in requiring the union of 3 or more possible art forms: dance, music, and costume/stagings/lighting/projections, etc. And so many ballet projects end up becoming something more like a collision than a union of artists. Any kind of clumsy art 'collaboration' now always makes me think of these immortal lines:

Balanchine: "We see nothing! Mary Ellen, we don't see Mary Ellen at all!
Seligman: Nothing can be cut out, where is Seligman?"
[Mary Ellen Moylen's remembrance of Balanchine and Kurt Seligman fighting over the original Four Temperaments costumes (in Dancing For Mr. B)]

There has yet to be a "golden era" of dance film/video. And we're not getting any closer. To set a better example, the ballet world needs an A.D. who is as literate in film techniques as Balanchine was in the language of music composition: an A.D. who can dictate precisely how things need to be depicted, and if it's not done to that specification, the film crew won't be paid.  ;)

 

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On 3/12/2018 at 2:29 PM, sf_herminator said:

Initial reaction:  WOW to the Fancy Free casting.  Not a single principal male - one soloist and two corps.  Lonnie dancing in two pieces.  So excited for opening night!!! 

This is interesting, and also exciting. Makes me also think about promotions and such for the coming year, as Lonnie and Ben were also highly featured in some of the webcasts and such for the upcoming Unbound series.

Anyone know what's going on with Jaime Garcia Castilla? I feel like he dances so rarely these days. (Admins, feel free to remove if this isn't appropriate)

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41 minutes ago, PeggyTulle said:

Anyone know what's going on with Jaime Garcia Castilla? I feel like he dances so rarely these days. (Admins, feel free to remove if this isn't appropriate)

Jaime danced in Peck's Rodeo-Four Dance Episodes as part of the blue crew in Program 2.  He had the same role as Taylor Stanley at NYCB (where the other four men lifted him up).   In Program 3 he was in Thatcher's Ghost in the Machine.  He danced the opening PDD with Frances Chung (new to the role this year).  Last year he danced with Julia Rowe.  IIRC he will be in Wheeldon's Bound (he was one of the dancers in the webcast).

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Additional casting for Wednesday and Thursday (https://www.sfballet.org/season/casting)

Wednesday, March 21 - 7:30 pm

OPUS 19/THE DREAMER
Composer: Sergei Prokofiev
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Conductor: Martin West
Violinist: Cordula Merks

Wei Wang*, Mathilde Froustey*

THE CAGE
Composer: Igor Stravinsky
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Conductor: Martin West

Novice: Yuan Yuan Tan*
2nd Intruder: Luke Ingham*
Queen: Jennifer Stahl*

OTHER DANCES
Composer: Frédéric Chopin
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Pianist: Natal'ya Feygina

Maria Kochetkova*, Joaquin De Luz

FANCY FREE
Composer: Leonard Bernstein
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Conductor: Martin West

James Sofranko, Ulrik Birkkjaer*, John-Paul Simoens*
Madison Keesler*  3/18 updated to Elizabeth Mateer*
Ellen Rose Hummel*

 

Thursday, March 22 - 7:30 pm

OPUS 19/THE DREAMER
Composer: Sergei Prokofiev
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Conductor: Martin West

Angelo Greco*, Ana Sophia Scheller*

THE CAGE
Composer: Igor Stravinsky
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Conductor: Martin West

Novice: Yuan Yuan Tan
2nd Intruder: Luke Ingham
Queen: Jennifer Stahl

OTHER DANCES
Composer: Frédéric Chopin
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Pianist: Natal'ya Feygina

Maria Kochetkova, Joaquin De Luz

FANCY FREE
Composer: Leonard Bernstein
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Conductor: Martin West

Esteban Hernandez, Benjamin Freemantle, Lonnie Weeks
Sasha De Sola
Madison Keesler* (updated 3/18 to denote premiere)

Casting is subject to change.

*Denotes premiere in ballet

Edited by sf_herminator
casting changes
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1 hour ago, Quiggin said:

How great to have Joaquin De Luz dancing here. (Didn't they used to put a obelus or dagger symbol beside the names of guest artists? Rare but always exciting to see on the casting list.) 

Yes, there should be.  But they didn't have that for Aaron Robison for Frankenstein - although the casting sheet noted him as a guest artist.

I am also excited to see Joaquin.  I saw him for the first time in NY in May 2011 and could not take my eyes off him.  When I went to ABT in May last year for Giselle, I saw him and Sara Mearns at intermission, but was too timid to approach them.  Per Megan Fairchild's IG, he will be retiring in the fall (https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfzbn4Lltay/?taken-by=mfairchild17)

 

Edited by sf_herminator
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1 hour ago, sf_herminator said:

Yes, there should be.  But they didn't have that for Aaron Robison for Frankenstein - although the casting sheet noted him as a guest artist.

 

I'm sure there are people who don't really know he left for ENB. ;)
But since Robison has already appeared in Frankenstein as a company member, someone must have decided it wasn't important making the distinction. Or maybe, just maybe, we're going to see more of Mr. Robison - as a part-time member of SFB, while starring at ENB.

Heather Ogden of NBofC somehow managed to dance for Suzanne Farrell Ballet as well, though I presume those company schedules worked together better than most.

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Remainder of Program 5 casting (https://www.sfballet.org/season/casting):

Friday, March 23 - 8 pm

OPUS 19/THE DREAMER
Composer: Sergei Prokofiev
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Conductor: Martin West
Violinist: Cordula Merks

Wei Wang, Mathilde Froustey

THE CAGE
Composer: Igor Stravinsky
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Conductor: Martin West

Novice: Maria Kochetkova
2nd Intruder: Steven Morse
Queen: Sofiane Sylve

OTHER DANCES
Composer: Frédéric Chopin
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Pianist: Natal'ya Feygina

Frances Chung, Angelo Greco

FANCY FREE
Composer: Leonard Bernstein
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Conductor: Martin West

Esteban Hernandez, Benjamin Freemantle, Lonnie Weeks
Sasha De Sola
Dores André

Saturday, March 24 - 2 pm

OPUS 19/THE DREAMER
Composer: Sergei Prokofiev
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Conductor: Martin West
Violinist: Boxianzi Ling

Carlo Di Lanno, Sarah Van Patten

THE CAGE
Composer: Igor Stravinsky
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Conductor: Martin West

Novice: Lauren Strongin*
2nd Intruder: John-Paul Simoens*
Queen: Ludmila Bizalion*

OTHER DANCES
Composer: Frédéric Chopin
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Pianist: Natal'ya Feygina

Frances Chung, Angelo Greco

FANCY FREE
Composer: Leonard Bernstein
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Conductor: Martin West

James Sofranko, Ulrik Birkkjaer, John-Paul Simoens
Elizabeth Mateer
Ellen Rose Hummel

Saturday, March 24 - 8 pm

OPUS 19/THE DREAMER
Composer: Sergei Prokofiev
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Conductor: Martin West
Violinist: Cordula Merks

Vitor Luiz*, Dores André

THE CAGE
Composer: Igor Stravinsky
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Conductor: Martin West

Novice: Maria Kochetkova
2nd Intruder: Steven Morse
Queen: Sofiane Sylve

OTHER DANCES
Composer: Frédéric Chopin
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Pianist: Natal'ya Feygina

Sasha De Sola*, Wei Wang*

FANCY FREE
Composer: Leonard Bernstein
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Conductor: Martin West

Esteban Hernandez, Benjamin Freemantle, Lonnie Weeks
Madison Keesler
Dores André

Sunday, March 25 - 2 pm

OPUS 19/THE DREAMER
Composer: Sergei Prokofiev
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Conductor: Martin West
Violinist: Boxianzi Ling

Angelo Greco, Ana Sophia Scheller

THE CAGE
Composer: Igor Stravinsky
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Conductor: Martin West

Novice: WanTing Zhao*
2nd Intruder: Sean Orza*
Queen: Ludmila Bizalion

OTHER DANCES
Composer: Frédéric Chopin
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Pianist: Natal'ya Feygina

Sasha De Sola, Wei Wang

FANCY FREE
Composer: Leonard Bernstein
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins
Conductor: Martin West

James Sofranko, Ulrik Birkkjaer, John-Paul Simoens
Madison Keesler
Dores André

Casting subject to change

*Denotes premiere in ballet

 

 

 

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On 3/18/2018 at 3:13 PM, Quinten said:

Yay! Sylve and Kotchetkova in The Cage on Saturday evening!  I can't think of a better cast anywhere in the world. Well worth a trip to SF just for that. Hope I'm as happy with De Sola and Wang in "Other Dances" but with the image of Baryshnikov and Makarova in my head it's gonna be hard.  

We'd love to hear what you thought of Sylve and Masha, and the other performances.  ;)

Kochetkova debuts in The Cage (as the Novice):

29095491_1207093859459487_68963204190038

Isabelle Guerin who is coaching Robbins for SFB posted this picture of the Fancy Free set:

29092989_773409696187607_489892605672502

Dores André photo of Fancy Free rehearsal:

29089365_234753693764148_451795527638450

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Guest Artist Joaquin De Luz (partnering Maria Kochetkova in Other Dances) posted some pics on his Instagram:

Flowers for my love:  https://www.instagram.com/p/BgokCKjgN02/?taken-by=joaquindeluz

Let's have a drink: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgp3F9TAXVk/?taken-by=joaquindeluz

Love that the pics were taken on the Fancy Free set :clapping:

Here we go!!  https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgl0Vy2AbW6/?taken-by=joaquindeluz

On the last pic, there is a comment from stager Isabelle Guerin 'pink is the new blue'.  If I recall correctly, dancers were in blue costumes when SFB last danced this piece in 2006.  But now they are in pink.

Update:  My memory was correct!!  http://www.ballet-dance.com/200604/articles/SFB20060311.html (see pic in upper right hand corner of Tina LeBlanc & Joan Boada)

Edited by sf_herminator
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1 hour ago, sf_herminator said:

Guest Artist Joaquin De Luz (partnering Maria Kochetkova in Other Dances) posted some pics on his Instagram:

Flowers for my love:  https://www.instagram.com/p/BgokCKjgN02/?taken-by=joaquindeluz

Let's have a drink: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgp3F9TAXVk/?taken-by=joaquindeluz

Love that the pics were taken on the Fancy Free set :clapping:

Here we go!!  https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgl0Vy2AbW6/?taken-by=joaquindeluz

On the last pic, there is a comment from stager Isabelle Guerin 'pink is the new blue'.  If I recall correctly, dancers were in blue costumes when SFB last danced this piece in 2006.  But now they are in pink.

Update:  My memory was correct!!  http://www.ballet-dance.com/200604/articles/SFB20060311.html (see pic in upper right hand corner of Tina LeBlanc & Joan Boada)

Thanks for finding those links, sf_herminator.

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