Josette

Glad to finally know something about next year's dance season in Orange County. I hope they bring their principal dancers and that the dates don't conflict with the Paris Opera Ballet's performing on the East Coast in June/July of 2018.

Thanks for posting this, pherank. It's so odd to think of not seeing him, Vanessa, and Lorena on stage at the SF Opera House any more. Davit came back to a full-length Swan Lake after nine months off due to injury and danced two performances of Diamonds earlier in the season.

On Onegin: My mother took me to see Onegin and Romeo and Juliet at the Los Angeles Music Center when impresario Sol Hurok brought the Stuttgart Ballet to the U.S. I still have the souvenir program somewhere. I was fortunate to see Haydee in both roles. That first Onegin was unforgettable and I specifically recall moments in Act II, Scene I between Haydee and Heinz Claus, such as when he tore the letter and the way the fragments fell between her fingers, and then Haydee's solo, among other parts of the ballet. It was an extraordinary evening. I saw Heinz Claus (Onegin), Marcia Haydée (Tatiana), Suzanne Hanke (Olga), and Egon Madsen (Lensky). After that, I only saw the filmed version by the National Ballet of Canada with Frank Augustyn, Sabine Alleman, Cynthia Lucas, and Jeremy Ranson, until the San Francisco Ballet premiered it about six years ago, with different sets and costumes from the original designs. I've seen SFB dance it six times, with Davit Karatpetyan/Vanessa Zahorian twice (and who were devastating in the last act pas de deux); Pierre Francois Vilanoba/Sarah Van Patten; Ruben Martin Cintas/Yuan Yuan Tan; and Carlos DiLanno/Mathilde Froustey (also two times, and I have comments posted about their performances in the 2016 season on Ballet Alert elsewhere). I also have to mention the excellent, noteworthy Prince Gremin of Tiit Helimets whom I saw in 2016. I had the immense pleasure of seeing the Dutch National Ballet perform Onegin last month on April 15, 2017, in Amsterdam, with (original designer) Jurgen Rose's costumes and sets. I saw Igone de Jongh as Tatiana and a superb and nuanced Roman Novitsky, guesting from the Stuttgart, as Onegin. The dancer who performed Olga, whose name I will have to look up in the program, had a dreamy lyrical quality. My favorite Onegin was Pierre-Francois Vilanoba, who was insouciant and bored but was equally charming and very French, and you could understand Tatiana's (the incandescent Sarah Van Patten's) fascination with him, such that she was not merely projecting on him an ideal from the novels she read - this gave the entire performance a dimension that I have not seen elsewhere.

So, Jewels and Onegin were created the same year.

Thank you for that information, naomikage, about Pujol. I thought this would be my last opportunity to see her so now I am especially glad that I will see her twice in Emeralds.

I just bit the bullet after salivating over the Paris Opera casting and am going to four performances, skipping only opening night. Looking forward equally to spending a few days in NYC, of course.

For some dancers, the Italian fouettes are easy and they find a natural rhythm and swing around and balance without problem. Speaking from personal experience.

This is so beautiful ... those arms ....

I have to backtrack to my comment a few weeks ago on being disappointed about the change of casting for the Cinderella I would attend on May 6 - YY Tan replaced by Frances Chung. Chung danced with pure lyricism and musicality and her acting was natural and varied. She continues to grow artistically, which is a joy to see. The solos danced by Chung and an excellent Luke Ingham in Act II were especially outstanding in their musicality and clarity; the audience began applauding for Ingham well befor the end of his variation - he was just that effective. I was also happy to see Hansuke Yamamoto as Benjamin, as it was the only time I saw him in a featured role this season, and he is a remarkable technician and so charming. It was an excellent performance from all and in all ways.

I'm thrilled to hear about Kristina Lind being made a soloist in Munich. She gave beautiful, lyrical performances in her last season at SFB and I was sorry she left.

For me, it was always a special treat when Taras Domitro was performing.

I was at Segerstrom today and asked at the box office whether the dance series had been announced. I was told that they were finalizing the schedule for next season.

Wow is all I can say for Suarez's list of dancers! I had no idea.

It's hard to understand how in three years the roster of principal male dancers - all distinctive, lovable, and extraordinary artists - could be diminished, despite the acquisition and promotion of Walsh, Greco, and DiLanno. We also lost the outstanding Vito Mazzeo a few years back, when he went to the Dutch National Ballet. I assume Tomasson is busy looking for replacements and will continue to develop the talent within the company. We still have Tiit Helimets.

Well, I am disappointed, as the Saturday YYT matinee is recast. It will be the fifth time that I have seen this Cinderella, and the third time with Frances Chung, who is a wonderful dancer, but I was looking forward to YYT.

I recall seeing SFB's The Sleeping Beauty in 1995-ish with Joanna Berman as Aurora and YY Tan in the Bluebird pas de deux. I recall it as a beautiful production and especially liked Berman's control in the Vision scene (though I thought it odd that her hair had a slightly off-center part.). I plan on seeing it in the coming season four or five times as a vacation week.

Sarah Van Patten and Tiit Helimets are dancing the leads on May 4 and 7. I am so glad she's back in the role of Cinderella and not the Stepmother, which she danced last fall on tour.

I received an email from SFB with the news. Finally, we get The Sleeping Beauty.

Do you know where I can find the whole list of nominees? My search didn't come up with anything.

Speaking of Angelo Greco, I saw him in the last movement of Tomasson's Trio over the weekend, and he was unreservedly wonderful in presence, full-out dancing and then some - stopping on a dime but unrushed, precise, exciting, musical - and outshining his technically strong but dull partner. Greco can dance up a storm beyond the multiple pirouettes and high-flying jumps.

The casting is up for the three weekend shows and I am relieved that I get to see Lorena Feijoo one last time, in Trio, and Vanessa Zahorian in all three ballets, concluding with Within the Golden Hour. Also, Jaime Castillo Garcia will be back on stage!

I also saw Belingard in L'Arlesienne when POB was on tour in Chicago in June of 2012, and he was exactly as you describe him, volcanohunter.

Wow! What fun to watch this!

Herman Cornejo made Whipped Cream palatable. What a great artist he is.

I agree with you about the Stahl promotion, pherank. Jennifer Stahl was chosen out of the corps by Yuri Possokhov for the lead in The Rite of Spring, danced most of the performances, and was promoted to soloist after the premiere. She has been chosen to dance new ballets by multiple visiting choreographers, such as Forsythe, and this season she is showing a new and noteworthy polish to her dancing. I can't wait to see what Stahl will be dancing next season as a principal.