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I read this article last night, but I came away from it thinking she's sounds very young. ;) Which is fine, and since she's had few things standing in her way, her confidence level is high. This statement seems to pretty much sum up her general state of mind: “I feel like this is my time,” she said. “I had to wait for things and people can wait for things, too.” But I don't think it's necessarily accurate to imply that only the principal dancers are teaching the younger dancers and carrying "these ballet forward". This kind of comment just makes it sound like the vast managerial staff is hibernating in some closet on the 3rd floor until the return of the patriarchal leader. I don't think that's right. What happened to all the Ballet Masters/Mistress? The SAB teachers and guest teachers? Peck's focus seems very narrow to me. And as for running a company - to do that successfully is not an easy task. Enthusiasm alone doesn't guarantee much.

Masha dancing Flames of Paris with her SFB-mate Angelo Greco (Roberto Bolle and Friends show at the Teatro Carlo Felice) https://www.instagram.com/p/BlOlTgkhsNe/?taken-by=balletrusse Angelo was supposed to be back in class at SFB as of last Tuesday...hurry back!

Good news: Mathilde Froustey mentioned that she will be dancing with Jospeh Walsh at the Napa Festival, so Joe is apparently cleared to perform. Fingers crossed the dancers can remain injury free for the rest of the year. https://www.instagram.com/p/BlJUuzknu8a/?taken-by=lapetitefrench_ And from Lauren Strongin: https://www.instagram.com/p/BlHQnpWAYyA/?taken-by=lcstrongin

I guess I should record for posterity that Maria Kochetkova has left SFB to freelance, join the Norwegian National Ballet for some of the 2018/2019 season (coincidentally, she'll be dancing Manon, which Robison will be missing out on), and is still likely, imo, to join Daniil Simkin at Staatsballett Berlin after that. Masha just posted to Instagram from the City Dance Studios* in San Francisco: "Californian warm up. So nice to be in SF for a few days after visiting 8 countries and traveling non stop in the last two months. Back on the road tomorrow" https://www.instagram.com/p/BlCBJp3hXnO/?taken-by=balletrusse *City Dance Studios is being pushed out of their home on Otis Street to make way for luxury condos. A now typical story. It's no longer crazy to think that Hunter's Point will become 'gentrified' one day.

And yet, it's possible Robison may still "guest" on an ENB program - just as he did for SFB last year. So you may get lucky.

That's the kind of update we really like to hear. 😉

All I can say is, that's weird. He seemed to be happier with ENB's schedule which allows enough time before each program to rehearse roles. The SFB dancers need to do 80 to 90 percent of their rehearsing in the summer/fall months, because when the season hits, it's just one program after another. Robison also complained about the near impossibility of finding affordable housing in SF, and that's not going to change.

I received the new San Francisco Symphony season booklet in the mail the other day. The Mariinsky Orchestra will be in town for two nights this fall. Ballet-goers will likely have heard some or all of the 1st program's music. And the 2nd program will appeal to ballet-goers as well. Lots of good music. "Under the baton of Valery Gergiev, Russia’s illustrious Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra and “powerhouse Russian pianist” (Los Angeles Times) Denis Matsuev celebrate the astounding diversity of one of the most revolutionary composers in history. Hear a sonic panorama of some of Stravinsky’s most iconic works, including his scintillating prodigy piece, Fireworks, his strikingly original Symphony in C, and the rapturous ballet score that launched the young composer to international fame, The Firebird. " The Mariinsky Orchestra Plays Stravinsky https://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2018-19/The-Mariinsky-Orchestra-Plays-Stravinsky.aspx Sun, Oct 21, 2018 at 7:30pm Davies Symphony Hall Tickets will go on sale July 9, 2018. Conductor/Performers Valery Gergiev Conductor Denis Matsuev Piano Mariinsky Orchestra Program Stravinsky Fireworks Stravinsky Symphony in Three Movements Stravinsky Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra Stravinsky Symphony in C Stravinsky The Firebird Suite (1919 version) Mariinsky Plays Mahler and Matsuev Plays Rachmaninoff http://www.sfsymphony.org/Buy-Tickets/2018-19/Mariinsky-Plays-Mahler-and-Matsuev-Plays-Rachmanin.aspx Mon, Oct 22, 2018 at 8:00pm Davies Symphony Hall Tickets will go on sale July 9, 2018. Conductor Valery Gergiev Piano Denis Matsuev Mariinsky Orchestra Program Debussy Prélude to The Afternoon of a Faun Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Mahler Symphony No. 5

Here are some articles that provide background information about the presentation of flower bouquets in ballet, and yes, it's complicated. Tiptoeing (on Point) Through the Tulips https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/23/arts/dance/the-rules-and-hazards-of-presenting-flowers-in-ballet.html "At City Ballet and Ballet Theater performances, flowers are generally given by the company on opening nights and for role debuts. At the Royal Opera House, however, there are flowers delivered onstage at almost every ballet performance, most provided by loyal fans who can spend hundreds of dollars each month to keep their favorite ballerinas supplied with floral tributes." How Ballet Fell for Flower-giving Tamara Rojo likes lilies and Darcey Bussell likes whatever her mum sends. But why don't male dancers get flowers? And what happens if no one sends any? Judith Mackrell enters the world of petal protocol https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/dec/18/ballet-flower-giving The Perfect Flowers to Give to Dancers https://australianballet.com.au/behind-ballet/the-perfect-flowers-to-give-to-dancers "In Greek, the word “iris” means “rainbow”. In Greek mythology, the goddess Iris would carry messages from women’s souls to the gods Hera and Zeus through the arc of a rainbow. Through her, the iris came to represent a link between the earth and the heavens, the temporal and the sublime. Irises are a great flower to give to ballerinas as signs of appreciation for their artistry, which may likewise move an audience to the sublime. The purple iris flower in particular symbolises compliments and admiration." When Presenting a Bouquet to a Ballerina, Don’t Trip! https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/when-presenting-a-bouquet-to-a-ballerina-dont-trip/2017/09/07/3538f016-7df2-11e7-a669-b400c5c7e1cc_story.html 'In the world of classical ballet, the presentation of flowers to the lead ballerinas is a carefully choreographed ritual, one steeped in tradition and rules, and perfected by decades of practice. It's also a study in contrasts, as ushers with no stage experience must walk across the stage to meet the most graceful of performers at center stage. What could go wrong? "I'm thinking I don't want to fall. Every time I've done it, I've covered that thought in my mind," said Jason Miller of Temple Hills, Md., an usher for nine years.'

Very unfortunate - we just have to hope it turns out to be a sprain, and not anything broken or torn. Fingers crossed.

Often, when people mention liking Riefenstahl's beautiful imagery, they assume they are talking about Triumph of the Will (which is pure Nazi propaganda), but they are actually thinking of Riefenstahl's Olympia, which documents the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Olympia has the beautiful introductory sequence of Greco-Roman statuary and beautiful, mostly naked, bodies shown in athletic movement. It's still propaganda of course, but perhaps less overt than what we see in Triumph. Spielberg's comment is going to sound bizarre in any case, since the formal aspects of Triumph don't really match with his own film work. And I've seen more than one list of 'favorite' films from Spielberg, and the lists don't even match. 😉 Opening sequence of Olympia, Festival of the Nations (there are different parts to the documentary): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt51j9bmZAU

Strictly for the fans - the photographer Drew Altizer has many non-performance photographs of SFB dancers at special luncheons, galas, etc. for reasonable prices (watermark removed). For example, this one of Yuan Yuan Tan: https://drewaltizer.com/event/10104-artcare-awards-benefit-yuan-yuan-tan/photo/3464733-yuan_yuan_tan and Sofiane Sylve: https://drewaltizer.com/event/2271-an-invitation-to-dance-san-francisco-ballet-school-student-showcase/photo/851132-sofiane_sylve And a general search on Sofiane: https://drewaltizer.com/search?type=photos&query=Sofiane Sylve Here's a gazillion Maria Kochetkova photos: https://drewaltizer.com/search?type=photos&query=Maria Kochetkova Some random images: Yuan Yuan Tan Angelo Greco and Yuan Yuan Tan Maria Kochetkova Patrick Armand head of the SFB Shool and Sofiane Sylve

A couple of things I've happened upon: Natasha did an online interview with Jess Spinner (The Whole Dancer) that is almost an hour(!) in length (note that there are audio issues that come and go) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiET7ATZDQA Somehow I expected Natasha to seem more 'girly' and playful, I suppose, but she's a very calm, measured, and 'unruffled' speaker. Also, the Sheehan family appeared in the Wall Street Journal - How to Work Together on a Family Project Getting children and parents to team up seems impossible but worthwhile; Here are some strategies to foster teamwork https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-work-together-on-a-family-project-1468347199

An apt Bourdain statement:

There are three seminars scheduled for August 2018 - BALLET INSIGHTS: AMERICAN BALLET 1900-1983 Take a deeper dive into American ballet history. August 5 (Early Histories), 12 (New York, New York?), 19 (San Francisco Ballet) 1–3pm https://www.sfballet.org/season/events/ballet-insights-american-ballet "How did American Ballet get its start? Was SF Ballet really the first ballet company in America? And what was it like to dance for icons like George Balanchine and Lew Christensen? Join us for an interactive three-session seminar to find the answers to these questions and many more. From Anna Pavlova to Lew Christensen to George Balanchine, learn about how ballet became an American art."

Twistin' the Night Away with Emma Rubinowitz and Thamires Chuvas: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bkf6ZTOA6VR/?taken-by=chuvasthamires

All we have is the trailer, so far, but eventually we may get to see the documentary... Fire & Ashes - Making the Ballet RAkU [Trailer] Producer/Director: Shirley Sun Choreographer: Yuri Possokhov Composer: Shinji Eshima Principal Dancers: Yuan Yuan Tan, Damian Smith, Pascal Molat Dancers: Gaetano Amico, Steven Morse, Sean Orza, and Myles Thatcher Editor - Lindsay Gauthier https://vimeo.com/238461243 An article with some comments on the documentary (and a short video with excerpts) : http://junofilms.com/req.php?req=static.php&page=fire-and-ashes

Ana Sophia Scheller has posted a couple of nice Instagram videos, "memories of Sleeping Beauty 2018". The 2nd video incorporates some live performance footage. The various costumes are shown to good effect. https://www.instagram.com/p/BkXx-Glhaq9/?hl=en&taken-by=la_scheller https://www.instagram.com/p/BkYK0JVBd2i/?hl=en&taken-by=la_scheller

If you think about it, this is the perfect time to make a major change: Physically she's at her peak, and she's developed an international reputation. She's 34 years old. Her favorite partners at SFB and ABT have retired or moved on. Her marriage seems to have ended. Her best friends and new favored dance partners seem to be located in Europe. Her close family in Russia are not young, and I think she wants to be able to spend more time with them. I don't think there were any hard feelings about leaving SFB - it was just something she needed to do. However, I'm pretty sure it wasn't her idea to leave ABT. The New York audience just didn't care enough, her good friend Daniil Simkin was leaving for Berlin, and the ABT senior staff has been under a lot of pressure to promote in-house dancers (for good reason). I think they wanted that principal position back. It's a hard business. I've followed her career long enough to know a couple of things about Masha: she's not one to keep banging her head against the wall if something isn't working - she just moves on to something that does work. And, she never forgets the people who helped her along the way - she's very loyal to them. Masha won't forget how Tomasson helped to develop her career. But it's been 11 years and now is the best time to make a move as she's not getting any younger. I wish her good fortune.

Saturday, June 23, 2018 | 1:30 PM Friday, June 29, 2018 | 7:30 PM Houston Ballet Orchestra conducted by Jonathan McPhee ODETTE/ODILE Frances Chung PRINCE SIEGFRIED Connor Walsh ROTHBART Brian Waldre

Thanks, I see it now on the Swan Lake page. It didn't come up when I did a search. Can't say I love how the website is organized and designed. But the SFB site is only marginally easier to find things on (and that's probably because I'm now used to it).

Is he making himself 'available' for another A.D. position, perhaps closer to home?

It looks like Frances Chung is guesting with Houston Ballet in Swan Lake, as I write this. And she may have banged her knee during rehearsals which is a shame as she has had to struggle with injuries lately. https://www.instagram.com/p/BkUGqRTgMuJ/?taken-by=franadian I can't find a casting page for HB to find out exactly when she is appearing.

Masha finally posted a reference to her new arrangement: Season 2018/19 "I’m looking forward to be performing with Norwegian National Ballet @operaen_ in some of their productions next season including Manon which has always been a dream of mine." https://www.instagram.com/p/BkOlxbYh0wX/?taken-by=balletrusse "Some of" makes it sound like this is a special arrangement - she may get to be choosy about what she participates in. I also wonder if in 2020 she'll spend the season with a different company…

For those not keeping up, there are a number of excellent, long Conversations on Dance interviews with SFB dancers, choreographers and staff dating from the time of the Unbound Festival. Listen to podcast interviews with Ana Sophia Scheller, Dwight Roden, Mathilde Froustey, Katita Waldo, Christopher Wheelon, Justin Peck, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Sofiane Sylve, Dores Andre, Ulrik Birkkjaer, Myles Thatcher, Ben Freemantle and Julia Rowe (that I can remember), so far. There may be more to come because Michael and Rebecca talked about recording something like 24 interviews total. Here's a link to the Ana Sophia Scheller interview: https://conversationsondancepod.com/2018/06/18/ana-sophia-scheller/ Main interview list: https://conversationsondancepod.com/listen-now/ EDIT: I've gone back and added direct links to the individual interviews above, and here are links to Lauren Strongin, Trey McIntyre, Luke Ingham and Jennifer Stahl (there are a few interviews that are combined together to make a single podcast). The ones I found particularly entertaining or interesting: Froustey, Sylve, Waldo, Roden, Freemantle and McIntyre, and Christoper Wheeldon's story about he first came to New York is a great one. But every interview will likely have information that is new to the listener.