pherank
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Posts posted by pherank
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On 5/9/2022 at 5:53 PM, volcanohunter said:
I really felt for Ratmansky when he described the feeling of sand castles crumbling behind him as he made his departure from Moscow. Under any circumstances knowing that months of heart and soul, blood, sweat and tears have suddenly come to naught is extremely painful. But the haunting feeling that ballet doesn't really matter a whole lot in the face of such cataclysmic circumstances must have been eviscerating.
The Arts can be healthy and healing, for both creator and audience, but that is often a slow process. I can't think of any examples of Art acting as an immediate fix for social troubles. However, we'd be a whole lot worse off without it. The Ukrainians certainly understand that. And the Russians have, wait for it... "Spartacus".
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2 hours ago, California said:
Let me put in a plug for Maison Danel, which I discovered on a recent trip to SF Ballet: https://www.maisondanel.com/
Open for brunch, lunch, tea, but not dinner.
Looks good. Normally dinner can be had at the Opera House from the Cafe Express cart, or Prelude at the Opera House, so hunting for a restaurant isn't essential.
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22 minutes ago, PeggyTulle said:
The bakery on Hayes at Gough? It closed many years ago. There are a few cafes along Hayes, though (like La Boulangerie). And there are lots of great restaurants in the area still. Souvla, Monsieur Benjamin, Chez Maman, Absinthe, Doppio Zero, BAIA (vegan), Project Juice...
The corner of Gough and Fulton - it's a small place with some homemade sandwiches, and coffees too. I think the name is/was the Hayes Valley Bakeworks.
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Nikisha's surgery is over, and we hope for a full recovery:
(I spy Hilary Hahn in the comment section - maybe she occasionally finds the time to go to the ballet?) -
Madison Keesler's farewell message to SF:
Well… it’s happening.
Today is my last day at the @sfwarmemorial.
I’ve been so lucky to perform in some of the world’s most incredible theaters, but for me nothing will ever be able to compare to the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House.
The first time I stepped onstage to perform here I was 16 years old. It was the 75th anniversary year, and to celebrate the school was performing in the company’s January opening gala — something that doesn’t normally happen. John Neumeier had come to set his ballet “Yondering” on @sfballetschool for the first time, and I was lucky enough to be chosen to perform the principal role.
I remember being so excited and nervous before that performance. As the time came for my first entrance the butterflies in my stomach continued to fly around. Then, I stepped onstage. Suddenly it was as though I was the most calm and happy I’ve ever felt. The loving energy of the audience radiated from the house, the lights felt warm and comforting, and everything felt still and peaceful. It was just me out there in that moment, on that big beautiful stage, and to this day it remains one of my favorite moments of my performing career.
I’ve had good shows on this stage. I’ve had bad shows in this stage. I’ve been running late more than a few times for some corps de ballet roles that I didn’t love having to do but were simply part of my job. I’ve prepared for and performed some incredible soloist and principal roles. On this stage I’ve been told I’m not good enough, I’ve been told I’m fantastic, I’ve been told I’m too big, I’ve been told I’m too skinny. I’ve felt so many emotions both onstage and backstage that it is hard to keep track. I’ve laughed and cried in these dressing rooms more times than I could count. I’ve had incredible dressing room moments — from singing pop songs with @sashadesola in dressing room 30 when we were teens, to planning and talking about a new nyc future in dressing room 20 with @isabelladevivo and @juliarowekim
Honestly, I could go on and on, so I’ll end with this…
Thank you. Thank you to everyone and everything that made this theater, this home, so incredible over the past 15 years. -
4 hours ago, seattle_dancer said:
Re: Inn at the Opera Update
I forgot to mention there is a sign that the restaurant space is available for lease. Fingers crossed!
I never knew Sage, but around the corner on Gough, is my go-to, Dragon Eats. It’s quick Vietnamese with banh mi, salads, bowls and rolls. https://dragoneats.com/
There is also a new Whole Foods near the Civic Center BART station.
Yes, I know about Dragon Eats, and hopefully the bakery is still on the corner, next door. Here's a piece about the Sage Cafe closing:
https://hoodline.com/2017/12/curtain-call-the-sage-cafe-closing-after-10-years/
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Here's a link that is currently working (fingers crossed)
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/russia-ukraine-ballet-60-minutes-video-2022-05-08/?intcid=CNM-00-10abd1h -
Rachel Howard's summary of SFB's 2022 season and the Helgi Tomasson Celebration is worth a read. It covers the various goodbyes and changes that SFB is having to deal with.
A Season to Celebrate
Helgi Tomasson's final season with San Francisco Ballethttps://fjordreview.com/san-francisco-ballet-helgi-tomasson/
"Helgi Tomasson, artistic director of the San Francisco Ballet since 1985, is about to finish his final season. The larger ballet world’s moment of overwhelming change, with the revamp in leadership at New York City Ballet, and Kevin McKenzie’s impending retirement at American Ballet Theatre, feels magnified here. Tomasson has served seven years longer than McKenzie has led ABT; he began his directorship just two years after Balanchine died. He has reliably cultivated civility, civic pride, and top-rate dancers, and done so in a soft-spoken, fatherly way—it’s hard to find a dancer, choreographer, or staff member with an aggrieved word to say about him."
"...And so we return to the theme of this review: So much monumental change at once. After 20 seasons, Sarah Van Patten decided to retire this spring. Do ballet watchers in New York and Europe know her as well as she deserves? As Justin Peck said in his video tribute, she’s the kind of ballerina that defines a company. She ought to be as recognizable as Sara Mearns, and perhaps she is valued outside of the West Coast more than I realize"
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Tonight's 60 Minutes episode (05/08/22) has a segment on how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is affecting the ballet world. Alexei Ratmansky is one of the people interviewed. When a link becomes available I'll post it here.
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4 hours ago, seattle_dancer said:
Quick update on Inn at the Opera. My first stay in over two years.
The restaurant Plaj, permanently closed four months ago. There is no breakfast provided.
The room kitchenette has the same amenities although there is now a 10 cup Cuisinart coffee maker and Lavazza vacuum sealed ground coffee provided. No creamer, sugars or stirrers anymore though. They also give you a tall pitcher which you can take to the ground floor and fill with filtered water near the restrooms. There is a fancy toaster with bagel, defrost and numbered toast settings.
The front door entry is now locked down. One needs to buzz for entry.
I lucked out and found a non refundable rate two weeks before my trip. The hotel is clean, quiet and very convenient if you have a lot of shows at WMOH. I am happy with my stay.
The Inn at the Opera has always been my go to place if I'm in town to see the ballet/symphony. In terms of price and convenience it has been hard to beat.
I'm sorry to hear that Plaj is gone, and I assume that has something to do with the Covid quarantines killing business. Hopefully another restaurant will take that same spot and the breakfast option will return soon. And eventually the front door may re-open. ;)
I'm still mourning the loss of the Sage Cafe (on the other side of the building). The food was decent enough and the prices relatively low. All the ballet students and dancers went there in the "old days".
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FYI: The Drew Altizer Photography people took a huge number of photos at the Helgi Tomasson Celebration (available for print and download):
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2 hours ago, vipa said:
Sometimes this occurs when a man is needed for his excellent partnering abilities. Particularly if he is tall and strong, and therefore a good match for the taller women.
Agreed. A number of the "old guy" veterans can be particularly good at lifts, catches (think fish dive), and general partnering maneuvers while no longer having the "spring in their step". With young men it tends to be the opposite - they have all kinds of buoyancy for leaps, but can lack the strength and developed coordination to perform lifts safely and seemingly without effort. It can be really nerve-wracking watching a young danseur perform lifts.
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SFB have posted a short video of all the swans in motion to IG:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdHXUqshr3b/
Looks like Julia Rowe and Norika Matsuyama in the front row, and maybe Isabella Devivo(?) beside Matsuyama.
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‘How Do You Do?’ On Being a Gentleman in 21st-Century Ballet
A City Ballet dancer considers the politics of two bodies dancing together as he seeks to make sense of his art form and partnering in a changing world.
http:// https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/04/arts/dance/gender-roles-ballet-russell-janzen.html
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On 5/2/2022 at 4:44 AM, volcanohunter said:
The Bolshoi has abruptly canceled performances of Yuri Possokhov's Nureyev that were to take place on May 6-8 and replaced them with (wait for it...) Spartacus. No explanation was provided.
It just never gets old - the one ballet that fits all situations. 😉
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Nikisha Fogo is in NYC for orthopedic surgery on her Achilles tendon area (ganglion cyst):
https://www.instagram.com/stories/nikishafogo/2829591861048799306/
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Joe Walsh's thoughts and photos posted to IG:
"From Friday April 29, 2022. Our final opening of the @sfballet season… Helgi’s Final opening, International Dance Day, my birthday, and Siegfried’s Birthday too. I don’t know how to explain all of the time and emotion spent leading up to this show with THE @franadian but I can try... Fran you made the process and the perfecting easy, and we found our story on Friday, every ounce of sweat was worth it. It felt easy to play your “idiot prince” (© maya plisetskaya)… Lola De Avila, we are your sponges ready to soak up all the wisdom. Thank you for being here with us to discuss any and all decisions we are needing to sort out, technical or within the story. To be given the freedom and trust to truly explore these characters means everything at this moment of our careers. Everyone looked incredible on Friday, and the debuts since have been astounding. All my love to this crew, and to @lcstrongin and my babe at home, when I started rehearsing swan lake Cy was just 1 month old. Now a tooth is here…Time. WTF. One more thought… it’s always impossible to thank our audience properly but this season especially. The return to stage was so much easier with y’all’s support, and next season come back for more once our new Director @rojotamara has taken the helm. Fresh new beginnings with all this history behind it. That is SFB."
https://www.instagram.com/p/CdCp6Viu-fS/
Looks like Angelo Greco just had his birthday too: -
6 hours ago, PeggyTulle said:
Madison Keesler posted over the weekend that she danced her final show with SF Ballet. Her other performances were unexpectedly recast. I've greatly enjoyed her dancing over the years, and while I'm bummed about her shortened Swan Lake run (which seems odd since I had friends at her one show who said she and Megan Amanda were quite lovely), I truly hope that she finds wonderful opportunities in New York. She lights up a stage and always shares her passion with the audience. Cheers to you, Madison, if you're reading this! Thank you for sharing your gifts with us SF folx.
Amen to that.
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Some video of Sasha De Sola and Max Cauthorn in their debut:
https://www.instagram.com/stories/sashadesola/2828352285478158982/
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Natasha Sheehan likely won't be dancing in the pas de trois either:
"Though tonight is the opening of @sfballet’s Swan Lake, I will sadly be missing it due to a string of bad luck (a recovering ankle sprain injury, Strep Throat and now a secondary viral infection 😩). That being said, I’m on the mend and am hoping to be able to dance in the run for some of the last performances.🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
Wishing the whole company a successful start to the last program of our 2022 season and I hope to join you all on stage soon! 🦢🤍"https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc80I5_vz1e/
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The dancers posing in front of the "swan of lights" at the opera house:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CcykR0fP5-M/
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ccyb7iWPj8z/
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Sasha De Sola's tribute to Tomasson:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CcyBKOHJdu_/
And Joe Walsh's tribute:
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Sasha De Sola and Max Cauthorn rehearsing Swan Lake:
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4 hours ago, Josette said:
Alexandre Cagnat is now with Staatsballett Berlin as a Demisoloist and will be dancing the Prince with Polina Semionova in The Sleeping Beauty!
Bravo, Alexandre!
Good for him! Thanks for finding that info, Josette.
2022 Rep Season - Swan Lake
in San Francisco Ballet
Posted
Thanks so much for posting this, Seattle_Dancer. Yes, I'd like to hear more about the casts that you saw.
Did you see Chung and Walsh and Park with Wei? And what about Kuranaga and Greco on Sunday, May 8th?