pherank

Your statement makes it sound like Millepied was fired ("dismissed"), which is not the official version - he resigned. And resigning after such a short period of time made a lot of people unhappy. There were so many people unhappy with his selection as A.D. - it was going to be an uphill battle for Millepied in any case. But the fact that he didn't stick around to make it work just made him look selfish and weak to those who had already decided they didn't want to support him.

If Peck is as bright as he seems, he isn't likely to even consider looking for an A.D. job for at least another 5 years. He still has plenty of themes and approaches to explore as a choreographer. As others have mentioned, it takes a different set of talents to succeed as an A.D. Peck's only organizational experience comes from directing dancers in his ballets - that's just not the same thing. At this point, Millepied knows a lot more about the world of ballet company personnel management, fund raising, and dealing with boards, but he's controversial in his views (he's professed to being bored with traditional ballet and the pointe shoe requirement), and it would be a bad thing, imo, for him to suddenly bail on the L.A. dance community when he's actually making some headway there.

The stage (and cinema) worlds have such a long 'tradition' of this kind of behavior - I think any real change would involve the removal of most of an entire generation of managers, administrators, etc. and their enablers. And then there's the younger generation of up and comers, happily making all the same mistakes. The behavior is endemic in the stage world (not just ballet). Although the removal of all those people would make the many unrecognized and under-employed workers dance with delight, it would also be really messy for these industries which rely upon networks of personal connections to do just about everything. The sorting out has already started - I just wonder if it will run a much quicker course, and dwindle, a lot sooner than we expect. LOL - my biggest laugh of the day. Although I like the idea of Suzanne Farrell as A.D., given her knowledge of and respect for the Balanchine/Robbins repertoire, I just don't know how she would do regarding the creation of new repertoire: How would Farrell guide the development of ballet in the 21st century?

Thanks SF_Herminator - I'm impressed that you found that bio page. From there, I was able to figure out the Faculty page URL: https://www.sfballet.org/school/about/faculty/ But I don't see any menu links for that area of the website.

From the Fjord Review - an article about the dance film Polina, danser sa vie: In Control By Rachel Stone Subverting the genre of dance movie, a new kind of bildungsroman 'In telling the creative journey of a ballerina turned choreographer, Polina fills the absence of dancer-artist narratives, while also illuminating the lack of these narratives in the ballet world. Yet the film also essentially eliminates the structural obstacles to gender equality, creating a dance environment in which Polina’s path towards choreographic success feels possible, and almost inevitable. Very real difficulties exist, and are worth engaging with. What happens to your psyche when you are told over and over again that you are entirely replaceable? What happens when the choreography tells you the same thing? Of course, discussions around gender parity are (and should) only be the first frontier of progress in the ballet world. Ballet is still shamefully racially homogenous—as Phil Chan illustrated in the Huffington Post, the art form is stratified through the high cost of dance lessons, minimal representation of dancers of color, and exclusionary “acceptable” body types. “People still have not embraced the notion of diversity within this art form because it’s always been seen as an exclusive art form,” Virginia Johnson, the artistic director of Dance Theater of Harlem, told Pointe Magazine. “It’s not only been exclusive of people of color—it’s been very class-oriented.”' https://www.fjordreview.com/in-control-polina/

The #teacherslife hashtag makes me think he must be coaching roles. I wonder what Nedvigin is going to do for a Ballet Master/Mistress?

SFB has updated their seminar and class listing for 2018: BALLET BASICS A beginner's guide to SF Ballet Curious about life behind the curtain at San Francisco Ballet? Ballet Basics is designed to give you all the information you need to better appreciate and enjoy a night at SF Ballet. These 3-hour seminars will give participants a foundation in the history and practices of the art form. Take a ballet class, hear from an artist, and learn about the history of classical ballet. BALLET INSIGHTS: SF BALLET 2018 SEASON Take a deeper dive into the past, present, and future of SF Ballet Want to know what to look for this season? Or to learn more about SF Ballet? Join us for an interactive three-session seminar that will take you behind the scenes at SF Ballet and give you an in-depth preview of what’s coming up this season. Learn about San Francisco Ballet’s rich history, its exciting present, and its dynamic future. EXPLORING SERENADE Take a deep dive into America’s favorite ballet Join SF Ballet for an exploration of George Balanchine’s iconic ballet Serenade. In this intensive one-day course, you learn about this ballet’s American history, its hidden stories, and its many interpretations. Come discover why this ballet is one of America’s favorites. BALLET TALK Wine, ballet & friends These lively events include a 60-minute talk and Q & A, as well as a wine and cheese reception with the speaker. Join us on a Saturday afternoon to learn more about three programs this season: The Sleeping Beauty, Distinctly SF Ballet, and Nijinsky: A Ballet by John Neumeier. OPERA HOUSE TOUR Explore the War Memorial Opera House through the lens of a Master Electrician Join Dennis Hudson, former SF Ballet master electrician, on a tour of the War Memorial Opera House – a 1932 Beaux-Arts building designed by Arthur Brown. Go behind the scenes to learn about the unique technical and structural elements of the building and see all the secret ins-and-outs as part of this special once-a-year event. BOUNDLESS: A SYMPOSIUM ON BALLET’S FUTURE (3 Days) From the royal courts of Louis XIV to Cold War international diplomacy, ballet, as a form, has consistently evolved technically, artistically, and institutionally in response to changes in government, technology, and culture. Join us for three days of lectures, panels, and receptions. We’ll explore how issues around choreography, diversity, and technology are shaping ballet’s future. BALLET INSIGHTS: AMERICAN BALLET 1900-1983 For those who want to know how we got here How did American Ballet get its start? Was SF Ballet really the first ballet company in America? And what caused the dance boom? 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. ADULT BALLET CLASSES We believe ballet is for everyone Adult ballet classes at SF Ballet School offer a great workout, grounded in classical technique, led by Company and School faculty members who teach the same steps to SF Ballet dancers. MASTER CLASS OBSERVATIONS Not a dancer? Come watch If you'd like to attend a Master Class but aren't a dancer you can come as an Observer. You still need to register in advance. Children ages 8-14 must be accompanied by an adult. Unfortunately, children younger than 8 years old and babies are not allowed. Lastly, photography and videography are strictly prohibited inside the SF Ballet building.

Sasha De Sola talks about dancing Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) and her pointe shoe needs: https://www.sfballet.org/yearend "Principal Dancer, Sasha De Sola talks about preparing for her debut as Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty. Aurora has been a dream role for her, requiring technical mastery, intricate pointe work & dramatic performance. Learn more about her journey."

Not Your Usual Bharatanatyam Preeti Vasudevan tells stories of contemporary life, not of gods and goddesses. By Gia Kourlas https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/01/arts/dance/not-your-usual-bharatanatyam.html (there is a short video) I suppose this is like a "black and white" leotard version of traditional Indian Bharatanatyam dancing. The interesting thing is that in the present day - in Western culture - this dancing is quite easy to relate to now.

Mathilde doing barre at the Grand Canyon over Thanksgiving vacation: https://www.instagram.com/p/BcBR-azHPFQ/?taken-by=lapetitefrench_

Thanks, Milliosr - I couldn't find much useful information on their website regarding staff. In fact, I don't think there was anything more than a contact page.

Angelo Greco has been dancing with Rebecca Bianchi in Don Quixote at the Teatro Dell'Opera di Roma. On Instagram he credits Eleonora Abbagnato for inviting him to perform - I'm not exactly certain if she is now the acting A.D. for dance productions, or what exactly. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bb-G7KcHH2u/?taken-by=_angelogreco_ http://www.operaroma.it/en/shows/don-chisciotte/ This information on the ballet production made me laugh: Choreography Laurent Hilaire inspired by original version for the American Ballet Theatre by Mikhail Baryshnikov after Marius Petipa and Alexander Gorsky Choreographer collaborator Yury Vasilkov Assistant Choreographers Patricia Ruanne and Gillian Whittingham

Yuan Yuan Tan has a Wiki page with her biography, and it includes an extensive list of print and editorial appearances in the media: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuanyuan_Tan Note that you may need to scroll down a ways on the page to get to the extra content. "A major breakthrough came when Tan was called as a last minute replacement for an injured principal dancer in George Balanchine’s Stravinsky Violin Concerto. Tan had never danced the ballet before, nor was she acquainted with the unique style of Balanchine’s choreography. Tan was given a videotape to watch from the San Francisco Ballet archives, and performed the piece after only 6 hours of learning. The next season, in 1997, Tan was promoted to principal dancer; at the age of 19, she became the youngest principal in the history of the San Francisco Ballet, and the first Chinese dancer to reach that rank in a major company."

Madison Keesler made a nice video of her trip back to SF for a visit while she was working with the English National Ballet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGmPIBEGqhM There are brief glimpses of Koto Ishihara, Myles Thatcher(?), Dores Andre, Sasha De Sola's dog Tilly, and others. Madison also has a number of ballet related "tips" videos that she is posting to her website.

FYI: Erik Tomasson has stated that he is looking into getting permissions so that he can offer limited edition prints of the various UNBOUND photos. He won't know for sure about this for a few weeks though.

Very interesting about the video length being decided well in advance. The WBD rehearsals of new works may have real historical significance one day, so I hope those videos don't disappear entirely into a black hole...

In other words, it's complicated. ;) Thanks for that information, Apollosmuse. I can't help but wonder though about the details (naturally): such as who benefits, and how, from removing rehearsal footage. I'm guessing that both the Robbins Foundation and the Balanchine Trust don't like to make long sections of performance footage available - although the Balanchine Trust finally seems to have relaxed their policies regarding videos appearing on YouTube and similar sites. I think they finally understood that this is free marketing that also keeps interest alive in the ballets. A significant number of people still don't see live performances of Balanchine and Robbins ballets, and online video is one way to inform the public about this work. The only real downside I've noticed is the proliferation of 'commentary' from Internet Trolls - and the truly uninformed but grouchy - but that could all be solved by eliminating comments entirely. That would force the people who genuinely want to discuss the subject to Forums and Blogs. Everyone else can throw things at their TV. In fact, it might be a good idea for the big ballet companies to post videos with comments turned off, while providing a link to a web page listing the many available reputable (hopefully) forums for discussion.

I just noticed the length of the SFB WBD 2017 "highlights" video: 28mins 40 secs!!! The original was 3 hours 55 mins. with SFB, and then an hour with Houston Ballet and Ballet West. Think they cut out much? Yikes! I really wish the editor wouldn't go crazy like this.

A great lineup for this program. I guess you would have to go to SF to see The Cage - SFB's Robbins program is (currently) slated for Mar 20 - Mar 25 (7 shows). A rather short period, but maybe there will be added shows… https://www.sfballet.org/season/2018-repertory/2018-program-5 Fortunately PNB's program and SFB's program are running at different times of the year so it's possible for jet setters to see both.

I totally understand why someone would question the current repertoire at Covent Garden as it seems to totally ignore current issues. Part of the problem is that the rep is chosen well in advance of a season, but, there's an obvious slant towards what seem to be misogynist or sadistic themes. I do wonder what many modern choreographers feel is "healthy" subject matter for dance. Somehow the vocabulary of steps/movements in dance has been skewed too far towards violent motions presumably because they are obvious and dramatic. "There are no mothers-in-law in ballet", but there are rapists, apparently. The subject of gay men's views on women is a really complex topic. ;) Some gay men in the dance community seem very attuned to women's issues in the present day, and others are completely uninterested in those issues. I wouldn't be surprised if we could find both gay male choreographers who are feminism advocates (and try to bring that into their work), and ones who are essentially misogynists. And everything in between of course.

Placing females in 'precarious' situations (usually violent), sometimes to be rescued by 'heroic' males, is one of the oldest and most overused plot devices in the arts. Certainly the film world has been over-relying on this approach since its inception. I think modern ballet is simply echoing what has worked elsewhere. Originality is hard to come by in all times. The article specifically mentions Arthur Pita, known as 'the David Lynch of dance'. Lynch himself was long accused of creating scenes of gratuitous violence against women in his films, but that interpretation somewhat misses the mark - Lynch's latest work, Twin Peaks: The Return makes it fairly clear that, in Lynch's view, females are a constant target of predators and manipulators, and males are the main instigators of this brutality (but not males alone). And males are shown to be pawns of greater forces - not the "masters of their own fate" as is constantly depicted in stories. Males in European-based cultures have been especially enamored of the whole notion of "mastery" over situations and other people, but that notion is mostly a chimera, imo. [I never thought about it before, but it's interesting that the "chimera" was always a female monster.]

Congratulations to Ms. Maffre! A very talented individual - I think she will be a real asset to the organization. I've long wondered about the relationship between SFB and AKLB - SFB soloists often end up at some point doing barre, rehearsing or posing for photo shoots over at AKLB. There seems to be an open door policy for Bay Area ballet dancers at the AKLB studio.

OK, the Sleeping Beauty promo video has been released: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzcF9uhH8DM Personally, I would have liked to have seen something a bit more involved than this - more like the In the Countenance of Kings video. But I understand that the sets and costumes are probably not fully developed at this point to work with.

John Clifford posted this video of Gene Kelly with Tamara Toumanova

The extra charge is the Member level "donation" to SFB - that's how it is used. I don't have too much issue with making a donation. I just wish I could choose my own seats within a particular section. ;) But I suppose SFB is trying to figure out which subscribers are keeping their reserved seats and which ones are letting them go.