pherank

Rehearsing Dances at a Gathering: https://www.instagram.com/p/BC_PQC0nrZE/?taken-by=lapetitefrench_ https://www.instagram.com/p/BCelny0HrTK/?taken-by=lapetitefrench_

Perhaps a scaled down version of what Millepied has been setting up at POB (the new Academy, an in-house training program for choreographers)? Very much needed.

Former SFB danseur Garen Scribner will be taking on the 'Jerry Mulligan' role on the American in Paris tour: https://twitter.com/sfballet/status/697188765094182912 This is the original announcement, and as some people have mentioned, other performers my be leaving/joining the tour: http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Garen-Scribner-and-Sara-Esty-to-Lead-AN-AMERICAN-IN-PARIS-on-Tour-Robert-Fairchild-to-Depart-Broadway-Show-This-Spring-20160209 "…Garen Scribner in the role of 'Jerry Mulligan' beginning Tuesday, March 15. Scribner, who has been performing the role at various performances since June, 2015, replaces Robert Fairchild, who will play his final performance on Sunday, March 13. Scribner will star opposite current principal cast members Leanne Cope, Veanne Cox, Jill Paice, Brandon Uranowitz and Max von Essen who will all continue on with the production." Much luck to Mr. Scribner.

An actual stellar review - Review: San Francisco Ballet's 'Coppélia' is a gem of comedic pantomime and bravura dancing http://www.mercurynews.com/theater-dance/ci_29616020/review-san-francisco-ballets-coppelia-is-gem-comedic "It's a romp, a gem of comedic pantomime, a visual feast and an opportunity for bravura dancing all rolled into one. May it remain in the rep for a long time."

I'm seeing now that Filin will be moved to a different position within the Bolshoi, but he will stay at Bolshoi: http://dancemagazine.com/news/filin-staying-on-at-the-bolshoi-heading-choreographers-workshop/ "The Bolshoi will launch a workshop for young choreographers, which Filin will lead"

I know Helene was sorry to see her go. ;) Jahna's Instagram page is pretty entertaining. "Fire Drill"

Welcome to the forum, SFCleo - thanks for the report on Coppelia. I think my preferences for the Swanhilda role run more towards Zahorian and Chung, but I think Kochetkova may do a good job of it as well (I haven't seen hers). Andre is new to some of these principal roles and is going to take time to develop her "artistry". Totally agree about Walsh as a dancer, and hopefully, he will turn into a great partner as well. Stahl is probably next in line for promotion to principal, whenever Tomasson feels the need to hire from within. His problem now is to find at least one more, if not two, brilliant danseurs to deal with the snowballing retirements.

I'd like to know that as well - I've always been struck by the George Platt Lynes photos for that ballet. For me: The Four T's Apollo Serenade The Firebird (Fokine version) Petrushka

Not as much as you might think - there's actually a lot of young musicians held in thrall by prog/art rock albums like "Close to the Edge", "Pipers at the Gates of Dawn", "In the Court of the Crimson King", "Country Life", and yes, ELP's "Brain Salad Surgery". It's actually quite fun to watch someone discover these albums for the first time, (and these days, there are many excellent remastered versions being put on the market). It reminds me of what it was like when I first listened to this music - it was easy to get lost in that world. Emerson was one of my early music heroes, though my interest in ELP waned over time. They never had quite the creative depth and dynamic range of groups like Genesis (with Peter Gabriel), King Crimson, Roxy Music, Yes, and Pink Floyd (and I could go one). However, Keith Emerson is rightly regarded as the very first progressive rock musician/composer (with The Nice), and he was certainly the most accomplished rock/pop musician I had heard up to that time.

I have an extra ticket for Coppelia on Saturday, March 12, 8:00pm Orchestra X 20 $53 Not a great seat, but the view should be unobstructed. If interested PM me and I can send you the ticket as a PDF to print out. Opera House seating chart Swanilda: Maria Kochetkova Franz: Gennadi Nedvigin Dr. Coppelius: Pascal Molat

It is hard to tell about his tastes, other than to say that he seems to have eclectic interests. It's just so hard to have to swallow the loss of Gennadi, Boada and Molat all at once. And coming right after the retirement of Damien Smith. I'm going to guess that Hansuke Yamamoto will be promoted. Tomasson made some fine choices in hiring Walsh and Di Lanno, but they both still need some development. As much as I like Di Lanno's dancing, I don't think his partnering skills are there yet. And he just doesn't have the "man of steel" strength of Helimets, or even Karapetyan, for lifts. I get nervous watching him catch the girls. Tomasson is going to be busy looking for danseurs, and they will have to be experienced soloists. I don't think SFB can afford to hire only youngsters who "look promising".

Yes, good news - I would think a school would be doable, and more manageable, since families and scholarships will pay for each dancer in attendance. Don't have to sell tickets to the public. And where there's a school, there's a way: "But first, a school".

Well Phil Spector WOULD say that about his competition. Spector is a fairly reprehensible person - he was a very controlling personality for his 'stable' of artists (and "stable" is the perfect word for it). For Spector, being a producer meant control of the project, and taking all credit for all that went on. He worked with The Beatles (sort of) on Let It Be, which was a confused mass of mostly 2nd-rate material (and a few gems) - it was Spector's job to make something out of the halfhearted affair. But for perhaps the first time, he was dealing with artists/musicians who carried far more clout than he did, and were easily as inventive and creative as he ever was, and he wasn't in a position to dictate. Just as well, since after the terrible Let It Be experience, The Beatles, knowing that they didn't want to end on a bum note, went back to Martin: "I was surprised when Paul said to me, 'We're going to make another record - would you like to produce it?' And my immediate answer was, 'Only if you let me produce the way we used to'. And he said, 'We do want to do that'. I said, 'John included?' (Paul) 'Yes, honestly.' And so Abbey Road was created and it is one of the sonic masterpieces of its era. Martin shaped the sound as much as anyone on those classic albums, but, as I think Ringo once said, (I'm paraphrasing) "that was the great thing about The Beatles - whoever came up with the best idea, that's what we would use". When things were working well, it was a real communal effort. Part of the reason why it has been difficult for anyone else to replicate the effect of those better Beatles albums. I'm not sure it makes much difference that Phil Spector defines the term "producer" differently than George Martin - it's really about what's effective: 'Martin sensed that it was more a matter of psychology than technology. “I realised I had the ability to get the best out of people,” he reflected. “A producer has to get inside the person. Each artist is very different, and there’s a lot of psychology in it.”' And I like his comment on the state of "record producing" circa 1960: "There were about a dozen record producers in the country. But then they weren’t called record producers, they were called ‘Artist and Repertoire Managers.’ They didn’t really shape events in the studio; their job, rather like the A&R men of today, was to recruit talent, put them in the studio and give them an opportunity to be recorded, rather like a broadcast.” Well, that certainly changed with the advent of these rock n' roll producers.

I guess then it is time to put in a plug for Possokhov's very intriguing and emotional Swimmer - well worth a look. I wish there was promo footage to truly do the complex production justice, but this promo made during the original rehearsals at least gives us some time with Yuri: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrB-iD7QkbM (I"m hoping the ballet music is made available on CD, and a film of the production would be great too - but then I was hoping for a film of Shostakovitch Trilogy, and that didn't happen) Paired with what is perhaps the best of Jerome Robbins, this should be an excellent night out at the ballet.

I'm sad to have to witness the passing of producer/musician/arranger George Martin - he reached 90 years of age: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/10/arts/music/george-martin-and-the-beatles-a-producers-impact-in-five-songs.html A very decent man who helped to create a lot of beautiful music for an entire generation. "He was a true gentleman and like a second father to me. He guided the career of The Beatles with such skill and good humour that he became a true friend to me and my family. If anyone earned the title of the fifth Beatle it was George. "From the day that he gave The Beatles our first recording contract, to the last time I saw him, he was the most generous, intelligent and musical person I've ever had the pleasure to know." - Paul McCartney http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-35761464 Musicians remember Sir George Martin http://www.bbc.com/news/live/entertainment-arts-35635609

Obviously very sad, but the San Jose Ballet has long experienced financial difficulties, and management 'issues'. I was wondering if they would cannibalize any of SFB's audience, but that didn't really seem to happen. There used to be pie-in-the-sky talk about making Silicon Valley Ballet an adjunct to ABT, which, for Bay Area people, seemed a little presumptuous, and needlessly competitive - the more obvious thing to do would be to create an SFB II company that could provide soloist opportunities/experience to promising younger dancers, and perhaps be slanted towards development of contemporary ballet choreography.

SF Ballet to Perform Wheeldon's Cinderella at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts "We want you to be the first to hear the exciting news—SF Ballet will return to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts with the Washington, D.C. premiere of Christopher Wheeldon's Cinderella, October 26–30. SF Ballet will present seven performances of the acclaimed, full-length production. for the Performing Arts"

The Ave Maya Gala is happening in London at this time: https://www.eno.org/whats-on/ave-maya-gala-in-memory-of-maya-plisetskaya/ A couple Instagram postings relating to this: https://www.instagram.com/p/BCnCgZgMqV7/?taken-by=aurelie__dupont https://www.instagram.com/p/BCl8G8UEUcQ/?taken-by=balletrusse

San Diego City Ballet's Balanchine Masterworks 2016 is coming soon: Friday, March 4 at 8:00pm Saturday, March 5 at 8:00pm Sunday, March 6 at 2:00pm Emeralds from Jewels Concerto Barocco Square Dance > The webpage has some related videos with Else Borne and Nilas Martins. I never understand how they manage to perform these Balanchine programs 3 days in a row with virtually the same cast. That must be like running a marathon.

Can't wait to hear more. ;) Froustey seems to be the natural dramatist of the female leads - I'm sure it makes Tomasson happy to have a dancer with some fire in her veins. It takes all kinds. Tan and Van Patten can be very dramatic performers, to be sure, but that isn't a feature of their everyday personalities. Froustey is more naturally volatile in temperament. Sylve, if you know about her personal style/aesthetic, might seem like a candidate for crazy-divadom, but when she puts on the work tiara, she's in another world, and channeling other parts of her personality with sometimes surprising results.

A couple of new SFB Swan Lake photos to add: "We've had quite the week. Four more to go before these swans become Swanildas friends!" https://instagram.fsan1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/t51.2885-15/e35/11848893_670637069743319_304373854_n.jpg "Swan Lake is one of the most well known ballets in the world, and I am so grateful I got to be a part of it. Getting to dance with this fantastic company, as a trainee, in one of the hardest yet beautiful corps de ballet pieces is an opportunity that I will remember for the rest of my life. The music is enchanting and the experience, wonderful!" - SF Ballet School Trainee, Natasha Sheehan https://instagram.fsan1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/t51.2885-15/e35/12729626_1688959688014680_418431956_n.jpg Is there anyone who has managed to see multiple performances (with different leads) that would like to share their impressions? EDIT: CHANGE OF CAST FOR SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28TH: https://www.instagram.com/p/BCTjqhFnrdO/?taken-by=lapetitefrench_

Congratulations to Gennadi - but I wish he was not leaving SFB. ;) Another one of the stalwart "old guard" gone. He was a very versatile performer - I thought he was as good or better in the modern works as he was in the traditional roles.

Just released form SFB - M. Froustey talks about what it is like to learn Swan Lake: In The Studio: Learning Swan Lake https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2mqe1-Jako

Thanks SZ - nice find. It's frustrating that the visuals are so blurry, but that's the way it goes. Do you happen to know the year of this performance?

Congratulations to Mathilde Froustey, Luke Ingham, and Sean Bennett (Von Rothbart) on surviving their first Swan Lake performance. The SFB Instagram page has some posted comments and images...