Terez

This review first appeared at The Classical Girl When you’re a mixed-bill sort of ballet patron and not a devotee of the full-length story ballets, performances like San Francisco Ballet’s Program 6 give you everything you could ask for. Saturday (April 20) afternoon’s first ballet, the third act of Nureyev’s Raymonda (restaged from Pepita’s 1898 original) dropped me right into the dazzle and intoxicating festivity of a story-ballet wedding day. The set was opulent and mesmerizing, a medieval Hungarian palace brought to life onstage, all creams and gold, ornate columns, candles and icons. The dancing commenced with an enormous ensemble, corps de ballet couples that filled the stage in appealing Hungarian-style attire, the women’s skirts gorgeous and flowing, all the costumes detailed with fur, feathers, gold. Glazunov’s sweeping score, further, is just plain fun, and the orchestra played it wonderfully. “Exuberant” best describes the dancing, from the opening ensemble through the solo variations, the Pas de Trois, the Pas de Quatre, all the way to Raymonda’s famous and famously difficult “clap” variation. It’s a damned busy ballet, in truth. In doing a little research, I learned the Act III excerpt is more commonly performed over the full-length ballet, and that Nureyev, in his 1969 restaging, pulled three solos from other parts of the full-length ballet and inserted them into Act III. Makes sense to me. And it explains better why Act III feels so packed with dance, so relentlessly driven (Nureyev liked to make his dancers work), from start to finish. Much of the choreography remains carefully stylized, the epitome of Mariinsky classicism, and requires a different skill set for the San Francisco Ballet dancers who divide their repertoire equally between the classics and contemporary ballet (the latter of which they are peerless at). The character of Raymonda, in particular has very specific challenges in her solo variation. There are tons of bourées, easy on the eye but deceptively hard for the dancer, not to mention the passage of lightning-quick passés to fifth position. There are little hops en pointe, the occasional Anna Pavlova-esque glance over the shoulder, the arms coyly folded. Coming out of a tour-jeté, Raymonda’s focus shifts downward, toward the floor beneath her feet. If you’ve ever done a tour-jeté, focusing your spotting across the stage to maintain balance after the 180 degree revolution, you could appreciate the challenge, the quirky nature of this landing. Raymonda’s gaze remains downward, her body folding into a demi-plié afterward as if she’s sort of wilted. It’s vintage Pepita, Old World classical, with a touch of earthiness and sensuality injected by Nureyev in his restaging. Principal Lorena Feijoo played the part of Raymonda flawlessly, nailing the distinct nature of the czardas-like reposes, her chin held high, her hand touching the back of her head, as well as producing the decisive claps punctuating the pirouette passages. She was proud, sassy, noble, spirited. My admiration for Feijoo is compounded by the recently-learned news that she is a new mother and has just recently resumed a full onstage presence after time off for maternity leave. Wow. So very impressive. The second piece on the program was Val Caniparoli’s Ibsen’s House, which portrays five female characters taken from iconic Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen’s best known plays. Ibsen, in his work, liked to challenge rigid Victorian conventions about respectability, marriage, women’s place in society, and the ballet highlights the pathos and angst of these five women. Bold, dramatic, decisive female dancing, starting with Frances Chung, whose steely muscularity and determined expression and body language served the role well. Her greatest competition for my attention, however, was the music: Dvorák’s Piano Quintet no. 2. Oh, my goodness, this piece of music is a favorite of mine. Being a classical music lover and a violin student, not to mention having an excellent view of the quintet, well, it sort of upstaged the dancing in my heart. In the best of ways, mind you. The Loma Mar Quartet and pianist Roy Bogas delivered such a wonderful performance, it was hard to know where to focus my attention. Three corps dancers shared the lead roles alongside Frances Chung and Sarah Van Patten, which always gives me a frisson of pleasure to see. They were Marie-Claire D’Lyse (used in a soloist capacity, as well, in Raymonda), Kimberly Braylock and Ellen Rose Hummel. Particularly memorable was D’Lyse, with her striking lean, elegant lines (long limbs, long neck, and works them well). The five women took their turns dancing solo and with partners (Sarah Van Patten and Daniel Deivison were especially mesmerizing). When dancing together, the quintet of women produced a wonderful ensemble effect. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the corps dancers of this company are among the best in the business. I’d love to see them all promoted to soloist. (Speaking of corps dancers with tremendous merit, I was sorry to learn that lovely, talented Madison Keesler will be leaving the SFB corps at the end of this season to join the English National Ballet. Our loss!) And finally, Symphonic Dances, choreographed by Edwaard Liang, set to Rachmaninov’s music of the same name. Beautiful, diaphanous costumes in autumn hues. Grouped up couples, six principals, four soloists, eight corps de ballet couples. So very pleasing to the eye, the ear, this ballet. Really enjoyable to watch and again, as a classical music lover I was over the moon, relishing both sight and sound. I didn’t want the ballet to end. I didn’t want the afternoon to end. Among the dancers, I particularly enjoyed the partnership of Yuan Yuan Tan and Luke Ingham. I haven’t seen Yuan Yuan Tan onstage in a while, and she is as lovely and compelling as ever. Luke Ingham, new to the company this year, coming in as a soloist, likely had a tough bill to fill, partnering up with the iconic Tan (joined as a soloist in 1995, made principal in 1997), but his performance drew no complaints from me. He made his partner shine and never upstaged her: that, in truth, is a big part of the male dancer’s role. (I’m thinking I should duck about right now, dodging the hurled tomatoes for such a comment.) A lovely ballet, and with its agreeable choreography, gorgeous costumes, lush, cinematic music, I would have thought this one would hold onto “favorite ballet of the show” status for me. But here we are, a week later, I’m composing my final notes, and darned if it isn’t that story-ballet Raymonda Act III that I’m remembering. I wonder if this means it’s time for me to go beyond my mixed bill preference. Hmmm. Until next season, San Francisco Ballet! PS: embedded links to SFB performance excerpts of both Raymonda and Symphonic Dances can be found within the same review at my blog, The Classical Girl. © 2013 Terez Mertes

Pherank, thank you so much for taking the time to offer all these interesting responses. Oh my goodness, I enjoyed reading them so much! Especially enjoyed your comments on the PNB - I'd really, really like to see one of their performances, and the MCB. How ARE things there, this year, w/o Villella? It still stuns me, that whole drama, that they would let him go after the company's stunning success in Paris, but there you have it. It has now become the era of influential members of the company board of trustees to challenge artistic directors. Dennis Nahat ousted from San Jose Ballet in January 2012 - what an ugly scene that was! And I think there has been another one in the past several months. (I take it back: even more. I just Googled a few key words on the subject and up sprang a dozen stories. Yikes!) I never saw Mermaid - I look forward to watching that interview with Yuan Yuan. I got to see her perform on Saturday afternoon, which reminds me to finish up my notes on the SFB's Program 6 so I can post it on this site. A great show! (The matinee was program 6 and the evening program 7; I saw the matinee.) [Edited on May 1 - whoops, they were both Program 6. The next afternoon was Program 7. My bad...]

I will soooooo be there for La Bayadere's Kingdom of the Shades. Have never seen it live, but only on YouTube, but it nonetheless blows me away each time. And glad to see there's Wheeldon on the program as well. Yup, I'm there.

Okay, you all have convinced me. I just bit the bullet and bought it on Amazon. (Paperback, versus electronic, which might ultimately win me over.)

Omigosh, I was wondering if I was allowed to comment about that! Peggy, have you been following her on Twitter for a while? She dropped a cryptic Tweet about a month ago, saying "it's happening, it's finally happening!" along with a comment about London, and offered a tacit cyber-wink and nod when I commented "I'm thinking this doesn't bode well for your San Francisco fans." Well, personally, I'm sad. I thought she was heading in the way of soloist (maybe she thought so as well). A lovely dancer, a lovely presence at the SFB. I'm glad, at least, to know she's active on Twitter, and such an engaging person to follow there. That, alas, will be the only way I'll "see" her after this season. Sob! (Peggy, if you are indeed on Twitter, my "handle" is @classicalgrrl, and my name is Terez Mertes. If you follow me, I'll follow you!)

Oh, Pherank and Giannina, I so enjoyed reading your comments and hearing your experiences! What a treat for me to discuss these performances and ballets in more detail than I can with friends here. Pherank, love what you said about the Ratmansky, Tomasson's programming choices, and Wheeldon as a choreographer. This was my first Wheeldon, and I was highly impressed. I'm wondering if either of you, or any other reader, have had the opportunity to watch any of the ballets featured in SFB's Program 3. There was Mark Morris' Beaux, the all-male ballet (delightful and fun, but I missed seeing the women), and Possokhov's Rite of Spring (which got reviews all across the board from critics). Most of all, I'm curious about others' take on Ashley Page's Guide to Strange Places. It was set to music by John Adams, and I found it a difficult one to love. Atonal music doesn't tell a story; that's almost its point. Balanchine was the original champion of a "plotless ballet," but there still always managed to be a story in there, quite possibly because the music he chose had its own story. So, a contemporary ballet set to atonal music had me enjoying it, for a while. But I just couldn't sustain a sense of excitement about it. Frances Chung is a powerful, graceful principal, but her dancing didn't evoke a reaction in me, the way Sarah VP's does, or Maria K, or Vanessa Z, or Yuen Yuen. (I haven't seen Lorena F. perform much but happily I will see her this wknd, barring any cast changes.) She is beautiful and highly competent. Everything about the ballet was top notch. But out of the 6 pieces I watched during that "ballet weekend," that was the one that had me feeling underwhelmed. I'm just loving this opportunity to talk about the performances so much. Again, thank you for your replies, Giannina and Pherank. And now I'm off to look at Pherank's posted link of Suzanne Farrell in Scotch Symphony.

I have only taken a look at the sampling Amazon allows you, but this was my sense, Cobweb. This kind of subject/writing is right up my alley, but I simply don't have the kind of time/attention span required to embark upon such a long journey. Would LOVE to see a condensed version of this book. But, as someone pointed out, that is often a facet of self-publishing. No editor cruelly told the writer to "knock off 200 pages; just do it." Writers hate to do that, hate to hear that (I'm a writer, with painful first-hand experience of this). But it always makes the book better. Some day my work load will lighten up, and I will nonetheless look forward to reading this book!

Peggy R, I enjoyed hearing your impressions, as well. I get to go to the SFB this Saturday and it looks like Sarah VP will be dancing again. Yay! Happy to share my impressions; I love talking about what I saw, but my local friends and family aren't ballet people, so alas, the words usually just go into my journaling. Glad to have found this place to share a mutual interest with others! (And listen a lot, as well!) And thanks for the info, Helene. Lots of neat subjects to look in on here!

Pherank, I just saw your review here (I'm being a newbie and cluelessly blundering about, posting elsewhere, unaware of this great discussion thread - apologies!). I love all your comments, especially the following (as well as the Sarah Van Patten comments that didn't make this quote): Oh, SO well put! Just loved reading this. And "workhorse" is the perfect description for Maria K. (Mind you, in the best of ways!) I posted my review of SFB's Program 4 in another section of this forum, but I'm tickled that we shared some of the same sentiments. I very much enjoyed reading yours. And Quiggin, I enjoyed your comments as well!

Oooh, nice! I've never seen them, but I'd have to put them right up there in the top three companies I'd like to watch perform. The PNB has such a wonderful Internet presence and are always adding interesting clips for those of us out-of-towners to watch. There was one several months back on "feet." Just lots of dancers' feet immersed in dance, in rehearsal and company class. I can never get enough of watching really good feet. Just one of those grand satisfactions for me.

Oh, yay, Helene, your reply means I posted the review correctly and according to rules here. Whew! (I sorta stubbed my toe over at the sister forum, BT4Dancers, in my initial posts there, and it felt awkward...) Thank you for your reply, and it really was a lovely performance. I'd seen, interestingly, another SFB performance the night before, as part of a SFB "mini-subscription" program. Getting to San Francisco is a 90 minute drive for me, over mountain roads, so I can't easily go to an 8pm show and go straight home. With the mini-subscription, I got to see two performances, two different programs, and stay in the city that night. Such a great option for me! (Not to mention a big treat.) I posted a review at my blog that related to the Program 3 night, notable particularly because in "Rite of Spring," SFB corps dancer Jennifer Stahl got promoted to soloist after a rave performance. It's not a full review and doesn't really merit its whole review page, but those interested in SFB tidbits might like to read it. Here's the link: http://www.theclassicalgirl.com/?p=143

Watching “Within the Golden Hour, ” the second ballet of the San Francisco Ballet’s Program 4 was, to me, as satisfying as it gets. “I may as well go home now,” I joked afterward, amid the applause, to the woman next to me. “It can’t get better than this.” But, surprise. The third ballet was another winner. Gorgeous costumes, stellar dancing, another dose of that neoclassic post-Balanchine style choreography, much like “Within the Golden Hour,” that comes across as both innovative and classic, and a true pleasure to watch. It was an audience-friendly production in general, starting with Balanchine’s easy-on-the-eyes “Scotch Symphony.” Christopher Wheeldon’s “Within the Golden Hour” followed and the program culminated with Alexei Ratmansky’s “From Foreign Lands.” All the accompanying music was highly satisfying too, particularly in the wake of the previous night’s opener, a John Adams atonal composition, which made the ballet and its fine choreography seem a bit wearying after a spell. Program 4 utilized the work of Mendelssohn in “Scotch Symphony,” contemporary composer Ezio Bosso (with a little help from Antonio Vivaldi) in “Within the Golden Hour” and late 19th century composer Moritz Moszkowski in “From Foreign Lands.” I particularly enjoyed the Ezio Basso score, not surprising, as it featured some gorgeous solo violin and viola work within it. Like the choreography, it was contemporary yet classical, melodic. Haunting. I loved it. Program 4 standouts for me included all of “Within the Golden Hour” and, in particular, the pas de deux with Damian Smith and Vanessa Zahorian. That their dancing would be powerful, nuanced, polished, is pretty much a given with these two longtime principals, but there seemed to be a special magic within this pairing that made everything in me fall utterly still, utterly enamored, hoping they would never leave the stage. Another one of my favorites, from both this performance and the previous night’s, is principal Sarah Van Patten. She is such an interesting dancer to watch, her movements both fluid and sharply articulated. I noticed this particularly during her Program 3 performance in “Guide to Strange Places.” She has the ability to halt a phrase so abruptly, as if she can arrive in that place a millisecond before intended, and hold it a millisecond longer. It’s almost like the way a violinist can toy with rubato—stretching out a note, a phrase—becoming a master of time manipulation to suit one’s interpretation. It’s fascinating to watch. I have never seen a less-than-stellar performance from this gifted dancer. I haven’t much mentioned “Scotch Symphony.” Yes, was lovely to watch, charming and light-hearted, but the truth is, I found it rather forgettable in comparison to the other two ballets. Sorry, Mr. Balanchine. I suppose everyone will have their favorites for the night, which will dim the others by comparison. My vote would be for “Within the Golden Hour.” Hats off, SFB. Program 4 is a winner. This review first appeared at The Classical Girl http://www.theclassicalgirl.com/?p=160

Love this dancer! In my review of SFB's Program Four, I waxed on and on about her. In fact, I'm going to try and post that review here at this site right now, never mind that it took place several weeks ago. Please let me know, longtime members, if I'm not supposed to do it this way!

Pherank - yes, two great performances in early March (I reviewed them for my blog at The Classical Girl - is it too late for me to post the reviews here at this site under "recent performances"?) and I get to return on April 20th. Coming up soon! And yes, I'll continue to support the San Francisco Ballet. They are sublime.

I'm enjoying reading all these responses! I agree that, right now, the ballet world is enjoying more mainstream attention than it has since the '80's, when THE TURNING POINT was such a hit, along with a lot of successful ballet books and literature, including Toni Bentley's wonderful memoir, A WINTER SEASON. These days, the So You Think You Can Dance show and Alex Wong's great crossover appeal there has been great for the ballet world, as well as the previously mentioned BLACK SWAN craze (ugh, hated it, but loved how it catapulted ballet to the forefront of mainstream media attention). And then there's YouTube, where you can now watch hundreds of dancers performing in ways that were all but impossible even a decade ago. And Twitter. And blogs. I'm loving it. That said, I worry along with everyone else over the financial state of the arts. I'm both a San Francisco Symphony subscriber and new-this-year San Francisco Ballet subscriber, and that will continue to be my little way to help keep the arts afloat financially. (A very pleasurable "noble" endeavor, I might add!)

The humor in this is that I took up learning to play the violin several years back, during an off-period of no ballet. Now ballet and fiddle-playing take turns playing second fiddle! (And now I know where the term comes from!) Thank you for the hat-tip, cubanmiamiboy! : )

Aww, Ballet Foot, I love reading what you posted. Thank you so much for your honesty, and it warms me to read of someone else's challenging experience. And it makes me feel like I'm not alone in loving ballet, but still feeling the twinges of something more emotional and elusive and conflicting. You said it all so well - thank you! And thank you for the welcome.

Thanks for the welcome, sandik and AlbanyGirl!

Hi, my name is Terez Mertes and I'm a former ballet dancer (amateur) and a writer and have recently started doing ballet-oriented things once again, after years off. I've had the opportunity to attend the San Francisco Ballet, which, oddly, at first I was nervous about doing. Are there any other former ballet dancers out there who feel emotional about watching professionals performing, and thinking "oh, what I came close to being...." or "oh, the glory days, now long gone..."? To my relief, I found I could enjoy the San Francisco Ballet performances without feeling too much of that twinge, and now i hope to make it a three-times-a-season visit. I'm also re-enrolled in ballet classes, which is a lot of fun, although rather humbling, at age 50! I've come by this forum to lurk around in the past year or so, and always enjoy hearing other audience members' comments, particularly from those who are former dancers, as well. I have also recently started up a blog that features similar ballet talk, some of my own experiences, as well as touching on classical music and the violin, my other fine arts loves. (I blog as The Classical Girl - I won't be tacky and leave a link here on my introduction post.) Looking forward to perusing the site more, now as a member and not just a lurker. And if there are any ballet dancer blogs out there that you'd recommend following, I'd love to hear about them so I can check those out as well. (Both amateur and professional dancers' blogs. Oddly, the amateurs seem to do a far better job at the game. Or maybe not odd.) Cheers, Terez