mrstrong_ballet

I attended her debut on 3/13. I am curious to hear what others think. Jen Stahl was the Lilac Fairy that night.

Would love to hear what others think about Wona Park's debut on 3/13. I was there, and was impressed by her abilities. She danced beautifully, though I feel there is much room for her to settle into the role and pay attention to little details. Stahl seem to have an off night - didn't land her pirouettes neatly, and those sweeping arms in the beginning of her variation just looked so odd to me. Otherwise, I enjoyed the production very much. It was lavish and gorgeous.

Attended the 2/16 8PM show. Was initially disappointed to see that Snowblind evening cast was flipped with the matinee cast, but it would have made a rather grueling day for Froustey. The Fifth Season (Park/Greco, Froustey/Deivison-Oliveira, Tan/Di Lanno) My second time seeing this, and still not entirely loving the music and choreography. It is...pretty, but bland. As usual, Tan does not disappoint. Park impressed me, and seems to dance well with Greco. The Tango was well done, and I really liked Deivison-Oliveira in this. I am not sure if seeing it more would grow on me... Snowblind (Ingham/Keesler/Andre) I have not seen it with the original cast, so I have nothing to compare to. I like how the corps is used in this piece. The main characters unfortunately did not stir any emotions in me, and I got a little confused to what they were doing at the end amidst the silence. Etudes (Sylve/Birkkjaer/Robison) To be honest, Sylve is the main reason for choosing this evening. I feel like I need to see more of her (and Tan) before they hang up their pointe shoes. The moment the curtain rises, my heart skipped a beat! Her impeccable technique and ability to switch between styles was impressive. Both men did an amazing job, and I couldn't take my eyes off Robison. I am so thankful that he's back! All in all, the night ended well (and late).

I attended the Opening Night for Program 5. Opus19/The Dreamer with Sarah van Patten and Carlo DiLanno went over my head a little, I appreciate the movements, but I couldn't completely understand the dance. I feel like I might have to see this again to grasp the nuances. This is also the first time I have seen Sarah dance after her maternity leave, and it's almost like nothing has changed. The Cage is definitely different from the other offerings in the program, and I enjoyed how the music complements the movements so well. Always a treat to see Sofiane dance, though I could detect a hint of Myrtha there (incidentally I saw a performance of Giselle several years ago with her and Masha in it). Other Dances was a delight. I could feel the joy of dancing from Frances, though Angelo seems little bit more reserved in this piece - feels like he needed to "let go". Fancy Free was entertaining, and I have to say the 3 men (Weeks, Fremantle, Hernandez) were the highlight of the piece. The acting was spot on, and I almost forgot that I was at a ballet! Fremantle stood out the most to me in terms of bravura, and I was impressed with how versatile Weeks is, since the last I saw him was Lensky in Onegin and he looked mildly uncomfortable in the role. All in all, an enjoyable night, and I regret not subscribing this season!

Hi, I have been dancing ballet for a long time, but never really had the opportunity (lived in a ballet desert) nor finances to see any world class ballet companies until recently. I am so very thankful to have SF Ballet in my backyard now. Looking forward to sharing and learning from the experts on this forum!