PeggyR

Thank you so much for that clip! Aside from her beautiful arms, I especially like the subtlety of her performance. Watch some recent ballerinas as the Dying Swan: whatever other virtues they may have, in comparison to Karalli they look like 747s trying to take off.

On Sunday before San Francisco Ballet's performance of The Little Mermaid I attended a Meet the Artist interview with Pascal Molat who mentioned that after the SFB season concludes this year, instead of going back to Paris to visit family he would be staying in San Francisco and participating in an American Conservatory Theater production created by ACT artistic director and SFB character dancer/choreographer/et al Val Caniparoli called The Tosca Project. No, not the opera; the Tosca Cafe on Columbus Ave. has been an institution in North Beach for many years -- the juke box played/plays opera arias and Italian folk songs -- claims are that patrons have included everyone from Luciano Pavarotti to Johnny Depp. Not sure how it was 'infamous' (see quote below); when my friends and I used to go back in the early '70s, we were usually the most interesting people there, which is pretty depressing (sigh). From the ACT on-line brochure: For production photos, click on the multimedia tab. There's no cast listed, but based on the photos, SFB dancers seem to include Molat and two retired SFB ballerinas, Muriel Maffre and Sabina Allemann. Production plays in June; here's the link to the schedule

I loved Van Patten's performance too. After she got her legs she managed to looked like some embryonic, other-worldly creature, not quite either land or sea. I loved how she uses her eyes. She left me emotionally shredded by the end -- and she looked exhausted at the curtain calls. On Sunday I saw Yuan Yuan Tan's performance and while she couldn't match Van Patten's emotional intensity, this was by far the best thing I've ever seen Tan do. She was astonishing in the underwater scene -- perfect for that rippling flexibility she has. Her land-based mermaid was less successful that Van Patten's -- Tan seemed more fully human -- albeit frail, breakable. But given that Tan isn't known as a actress, she came through emotionally, though without Van Patten's subtle shadings. A detail I liked about both performances -- not sure if it was deliberate or not -- but in Part II, when the mermaid is on land with her new legs, while all the other female characters wore new, shiny pointe shoes, the mermaid's shoes were old, dirty, frayed -- as if she's been given second hand feet. Overall I enjoyed the ballet a lot more than expected, although I have to agree with some of the criticisms voiced here and elsewhere. It's hard to believe the story couldn't be considerably streamlined, even with the addition of the Poet. Some bits simply went on too long for the limited value they added to the story -- the sailors, some of the shipboard; entertaining, yes, but really not necessary. By the end, it felt like Neumeier was throwing in everything, including apparently some refugees from Halloween at Hamburger Mary's. Ultimately, I decided just to accept the ballet on its own terms for what it is (eccentric), and not worry about what it isn't (Swan Lake) -- helped a lot. Before the performance, I went to the Meet the Artist interview with Pascal Molat. A couple of tidbits about next season: Molat said he was looking forward to playing the Poet in The Little Mermaid again next year, so it sounds like it will be back. Also, he mentioned that Wayne McGregor would be at SFB next season, although he didn't say for what, new ballet or staging something existing. And after the interview was over, Molat introduced his new baby boy, who is named -- are you ready for this -- Matisse. Little Matisse (who's about four months old) glared at the audience for a few seconds and then broke into one of those baby smiles that reduces 200 intelligent adults to puddles of jelly. Tough act to follow.

I really enjoy Heyer too; she's a real palate-cleanser when I've been reading something heavy. The only du Maurier I've ever read is Rebecca, which I heartily recommend. And if you enjoy the book, then don't miss the Hitchcock film version from c. 1940. They had to change the ending a bit to meet Hollywood code, but it's a good, old-fashioned, 'they don't make them like that anymore' movie.

KQED in the San Francisco Bay Area has it scheduled in early April. I looked at KCET and the 8 pm slot for today now shows Pavarotti.

When I was a child 1950's Philadelphia, I used to see trucks for her family's John B. Kelly Brickworks driving around. Somebody told me that was her father (or brother, or something). Somehow I could never make the connection between Grace Kelly and bricks.

Nice birthday present! http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/23/theater/...ref=todayspaper

Thirded, although if Odette's pointe shoes clunk when she lands -- so much for being a creature of the air. And her preening shouldn't look like she's scratching ear mites.

Here's a link to an English translation of Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid. With the exception of the Poet and the Poet/Prince love story, Neumeier seems to keep pretty close to the original.

Here's the reply I received from Chloe Veltman: Oh well. It's interesting too that on another board there are some rapturous comments about Sarah Van Patten's performance on Sunday afternoon. I'm going to be seeing both Tan and Van Patten over the weekend.

Just an FYI: it turns out that Chloe Veltman is a Bay Area arts reporter for the NYTimes, and she has a blog where the article in question appears. I posted a comment there asking for information about the DVD. If there's a reply, I'll post it here.

Let's hope this only gets posted once! Sorry about the triple post earlier; at times I can only hold on to a connection for about three minutes and it didn't look like the earlier attempts to post got through. Finally managed to get to Chloe Veltman's article in the NYTimes mentioned by Kitcat: According to the SFB program notes, if sounds as if there are two versions: Presumably SFB is performing the Hamburg version and it sounds like Veltman is referring to this version being on DVD. I've checked Amazon UK but there's nothing there. Maybe Amazon.de or BelaireClassiques might have something, but I can't get to them right now (frustration!!!). Here's Rita Feliciano's review in DanceViewTimes: and Allan Ulrich's in SFGate.

The San Francisco newspapers (such as they are) do review opening nights (25 words or less it seems; still, it's better than nothing), but since the opening was on Saturday, the reviews probably won't show up until Monday in the print media, although something may be on-line before the morning papers hit the streets. Also, check the NYTimes after 9 pm PDT; sometimes Alastair Macaulay reviews major openings outside of New York. Also you can Google Paul Parish at the Bay Area Reporter; I don't know if/when he'll post a review there, but if he does, he always has insightful comments. (Sorry, but I can't do links at the moment; I'm having internet connectivity problems -- it's taken nearly an hour to get this posted). I'd heard it was disturbing; there were numerous warnings to subscribers, et al, that this was definitely NOT for children. Waelsung: Didn't I read somewhere that the Hamburg Ballet released a DVD of this? Can't look it up right now until my connection stabilizes

Seems to me PBS could do a little better than this: I don't like the ballet, but at least I manage to get the name right.

Casts for the entire run of the U.S. premiere of John Neumeier's 'The Little Mermaid'. Here's a link to a 7 1/2 minute preview, including rehearsal footage plus interviews with Neumeier and some of the dancers. At about 3:43 Sarah Van Patten mentions that she, Yuan Yuan Tan and Lorena Feijoo all dance the Mermaid; however, unfortunately Feijoo doesn't show up on the cast list. Note a couple of guest appearances by Lloyd Riggins, former principal dancer with the RDB and Hamburg Ballet (3/20 and 3/23). Opening Night, Saturday, March 20, 2010, 8pm THE LITTLE MERMAID Choreographer: John Neumeier Mermaid: Yuan Yuan Tan* Prince: Tiit Helimets* Princess: Sarah Van Patten* Poet: Lloyd Riggins^ Sea Witch: Davit Karapetyan* Sunday, March 21, 2010, 2pm Mermaid: Sarah Van Patten* Prince: Pierre-François Vilanoba* Princess: Vanessa Zahorian* Poet: Damian Smith* Sea Witch: Garen Scribner* Tuesday, March 23, 2010, 8pm Mermaid: Yuan Yuan Tan Prince: Tiit Helimets Princess: Sarah Van Patten Poet: Lloyd Riggins^ Sea Witch: Davit Karapetyan Wednesday, March 24, 2010, 7:30pm Mermaid: Sarah Van Patten Prince: Pierre-François Vilanoba Princess: Vanessa Zahorian Poet: Pascal Molat* Sea Witch: Garen Scribner Thursday, March 25, 2010, 8pm Mermaid: Yuan Yuan Tan Prince: Tiit Helimets Princess: Sarah Van Patten Poet: Damian Smith Sea Witch: Davit Karapetyan Friday, March 26, 2010, 8pm Mermaid: Sarah Van Patten Prince: Pierre-François Vilanoba Princess: Vanessa Zahorian Poet: Pascal Molat Sea Witch: Garen Scribner Saturday, March 27, 2010, 2pm Mermaid: Sarah Van Patten Prince: Pierre-François Vilanoba Princess: Vanessa Zahorian Poet: Pascal Molat Sea Witch: Garen Scribner Saturday, March 27, 2010, 8pm Mermaid: Yuan Yuan Tan Prince: Tiit Helimets Princess: Sarah Van Patten Poet: Damian Smith Sea Witch: Davit Karapetyan Sunday, March 28, 2010, 2pm Mermaid: Yuan Yuan Tan Prince: Tiit Helimets Princess: Sarah Van Patten Poet: Damian Smith Sea Witch: Davit Karapetyan * Denotes premiere in role ^ Denotes guest artist Casting subject to change

Jeff Bridges wins the best actor Oscar, and if you'll pardon my French, it's about bloody time!

Without speculating as to why San Francisco Ballet principal Jaime Garcia Castilla hasn't been seen last season or so far this one (at least I haven't seen him scheduled; don't know if he has shown up as a replacement), I believe it's safe to point out that in the Program 4/5 booklet, on page 36 is a photo with the following caption: "Lorena Feijoo and Jaime Garcia Castilla rehearse Neumeier's The Little Mermaid." I only saw him a couple of times just before his promotion to principal, but he left quite an impression; I hope the picture is an indication he'll be back on stage soon.

Program 4 Saturday matinée 3/6/10 To be honest when I saw the ballets scheduled for this program, I was a little skeptical -- why put the meat of the program (Petrouchka) first: wouldn't everything else look a little pallid after it? Why not have three Russian works and call it something deeply original like 'An Evening of Russian Ballet'? Why not this why not that? In the future I'll trust Helgi: he knows what he's doing. With the exception of one casting misstep this was not only a fully satisfying program but an opportunity to see some fine dancers in new roles (or new to me). Loved Petrouchka. Gennadi Nedvigin made his debut in title role -- Nedvigine has a rather sad-eyed look on his own and the makeup just enhanced it -- hard to imagine a more heart-breaking character. It's too bad this isn't more widely performed in this country; I'd love to have GinaSF's perspective. Looking even better than last year, Diving Into the Lilacs is a keeper. Although B. Tchaikovsky's music strikes me a pretty but unmemorable, Possoukov uses it well, bringing out its airiness, playfulneww and lyricism. Having missed them last season, this time I was glad to see the creators of the beautiful, lyrical second pdd, Yuan Yuan Tan and Anthony Spaulding -- now there's a match made in heaven. There's not much more to be said about Tan's gorgeous warm honey style, but this is the first time I've seen Spaulding in a pure dancing role and he was impressive. At times, he and Tan matched their long, beautiful lines to breathtaking effect. And I must say that after all those von Rothbarts he's danced the last couple of seasons, it's nice to see him survive to the end of the ballet. And why on earth is ...in the middle, somewhat elevated so darned entertaining? And what on earth happened to demure, pretty, charming Frances Chung? As the second female lead, she let loose with some unexpected (and unexpectedly sexy) fireworks. Where did THAT come from? I've always been impressed with her pirouettes -- she's not a turn machine, but her turns are almost always beautifully controlled. Seeing her in the leotard costume, her body not obscured by tutus and skirts and the like, it's easier to see how exquisitely centered she is. It'll be interesting, now that she's a principal, so see what roles she takes on; obviously, she's not your grandmother's soubrette. And I have to mention Lorena Feijoo in, I'd guess based on curtain call order, the third female lead. I couldn't see who her target was, but at one point she glared at somebody with such withering contempt that the audience had to laugh. For me, the problem came with Kristin Long as the lead female, and particularly in the final pas de deux (with a wonderful Pierre-François Vilanoba). When I saw she was cast in the part, my first thought was this was a little like casting June Allyson as the bunny boiler in Fatal Attraction. Long did the steps, but she never boiled the bunny.

I thought it was fun seeing a good, old fashioned hissy fit in all its glory. I sometimes wonder where all the 'artistic temperament' has gone; apparently Tsiskaridze is the current keeper of the flame .

Casts for the first two performances of Program 4. From the company's YouTube channel here's a video of selections from Possokhov's Diving Into the Lilacs. The first couple is Maria Kochetkova and (I think) Pascal Molat. The second couple (and the longest excerpt) starting about 1:04 is Yuan Yuan Tan and Anthony Spaulding. Program 4 Opening Night
Tuesday, March 02, 2010, 8pm
 San Francisco Ballet Premiere
PETROUCHKA Choreographer: Michel Fokine Conductor: Martin West Petrouchka: Pascal Molat* Ballerina: Clara Blanco* Moor: Brett Bauer* INTERMISSION DIVING INTO THE LILACS Choreographer: Yuri Possokhov Conductor: Martin West Maria Kochetkova, Pascal Molat Yuan Yuan Tan, Anthony Spaulding Lorena Feijoo, Vitor Luiz* INTERMISSION IN THE MIDDLE, SOMEWHAT ELEVATED Choreographer: William Forsythe Music: Tape Sofiane Sylve, Katita Waldo Vanessa Zahorian, Lorena Feijoo Elana Altman, Frances Chung Tiit Helimets*, Davit Karapetyan, Gennadi Nedvigin* Program 4 Evening
Wednesday, March 03, 2010, 7:30pm
 PETROUCHKA Petrouchka: Taras Domitro* Ballerina: Elizabeth Miner* Moor: Daniel Deivison-Oliveira* INTERMISSION DIVING INTO THE LILACS Frances Chung, Hansuke Yamamoto Yuan Yuan Tan, Anthony Spaulding Elizabeth Miner, Gennadi Nedvigin* INTERMISSION IN THE MIDDLE, SOMEWHAT ELEVATED Kristin Long, Frances Chung Maria Kochetkova, Sarah Van Patten Charlene Cohen*, Courtney Elizabeth Pierre-François Vilanoba, James Sofranko, Joan Boada#, Garen Scribner* #pas de deux * Denotes premiere in role. ^ Denotes guest artist. Casting subject to change.

Hi Globetrotter -- thank you for taking the time to respond. Let me apologize if my comments seemed like a wholesale dismissal of an entire body of work by either Robbins or Prokofiev; that certainly wasn't my intention, largely because I haven't come close to seeing/hearing everything either of them choreographed/composed. So, my response to Op. 19 was simply visceral -- I just didn't like the choreography or the music. And I should point out that invoking The Dybbuk isn't likely to change my mind: I saw it a few seasons ago at SFB and thought it was the most awful thing I'd ever seen on a stage. On the other hand, I adore Fancy Free, could watch it 10 times in a row; also liked In the Night -- so I'm not anti-Robbins -- I just didn't like Op. 19 . And I've always liked, sometimes loved -- e.g., Cinderella, R&J, much of his piano music, many of his symphonies -- Prokofiev's music, so I'm not anti Prokofiev; I just didn't like this particular violin concerto. Sorry; different strokes...

Here's the link to the press release.

I liked Ghosts although I agree it doesn't seem to go any place. Beautiful trip to nowhere though (aided by Mark Zappone's costumes, and Mary Louise Geiger's lighting design) -- some inventive choreography and beautiful images enhanced by very fine dancing. On Saturday afternoon, leggy Lily Rogers debuted as the female in the trio. I tend to like her best in contemporary ballets rather than in classical work, where she can seem bland and a little small scaled; she was a stunner here along with Gaetano Amico and Brett Bauer. Maria Kochetkova and Vitor Luiz danced the central (and amazing) pas de deux. It's odd, but I have no memory of actual ballet steps being performed; rather the whole pdd seemed to consist of various shapes formed by the two dancers, culminating in complex lifts. Even though at the end of the ballet I had a vague feeling of, "Um, is that it?", I hope Ghosts turns up again soon; it would bear rewatching. Of course, anything would look good after the interminable Op. 19: The Dreamer. Would it never end? Did it ever end? Plus I don't like Prokofiev's weirdo violin concerto (I hear 'philistine' muttered darkly in the background; well, I'm sorry but screechy violin music makes my brain sore). So far as I could see, music and choreography had virtually nothing to do with each other. Am I missing something? Love the Andrews Sisters and loved Company B (anybody who can sit still through Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy needs a jiver transplant). Standout in a good cast was an utterly adorable Matthew Stewart in Tico Tico -- I'm a sucker for a guy who combs his hair with styyyyyyyle . Even his curtain call was adorable.

So, hairdressing is an Olympic sport now, is it??? But seriously, I hope somebody will report on Chung's performance. I'm going to try and go, but probably won't be able to make it.

Heads up: new principal Frances Chung is scheduled to debut in Theme and Variations on Sunday afternoon, 2/21. Should be an ideal role for her. Program 3 Matinee Sunday, February 21, 2010, 2pm SERENADE Waltz Couple: Sarah Van Patten, Tiit Helimets Russian Girl: Lorena Feijoo Angel: Nutnaree Pipit-Suksun Dark Angel: Brett Bauer INTERMISSION STRAVINSKY VIOLIN CONCERTO Aria I: Elana Altman, Tiit Helimets Aria II: Vanessa Zahorian, Davit Karapetyan INTERMISSION THEME AND VARIATIONS Frances Chung*, Gennadi Nedvigin