PeggyR

Maybe it was just my mood that day, but to be honest, none of the men made much impression in either of the ballets (except, as I noted, the male ensemble in the Stravinsky -- for the most part they were really superb). In SVC, for me Altman so dominated the piece that everyone else kind of faded into the background. To be fair, she didn't overwhelm her partner, Tiit Helimets, who did dance well, just not memorably.

Saturday, April 4th, matinee Even though I only stayed for the first two works on Saturday's program, I still had a fully satisfying afternoon of ballet (skipped WSSS, which I didn't care for last season). Stravinsky Violin Concerto My only basis for judging Stravinsky Violin Concerto is the version danced on the Choreography by Balanchine DVD, so I'd be interested to hear from more experienced Balanchine watchers if my slightly negative reaction to SFB's dancing is valid. Of course, the technical hurdles posed no challenges to the performers, but I thought there were some telling stylistic differences, mainly in the overall attack (or lack thereof), and with the way some of the female dancers held their arms and hands -- curved with the cupped hand, rather than with straight elbows and the palm facing downward. Statuesque Elana Altman, despite being one of the 'curved arm' offenders, was athletic and flexible in the first aria (her 'walking backbends' were extraordinary: she didn't really do a backbend; she just folded herself in half backwards, refolded herself to the front, etc.). I'd love to see her in the "…in the middle, somewhat elevated" final pdd. This is the second time I've seen Katita Waldo in Balanchine (last season it was Divertimento #15) and for some reason, even though she danced the second aria well, to my eye she just isn't quite suited to this choreographer's work. The male ensemble did some very fine unison dancing during their moments in the spotlight, although during the heel-first walks some put the heel down first, some didn't, which had the effect of making them all look sloppy. Within the Golden Hour Christopher Wheeldon's 'Within the Golden Hour' looked even better this year than last, although I've still got some issues with Basso's music: I can't imagine listening to it as a stand-alone work. In the charming first pdd with its numerous echoes of social dances, Elizabeth Miner was adorable without descending into cute. Dana Genshaft's eloquent feet were shown to good advantage in the exquisite slow-motion second pdd. And Maria Kochetkova was lovely in the more conventional choreography of the third pdd set to Vivaldi (I don't think the juxtaposition does Basso's music any favors). A word should be said for the atmospheric lighting design by James F. Ingalls, which enhanced the mood without ever obscuring the dancers.

I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed reading your posts. Thank you for taking us along.

Me too. My 25-year old, much taped together paperbacks of the novels have made the cut whenever a move necessitated a major book cull. Before reading them, my image of Stockholm had been of spotless, tree-lined boulevards filled with six-foot tall blond gods and goddesses doing athletic handsprings on their way to work in health food stores. Martin Beck and his perpetual sniffles put paid to that notion in short order! Stieg Larsson is now on my (endless) 'must read' list. Thanks for the recommendation.

Sorry for the misunderstanding. That's what I get for making a cultural reference nobody under the age of 60 is going to get! He doesn't actually play; he just prepares to play. And prepares, and prepares. Watch the old Honeymooners episodes when Ed Norton sits down to have a meal: he flicks away non-existent dust, rearranges the silverware, shoots his cuffs, everything but eat, until he drives Ralph crazy. This was very much in the same tradition and very funny. A lot of credit goes to McGraw who, after all, is there to play the Chopin, not to be a comedian. I just assumed that was part of the original choreography; of course, you have to have a musician who can pull it off and McGraw did it beautifully.

Saturday, March 14, matinee and evening performances Prettily forgettable, Tomasson’s On a Theme of Paganini depends on a good cast. In the afternoon, Maria Kochetkova’s lacelike delicacy raised the whole ballet to more watchable heights than it probably deserved. In the evening, Frances Chung and Yuan Yuan Tan did the same, along with the increasingly impressive Taras Domitro, who danced at both performances. The big news was the company premiere of Jardin aux Lilas, Antony Tudor’s masterwork from 1936. Aside from some cheesy-looking costumes (in case we missed the point that An Episode In His Past was a fallen woman, she wore a bright purple dress and a feather sticking out of her hair), the backdrop of an impressionist garden, and the dappled lighting were lovely. Two very different Carolines danced by two ballerinas who could probably make clipping their toenails into high drama. In the afternoon, Lorena Feijoo gave a finely tuned and beautifully understated demonstration of grief – she can cry with her whole body; a moving performance. By contrast, Sarah Van Patten’s Caroline seemed younger, scrappier, less resigned to her fate. Like her Odette from a couple of weeks ago, her Caroline fought what was happening – and lost. Here's a prediction: within ten years, Feijoo’s Caroline goes postal, and Van Patten’s becomes a bolter. Jerome Robbins’ The Concert, closed the program. Funny concept well served by some very funny dancers. And I have to give a to pianist Michael McGraw. First. With the greatest. Dignity. He advances. Slowly. Across. The stage. And takes. His seat. At. The Piano. Then, before embarking upon the Chopin, McGraw proceeded to perform what can only be described as Variations on a Theme by Ed Norton. And if you don’t know what I’m talking about…well…(sigh). A great start to a hilarious ballet.

Link to SFB 2009 All Mark Morris Program 5 Program 5 Opening Night Friday, March 13, 2009, 8pm A GARDEN Choreographer: Mark Morris Conductor: David LaMarche Sarah Van Patten*, Ruben Martin*, Alexandra Meyer-Lorey*, Garen Scribner*, Tina LeBlanc, Benjamin Stewart*, Lily Rogers*, Quinn Wharton*, Frances Chung*, Matthew Stewart*, Jennifer Stahl*, Pascal Molat* INTERMISSION JOYRIDE Choreographer: Mark Morris Conductor: Martin West Vanessa Zahorian, Rachel Viselli, Elana Altman, Dana Genshaft Ruben Martin, Pascal Molat, Martyn Garside, James Sofranko INTERMISSION SANDPAPER BALLET Choreographer: Mark Morris Conductor: David LaMarche Matthew Stewart, Martyn Garside*, Hansuke Yamamoto*, James Sofranko, Garen Scribner, Pierre-François Vilanoba, Brett Bauer*, Jeremy Rucker*, Benjamin Stewart* Vanessa Zahorian, Sofiane Sylve*, Lorena Feijoo, Katita Waldo, Kristin Long, Tina LeBlanc, Dores Andre, Erin McNulty, Margaret Karl, Miriam Rowan, Charlene Cohen*, Mariellen Olson, Alexandra Meyer-Lorey*, Patricia Perez*, Ashley Muangmaithong*, Danielle Santos

Casting is starting to appear for SFB Program 4. Here's opening night (Feijoo and Sylve in 'Jardin aux lilas'!). Check the link above for additional casts: Program 4 Opening Night Thursday, March 12, 2009, 8pm ON A THEME OF PAGANINI Choreographer: Helgi Tomasson Conductor: Martin West Piano: Roy Bogas Vanessa Zahorian, Pascal Molat, Joan Boada Maria Kochetkova, Davit Karapetyan INTERMISSION SF Ballet Premiere JARDIN AUX LILAS Choreographer: Antony Tudor Conductor: David LaMarche Violin: Roy Malan Caroline: Lorena Feijoo* Lover: Ruben Martin* Woman: Sofiane Sylve* Pierre-François Vilanoba* INTERMISSION THE CONCERT Choreographer: Jerome Robbins Conductor: Martin West Piano: Michael McGraw Ballerina: Sarah Van Patten* Husband: Pascal Molat* Wife: Erin McNulty*

For me, the saving grace of the film is the sinfully under-appreciated Bonnie Bedelia. Sorry for going , since Bedelia's character isn't an FF, but I've got to get a plug in for one of my favorite actresses.

This one is pretty minor compared to some of the disasters recounted here, but it made me laugh. SFB's new production of Swan Lake uses a projection of a huge moon as part of the scenery for acts 2, 3, and 4. Saturday night, when the curtain went up on act 3 -- no moon! After about 10 seconds it appeared, and probably anyone who hadn't seen the production before even noticed. I could just imagine backstage someone frantically miming, 'Quick, somebody turn on the moon!', and on stage, the dancers wondering, 'What time is the next moon?'

If any ballet lover missed Maria Kochetkova's Swan Lake Saturday night -- you have my sympathy. I don't have Helene's descriptive powers, so I'll simply say that it was all there: flawless technique, placement, phrasing, heartbreaking vulnerability. For me, the surprise was an Odile that was regal and imperious, not adjectives normally associated with somebody no bigger than a minute. Siegfried didn't stand a chance. In the pas de trois, Frances Chung and (finally!) Taras Domitro sizzled. Between Le Blanc in the afternoon and Kochetkova in the evening, my tears ducts are bone dry.

Helene: What a beautiful tribute to a truly great ballerina. I just got back (to work ) from the performance. Of the three I seen so far, this was the one that had me in tears at the end. And did you notice some of those "supported" pirouettes? Boada just stayed out of the way, and then reached in and caught her waist to stop her when it was time. Amazing. Tonight, standing for Kochetkova.

Helene: Thank you so much for your vivid and interesting review. So far I've seen Lorena Feijoo last Sunday and Sarah Van Patten last night. SVP left me breathless. She's so good in contemporary works, it was a little stunning to see the passionate (and, of course, musical) performance she gave as Odette. While I liked that SVP's Odile was clearly a different character from Odette (Feijoo, aside from some blazing fouttees, was pretty much the same as both), I did find her Odile a little mannered, but that's not really inappropriate to the character. I believe the taller swan was Altman -- she's more impressive every time I see her. I've heard she's a terrific tall girl in Rubies (full-length Jewels is coming up later this season ). For me, both last night and Sunday, the best Siegfried on stage was Spaulding! He's an up and coming young soloist (promoted after only two years in the corps). If this production is revived any time soon (next year maybe, please???), I hope he gets his crack at the lead role. I've got tickets for Tina LeBlanc on Saturday and Yuan Yuan Tan on Sunday. Tried getting a ticket to Kochetkova's on Saturday night, but it's sold out (not complaining - sold out is good); might try standing room.

Are there any union rules regarding who may be 'laid off' in a situation such as this? In the business world, companies frequently take the 'last in, first out' solution in order to avoid allegations of favoritism ("X didn't like me, that's why I got laid off.") Would Martins be free to make a value judgement regarding 'dead wood' in the corps de ballet, or are there guidelines he must follow?

You should worry! Years ago San Francisco Opera did it without intermission. At the time I was broke and decided to go standing room. Three hours and twenty five minutes (if I remember correctly) standing ab-so-lute-ly still. You know how opera fans are: the sound of an eye blinking sends them into paroxysms of fury. Enjoy!

Hmmmmmm....

Among the gruesome/gory, I loved the Korean film, The Host. All the actors are wonderful, particularly the younger children. And talk about a surprise ending! From the classic b/w horror movies, two stand out: The Uninvited (1944) with Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey and beautiful, young Gail Russell; and Dead of Night (1945) with a very young Sally Ann Howes along with the likes of Michael Redgrave, Googie Withers, Miles Malleson (there's an actor who was born to be in horror movies) and many other British character actors. Both genuinely creepy.

Amen. In these difficult financial times, my transient annoyance is much less important than the survival of these small companies that struggle at the best of times. If ads are the only way to keep these companies going, then so be it.

Isn't this same nightie/ponytail look the one used by McKenzie...?-(or maybe she wears her hair loose...or something...I can't really remember...) You're right. I got out the ABT SL DVD with GM and AC (don't you love initials) and that's exactly how ABT's Prologue Odette is dressed (hair kind of loose, though). Which brings to mind the question, what is a young woman doing in the middle of a forest, in the middle of the night, in her nightgown? Is this a typical Prologue scenario?

Wasn't there an old RB production with a prologue? Google turned up this. There's something way down the thread about a Carl Tom production that had a prologue (no dates given), but I can't find out anything more. I remember seeing the prologue with Fonteyn (sans Nureyev) when the RB was on tour in the US; it must have been the early 60's. What I chiefly recall was Fonteyn running around in a little nightie outfit with her hair in a ponytail until she turned into Odette (presumably a corps dancer).

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, SFB added two performances of Swan Lake and one of Jewels for the 2009 season. On the other hand, on February 4 a letter was sent to 'Valued Patrons' that says in part: "Last fall, we began to take a strategic and very thoughtful approach to reducing operational expenses through the support areas of the organization..." "Part of this contraction involved the regrettable, but necessary, reduction of some administrative positions. While we will be making adjustments to our touring schedule in fall of this year, our 2009 Repertory season remains as scheduled."

I agree. Plus, it seems to me a Swan Lake prologue is an attempt to explain something that can't be explained in the first place. Sorcerers don't exist and women can't be changed into swans; it's a fairy tale and there's no way to make it realistic, no matter how much 'back story' the audience is given, so why bother? BTW, SFB's new SL (premiering next week) will have a prologue. Here's an excerpt from Swan Lake chapter of the Season Guide: " 'Helgi said that though it's called Swan Lake, it was always Siegfried's story, because he was the character you were introduced to first,' says [designer Jonathan] Fensom. 'We wanted to make it Odette's story, and to do that we needed to introduce her then [in the prologue].' "

I saw the same performance as iwatchthecorps. Although I disliked Prism (ballet class in pretty costumes), I agree about Yuan Yuan Tan looking particularly lovely and Tina le Blanc, as always, was a joy to watch. Based on Quiggin's interesting comments about Taras Domitro's Melancholic, it sounds as if there's an intriguing artist lurking somewhere but Prism did nothing to bring it out. I hope he doesn't end up being all about the jumps. For me, Prism would be tedious no matter who danced it, while Diving Into The Lilacs appears to be a ballet that could bear repeated viewings to see what a different cast would do with it. Hansuke Yamamoto looked particularly good here: very masculine and his dancing looks much improved over last season. Like iwatchthecorps, I was here mainly to see 4Ts, and I also had some issues with SFB's performance. Since I haven't been lucky enough to see MCB's version, my only basis for comparison is the Choreography by Balanchine DVD. The video version, frankly, gives me the creeps -- very Night of the Living Dead-ish: the women in Melancholic hunting lunch and Bart Cook's on the menu; and at the end of Choleric, spidery creatures swarming the stage...gives me the shivers to think about it. By contrast, the SFB corps looked like they were picking flowers, and in Sanguinic the usually admirable Lorena Feijoo didn't seem to 'get' the Balanchine style. But, a great ballet is a great ballet and 4Ts can withstand a less than ideal performance.

This past weekend I saw SFB dance 'in the middle, somewhat elevated...'. Most the dancers kept a straight face, but in the final pdd Ivan Popov had a big grin while his partner, Rachel Viselli, looked like she was ready to chew his arm off. Not sure who was right, but it was a little incongruous.

Program 2 Saturday, January 31, 2009 Matinee The first two ballets were revivals from the New Works Festival. Elizabeth Miner substituted for Vanessa Zahorian in the opening ballet, Stanton Welch's 'Naked'. Miner and Hansuke Yamamoto seemed to have problems with lifts in the opening pas de deux, although it's possible that's just the way it was choreographed. They both danced nicely otherwise. Everybody danced nicely. The costumes were nice. The backdrop was nice. The music was nice. It was all nice. ZZZZZzzzzzz... Things picked up considerably with Val Caniparoli's 'Ibsen's House'. Debuting as Hedda Gabler, Pauli Magierek lacked the dramatic intensity that Lorena Feijoo brings to the role, but Magierek has enough stage presence to pull it off. No doubt her interpretation will develop. Overall, the rest of the cast was terrific with Mateo Kemmayer (who hasn't impressed me in the past), Katita Waldo and Aaron Orza standing out. For me, the biggest surprise was corps dancer Clara Blanco (Nora Helmer). She performed the GPdD in the Nutcracker I saw this season, and while that performance was charming, I thought it very small-scaled. No problem with scale here: she really took over the stage, more than ably assisted by the excellent Luke Willis (Torvald Helmer), yet another in an apparently inexhaustible supply of male corps de ballet dancers to keep an eye on. Last on the program: 'in the middle, somewhat elevated' (William Forsythe), and that's where the fun began. But first, consternation in the balcony: will we be able to see the cherries, or are we too 'elevated'? Lights down, curtain up. Joy reigns supreme: visible cherries! Having recently seen ballets by Mark Morris, Wayne MacGregor and Jorma Elo, I have to say 'in the middle' looks a little fusty. But it was all good, silly fun, much enlivened by a starry cast (we matinee-goers are always grateful to see the big guns brought out in the afternoon). Versatile Katita Waldo, having experienced an Ibsenian nervous breakdown not 30 minutes earlier, transformed herself into a sleek, spiky dancer of contemporary ballet. James Sofranko sizzled. Despite the clamor pouring out of the speakers (clash, bang, smash, boom, buzz, smash, jangle, blare) Sarah Van Patten still managed to show her musicality and luscious phrasing. Maria Kochetkova continues to impress with the lightness and clarity of her dancing. It was particularly amusing to see her and Sofiane Sylve (substituting for Kristen Long), just the two of them on stage, one literally half the size of the other, height-wise and (unfortunately) width-wise. Sylve brought a splash of French chic to the proceedings, although her dancing looked blurry in spots. It had been announced at the start of the afternoon that the final pdd of 'in the middle' would be danced by Rachel Viselli and Ivan Popov, although they weren't announced as subbing for anyone. I like Viselli but, to my eye, she didn't have Sylvie Guillem's leggy, aggressive athleticism on display in those YouTube videos.