tikititatata

Sorry for the delayed reponse bart! The dancers need not be contemporaries -- we're mixing leagues (companies) and time I also have to add Morris' Sylvia with Miyako Yoshida (Royal) and Gennadi Nedvigin (SFB) or Mikhail Sharkov (Bolshoi). A Swan Lake (version TBD) with Nadja Gracheva and... ??? sandik -- love the alternate!

Peggy R, you captured my feelings precisely for this program (esp with West Side Story Suite), despite having seen a different cast! Can't agree more For variety-sake, this is an interesting program, but there is very little actual dancing; it ends up being less interesting, content-wise. bummer. Saw the March 8 evening show. Fancy Free (with Molat, Anderson, Karapetyan; Elizabeth, Zahorian, Olson) was fine. Davit Karapetyan suits this trio better (than last year's casting), and they look good together. This piece is more difficult to pull off than I thought. Everyone has to be "into it" 100% for us to be fully convinced of the scenario. Pascal Molat is such a showman; I still remember seeing him last year and being floored by his solo! Pretty good repeat this year. Garrett Anderson's musicality and movements are perfect for his role here; great casting. In the Night (with Tan/Martin, Waldo/Vilanoba, Feijoo/Smith) UGH what a horrible piece. I suppose I haven't seen enough Robbins, and prematurely figured I'd like most of them... except this! Had relatively high expectations (so much you can possibly portray in a piece entitled "in the night") but it seemed one dimensional and boring. THE EXCEPTION BEING -- Lorena Feijoo to the rescue!! The third duet with Lorena was AWESOME. She brought so much fire and passion to the stage, I couldn't dare take my eyes off of her. The only time I was able to blink was when she stepped off stage. She has an amazing ability to transform otherwise mundane pieces into something special; she is a true professional. I wouldn't watch this piece again; unless it's just the third couple. with Lorena. Westside Story Suite Great to see the corp de ballet showcased, but I'd like more classical ballet in a given program. BIG shout out to Shannon Roberts who came blasting out of nowhere and rocked as Anita. Her singing and dancing (broadway style?) is very convincing (she sheds any inkling of ballerinaship), good for her!

Thanks for starting us off Peggy R! And please, don't undermine your opinions -- we're all allowed to write and express ourselves (we saw it, and felt something), regardless of our day time profession Funny enough, I saw the same show. I went based on the casting that was posted online, but there were several changes... (*ahem*) The webmaster is slacking a bit this season...? By the way, did Vadim Solomakha really partner Yuan Yuan at the end of Nutcracker '07? I was a little confused by that "guest appearance" but didn't attend to verify. Sorry for the aside. Divertimento #15 I generally despise most things Balanchine, and I say most b/c I'm still waiting to come across that wow-ing piece. Divertimento 15 is a tolerable one for me, and it's a good one for SFB. I thought Kristin Long was rock solid and impeccable in her technique and that's it. I agree w/ Peggy on Katita; other roles suit her better. For this group in particular, their arms can be neater/cleaner. Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes Interesting piece... Haven't read the program notes yet, but was told Morris choreographed this a while back. He sure knows how to pick his cast though -- I went just by the dancers! Oh, the substitution was Ruben Martin for Jaime Garcia Castilla (*sniffle*). I wasn't completely sold, esp in the beginning. The flip-flop across the floor movement was like an exercise, and I wasn't inspired. I started enjoying it towards the end, and by the time the four couples entered (in the original entrance pose) with the entire cast on stage, it was done... SFB dancers look good doing Morris' choreography, so this is a nice program to have in the mix. One major suggestion would be to change the material of the clingy costumes; not a flattering look, unfortunately, and the crinkles are too obvious since it's white. Also, the arms are inconsistent in the fourth position lunge -- I realize all the dancers have their heads and one arm on the floor, but someone should've mentioned whether the uplifted arm should be 12 o'clock or limp. *PICKY* I know! Firebird Didn't see it.

Peggy, that's so great (I wanted to go, but couldn't), thank you for sharing! I think she getting soloist roles here and there, more so in the recent seasons, such as Kitri's friend for the full production Don Q, a 2007 piece Concordia which features 2 couples, a fairy variation for Sleeping Beauty (though the entire fairy cast was made up of soloists/corps members and one new principal) -- as far as I've seen. For 2008 Giselle, I suppose the only soloist roles would be 1 of 3 female roles in the pas de cinq or a Willie soloist? Myrtha!! But I can imagine Helgi casting his vision of "Muriels" of this up and coming generation -- the tall women of the company -- so I won't count on anything. Anyhow, I always notice her in a crowd (as a Snowflake or a Swan corps) which is telling. More contemporary pieces this season, but I hope for good roles for CW!

Right, I suppose they filmed several sessions for a reason (why broadcast those performances with troubles)! I've just seen it happen so many times and I also happened to go on a night when they were experiencing a huge number of technical difficulties and the prince was stuck in his jacket at the wrist for 4 minutes. Kochetkova & Karapetyan are a newer but technically superb pair; I wonder if they will make these available for sale...? Wish you could've seen Frances Chung and Jaime Garcia Castilla too -- very beautifully clean dancing with wonderful acting!! They should be another good pair to look out for during the regular season (*fingers crossed that they will be paired*)!!

I had no idea they were broadcasting this production I do agree that Maria Kochetkova is quite lovely; I look forward to seeing more this season. As for Tea, I wonder if you saw Daniel Deivison or Nicolas Blanc? The up and coming Deivison was impressive -- possibly the best -- when I was him this week. Blanc is often casted in this role as well. I also think this entire production is very rushed (the party scene steps are literally too fast for the young dancers) and was surprised to see a lot of kids who are unable to listen to music. The School is so strict, how is this allowed, I wonder?! I really miss the old production, not sure if you've seen it, where the Mother Ginger and her crumblettes were adorable sans bear. The Arabian lost its mysterious allure as well (it's quite obvious she's hiding in the lamp)... but there were changes for the better I suppose (the drosselmyer is less sketchy; redundancies are cut out) but there are problems that have not been fixed considering they continue to have problems (since 2004 or so). The Nutcracker Prince's emergence from his "shell" is particularly worrisome at EVERY SINGLE performance, struggling too long to break free. I wonder why they haven't changed the cuffs. Also, was there a little too much snow towards the end? It looked like a blizzard to me... often times less is more. Thank you Helene for your review

Courtney Wright of SFB should've been promoted to Soloist by now!! The promotions at SFB are strange IMO, I rarely agree with the timing. She's beautiful and we deserve to see her in more prominent roles!!!

While dance is not a sport and there are no statistics to keep track of, wouldn't it be great if we could pick our dancers for a favorite piece? In the real world, I believe this is called a gala organized by powerful people... but if I were to pick: I would LOVE to see Nacho Duato's Romanso with Steven McRae (Royal), Jaime Garcia Castilla (SFB) and Ikolo Griffin (Smuin Ballet). All 3 on one stage would be too much for me to handle; ga-ga!!!

Hello FauxPas, I hesitate to jump in b/c I haven't seen full productions of Sylvia other than Morris'. I read a lot of reviews here and elsewhere of people despising MM -- whoa! But I actually enjoyed it a lot. I thought his story line was very clear and perfectly nuanced. SFB (Tomasson ballets actually) often has too much deliberate miming or acting, but Morris suggests just enough. Of course his Sylvia is a contemporary ballet, though Act III is jam packed with some crazy hard combinations for the main couple (esp Aminta). I wrote a lot for SFB's 2006 Season, though I won't reiterate them here. I actually like Sylvia as a character and Mark Morris had a great approach to it -- developing a strong woman who is true to herself throughout the story. Person and plot, I prefer her to some other heroines ;)

to add a little more... Kitri & Basilio Wow... what a season. I was envisioning this program of DonQ to have possibly two additional couples, so it amazed me that in the end, 3 couples danced 9 shows. I really admire how the dancers shifted and filled in where necessary. I saw the opening nights of each couple, so they may have developed more with their second and third+ shows. Casting-wise, I thought Vanessa Zahorian and Davit Karapetyan were a good pair and technically compatible. There's a lot of room for their character development and I didn't really feel the energy or the chemistry -- in fact I felt just as nervous! Molly Smolen was technically more "on" (I felt Vanessa forced a lot of things/turns on 4/28), but her partnership with Tiit Helimets wasn't perfect either. Molly and Tiit have a different sense of musicality which shows in the minor details department (where Vanessa and Davit were very together musically). I was excited to see this real-life couple on stage, and while the overall energy was better on Sunday (4/29), I found that all four principals danced independently in their own spotlights. As I had felt in the past, there is something really genuine in the partnership that's developed when Tina LeBlanc and Gonzalo Garcia share the stage (5/1). They had great chemistry, acting, and comical timing. Their partnership was truly beautiful--they really SHARED the spotlight, which I liked. I also appreciated the fact that they had worked out some technical partnering glitches on their second show (5/3). Back when Gonzalo and Tina danced Giselle (2005?), there was a general consensus on how Gonzalo portrayed this puppy-love smitten Albrecht. Perhaps this DQ role suited him better and maturity may have factored in, but I found that an additional dimension that was lacking in Gonzalo's Albrecht surfaced in his Basilio. The pretend suicide was possibly the best, quite humorous as I had remembered Baryshnikov's to be (on tape). Their acting was very natural (as was the makeup; GG's was lighter than in the past, it seemed) and I loved every artistic touch they made. I really wish someone would correct Gonzalo's arms (elbow to fingertip), b/c I think his classical dancing would look better. Otherwise they were basically perfect I'll miss their partnership... Queen of Driads: YuanYuan Tan was more or less technically solid in this role, but I felt as if I were witnessing a Prix de Lausanne moment or similar. She executed the variation well and offered minimal context... Her dancing is so beautiful that I want more from her! I was surprised that Muriel Maffre wasn't casted for this role. This variation is not very exciting though since it looks like Lilac Fairy + 6 italian fouettés + Myrtha, after the conventional développé　a la seconde beginning... Cupids: SFB students as Little Cupids were probably the most together of the dancers in the Dream Scene. I want to root for Patricia Perez since her Cupid was sort of close to what I like. I think she shows a lot of promise and would grow with the right corrections. I like her style among the corps. Kitri's friends: Frances Chung and Courtney Wright (different performances/casts) both looked great!! Really love their dancing and artistry. Frances and Dores Andre had some nice moments though like BalletNut said, they were not always together... Great job by : Katita Waldo as Mercedez was a hit for me. She really rocked this role, though I don't see why this couple has to appear in all three acts... the designated music is usually fun though. : James Sofranko as Sancho Panza was super! Nice choice of casting and great acting by James. : Damian Smith's Gamache was hysterical. I love that he didn't over do it. Sometimes you might miss a hand gesture or two, but if you looked over, he was in character throughout the entire 2.5 hours. It was brilliant. : Garret Anderson as the Gypsy lead. I'm not a big fan of this scene, but when they dance it like they mean it, you can't help but watch with conviction. I liked his acting. and he was sympathetic to the gypsy woman... it was nice. : There is little classical ballet required for the non-leads in this production, but when you actually spot a few classical sequences, like the random tidbits of Toreadors, you really do appreciate the fact that dancers like Jaime Garcia Castilla go all out and perform them clean. His training is immaculate.

uh... good call; better for me to say "common in my experience." The beginning of SFB's wedding pdd is the first I've seen danced that way so I thought all others I've seen are traditional. Maybe I've only seen the typical format performed as a gala piece by other companies. I'm used to the [tombee pas de bourrée][pas de chat][pirouette] repeated twice more where SFB cuts it; then the [développé lift][front attitude][soussous][step up en dehors] repeated with chaînés where SFB has an across the floor side by side grand jeté... which doesn't excite me. Also, it's interesting that Vanessa and Tina (I think) go into the lift prior to the fish dive with their backs to the audience... hmmmm.

Muriel's farewell performance on May 6, 2007: 2nd movement from GLASS PIECES (with P-F Vilanoba and corps) pas de deux from AGON (with Tiit Helimets) "The Alaskan Rag" from ELITE SYNCOPATIONS (with James Sofranko) == intermission == THE DYING SWAN pas de deux from CONTINUUM (w/ Damian Smith) part I from ARTIFACT SUITE (w/ PFV & Kristin/Pascal and corps) The name escapes me, but my most memorable piece of Muriel's is a duet performed at the 2005 gala... the music was electronic(?) and she was spectacular... wish I could have see that again. Muriel has always had such a wonderful stage presence. When she appeared, she really pulled the set and the production together; her distinct aura/presence is truly irreplaceable. She is such a deep, thoughtful, and interesting person/artist. As much as I will miss her at the Opera House, I look forward to her upcoming involvement in the arts! (I found her to be a captivating speaker when I heard her speak recently.)

Thanks for that comment! I think DonQ itself is a good full length for SFB (its energy and characters/dancing required), but this particular version (Gorsky and Petipa plus Tomasson/Possokhov) can use a lot more "remodeling". The transitions aren't smooth, especially in Act 1, where we just move from one set of dancers to the next, often in a cut and paste style. and I don't want a master of ceremonies to fill the space either... just some choreography to accentuate the adjacent variations and allow the story to flow better. I like the pdd but the juxtoposition with the tone of gypsy woman's solo is perplexing in Act 2. I haven't seen enough different DQs, but is there a better version out there that would suit SFB? I have issues with this DQ production obviously, but SFB's showcase of the classics is so limited as it is, and I'm not sure if larger scale ballets like Le Corsaire or La Bayadere are possible, which is why I keep going back to see their DQ. I also prefer the traditional choreography for the Act 3 pdd, but I am a viewer that goes nuts at the end of a good show -- as was my case with the main couples in the past like Lorena Feijoo/Joan Boada and Tina LeBlanc/Gennadi Nedvigin -- which is why they keep bringing it back Sorry for the tangent; I'll post my comments from DQ 2007 once I ward off reviewer's fatigue... Quiggin - such an eloquent and nice comment for Gonzalo

Have you read Rachel Howard’s review in SFChronicle re: the midseason slump? She captured my sentiments precisely. I really appreciated her honest critique. I must add that the slump doesn't refer to the dancing, it's more on piece selection/programs as a whole. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c...ype=performance While her review was about Program 6 (On Common Ground, Night, Rodeo), I found it applicable to Program 7 as well (Elemental Brubeck, Concordia, Symphony in C). Rodeo is a fun, crowd-pleasing piece to end a program, so I won’t comment on it; it suits SFB well, I think. And I’ll skip Symphony in C... but the world premiers were absolutely ghastly though please feel free to disagree. In order of personal preference (and I didn’t see multiple casts) here are my thoughts: Night – I remember being excited about this when it premiered years ago, but couldn’t remember much from it. This year, I liked it fine thanks to Tina LeBlanc who was absolutely stunning and beautiful; I love classical dancers who are just as technically superb in contemporary pieces. The remaining cast I saw was an inexperienced group (mostly corps, as opposed to the world premier when most roles were headed by veteran soloists and principals) and the group’s dancing needed a lot more work and polish. I love Tina. Elemental Brubeck -- Thanks artist for your comments on Rory Hohenstein in Brubeck; I wanted to see him, but couldn’t make it to his shows. This is a very “American” piece by Lubovitch, just flowy and dancy though not a complex piece. I see why audience members tend to eat this up, but for me, Brubeck went on a little too long. The dancers looked very comfortable and great, especially Gonzalo Garcia, Matthew Stewart, Rory, and Frances Chung. Concordia -- was rather disappointing. It was well danced and poorly choreographed. By this far into the season, I’m tired of contemporary pieces like this if it doesn’t offer something unique or new (like Eden/Eden). The classical/contemporary juxtaposition was too literal. But... after seeing Tomasson’s premier, this piece is bearable. On Common Ground -- I felt bad for the dancers in this piece. The choreography is not at all captivating and I question the motivation behind this piece. Perhaps I should read the program notes. This piece shall be awarded the worst Tomasson piece and the worst of the season. Yes, that bad. He picked some top principal dancers for this piece (Tina, Lorena, Davit; I didn’t see Joan) who are always interesting to watch, and Tina drew me in slightly with her dancing in a duet with Ruben, but otherwise it was a painful experience. Costume and scenic designs by Woodall were questionable as well, but perhaps it matched the piece. I wish I could be more positive...

Program 5 (I agree with much of BalletNut's review above) I generally like Morris' works, but Pacific is not his best and SFB dancers don't look good in it. This piece should get rid of the pointe shoes and be all-out modern, as triplets should be done on flat/bare. I especially don't like the arms, as when the women have clock-like straight arms in diagonal as they traverse en pointe since they look stiff and awkward. Those parts would have more flexibility/mobility/expansion if the dancers are not on pointe. Rory Hohenstein was the only one who rocked this piece. There are a few repeated phrases that can look awkward: 1) this "strike a G" pose where they slide with their legs in second, plie, and jerk into a "side bend contraction" with the bottom elbow bent, 2) the hopping a la seconde sequence with this ronde jambe en l'aire that ends with a side neck jerk before turning, and 3) the recurring bent elbowed arms in front of your face. Rory has the right amount of natural stiffness in his upper body that makes 1, 2, and other flowy movements (undulating upper body and arm that accompany low developes) look so comfortable and fitting on him. He really made the G phrase interesting to watch. I'm glad he was the lead blue skirt man. Carousel is a fine piece that looks good on SFB. This would also make a good gala piece, as it did for NYCB (program notes). I'm not crazy about 5th Season, though I was pleasantly surprised at two things now that I see it a second time--that Tomasson doesn't overuse the corp and is consistent in assigning the music to certain groups/couples (his tendencies in full production ballets). I saw the same cast as last year on 3/17 (sat eve) and it was exactly as I'd remembered: mediocre and nothing to get excited about. The only take home message was that YuanYuan, partnered by Tiit, really milks her movements in the Largo and made me realize how much she has mastered the art of making Tomasson's choreography look interesting. She makes you watch her. My major annoyance with this piece is the Tango--this is possibly the most UNSEXY tango I have ever experienced. Don't get me wrong, I usually don't care for things to be sexy, but a tango MUST be sexy, sultry. Both the choreography and dancing (of two recently promoted principals...) need work. Then I saw a slightly different cast (Lorena/Davit in place of Katita/Gonzalo) on 3/21 and went ga-ga! Now THEY were HOT. They were so intense from the opening number, I couldn't take my eyes off them. They exude such intensity and emotion, it was fun to watch, and their dancing made the (one drastic) lighting (cued at a dramatic musical phrase as the opening couple blast off stage) quite effective. They had such great chemistry and partnership in their duet as well. Lorena and Davit make a great pair b/c they are both technically solid and equally expressive. Fancy Free is a fun piece to end the night. All three casts (Pascal/Garrett/Gonzalo; BenS/Rory/Ruben; MattS/James/Davit) had their good moments. I hope SFB adds it to their regular repertoire so the dancers can develop it more.