sf_herminator

Boston Ballet's Artistic Director is Mikko Nissinen (https://www.bostonballet.org/Home/The-Company/Board-Staff/Mikko-Nissinen.aspx). He was a Principal Dancer at SFB for 10 years. So I just went through my old programs and pulled a couple from 2002. The apprentices that season were Jaime Garcia Castilla, Margaret Karl, Misa Kuranaga, Jonathan Mangosing, and Mariellen Olson. Misa is the only apprentice who did not become a Corps De Ballet member the following year.

I am going to guess Sasha DeSola. In her Meet the Artist interview (unfortunately podcast not on the website at the moment) she was asked if there were any of the Unbound pieces that she wasn't a part of but would like to dance. She said Anima Animus. I am trying to remember who else has shared roles with Masha.

and the website has been updated with Mr. Robison (just scroll down a bit): https://www.sfballet.org/artists/dancers/principals his bio: https://www.sfballet.org/artists/dancers/aaron_robison

Stern Grove 7/29: The ballet's website has not been updated (https://www.sfballet.org/season/tour), but the Stern Grove website has the afternoon's program posted (http://www.sterngrove.org/july-29-2018/) Serenade, Choreographed by George Balanchine, Music Composed by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Bluebird Pas De Deux from The Sleeping Beauty, Choreographed by Helgi Tomasson after Marius Petipa, Music Composed by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Letting Go Pas De Deux from The Infinite Ocean, Choreography by Edwaard Liang, Music Composed by Oliver Davis Tarantella, Choreography by George Balanchine, Music by Louis Moreau Gottschalk Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes, Choreographed by Justin Peck, Music Composed by Aaron Copland (Program is subject to change. Casting is TBA) Interestingly, the first and last pieces are from this season's Program 2. I thought it was wonderful in that the first piece highlighted the women and the second piece highlighted the men. For Tarantella, I am hoping for Angelo and either Frances or Sasha. For Bluebird - fingers crossed for Wona Park and Wei Wang.

BINGO!! The programs for the Kennedy Center performances have been announced: Program A: McIntyre's Your Flesh Shall Be A Great Poem, Wheeldon's Bound To, and Dawson's Anima Animus Program B: Liang's The Infinite Ocean, Marston's Snowblind, Peck's Hurry Up We're Dreaming SF Ballet link: https://www.sfballet.org/season/tour Kennedy Center Link: http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/event/BTBSF Also interesting to note: For the 2019 Season, Program 6 has been revised. Arthur Pita's Bjork Ballet replaces Edwaard Liang's The Infinite Ocean. https://www.sfballet.org/season/2019-repertory/2019-Program-06

At the Sunday 5/6 performance of Unbound A, James Sofranko took his final bow following Alonzo King's The Collective Agreement (opening piece on the program). He was the last to take a bow. His son came out and presented him with a bouquet, then promptly ran off the stage. Helgi Tomasson presented him with flowers and a bottle of bubbly (at least I think it was) I will miss his presence, but he will still be around as SF Danceworks will be performing in June for their third season - http://www.sfdanceworks.org/.

Unbound works have been added (https://www.sfballet.org/season/2019-season) - here are the details (only listing mixed rep programs): Program 2: Balanchine's Divertimento No. 15, Millepied's Appassionata, Dawson's Anima Animus Program 3: Tomasson's The Fifth Season, Marston's Snowblind, Lander's Etudes Program 5: McIntyre's Your Flesh Shall Be a Great Poem, Wheeldon's Bound To, Yuri Possokhov World Premiere Program 6: Liang's The Infinite Ocean, Liam Scarlett World Premiere, Peck's Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes

Not yet - I just checked the 2019 Season section on the website (https://www.sfballet.org/season/2019-season) and the slots are still listed as Encore Work TBA. Maybe it will be updated when the works that will be taken to DC in the fall are announced. UPDATE: Unbound works have been added - here are the details (only listing mixed rep programs) Program 2: Balanchine's Divertimento No. 15, Millepied's Appassionata, Dawson's Anima Animus Program 3: Tomasson's The Fifth Season, Marston's Snowblind, Lander's Etudes Program 5: McIntyre's Your Flesh Shall Be a Great Poem, Wheeldon's Bound To, Yuri Possokhov World Premiere Program 6: Liang's The Infinite Ocean, Liam Scarlett World Premiere, Peck's Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes

True, but perhaps since his Rodeo-Four Dance Episodes is returning next year the thought was only one Peck could return??? I agree that Hurry Up We're Dreaming could appear in DC - and it could also come back to SF in 2020. To be honest, I was not exactly thrilled with it on the first view but it grew on me in successive viewings.

San Francisco Ballet will once again perform this summer at the Festival Napa Valley and the Stern Grove Festival on Friday 7/27 and Sunday 7/29, respectively. Programming has yet to be announced, but here is the link on the website: https://www.sfballet.org/season/tour.

(I will also post this in the Unbound thread) I received an email reminder to renew by subscription for 2019. In the email, the five returning Unbound pieces are named. They are (drum roll, please): Anima Animus (David Dawson) The Infinite Ocean (Edwaard Liang) Snowblind (Cathy Marston) Your Flesh Shall Be a Great Poem (Trey McIntyre) Bound To (Christopher Wheeldon) I was confident Bound To & Anima Animus would return. I was hoping The Infinite Ocean would also return. Flesh was on my wishlist as I did not think it would return. And although Snowblind is a great vehicle for the three leads, I wasn't sure that it would return. I do hope that some of the other pieces will return some time in the future. Lastly, although the returning Unbound pieces have been announced, the 2019 Season has not been updated as to which programs they will appear. Additionally, I receive a reminder robocall to renew my subscription. The message was from Principal Dancer Sasha De Sola and Corps de Ballet Dancer/Choreographer Myles Thatcher 😃

(I will also post this in the 2019 Season thread) I received an email reminder to renew by subscription for 2019. In the email, the five returning Unbound pieces are named. They are (drum roll, please): Anima Animus (David Dawson) The Infinite Ocean (Edwaard Liang) Snowblind (Cathy Marston) Your Flesh Shall Be a Great Poem (Trey McIntyre) Bound To (Christopher Wheeldon) I was confident Bound To & Anima Animus would return. I was hoping The Infinite Ocean would also return. Flesh was on my wishlist as I did not think it would return. And although Snowblind is a great vehicle for the three leads, I wasn't sure that it would return. I do hope that some of the other pieces will return some time in the future.

Tonight's Meet the Artist interview at 7:00 PM will be with Justin Peck, choreographer of tonight's last piece Hurry Up, We're Dreaming. https://www.sfballet.org/explore/meet-the-artists

Opening night casting for Unbound D has been posted (https://www.sfballet.org/season/casting) UNBOUND D Thursday, April 26, 2018 - 7:30 pm THE INFINITE OCEAN Choreography: Edwaard Liang Music: Oliver Davis Conductor: Martin West Violin: Heeguen Song Sofiane Sylve*, Tiit Helimets* Yuan Yuan Tan*, Vitor Luiz* LET'S BEGIN AT THE END Choreography: Dwight Rhoden Music: CJohann Sebastian Bach, Philip Glass, and Michael Nyman Conductor: David Briskin Piano: Mariya Borozina, Natal'ya Feygina Frances Chung*, Angelo Greco* Esteban Hernandez* Sasha De Sola*, Benjamin Freemantle* Jennifer Stahl*, Ulrik Birkkjaer* BJÖRK BALLET Choreography: Arthur Pita Music: Björk Gudmundsdottir and Sjón Conductor: Martin West Maria Kochetkova*, Dores André*, Sarah Van Patten* Wei Wang*, Luke Ingham*, Ulrik Birkkjaer* *denotes premiere in ballet Casting subject to change

Opening night casting for Unbound C has been posted (https://www.sfballet.org/season/casting) UNBOUND C Tuesday, April 24, 2018 - 7:30 pm BESPOKE Choreography: Stanton Welch Music: Johann Sebastian Bach Conductor: David Briskin Violin: Cordula Merks Mathilde Froustey*, Frances Chung*, Jennifer Stahl*, Sasha De Sola*, Isabella DeVivo*, Ellen Rose Hummel* Carlo Di Lanno*, Angelo Greco*, Jaime Garcia Castilla*, Esteban Hernandez*, Alexandre Cagnat*, Lonnie Weeks* YOUR FLESH SHALL BE A GREAT POEM Choreography: Trey McIntyre Music: Chris Garneau Benjamin Freemantle* Frances Chung*, Sasha De Sola*, Jennifer Stahl* Steven Morse*, Jaime Garcia Castilla*, Alexandre Cagnat*, Esteban Hernandez*, Lonnie Weeks* GUERNICA Choreography: Annabelle Lopez Ochoa Music: Joe Andrews, Michel Banabila, Tom Halstead, and Charles Valentin-Alkan Piano: Ronny Michael Greenberg Dores André*, Vitor Luiz* Julia Rowe*, Myles Thatcher* *denotes premiere in ballet Casting subject to change

Opening night casting for Unbound B has been posted (https://www.sfballet.org/season/casting) UNBOUND B Saturday, April 21, 2018 - 8 pm OTHERNESS Choreography: Myles Thatcher Music: John Adams Conductor: Martin West Max Cauthorn*, Sean Orza* SNOWBLIND Choreography: Cathy Marston Music: Amy Beach, Philip Feeney, Arthur Foote, and Arvo Pärt Conductor: David Briskin Ethan Frome: Ulrik Birkkjaer* Zeena Frome: Sarah Van Patten* Mattie Silver: Mathilde Froustey* ANIMA ANIMUS Choreography: David Dawson Music: Ezio Bosso Maria Kochetkova*, Sofiane Sylve* Henry Sidford*, Carlo Di Lanno*, Luke Ingham*, Wei Wang* Elizabeth Powell*, Skyla Schreter*, Kamryn Baldwin*, Elizabeth Mateer* Casting is subject to change * denotes premiere in ballet

Opening night casting for Unbound A has been posted (https://www.sfballet.org/season/casting) UNBOUND A Friday, April 20, 2018 - 8 pm THE COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT Choreography: Alonzo King Music: Jason Moran Conductor: Martin West Sofiane Sylve*, Tiit Helimets* Jahna Frantziskonis*, Joseph Warton* BOUND TO© Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon Music: Keaton Henson Conductor: David Briskin Frances Chung*, Sasha De Sola*, Isabella DeVivo*, Jennifer Stahl*, Yuan Yuan Tan* Jaime Garcia Castilla*, Carlo Di Lanno*, Benjamin Freemantle*, Angelo Greco*, Lonnie Weeks* HURRY UP, WE'RE DREAMING Choreography: Justin Peck Music: Anthony Gonzalez, Yann Gonzalez, Bradley Laner, and Justin Meldal-Johnsen Dores André*, Wei Wang* Sarah Van Patten*, Luke Ingham* Gabriela Gonzalez*, Ulrik Birkkjaer* Casting is subject to change * denotes premiere in ballet

From the SFB FB page:

Slight change to casting on Friday - Evan McKie replaces Ben Rudisin as Diaghilev (Ben is still dancing the role on Sunday) - https://www.sfballet.org/season/casting Friday, April 6, 2018 – 8 pm Choreography: John Neumeier Music: Frédéric Chopin, Robert Schumann, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and Dmitri Shostakovich Conductor: David Briskin Vaslav Nijinsky: Guillaume Côté Romola Nijinsky: Xiao Nan Yu Serge Diaghilev: Evan McKie Also, six of the company's dancers trained at San Francisco Ballet School

Another promo from their FB page: Also, Nite Out returns tonight - hosted by Corps de Ballet dancers Myles Thatcher & Solomon Golding

I thought the same thing. I am hoping for another announcement for women sometime during the Unbound festival - perhaps after the last program (Unbound D) premieres?

There are five 'Encore Work TBA' spots. If there are only four pieces to be from Unbound, could the fifth spot be for one of Robbins pieces (The Cage or Fancy Free)??? Also makes me wonder if there are only four Unbound pieces coming back in 2019, will any of the other eight come back in the future? I would think at least two of the eight would come back if 6 will be part of the Kennedy Center performances in the fall. In the 2008 New Works Festival, there were 10 pieces made and 6 came back in 2009 but the other 4 have not been seen since.

On their Facebook page, it has been announced that Wei Wang has been promoted to Principal Dancer and Benjamin Freemantle & Lonnie Weeks have been promoted to Soloist. These changes are effective next season: Congratulations to these gentlemen. They have been spectacular this season, especially in this week's Robbins program. Wei danced in both Opus 19: The Dreamer and Other Dances. Benjamin danced Sailor #2 (or the pas de deux sailor) in Fancy Free, Lonnie was Intruder #1 in The Cage and Sailor #3 (mambo sailor) in Fancy Free. Exciting news leading into the Unbound Festival. Well deserved!!!

Some pics from Mathilde Froustey's IG.... Getting ready for Opus 19: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgl6tfznZGQ/?taken-by=lapetitefrench_ Dancing in another Robbins piece in Paris (and hoping it will return to the War Memorial Opera House stage very soon): https://www.instagram.com/p/BgSPT3inogF/?taken-by=lapetitefrench_