sf_herminator

Actually, Larissa has joined the faculty of the San Francisco Ballet School: https://www.sfballet.org/artist/larissa-ponomarenko/ Announcement on FB: Welcome Larissa, Jason, and Viktor!!

As a proud ballet volunteer, I received an email with the announcement that there will be no live Nutcracker performances this year. The reason is the San Francisco War memorial and Performing Arts Center has decided to keep its venues closed for public performances through December 31, 2020. Link on website: https://www.sfballet.org/nutcracker-announcement/ Message on website: San Francisco Ballet regretfully announces there will be no live performances of Nutcracker this year. The Company's decision comes in the wake of continued restrictions posed by COVID-19 pandemic and closure of the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center to audiences through December 31, 2020. This doesn't mean that Nutcracker won't be part of your holidays—with your help, we can imagine other Nutcracker offerings and activities to keep this tradition alive. "Nutcracker is a tradition that I look forward to each year," says Artistic Director and Principal Choreographer Helgi Tomasson. "Even though we will not be able to experience Nutcracker in person this year due to the health crisis, I know San Francisco Ballet will be a part of the Bay Area’s holiday tradition, maybe digitally or through other creative avenues. Perhaps all of this will make our reunion next year all the more special." Executive Director Kelly Tweeddale says, “San Francisco Ballet experienced a record number of people—over one and a half million—streaming and accessing content as part of the SF Ballet @ Home platform created shortly after the San Francisco shelter-in-place order closed our performance venue. We are exploring options and working with our artists and our digital archives to see what might be possible. Being able to continue the Nutcracker tradition, especially in a digital environment, would be an apt reflection of our community." San Francisco Ballet presented America's first complete performance of Nutcracker in 1944. And today, SF Ballet's Nutcracker is enjoyed by over 75,000 people each December. Every dancer in the Company dances in it, along with 160 students from SF Ballet School to perform roles as Clara, Fritz, snowflakes, waltzing flowers, mice, and more. "I know it is a great disappointment for the students not to be able to perform in Nutcracker," says SF Ballet School Director Patrick Armand. “It is such a wonderful opportunity for them to perform on stage with the Company, and something that our School families look forward to as part of the holiday celebration each season. At this time we must put their health and well-being as the first priority, but we will look forward to being back together in our beautiful theater when we can.” Nutcracker is also a herculean undertaking for San Francisco Ballet’s volunteer groups. In 2018, BRAVO (Ballet Resource and Volunteer Association) volunteers logged 4,200 hours of work on Nutcracker—a record for the group, which boasts over 300 members and dates to 1976. BRAVO typically provides support backstage, in the Ballet Shop, at Family Performances, and much more throughout Nutcracker's run. We invite the public to participate in a survey to share thoughts and ideas on how we can come together and continue the tradition of Nutcracker in our homes and in our community this year. More information regarding plans for digital offerings of Nutcracker and virtual events in December 2020 will be shared as they become available. We encourage you to visit our sfballet.org, sign-up for E-news, and follow us on social media for the latest news. Please take the survey. It doesn't take more than 5 minutes. On a personal note, I am disappointed as this would be my fifth season as a volunteer. However, I understand why there will be no performances and hope they will be able to proceed with the season planned for 2021.

From their FB page: ABT will pick up where New York City Ballet left off with the next part of 'Sequentia'. This will premiere tomorrow. You can get a reminder from the YouTube link:

From their FB page - a video in tribute to the artists leaving the company at the end of this season:

Gala is still up (for now) - I also posted this in the 2020 Gala Thread: The Opening Night Gala is still available for viewing. It was going to be up util 11:59 PM last night, but that has been removed (for now) and can be seen on the SFB site, YT, FB, and IGTV. Links as follows: SFB Site: https://www.sfballet.org/sf-ballet-home/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1byNQHeIBw&t=4815s FB: https://www.facebook.com/27923251292/videos/205300877368132 Instagram TV (in 2 parts): Part 1: https://www.instagram.com/p/CCERyuOnkiK/ Part 2: https://www.instagram.com/p/CCEXc9yHtDC/ At 'Intermission', there is a new piece created on Yuan Yuan Tan by Yuri Possokhov. On Instagram, it is a separate video: https://www.instagram.com/p/CCEW4VRn6xg/ Please go watch while it is available - and donate if you are able 🙂.

I will also post in #FlashbackFriday: The Opening Night Gala is still available for viewing. It was going to be up util 11:59 PM last night, but that has been removed (for now) and can be seen on the SFB site, YT, FB, and IGTV. Links as follows: SFB Site: https://www.sfballet.org/sf-ballet-home/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1byNQHeIBw&t=4815s FB: https://www.facebook.com/27923251292/videos/205300877368132 Instagram TV (in 2 parts): Part 1: https://www.instagram.com/p/CCERyuOnkiK/ Part 2: https://www.instagram.com/p/CCEXc9yHtDC/ At 'Intermission', there is a new piece created on Yuan Yuan Tan by Yuri Possokhov. On Instagram, it is a separate video: https://www.instagram.com/p/CCEW4VRn6xg/ Please go watch while it is available - and donate if you are able 🙂.

Initial thoughts: Only 7 programs instead of the usual 8. Excited that most of the cancelled programs will be returning next year. The only ones not coming back are Millepied's Appassionata & Possokhov's Classical Symphony - but his Swimmer makes a most welcome return in Program 1. Interesting that all the full-lengths will be in the second half of the season. Also, no performances in April and most of May. Perhaps to rehearse the last two programs (Swan Lake & Romeo & Juliet)? Although I am happy to see Swan Lake again, it has been years since we've seen Giselle. It was last performed in 2015. New works from Myles Thatcher, Danielle Rowe (her first, not including the gala pieces), and Mark Morris. To celebrate the 90th Season in 2023, a New Works Festival. Wonder how many new works there will be and which choreographers will be involved.

Press Release: https://www.sfballet.org/discover/press-center/press-releases/release/san-francisco-ballet-announces-2021-repertory-season-leap-of-faith/ SAN FRANCISCO BALLET ANNOUNCES 2021 REPERTORY SEASON “LEAP OF FAITH” Season includes world premieres by Cathy Marston (Mrs. Robinson), Mark Morris, Danielle Rowe, and Myles Thatcher; and the West Coast premiere of ABT co-commission The Seasons by Alexei Ratmansky Balanchine works include A Midsummer Night’s Dream and evening-length Jewels Helgi Tomasson’s Swan Lake and Romeo & Juliet close the Season SF Ballet announces new works festival to mark 90th Anniversary Season in 2023 San Francisco, CA, June 18, 2020–Artistic Director and Principal Choreographer Helgi Tomasson announces programming for the 2021 Repertory Season, scheduled to open January 19 and run through June 27. The theme of the season is “Leap of Faith,” an invitation to the community amidst the uncertainty of the months ahead, and a commitment by the Company to present a complete season, whether it is offered in the War Memorial Opera House, online, or a combination of both. The seven-program season features four world premieres and one West Coast premiere over the first three programs between January 19 and February 22, followed by Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream March 5–14 and Jewels March 25–31, and closing with Helgi Tomasson’s Swan Lake May 28–June 6 and Romeo & Juliet June 18–27. A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo & Juliet return after being curtailed last season due to the health pandemic. Commissions include new works by Bay Area choreographer Danielle Rowe, San Francisco Ballet Soloist Myles Thatcher, and Mark Morris, as well as two new works previously scheduled for the 2020 Season: Mrs. Robinson by Cathy Marston and American Ballet Theatre co-commission The Seasons by Alexei Ratmansky. The season also features the return of Dwight Rhoden’s LET’S BEGIN AT THE END, originally created for the Unbound festival in 2018, as well as Yuri Possokhov’s Swimmer, Tomasson’s 7 for Eight, and David Dawson’s Anima Animus, among others. “We connect, we partner, and we embrace; that is what ballet is all about,” says Artistic Director and Principal Choreographer Helgi Tomasson. “As we launch the 2021 Season during a tumultuous yet critical moment in our history, I am reminded that now more than ever, we need the beauty and healing power of art in our lives. The upcoming season features five premieres: newly commissioned works by Bay Area choreographers Danielle Rowe and our own soloist Myles Thatcher, Mark Morris, Mrs. Robinson by Cathy Marston, and the SF Ballet premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s The Seasons. I’m also bringing back Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Jewels, in addition to my own productions of Swan Lake and Romeo & Juliet. While it is a season requiring resiliency as we navigate our path forward, it is also a season of innovation and tradition that showcases the continued diversity, artistry, and excellence of our Company. I look forward to reconnecting with our audiences and community as we enter a new era.” Executive Director Kelly Tweeddale stated: “With the immediate future of live performance and large gatherings still unclear, we want to be realistic and prudent. We are committed to moving forward with creating the 2021 Repertory Season for our dancers and audiences in the safest and most sensitive way possible. This means not only strict adherence to state and local health protocols, but also remaining flexible and responsive to the ongoing needs and concerns of our public. With scheduling considerations and knowing our return to the stage will be complex, we have planned seven programs January through June 2021 to allow agility in our evolving environment. Helgi and I are calling this our “Leap of Faith” season as we invite patrons to join us as we keep ballet viable in our community. Even though we don’t know today what the future holds, we ask our community to join us as we say ‘yes’ to supporting the arts, ‘yes’ to the future of the Ballet, and ‘yes’ to change and innovation.” 2023 New Works Festival San Francisco Ballet has begun artistic planning for a new works festival in 2023 during its 90thanniversary season. The festival will further the spirit of innovation set in motion during the 2018 Unbound festival and will represent diverse voices in ballet. “SF Ballet’s 90th anniversary will be a fitting year to continue the momentum of celebrating diversity and innovation we saw during Unbound,” says Helgi Tomasson. “The Unbound festival showed us what is possible when choreographers are given full autonomy to push boundaries. Now, when our artform desperately needs hope and diverse voices, a festival like this is more crucial than ever. To me it is both important to work with choreographers who have a good understanding of the classical ballet vocabulary, and also thrilling to see how they can stretch and challenge those traditions in ways that we’ve never thought of before. What audiences can look forward to in 2023 is both discovering emerging choreographers and seeing works by those who are new to SF Ballet.” Nutcracker 2020 and Special Events San Francisco Ballet is awaiting further clarity from the City of San Francisco regarding health and safety guidelines for public performance venues, currently scheduled to be released later this summer. SF Ballet’s Nutcracker, annual Opening Night Gala, and other special events will be determined and announced to the public as more information becomes available. Subscription and Single Tickets Principal series subscribers in the 2020 Season can renew their subscription packages now. Three, five, and seven program subscription packages to SF Ballet’s 2021 Repertory Season range in price from $69 to $2,275 and go on sale to the public in early fall. Individual tickets for SF Ballet’s 2021 Repertory Season, starting at $29, will be available at a later date in fall 2020. Visit sfballet.org or call Ticket Services, Monday through Friday, 10 am to 4 pm at 415-865-2000. 2021 REPERTORY SEASON 2021 SEASON VIDEO TRAILER Program 01, January 19–30 The historic 2021 Season opens with two mixed-repertory programs, which include three world premieres—by Danielle Rowe, Myles Thatcher, and Mark Morris—running in rotation. Opening January 19, Program 01 begins with a world premiere by Myles Thatcher. In 2015, Thatcher, who is now a Soloist in the Company, became the first corps de ballet member in at least three decades to choreograph a new work for SF Ballet’s subscription season. He’s since created four additional works for the Company, including Ghost in the Machine in 2017, for which he was deemed an “inventive young talent” (Dance Tabs). SF Ballet will also present a world premiere by Danielle Rowe—her first Repertory Season commission for the Company—on Program 01. In 2019, Rowe created UnSaid for SF Ballet’s Opening Night Gala, after which it toured with the Company to the 2019 Ballet Sun Valley Festival in Idaho. Rowe has created many multimedia works—including Fury, a “concert experience” inspired by Mad Max: Fury Road—and ballets for film. She lives in San Francisco and is the former associate artistic director of SFDanceworks. Program 01 closes with SF Ballet’s Choreographer in Residence Yuri Possokhov’s Swimmer, a smash hit at its premiere in 2015. Swimmer is set to music by SF Ballet Orchestra double bassist Shinji Eshima, who incorporates recorded songs by Tom Waits and others into his score. Inspired by John Cheever’s short story of the same name from 1964, Swimmer includes animated projections by Kate Duhamel, costumes by Mark Zappone, scenic design by Alexander V. Nichols, and lighting design by David Finn. Program 02, January 21–31 Program 02 opens on January 21 with Helgi Tomasson’s 7 for Eight from 2004, an “exceptionally musical Bach essay” (San Francisco Chronicle) highlighting a series of solo and ensemble numbers for eight dancers and set to portions of keyboard concertos by the composer. 7 for Eight includes black-on-black costume designs by Sandra Woodall and lighting designs by David Finn. It was last seen at SF Ballet in the 2016 Season. Program 02 continues with a world premiere by Mark Morris, “the most successful and influential choreographer alive, and indisputably the most musical” (The New York Times). The premiere is Morris’s first commission for the Company since 2012, and the eighth ballet he has created for SF Ballet—more new works than he’s created for any other company. Program 02 closes with David Dawson’s Anima Animus, the choreographer’s first commission for SF Ballet, created for the Unbound festival in 2018. Set to the music of Ezio Bosso, Anima Animus is, as Dawson puts it, “physically emotional virtuosity combined to make something human,” playing on Jungian concepts to reveal the rich contrasts between male and female psyches. Anima Animus toured with SF Ballet to Sadler’s Wells Theatre in 2019 and was “easily one of the highlights” (Seeing Dance) of the Company’s four-program London performances. Program 03, February 16–21 Dwight Rhoden’s LET’S BEGIN AT THE END opens Program 03. Created for Unbound in 2018, LET’S BEGIN AT THE END is set to music by Bach, Philip Glass, and Michael Nyman and was hailed for its “off-kilter moves, spinning promenades in arabesque and consistent drive” (Bachtrack) at its premiere. Rhoden is co-artistic director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet; LET’S BEGIN AT THE END is his first work created for SF Ballet. Program 03 continues with the world premiere of Cathy Marston’s Mrs. Robinson, inspired by the 1960s American novella and film The Graduate and re-told from the perspective of Mrs. Robinson, one of America’s most notorious seductresses. Terry Davies creates an original score for the ballet, with scenic and costume designs created by Patrick Kinmonth and lighting designs by Jim French. Mrs. Robinson is Marston’s second commission for the Company; her first, Snowblind, premiered during Unbound in 2018. The West Coast premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s The Seasons, a co-commission between SF Ballet and American Ballet Theatre, concludes Program 03. Like Mrs. Robinson, The Seasons was originally scheduled to premiere at SF Ballet in the 2020 Season. The Seasons uses the score of the same name by Alexander Glazunov and includes costumes by Robert Perdziola that give life to the ballet’s 14 characters, including Winter, Frost, The Rose, The Spirit of The Corn, Bacchus and Bacchantes. The Seasons is the ninth of Ratmansky’s ballets in SF Ballet’s repertory and is a reimagining of Maurice Petipa’s ballet from 1900. Program 04, March 5–14 George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream returns on Friday, March 5 for Program 04. Balanchine’s full-length ballet received one performance in the 2020 Season before shelter-in-place orders went into effect. Pairing a “seamless combination of acting and dancing” and “nail-biting” solos that result in “near-constant applause” (San Francisco Chronicle), the production features more than 100 roles in all, including 14 leading parts and a cast of 25 children. Midsummer’s woodland scenes and costumes are designed by Tony Award–winner Martin Pakledinaz, a longtime SF Ballet collaborator whose work can be seen in the Company’s productions of Nutcracker and Don Quixote, with lighting designed by Randall G. Chiarelli. Midsummer’s cast of fairies, mortals, bugs, and mismatched lovers is set to music by Felix Mendelssohn, and SF Ballet’s 10 performances will feature Volti, a San Francisco-based chorus, performing with the SF Ballet Orchestra throughout the run. Program 05, March 25–31 George Balanchine’s plotless, evening-length ballet Jewels opens Program 05 on March 25, returning to the Company after a more than ten-year absence. Called “a perfect introduction to ballet” (The New York Times), Jewels is inspired by the artistry of jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels and includes three ballets: Emeralds, Rubies, and Diamonds, with costume designs by Karinska and lighting designs by Ronald Bates. Emeralds alludes to the 19th-century dances of French Romantics and is set to excerpts from Fauré’s Pelléas et Mélisande and Shylock. Rubies is a feat of athleticism, set to the modernist, American jazz-inspired Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra by Stravinsky. Diamonds invokes memories of Imperial Russia in a grand and formal display of classical ballet, set to Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 3 in D major. Program 06, May 28–June 6 Called “a runaway box office hit” at its premiere in 2009, Helgi Tomasson’s Swan Lake opens Program 06 on May 28, with performances through June 6. The story of the white swan Odette and Prince Siegfried and their foils, the black swan Odile and Von Rothbart, is brought to life with set and costume designs by Tony Award–winner Jonathan Fensom; lighting by Jennifer Tipton; projection design by Sven Ortel; hair, wig, and makeup design by Michael Ward; and the timeless score by Tchaikovsky, playing out over a prologue and three acts. Swan Lake offers standout roles for the corps of 30 swans and Odette/Odile, with her surprising 32 fouettés in the third act. San Francisco Ballet presented America’s first full-length production of Swan Lake in 1940, and this production of Swan Lake is Tomasson’s second; the ballet is not only a classic of the repertory, but an integral part of San Francisco Ballet’s history. It was last seen in the 2017 Repertory Season. Program 07, June 18–27 Helgi Tomasson’s Romeo & Juliet closes the 2021 Repertory Season. Another signature work of the Company, Romeo & Juliet premiered during SF Ballet’s 1994 Repertory Season and is set to Sergei Prokofiev’s score. The full-length production features lighting design by Thomas R. Skelton and “opulent” (Los Angeles Times) Italian Renaissance designs by Jens-Jacob Worsaae. Included in Romeo & Juliet are the intricate and exhilarating sword-fighting scenes, which Martino Pistone choreographed in tandem with Tomasson. True to the era, characters fight with rapiers, daggers, and bucklers in tightly choreographed scenes requiring hours of rehearsal. Romeo & Juliet inaugurated Lincoln Center at the Movies: Great American Dance in 2015, when it was shown at cinemas nationwide. The ballet has been performed live at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Bolshoi Theatre (balcony pas de deux), and Segerstrom Center for the Arts. SF Ballet most recently performed Romeo & Juliet on tour at The Royal Danish Opera House in Copenhagen, Denmark, October 30–November 2, 2019.

Today's #FlashbackFriday at 2:30 PM PDT is Christopher Wheeldon's Bound To, which premiered during 2018's Unbound Festival. Here is the link from their YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfBbRjh5tf0. This will also be shown on their FB page. At 3PM, the Meet The Artist Interview will be with Principal Dancer Tiit Helimets: https://www.facebook.com/sfballet/videos/638805330179793. UPDATE: Interview is with SF Ballet Orchestra Oboist Marilyn Coyne: https://www.facebook.com/sfballet/videos/638805330179793/?notif_id=1590184624571632&notif_t=live_video_schedule_viewer&ref=notif

Meet the Artist - Dores Andre:

Received an email from New York City Center. They have posted on Twitter a clip from 2017 Fall For Dance a section of Helgi Tomasson's Concerto Grosso: It's also on YouTube:

And in case you missed it.... It will be premiering on their YouTube Channel at 5:30 PM PDT:

Act 3 beginning soon:

Romeo & Juliet Act 2 beginning shortly:

Romeo & Juliet with Carlo Di Lanno & Mathilde Froustey as the star-crossed lovers is streaming now:

Today at 2 PM: Principal Dancer Mathilde Froustey on conversation with Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson as part of #FlashbackFriday:

NYC Ballet picks up the ball from SFB in an extended 'Sequentia'. A few weeks ago, a video was posted with movement initiated by Tiit Helimets then passed on to another dancer who would begin their movement with the last pose from Tiit, and so on. Now in an expanded 'Sequentia', NYC Ballet picks up the ball from SFB's Joshua Jack Price with a change in music. Here is the clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fez-cfhJN1U. Hope this will continue.... And here's the link on the SFB website; https://www.sfballet.org/sequentia/

Related to #FlashbackFriday and #TheInfiniteOcean: Yuan Yuan Tan will speak with choreographer Edwaard Liang at 2 PM PDT via Instagram Live. Yuan Yuan Tan's IG: https://www.instagram.com/tanyuanyuansf/ Edwaard Liang's IG: https://www.instagram.com/edwaardliang/ Both are public so you should be able to access if you are not following either artist or not on IG. I'm not sure on which IG this will stream so I am posting both. I saw this via SFB's IG stories: https://www.instagram.com/stories/sfballet/ UPDATE: It's on SFB's IG - here is the link: https://www.instagram.com/sfballet/live/

Betsy Erickson, Ballet Master and Former Dancer with San Francisco Ballet & American Ballet Theatre, will be retiring after 44 years. I first saw the announcement on SFB's FB page: The link in the post is to the tribute page on the SFB website: https://www.sfballet.org/ballet-master-betsy-erickson-takes-a-final-bow/?fbclid=IwAR1M9famyT7Al7_DkNo0A7u9egMqZPxxrjU6K9r1uW3L8QwI7XinnnVxxWQ The announcement on the SFB IG account:

Meet the Artist Interview is now live: https://www.facebook.com/sfballet/videos/295841518086003/

Premiering at 2:30 PM PST - Edwaard Liang's The Infinite Ocean: https://www.facebook.com/sfballet/videos/556202605329267/ You can also try this link: https://www.sfballet.org/sf-ballet-home/

Looks like Edward Liang's 'The Infinite Ocean' will be the next ballet up for view. A short clip with the choreographer is now up on their YT channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ib_dgFFWfY And at 3 PM PDT, Yuan Yuan Tan and Luke Ingham will be the Meet the Artist interview per the FB page: https://www.facebook.com/sfballet/videos/262833534888443/

Today's Meet the Artist interview at 3 PM PDT is with Principal Dancer Jennifer Stahl per their FB page (https://www.facebook.com/sfballet). No word on the #FlashbackFriday work, but on their YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/user/SFBallet/videos) they posted a short clip from Trey McIntyre's 'Your Flesh Shall Be A Great Poem' - so I hope that's what we will see today.

Today's Meet the Artist at 3 PM PDT (preceding the premiere of Let's Begin at the End) is with Soloist Julia Rowe. Here is link to their FB page: https://www.facebook.com/sfballet/ (I could not link to the actual post....)

SFB started #FlashbackFriday two weeks ago, dropping a full length ballet on its YouTube channel for one week. First up was Stanton Welch's Bespoke, which premiered during 2018's Unbound Festival and returned on Program 2 this year. Next up was David Dawson's Anima Animus. This work was also part of Unbound and was scheduled to return on Program 5. I just finished watching Anima Animus and saw the next ballet scheduled to drop tomorrow at 3:30 PM PDT. It it Let's Begin at the End, choreographed by Dwight Rhoden for the Unbound Festival. You can get a reminder to tune it with others during the premiere: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiLKBkgVMY8. There should be a Meet the Artist interview as well. Preceding last week's premiere of Anima Animus, there was a Meet the Artist interview with Corps de Ballet dancer Joshua Jack Price. He was scheduled to dance Bottom in the Saturday 3/7 matinee performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream.