pherank Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 The performance lineup for SF Ballet's Gala has just been released - and there's apparently a lot to be seen. San Francisco Ballet Opening Night Gala: Moving the Compass Thursday, January 24, 2013 "SF Ballet fans won't want to miss this spectacular performance, featuring a thrilling line-up of short, crowd-pleasing works including the Act 3 pas de deux from Don Quixote and the pas de deux from After the Rain. See the full line-up." Tarantella Composer: Louis Gottschalk Choreography: George Balanchine final solo from L’Arlésienne Composer: Georges Bizet Choreography: Roland Petit The Flower Festival at Genzano Pas de Deux Composer: Matthias Strebinger, adapted by Holger Simon Paulli Choreography: August Bournonville In the Passarine's Church Composer Wojceich Kilar Choreography Myles Thatcher Raymonda’s solo from Raymonda Act III Composer Alexander Glazunov Choreography Rudolph Nureyev after Marius Petipa 2nd movement from Trio Composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Choreographer Helgi Tomasson grand pas de deux from Don Quixote, Act III Composer Ludwig Minkus and Riccardo Drigo Choreography after Marius Petipa and Alexander Gorsky INTERMISSION pas de deux from Onegin, Act I Composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Arrangement and Orchestration Kurt-Heinz Stolze Choreography John Cranko pas de deux from Stars and Stripes Composer: John Philip Sousa Adapted and orchestrated by Hershy Kay Choreography: George Balanchine pas de deux from After the Rain Composer: Arvo Pärt Choreography: © Christopher Wheeldon excerpts from Suite en Blanc Composer: Édouard Lalo Choreography: Serge Lifar Link to comment
Helene Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 When I see "Gala" my eyes tend to glaze over, but that is an interesting and varied program. Link to comment
PeggyR Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Casts for the Opening Night Gala. Great news: Lorena Feijoo is back and dancing Raymonda's Act III solo. TARANTELLA Composer: Louis Gottschalk Orchestrated by: Hershy Kay Choreography:George Balanchine Current Staging by: Elyse Borne Costume Design: after Karinska Conductor: Martin West Piano Solo: Michael McGraw Casting: Sasha De Sola*, Pascal Molat* Final solo from ARLESIENNE Composer: Georges Bizet Choreography: Roland Petit Staged by: Luigi Bonino Scenic Design: René Allio Costume Design: Christine Laurent Lighting Design: after Jean-Michel Desiré Conductor: Martin West Casting: Pierre-François Vilanoba* THE FLOWER FESTIVAL AT GENZANO pas de deux Composer: Matthias Strebinger, adapted by Holger Simon Paulli Orchestrated by: William McDermott Choreography: August Bournonville Current Staging by: Helgi Tomasson Conductor: Martin West Casting: Clara Blanco*, Gennadi Nedvigin IN THE PASSERINE’S CLUTCH Composer: Wojceich Kilar Choreography: Myles Thatcher Costume Design: Susan Roemer, Myles Thatcher Lighting Design: Kevin Connaughton Conductor: Martin West Casting: Dores Andre*, Dana Genshaft*, Joan Boada*, Jaime Garcia Castilla* Raymonda’s solo from RAYMONDA ACT III Composer: Alexander Glazunov Choreography: Rudolph Nureyev after Marius Petipa Reconstructed and Staged by: Grant Coyle, assisted by Bruce Sansom Lighting Design: after John B. Read Conductor: Martin West Casting: Lorena Feijoo 2nd movement of TRIO Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Choreographer: Helgi Tomasson Scenic Design: Alexander V. Nichols Costume Design: Mark Zappone Lighting Design: Christopher Dennis Conductor: Martin West Casting: Sarah Van Patten, Tiit Helimets, Vito Mazzeo grand pas de deux from DON QUIXOTE, ACT III Composer: Ludwig Minkus and Riccardo Drigo Choreography: after Marius Petipa and Alexander Gorsky Staged by: Helgi Tomasson and Yuri Possokhov Costume Design: Martin Pakledinaz Lighting Design: after James F. Ingalls Associate Costume Designer: Heather Lockard Conductor: Martin West Casting: Frances Chung, Taras Domitro pas de deux from ONEGIN, ACT I Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Arrangement and Orchestration: Kurt-Heinz Stolze Choreography: John Cranko Staged by: Reid Anderson and Jane Bourne Scenic and Costume Design: Santo Loquasto Lighting Design: after James F. Ingalls Copyright Dieter Graefe Condctor: Martin West Casting: Maria Kochetkova, Vitor Luiz pas de deux from STARS AND STRIPES Composer: John Philip Sousa Adapted and orchestrated by: Hershy Kay Choreography: George Balanchine Current Staging by: Elyse Borne Costume Design: after Karinska Lighting Design: after Sarah Linnie Slocum Conductor: Martin West Casting: Vanessa Zahorian*, Davit Karapetyan* pas de deux from AFTER THE RAIN Composer: Arvo Pärt Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon Costume Design: Holly Hynes Lighting Design: Mark Stanley Conductor: Martin West Violin: Roy Malan Piano: Michael McGraw Casting: Yuan Yuan Tan, Damian Smith excerpts from SUITE en BLANC Composer : Édouard Lalo Choreography: Serge Lifar Staged by: Maina Gielgud Conductor: Martin West Casting: Sofiane Sylve*, Tiit Helimets* * Indicates premiere in role ^Indicated guest artist Program and casting subject to change Link to comment
Helene Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Wow, Feijoo is back and in the big final Raymonda solo, right into the deep end. Link to comment
sf_herminator Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Wow, Feijoo is back and in the big final Raymonda solo, right into the deep end. So extremely happy to see Lorena again!! I'll never forget the year I went to the gala and she danced the Giselle PDD. When it was over the woman sitting next to me leaned over and whispered 'That's my daughter.' - But a bit sad since this will be the last gala for Pierre-François & Damian.... After the Rain with YYT & Damian Can't wait for tomorrow night!!! Link to comment
Quiggin Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 I went to this year's Gala after skipping the last one. The theme was “Moving the Compass” which meant moving through the compass or through world ballet – rather than being about deflecting the direction dance was going. Overall the program seemed more subdued than usual. The two Balanchine pieces – Tarantella with Sasha DeSola and Pascal Molat and Stars and Stripes with Vanessa Zahorian and Davit Karapetyan – were skillfully done but didn´t have the dazzling superficiality and playful exaggeration, and total belief in that superficiality, to bring them off. I liked Flower Festival at Genzano with Gennadi Nedvigin and Clara Blanco, who was lovely and brilliant. Don Quixote grand pas de deux with Frances Chung and Taras Domitro was also very good and finely done, but strangely cool, as if missing the impelling force of its usual context. It seemed to lack certain accents such as Kitri’s flashing head and shoulder movements, laughing or resisting, when Basilio presents her to the audience upside down. [Later: I just remembered those pure and thrilling one arm lifts.] In the Raymonda Hungarian dance, Lorena Feijoo, whom I assocatiate with those flashing Don Q accents, didn’t make the great pop-off-the-ground-into-arabesque steps really “pop.” There was a new piece, In the Passerine’s – songbird’s – Clutch by Myles Thatcher which was elegantly structured. For the Roland Petit L’Arlésienne solo, Pierre-Francois Vilanoba performs an all-out dance of agony before his leap through a beckoning window. I thought of Jerome Robbins' Afternoon of a Faun, which has a similar set arrangement and about how Robbins might have understated and detailed-out the role. And the child-like simplicity of the big open window reminded me of the Garcia Lorca poem Suicidio that begins, "The young man forgot himself / It was ten o'clock in the morning / his heart was filled with broken / wings and flowers of cloth ... " Suite in Blanc, a sort of kingdom of the shades for mildly happy couples, nicely completed the program, and how wonderful was Sofiane Sylve who really inhabited her part. She was the white silk ribbon that pulled the whole thing together. Anyone else have any thoughts on the overall character or about individual performances? Link to comment
Helene Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 Suite in Blanc, a sort of kingdom of the shades for mildly happy couples, nicely completed the program, and how wonderful was Sofiane Sylve who really inhabited her part. She was the white silk ribbon that pulled the whole thing together... What an evocative description! Link to comment
cubanmiamiboy Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 Wow, Feijoo is back and in the big final Raymonda solo, right into the deep end. So extremely happy to see Lorena again!! I'll never forget the year I went to the gala and she danced the Giselle PDD. When it was over the woman sitting next to me leaned over and whispered 'That's my daughter.' - What can I say...I will never forget her as a very primising young starlet back in the early 90's -(91 to be precise). Too bad she was never permitted to dance the big roles in her homeland... I guess she should be around Kent's age...? Link to comment
Paul Parish Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 (edited) Suite in Blanc, a sort of kingdom of the shades for mildly happy couples, nicely completed the program, and how wonderful was Sofiane Sylve who really inhabited her part. She was the white silk ribbon that pulled the whole thing together... Beautiful, Quiggin; thank you: I wish I'd said that. I'm also eager to see the ballet again. Edited January 29, 2013 by Paul Parish Link to comment
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