Keeping Up With SFB Veterans

[ECat]

For those of you that are fans of Kristina Lind, you may enjoy this video of the Munich Ballet Company Class from World Ballet Day 2019.  Lind is vey prominent.

 

At the barre, she is on one of the barres on the left part of the screen.  She stands behind a beautiful dancer in a black t shirt.  Kirstins is in all black with pointe shoes on.  In the center, she also stays to the left and wears a purple leotard with black shorts.  Kristina is such a divine dancer and those feet n' legs...dreamy...

 

Yana Zelensky teaches this fantastic class!  Very good for strength building with simple yet challenging combinations.  The dancers are top notch!

 

[pherank]

Maria Kochetkova's Instagram post regarding life during the performance hall closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic:

"Never thought I’ll be so grateful for an ironing board 🦥 Many dancers around the world found out this week that not only all of our shows were canceled, for a while, but that we can’t go to the theater and take a daily class to stay in shape. We have to work from home, but it’s not as simple as with some other jobs. Share your best tricks and work routines below (I mean it). Please stay safe and healthy everyone - we’re all in it together"

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9sUqoThTJP/

[pherank]

To keep dancers in shape during the Covid-19 quarantine period, Diego Cruz of SFB and Ruben Martin Cintas (Washington Ballet, ex-SFB) have started a Worldwide Ballet Class using Zoom software. I can guess that they must have been using Zoom previously as part of their shared business(es). The WB Class is getting a lot of participants (it is streamed live to the public too), and features various experienced teachers in the class leader role - Felipe Diaz, Sofiane Sylve, Esteban Hernandez, Lisa Giannone (runs SFB off-site physical therapy & conditioning classes) and Christopher Stowell have all lead classes. I spied Isabella Walsh, Carlos Quenedit and Solomon Golding taking part (and possibly Davit Karapetyan!), as well as current members of SFB and dancers from various other companies.

https://www.zarely.co/pages/live-streams

[pherank]

Virtual Class with Vanessa Zahorian and Davit Karapetyan
Pennsylvania Ballet Academy Artistic Directors

https://www.paballetacademy.org/free-ballet-classes

[pherank]

World Ballet Class led by Vanessa Zahorian!
(and Davit Karapetyan participates)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uKMHV3fXr4

[pherank]

Something I've never seen before - I wish there was more footage...

 

[pherank]

Update on James Sofranko, A.D. of Grand Rapids Ballet -

https://balletalert.invisionzone.com/topic/45479-coronaviruscovid-19-relief-funds/?tab=comments#comment-426536

[pherank]

A couple of nice, long interviews...

Pennsylvania Ballet Academy Artistic Director Vanessa Zahorian interviews Former San Francisco Ballet Principle Dancer, Rubén Martín Cintas:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak2PoGj6wXI

Pennsylvania Ballet Academy Artistic Director Davit Karapetyan interviews International Ballet Star, Yuan Yuan Tan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D4u5Vw7SPo

[Helene]

Ikolo Griffin has joined the faculty at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School!  I'm really glad for the school and him: I remember his dancing at SFB.

 

 

[pherank]

1 hour ago, Helene said:

Ikolo Griffin has joined the faculty at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School!  I'm really glad for the school and him: I remember his dancing at SFB.

 

Thanks for the update, Helene. Congratulations to Mr. Griffin!

[Helene]

I was also lucky enough to have seen Evelyn Cisneros dance towards the end of her career.  She will now direct Ballet West's school

Here's the press release:

EVELYN CISNEROS-LEGATE APPOINTED INCOMING DIRECTOR OF THE FREDERICK QUINNEY LAWSON BALLET WEST ACADEMY

SALT LAKE CITY, UT--The Frederick Quinney Lawson Ballet West Academy is thrilled to announce world-renowned ballerina Evelyn Cisneros-Legate has been appointed as the new Director of all four campuses of the school. Cisneros-Legate, a native of Huntington Beach, California trained at the San Francisco Ballet School and School of American Ballet before joining the San Francisco Ballet under the direction of Lew Christensen, brother of Ballet West founder, Willam Christensen. During her performing career, Cisneros-Legate grew to become San Francisco Ballet’s “prima-ballerina” and an international star under Christensen, Michael Smuin, and Helgi Tómasson.

“I am ecstatic that Evelyn will be taking on the mantle of the Ballet West Academy Director,” said Artistic Director Adam Sklute. “Since I arrived at Ballet West in 2007, our Academy has grown and developed exponentially. First under Peter Christie, who revitalized the Academy and put it back on the road to success, then through the leadership of Peter LeBreton Merz who oversaw our move to the Jessie Eccles Quinney Ballet Centre and guided the expansion with our satellite locations in Lehi, Park City, and downtown Salt Lake City. Peter has overseen the growth of the Academy to become an internationally recognized ballet school. The appointment of Evelyn Cisneros-Legate, with her great history and empirical knowledge, is the dynamic next step in building Ballet West Academy to a world-renowned institution for dance education.”

Peter LeBreton Merz will be stepping into a faculty position with the Academy. “As many of us have, in the past six months I have reassessed what I want, my career goals, and what I am passionate about. I want to teach ballet, it is what I have always wanted to do. I will help Evelyn transition into this role and be successful, but will step aside and focus on ballet and formation of dancers.” Sklute adds, “I am grateful for all Peter has done for the Academy and I honor his commitment to Ballet West, and his yearning to devote himself to teaching. During this complicated and unprecedented time in the world, I am happy he will be staying on as a faculty member and help Evelyn navigate this transition.”

While at San Francisco Ballet, Cisneros-Legate was the first Mexican American to be elevated to a Principal Dancer in the United States. She was named “100 Influentials” by Hispanic Business and the Huffington Post called her one of the “17 ballet icons who are changing the face of dance today.” Cisneros-Legate has been featured on the covers of Dance Magazine, Ballet News, and Hispanic Magazine.

“As a young child, my mother took me to ballet classes in an attempt to overcome my shyness. I began at eight years old and I have loved dancing ever since,” said Cisneros. “My greatest thrill is to see a child learn from ballet as I did, to immerse in the life skills it offers, the physical activity it affords, and to seize the opportunities for growth. I have traveled to Salt Lake City many times; my family loves the mountains next to a cosmopolitan city. Moreover, it is an honor to guide Ballet West Academy, a prestigious institution that was founded by an icon in our industry, Mr. C. I am humbled to be here and recognize the great responsibility that Adam is charging me with.”

Cisneros-Legate holds an honorary doctorate from Mills College and the University of California at Monterey Bay. She is married to Dr. Stephen Legate who was a Principal Dancer at San Francisco Ballet before becoming a chiropractor. Together they have two children.

[pherank]

1 hour ago, Helene said:

I was also lucky enough to have seen Evelyn Cisneros dance towards the end of her career.  She will now direct Ballet West's school

Very nice. It's great that Cisneros has been able to develop her career to this high point. Congratulations!

[Josette]

I saw her give a glorious performance of Theme and Variations towards the end of her career.  She had a radiant and positive presence on stage.