Jump to content
This Site Uses Cookies. If You Want to Disable Cookies, Please See Your Browser Documentation. ×

SFB Gala 2018: Celestial


Recommended Posts

Casting for the gala performance has been posted (https://www.sfballet.org/season/casting):  

 

OPENING NIGHT GALA


Thursday, January 18, 2018 - 8 pm

LITTLE WALTZ
Composer: Eric Coates
Choreographer: Helgi Tomasson

Students of San Francisco Ballet School

IN THE NIGHT
Composer: Frédéric Chopin
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins

Mathilde Froustey, Benjamin Freemantle*
Jennifer Stahl, Tiit Helimets
Sarah Van Patten, Luke Ingham

Bluebird Pas de Deux from THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreographer: Helgi Tomasson after Marius Petipa

Dores André, Wei Wang*

SF Ballet Premiere
Pas de Deux from CHILDREN OF CHAOS

Composer: John Kameel Farah
Choreographer: Robert Binet

Frances Chung, Joseph Walsh

STARS AND STRIPES Pas de Deux
Composer: John Philip Sousa
Choreographer: George Balanchine

Ana Sophia Scheller*, Vitor Luiz*

INTERMISSION

SF Ballet Premiere
LETTING GO

Composer: Max Richter
Choreographer: Edwaard Liang

Yuan Yuan Tan, Carlo Di Lanno*

Pas de Deux from LA SYLPHIDE
Composer: Herman Lovenskjold
Choreography: August Bournonville

Maria Kochetkova, Ulrik Birkkjaer

LE CORSAIRE Pas de Deux
Composer: Riccardo Drigo
Choreography: after Marius Petipa 

Sasha De Sola, Angelo Greco

SF Ballet Premiere
RODEO: FOUR DANCE EPISODES
Composer: Aaron Copland
Choreographer: Justin Peck

Sofiane Sylve*, Carlo Di Lanno*

 

Initial reactions:

*how wonderful to have two full pieces:  Robbins' In The Night and Peck's Rodeo.  Bravo to Ben Freemantle debuting in the Night's opening Pas De Deux partnering Mathilde Froustey.  And how great to see Rodeo before its inclusion in Program 2.

*Great to see a new (to SFB) choreographer - Robert Binet.  IIRC Frances and/or Joe posted pic on Instagram when they were working with the choreographer, I'll have to go look.

Not sure if I will be able to go to the performance as I will be volunteering at both the dinner and the after party as a member of BRAVO.

Link to comment
21 minutes ago, sf_herminator said:

Casting for the gala performance has been posted (https://www.sfballet.org/season/casting):  

 

OPENING NIGHT GALA


Thursday, January 18, 2018 - 8 pm

LITTLE WALTZ
Composer: Eric Coates
Choreographer: Helgi Tomasson

Students of San Francisco Ballet School

IN THE NIGHT
Composer: Frédéric Chopin
Choreographer: Jerome Robbins

Mathilde Froustey, Benjamin Freemantle*
Jennifer Stahl, Tiit Helimets
Sarah Van Patten, Luke Ingham

Bluebird Pas de Deux from THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreographer: Helgi Tomasson after Marius Petipa

Dores André, Wei Wang*

SF Ballet Premiere
Pas de Deux from CHILDREN OF CHAOS

Composer: John Kameel Farah
Choreographer: Robert Binet

Frances Chung, Joseph Walsh

STARS AND STRIPES Pas de Deux
Composer: John Philip Sousa
Choreographer: George Balanchine

Ana Sophia Scheller*, Vitor Luiz*

INTERMISSION

SF Ballet Premiere
LETTING GO

Composer: Max Richter
Choreographer: Edwaard Liang

Yuan Yuan Tan, Carlo Di Lanno*

Pas de Deux from LA SYLPHIDE
Composer: Herman Lovenskjold
Choreography: August Bournonville

Maria Kochetkova, Ulrik Birkkjaer

LE CORSAIRE Pas de Deux
Composer: Riccardo Drigo
Choreography: after Marius Petipa 

Sasha De Sola, Angelo Greco

SF Ballet Premiere
RODEO: FOUR DANCE EPISODES
Composer: Aaron Copland
Choreographer: Justin Peck

Sofiane Sylve*, Carlo Di Lanno*

 

Initial reactions:

*how wonderful to have two full pieces:  Robbins' In The Night and Peck's Rodeo.  Bravo to Ben Freemantle debuting in the Night's opening Pas De Deux partnering Mathilde Froustey.  And how great to see Rodeo before its inclusion in Program 2.

*Great to see a new (to SFB) choreographer - Robert Binet.  IIRC Frances and/or Joe posted pic on Instagram when they were working with the choreographer, I'll have to go look.

Not sure if I will be able to go to the performance as I will be volunteering at both the dinner and the after party as a member of BRAVO.

There's some interesting pairings here that may not have been seen before: De Sola with Greco, YY with Di Lanno, André and Wang. Interspersed with parings that have been great in the past: Chung and Walsh, and Sylve and Di Lanno.
Toi, toi, toi.

EDIT: I just noticed that the opening  piece by Tomasson was for the students - kudos to Helgi.

 

Edited by pherank
Link to comment

Entertaining gala, notable largely for splendid dancing from the men:  Ulrik Birkkjaer’s glittering batterie in the La Sylphide PdD; Vitor Luiz and his cheeky likability coupled with reliably impeccable dancing in Stars and Stripes; Angelo Greco’s dazzling (and I mean DAZZLING) Le Corsaire; and, best of all, the company of men in Justin Peck’s hugely enjoyable Rodeo:  Four Dance Episodes

Not to neglect the women:  As Josette predicted, a delightful Blue Bird PdD from Dores André; Yuan Yuan Tan, her usual exquisitely bendy self in Liang’s otherwise unmemorable Letting Go; Sasha de Sola more than holding her own (fouettés, fouettés, fouettés, not all beautiful but lots of them) in Le Corsaire; and especially Sofiane Sylve (partnered by Carlo di Lanno) in Rodeo.  In fact, I knew nothing about Peck’s take on this ballet beforehand, and was little disconcerted at the prospect of the statuesque, magnificent Sylve kitted out as a cowgirl packing a couple of six-shooters, but not to worry:  Peck uses the music, but not really the story, so she was able to be her own gorgeous self.  I was also interested to see the newest hire, Ana Sofia Sheller, in Stars and Stripes.  She’s a lovely dancer – beautiful lines, excellent turns – but somehow she didn’t strike me as particularly comfortable being coyly flirtatious.  I’m looking forward to seeing her Aurora (if the casting doesn’t change again), which seems like a better fit.  

Overall, good show.

 

 

 

Edited by PeggyR
Link to comment
1 hour ago, yodasan said:

Best was Little Waltz - but I'm biased because my son was in it. :)

I really enjoyed that one.  It was a little surprising there were only three boys, but all the kids were terrific.  Your son is lucky to be there.  Best of luck to him.

Link to comment

Another backstage shot:

Greco and De Sola after Le Corsaire PDD
26294670_139873303373564_812416596593711

A few more photos here. Greco is an exploding star, to be sure. I think it's great how distinct Greco and Di Lanno are as dancers even though they both were trained by Teatro alla Scala.

RE: Scheller - I got the impression from the World Ballet Day rehearsal for Sleeping Beauty that Helgi was pushing Scheller to be more emotive and use mime effectively. That will prove to be a good thing.

Edited by pherank
Link to comment
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...