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2022 Rep Season - Program 4/La Sylphide & The Seasons

sf_herminator

By sf_herminator
in San Francisco Ballet

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sf_herminator

sf_herminator

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Principal casting posted for the first 4 performances of Program 4 - CASTING - San Francisco Ballet (sfballet.org)

LA SYLPHIDE

Composer: Herman Løvenskiold
Choreographer: August Bournonville
Production Directed by: Helgi Tomasson
Staged by: Helgi Tomasson with Anita Paciotti and Katita Waldo
Additional Coaching by: Ulrik Birkkjaer
Scenic and Costume Design: Jose Varona
Lighting Design: Sara Linnie Slocum

THE SEASONS

Composer: Alexander Glazunov
Choreographer: Alexei Ratmansky
Staged by: Nancy Raffa
Costume Design: Robert Perdziola
Costume Design Assistant: Caitlin Rain
Lighting Design: Mark Stanley

La Sylphide - Music: La Sylphide. Costumes constructed by Dallas Ballet Costume Department, Dallas, Texas. Additional costumes constructed by San Francisco Ballet Wardrobe Department.

The Seasons (SF Ballet Premiere) - Music: The Seasons, Op. 67. Costumes constructed by Colin Davis Jones Studios, New York, NY; Euro Co Costumes, New York, NY; Krostyne Studio, Pittsburg, PA; Tricorne, Inc., New York, NY. Millinery by Lynne Mackey Studio, New York, NY; Rodney Gordon, Inc., New York, NY. Fabric Printing and Dyeing by Dyenamix Inc., New York, NY. The Seasons is a co-production with American Ballet Theatre.

 

Tuesday, March 15, 7:30 PM

LA SYLPHIDE

  • The Sylph: Sarah Van Patten
  • James: Ulrik Birkkjaer
  • Gürn: Esteban Hernandez
  • Effy: Ellen Rose Hummel
  • Madge: Eva Kloborg*

*Guest Artist

THE SEASONS

  • Winter: Tiit Helimets, Dores André, Yuan Yuan Tan, Sasha De Sola, Madison Keesler
  • Spring: Angelo Greco, Elizabeth Powell, Wona Park
  • Summer: Misa Kuranaga, Joseph Walsh
  • Autumn: Isabella DeVivo, Benjamin Freemantle

 

Wednesday, March 16, 7:30 PM

LA SYLPHIDE

  • The Sylph: Dores André
  • James: Max Cauthorn
  • Gürn: Cavan Conley
  • Effy: Lauren Parrott
  • Madge: Anita Paciotti

THE SEASONS

  • Winter: Luke Ingham, WanTing Zhao, Sasha De Sola, Sarah Van Patten
  • Spring: Wei Wang, Julia Rowe, Isabella DeVivo
  • Summer: Frances Chung, Lucas Erni
  • Autumn: Misa Kuranaga, Daniel Deivison-Oliveira

 

Thursday, March 17, 7:30 PM

LA SYLPHIDE

  • The Sylph: Wona Park
  • James: Joseph Walsh
  • Gürn: Lucas Erni
  • Effy: Julia Rowe
  • Madge: Eva Kloborg*

*Guest Artist

THE SEASONS

  • Winter: Tiit Helimets, Jennifer Stahl, Yuan Yuan Tan, Dores André, Madison Keesler
  • Spring: Angelo Greco, Elizabeth Powell, Isabella DeVivo
  • Summer: Misa Kuranaga, Esteban Hernandez
  • Autumn: Sasha De Sola, Steven Morse

 

Friday, March 18, 8:00 PM

LA SYLPHIDE

  • The Sylph: Dores André
  • James: Max Cauthorn
  • Gürn: Cavan Conley
  • Effy: Lauren Parrott
  • Madge: Eva Kloborg*

*Guest Artist

THE SEASONS

  • Winter: Luke Ingham, Jennifer Stahl, WanTing Zhao, Sasha De Sola, Sarah Van Patten
  • Spring: Angelo Greco, Elizabeth Powell, Wona Park
  • Summer: Misa Kuranaga, Joseph Walsh
  • Autumn: Isabella DeVivo, Benjamin Freemantle

Casting is subject to change without notice.

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Terez

Terez

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I'll be going Thursday night - very much looking forward to seeing Wona Park and Joseph Walsh. (And a little surprised that Mathilde won't be performing this - in my mind's eye, she was a perfect fit. But, as mentioned above, due, maybe to Aaron Robison not being around?)

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California

California

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I just got back from opening night for Program 4. I saw Ratmansky's The Seasons just once in NYC in May 2019, thinking I should plan to see it again. Who knew it would be three years before it got to San Francisco Ballet, which co-produced it with ABT. It really is great fun -- plenty of challenging choreography and risky partnering. Ratmansky himself came out for the bows carrying a Ukrainian flag and the place erupted. 

I couldn't get excited about their La Sylphide. After a gorgeous streaming production last year (was that Norway?), it was hard to get engaged with it. To me, it's one of these oddities that is mainly interesting for its place in history. Nothing wrong with this version, just not very interesting or visually attractive.

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pherank

pherank

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20 hours ago, California said:

I couldn't get excited about their La Sylphide. After a gorgeous streaming production last year (was that Norway?), it was hard to get engaged with it. To me, it's one of these oddities that is mainly interesting for its place in history. Nothing wrong with this version, just not very interesting or visually attractive.

Was the opening night cast Sarah Van Patten and Ulrik Birkkjaer? Birkkjaer is certainly expert in Bournonville choreography. You're right that La Sylphide - being the earliest intact ballet - will seem rather minimal and "basic" in its approach. Tomasson seems to have held to that same production approach.

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California

California

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2 hours ago, pherank said:

Was the opening night cast Sarah Van Patten and Ulrik Birkkjaer? Birkkjaer is certainly expert in Bournonville choreography. You're right that La Sylphide - being the earliest intact ballet - will seem rather minimal and "basic" in its approach. Tomasson seems to have held to that same production approach.

Yes, Van Patten and Birkkjaer were cast opening night. He was excellent and I was surprised there was little extra applause until the end for him.

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Quiggin

Quiggin

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La Sylphide was a very traditional production – dense sets that would have been at home in the 19 century. I would have liked to have seen a lighter, contemporary solution to the visuals. Sorry I missed Birkkjaer and Van Patten – and perhaps Bournonville (which is probably hard to pull off without regularly practicing the style).

What was most wonderful about Wednesday night was seeing Frances Chung again – in The Seasons. I had forgotten what a lovely and unique dancer she is, the way she stretches her phrases out so nicely. Her section, the Summer/Spirit of the Corn, seemed to anchor the ballet and make it retroactively come to life. Also enjoyed seeing Daniel Deivison-Oliveira again, dancing with such grace and lightness. Very happy ending with all the dancers in their colorful costumes in a brilliant, layered tableau. Would have loved to have gazed on it a little longer before the curtain came down and fixed it more securely in memory. (Maybe in the same file as Balanchine Coppelia).

It was a longish evening, almost three hours in all.

Edited by Quiggin
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pherank

pherank

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6 hours ago, Quiggin said:

La Sylphide was a very traditional production – dense sets that would have been at home in the 19 century. I would have liked to have seen a lighter, contemporary solution to the visuals. Sorry I missed Birkkjaer and Van Patten – and perhaps Bournonville (which is probably hard to pull off without regularly practicing the style).

What was most wonderful about Wednesday night was seeing Frances Chung again – in The Seasons. I had forgotten what a lovely and unique dancer she is, the way she stretches her phrases out so nicely. Her section, the Summer/Spirit of the Corn, seemed to anchor the ballet and make it retroactively come to life. Also enjoyed seeing Daniel Deivison-Oliveira again, dancing with such grace and lightness. Very happy ending with all the dancers in their colorful costumes in a brilliant, layered tableau. Would have loved to have gazed on it a little longer before the curtain came down and fixed it more securely in memory. (Maybe in the same file as Balanchine Coppelia).

It was a longish evening, almost three hours in all.

I'm so glad to hear that Chung is back on stage. I've been wondering what was keeping her away (what sort of injury). The Seasons seems to be a hit with audiences.

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Terez

Terez

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I saw the program on Thursday night, and it was fun to see Wona Park and Joseph Walsh dancing together in La Sylphide - I seem to always miss their partnerships. Then again, La Sylphide is a different kind of partnership, since there are no partnered sections (or she'd die - a really buzz kill). I agree that it's a production that holds tremendous appeal largely for its historic angle - am so glad that FINALLY I got to see it (after writing an article in 2019 entitled, "La Sylphide - the most important classical ballet you've probably never seen"), but I wasn't necessarily wowed by the energy or the dancing. It was good, no complaints. It was just... a quiet ballet. Lovely but quiet. A delight to see Tiit Helimets' daughter Chloe dancing in the first act. What a lovely young girl - also a delight to see Tiit dancing in The Season in "Winter." Misa Kurananga was a huge hit as Summer/Corn (?) - it seems the SFB audience has really taken to her. I adore the Glazunov score, so The Season was a big win for me. Can't figure out why, though, the half-dozen female student dancers wore glaring red bodice costumes and black tights/pointe shoes. It was so jarring and improbable. Other costumes, too, seemed too gaudy and distracting, reminiscent of Arthur Pita's Bjork Ballet where eccentric was the point. But I loved this ballet's energy, and it was nice to see this ballet after a two-year wait. Tons of great dancers in Thursday night's cast.

I sure would have liked Froustey as the Sylphide. Was that ever on the bargaining table? I was so enchanted by the Pierre Lacotte staging that's on YouTube and features Aurelie Dupont as the Sylphide. She was pure poetry in even the smallest of gestures, I was so sucked in. Wona Park was adorable, but she's young and still on the unseasoned side. I think Froustey, with that POB background, and such nuance in her dancing, would have been a marvel. Alas, I don't see La Sylphide coming back any time soon. But I'm delighted I had the chance to see it.

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pherank

pherank

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On 3/19/2022 at 3:46 PM, Terez said:

I saw the program on Thursday night, and it was fun to see Wona Park and Joseph Walsh dancing together in La Sylphide - I seem to always miss their partnerships. Then again, La Sylphide is a different kind of partnership, since there are no partnered sections (or she'd die - a really buzz kill). I agree that it's a production that holds tremendous appeal largely for its historic angle - am so glad that FINALLY I got to see it (after writing an article in 2019 entitled, "La Sylphide - the most important classical ballet you've probably never seen"), but I wasn't necessarily wowed by the energy or the dancing. It was good, no complaints. It was just... a quiet ballet. Lovely but quiet. A delight to see Tiit Helimets' daughter Chloe dancing in the first act. What a lovely young girl - also a delight to see Tiit dancing in The Season in "Winter." Misa Kurananga was a huge hit as Summer/Corn (?) - it seems the SFB audience has really taken to her. I adore the Glazunov score, so The Season was a big win for me. Can't figure out why, though, the half-dozen female student dancers wore glaring red bodice costumes and black tights/pointe shoes. It was so jarring and improbable. Other costumes, too, seemed too gaudy and distracting, reminiscent of Arthur Pita's Bjork Ballet where eccentric was the point. But I loved this ballet's energy, and it was nice to see this ballet after a two-year wait. Tons of great dancers in Thursday night's cast.

I sure would have liked Froustey as the Sylphide. Was that ever on the bargaining table? I was so enchanted by the Pierre Lacotte staging that's on YouTube and features Aurelie Dupont as the Sylphide. She was pure poetry in even the smallest of gestures, I was so sucked in. Wona Park was adorable, but she's young and still on the unseasoned side. I think Froustey, with that POB background, and such nuance in her dancing, would have been a marvel. Alas, I don't see La Sylphide coming back any time soon. But I'm delighted I had the chance to see it.

I think Froustey was meant to dance with Aaron Robison in La Sylphide but then Aaron was injured...too bad she wasn't given another partner to work with. Perhaps because so many dancers were involved with The Seasons and couldn't spare any rehearsal time.

Tiit posted a nice photo commemorating The Seasons, and he mentions getting to dance on stage with his daughter - I think this is the second program this season that he was able to do so.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbMfnThsy9p/

And Misa Kuranaga's short excerpt video shows Chloe Helimets in the background in her red costume:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbS0dSgJo3c/

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pherank

pherank

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Tiit's latest posting has Alexei Ratmanksy and daughter Chloe in the picture too:

"I hope that everyone celebrates tonight because this week was so hard on the entire company. Thank you all my partners @tanyuanyuansf @sashadesola @doresandre @madisonkeesler @jenstahl.weitz @sarah.vanpatten @juliarowekim @wanting__zhao . Thank you @alexeiratmansky for trusting me with this masterpiece."

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbWUDTdrZ-v/

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