Tuesday, March 8

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A review of the Joffrey Ballet by Janice Berman for San Francisco Classical Voice.

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Can it have been only two years ago that the Joffrey Ballet played Zellerbach Hall? So much has happened since then — to the company, to the world. Last weekend, the Joffrey touched down once again via Cal Performances, bringing a diversely engaging program. While showcasing a troupe whose superb artistry was seemingly little affected by its enforced pandemic hiatus from live performance, the mixed repertory was a mixed blessing. 

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Q&A with Jillian Vanstone.

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You asked the company to get British choreographer Christopher Wheeldon’s ‘After the Rain’ for your farewell performance. Wheeldon was very important for your career, wasn’t he?

His choosing me for the lead in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in 2011 led directly to my being promoted to principal dancer. The role was a gift because it gave me a beautiful opportunity to show my strengths. He was also the kind of choreographer that allowed you to ask questions, and not every choreographer is open to that. He created a space for me where I could dive in. His work also makes sense for my body. I always knew I wanted to retire performing a Wheeldon ballet.

 

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A review of the Stuttgart Ballet by Ilona Landgraf in her blog, "Landgraf on Dance."

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Although the Stuttgart Ballet’s new all-Johan Inger triple bill was thwarted by a number of COVID-19 infections in the company, artistic director Tamas Detrich did not give in. Rather than canceling the scheduled March 4th performance, he assembled a substitute program literally overnight. From the original schedule, only Inger’s “Bliss” (2016) remained (2002’s “Out of Breath” and the recently premiered “Aurora’s Nap” were eliminated). A courageous dive into the company’s vast repertoire – short pieces by Jiří Kylián and Hans van Manen, and three excerpts from evening-length pieces – filled out the bill.