sf_herminator Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 (edited) The second program of the 2024 rep season, British Icons - BRITISH ICONS - San Francisco Ballet (sfballet.org) includes 2 classic works making their debut at SFB: Song of the Earth: Choreographed by Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Music by Gustav Mahler Marguerite and Armand: Choreographed by Sir Frederick Ashton, Music by Franz Liszt *Marguerite and Armand includes the final performances of Principal Dancer Yuan Yuan Tan. She is scheduled to dance on Saturday 2/10 8 PM and Wednesday 2/14 7:30 PM Principal Casting has been announced - - CASTING - San Francisco Ballet (sfballet.org) Friday, February 9, 8:00 PM SONG OF THE EARTH Messenger: Wei Wang Woman: Nikisha Fogo Man: Isaac Hernández MARGUERITE AND ARMAND Marguerite: Misa Kuranaga Armand: Joseph Walsh Duke: Steven Morse Father: Ricardo Bustamante Saturday, February 10, 2:00 PM SONG OF THE EARTH Messenger: Joshua Jack Price Woman: Jennifer Stahl Man: Chase O'Connell* *Guest Artist MARGUERITE AND ARMAND Marguerite: Jasmine Jimison Armand: Wei Wang Duke: Steven Morse Father: Pascal Molat Saturday, February 10, 8:00 PM SONG OF THE EARTH Messenger: Esteban Hernández Woman: Wona Park Man: Joseph Walsh MARGUERITE AND ARMAND Marguerite: Yuan Yuan Tan Armand: Aaron Robison Duke: Steven Morse Father: Ricardo Bustamante Sunday, February 11, 2:00 PM SONG OF THE EARTH Messenger: Joshua Jack Price Woman: Sasha De Sola Man: Aaron Robison MARGUERITE AND ARMAND Marguerite: Misa Kuranaga Armand: Joseph Walsh Duke: Steven Morse Father: Ricardo Bustamante Tuesday, February 13, 7:30 PM SONG OF THE EARTH Messenger: Joshua Jack Price Woman: Sasha De Sola Man: Aaron Robison MARGUERITE AND ARMAND Marguerite: Jasmine Jimison Armand: Wei Wang Duke: Steven Morse Father: Pascal Molat Wednesday, February 14, 7:30 PM SONG OF THE EARTH Messenger: Wei Wang Woman: Nikisha Fogo Man: Isaac Hernández MARGUERITE AND ARMAND Marguerite: Yuan Yuan Tan Armand: Aaron Robison Duke: Steven Morse Father: Ricardo Bustamante Thursday, February 15, 7:30 PM SONG OF THE EARTH Messenger: Esteban Hernández Woman: Wona Park Man: Joseph Walsh MARGUERITE AND ARMAND Marguerite: Jasmine Jimison Armand: Isaac Hernández Duke: Steven Morse Father: Pascal Molat Edited January 27 by sf_herminator added link to program info Link to comment
PeggyTulle Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 Chase O'Connell as a guest artist for one performance??? Why? Link to comment
dirac Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 "Marguerite and Armand"? Why? Edited to add: Never mind. Link to comment
Terez Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 On 1/27/2024 at 12:12 PM, PeggyTulle said: Chase O'Connell as a guest artist for one performance??? Why? Who is he? Anyone ever see him dance? Link to comment
Ballet Lover Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 Chase O'Connell is a Principal Dancer with Houston Ballet. Formerly Principal Artist with Ballet West where he was for 10 years beginning in BWII. Link to comment
Phrenchphry11 Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 Also I believe married to the fantastic Beckanne Sisk, also with Houston Ballet. (Never seen her live but there's lots of footage of her online) Hopefully this isn't too speculative, but since Rojo is bringing in lots of guest artists for Swan Lake later this season, I wonder if this means some anticipated future guest artist opportunities with Chase O'Connell (and maybe even Beckanne Sisk?) Link to comment
PeggyTulle Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 4 hours ago, Phrenchphry11 said: Also I believe married to the fantastic Beckanne Sisk, also with Houston Ballet. (Never seen her live but there's lots of footage of her online) Hopefully this isn't too speculative, but since Rojo is bringing in lots of guest artists for Swan Lake later this season, I wonder if this means some anticipated future guest artist opportunities with Chase O'Connell (and maybe even Beckanne Sisk?) I wonder if her guest artist approach is in part a way to audition potential new principal hires? Link to comment
miliosr Posted January 29 Share Posted January 29 4 hours ago, PeggyTulle said: I wonder if her guest artist approach is in part a way to audition potential new principal hires? That was my first response to the original "Why?" question: O'Connell's guesting may be an audition/test. With Luke Ingham's departure, San Francisco Ballet is down to six principal men. So, there is room for new hires and/or promotions. Link to comment
sf_herminator Posted February 7 Author Share Posted February 7 Meet the Artist returns - Meet the Artist Interviews - San Francisco Ballet (sfballet.org). Meet the Artist pre-performance talks are on Fridays and Sundays, one hour before curtain. Meet the Artist talks were not scheduled for Mere Mortals (and will not be scheduled during the Mere Mortals Encore in April). But they are back for British Icons. Friday, February 9 at 7 PM: Britton Day, pianist for Marguerite and Armand, San Francisco Ballet Orchestra Company Pianist Sunday, February 11 at 1 PM: Edward Watson, répétiteur for Song of the Earth What a great opportunity to have Edward Watson. Former Principal Dancer with the Royal Ballet, he (along with Grant Coyle) set Kenneth MacMillan's Song of the Earth on SFB. There are a couple of interviews with Mr. Watson regarding Song of the Earth: Edward Watson on Kenneth MacMillan's Song of the Earth - San Francisco Ballet (sfballet.org) Edward Watson on Song of the Earth - San Francisco Ballet (sfballet.org) Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend in person as I will be working in the Gift Shop. Luckily, all Meet the Artist interviews are recorded and available wherever you get your podcasts. Also note that the Wednesday Pointe of View lectures are on hiatus for this season (as noted in the link above). Link to comment
Terez Posted February 8 Share Posted February 8 Will be attending the Saturday 2pm performance. I'd like to hope a guest artist (at least in this program) means potential interest in the dancer for the company. I really just want to watch the SFB dancers -- I like getting to know them and their dancing, and I can't make as many performances as I'd like, so when there's a guest performer, it feels like a missed opportunity. (This will probably keep me from running to the Swan Lake encores with guest performers.) I love seeing the young SFB dancers get big chances, and wishing Joshua Jack Price merde (and yay that I get to watch him perform). Parker Garrison just killed it in Mere Mortals on opening night. Was thrilling to watch. I'll never forget Jennifer Stahl's big breakout performance in Rite of Spring when she was just a corps dancer (and promoted immediately thereafter). Link to comment
Jayne Posted February 9 Share Posted February 9 On 1/29/2024 at 4:12 AM, miliosr said: …With Luke Ingham's departure, San Francisco Ballet is down to six principal men. So, there is room for new hires and/or promotions. Contracts are usually signed in March for the following year, so a February audition would make sense. OTOH, promoting from within the company is a good morale booster for the company. Who would BalletAlert contributors promote? Link to comment
sf_herminator Posted February 10 Author Share Posted February 10 (edited) Full casting for the opening night of British Icons has been posted: https://www.sfballet.org/tickets/casting/ SONG OF THE EARTH (SFB Premiere) Choreographer: Sir Kenneth MacMillan Composer: Gustav Mahler Staged by: Grant Coyle and Edward Watson Additional Principal Coaching: Tamara Rojo Scenic and Costume Design: Nicholas Georgiadis Lighting Design: Jacopo Pantani Conductor: Martin West The Singers: Gabrielle Beteag, Moisés Salazar The Messenger of Death: Wei Wang First Song: Isaac Hernández, Joshua Jack Price, Cavan Conley, Mingxuan Wang, Luca Ferrò, João Percilio da Silva Second Song: Wona Park, Jasmine Jimison, Katherine Barkman, Julia Rowe, Joshua Jack Price, Luca Ferrò, Cavan Conley, Mingxuan Wang Third Song: Jasmine Jimison, Kamryn Baldwin, Tyla Steinbach, Angela Watson, Gabriela Gonzalez, Alexis Francisco Valdes, Jacob Seltzer, Jasper True Stanford, Parker Garrison Fourth Song: Katherine Barkman, Julia Rowe, Jihyun Choi, Kamryn Baldwin, Tyla Steinbach, Angela Watson, Gabriela Gonzalez, Cavan Conley, João Percilio da Silva, Joshua Jack Price, Alexis Francisco Valdes, Jacob Seltzer, Jasper True Stanford, Parker Garrison Fifth Song: Isaac Hernández, Cavan Conley, Luca Ferrò Sixth Song: Wona Park, Isaac Hernández, Jasmine Jimison, Katherine Barkman, Julia Rowe, Jihyun Choi, Luca Ferrò, Cavan Conley, Mingxuan Wang, Joshua Jack Price, Kamryn Baldwin, Tyla Steinbach, Angela Watson, Gabriela Gonzalez, Alexis Francisco Valdes, Jacob Seltzer, Jasper True Stanford, Parker Garrison MARGUERITE AND ARMAND (SFB Premiere) Choreographer: Sir Frederick Ashton Composer: Franz Liszt Staged by: Grant Coyle Additional Principal Coaching: Tamara Rojo Scenic and Costume Design: Cecil Beaton Lighting Design: John B. Read Conductor: Martin West Piano: Britton Day Marguerite: Misa Kuranaga Armand: Joseph Walsh Armand's Father: Ricardo Bustamante A Duke: Steven Morse Admirers of Marguerite: Daniel Deivison-Oliveira, Parker Garrison, Andris Kundzins, Davide Occhipinti, João Percilio da Silva, Nathaniel Remez, Alexander Reneff-Olson, Jacob Seltzer Maid: Anatalia St. Clair Footmen: Raphaël Brunais Besse, Eduardo Cazarez, Dylan Pierzina, Cooper Meeks, Benjamin Taber, Nicholas Yurkevich Marguerite's Double: Jihyun Choi *Casting subject to change An additional note about tonight's performance: This evening’s performance of Marguerite and Armand is dedicated in loving memory to Anthony Russell-Roberts CBE. Anthony Russell-Roberts served as Administrative Director of The Royal Ballet from 1983 to 2009. He was exposed to ballet at a young age through his uncle, Sir Frederick Ashton, with whom he frequently visited the Royal Opera House. He had a notable career in administrative leadership with the Paris Opera and The Royal Ballet, Covent Garden. He was a defender of the artform, guiding The Royal Ballet through years of uncertainty. Known for his personable approach to leadership and collaboration with the Artistic Leadership of The Royal Ballet, he was appointed Commander of the British Empire in 2004 for his services to dance. As residual legatee of Sir Frederick Ashton’s ballets and founding member of The Frederick Ashton Foundation, Russell-Roberts was a key figure in preserving the legacy of Ashton’s works for future generations. We hope you join us in honoring Anthony as you attend our opening performance of Marguerite and Armand. Edited February 10 by sf_herminator Link to comment
sf_herminator Posted February 12 Author Share Posted February 12 Meet the Artist interview with pianist Britton Day, conducted prior to the first performance of the British Icons program, is now available for listening: Meet the Artist: Pianist Britton Day - San Francisco Ballet (sfballet.org). Link to comment
Josette Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 I was at the opening light of British Icons and was bowled over at how beautifully the company danced The Song of the Earth, which I’ve seen before on stage. Wei Wang was extraordinary and I was happy to see how deeply involved and expressive Wona Park was. My only somewhat critical comment is that Jasmine Jamison, a lovely dancer, was generically lovely and played and performed too much to the audience, failing in the Third Song to establish the communion with the other dancers that is necessary in this work. It was as if she stepped out of the mood of the ballet to say “Hello, look at me.” Everyone else was fully convincing and danced with depth. I found Marguerite and Armand tepidly performed, except for Bustamente as Armand’s father. The mechanics of the various pas de deux were not seamless and Marguerite lacked the dramatic ability for this role. Link to comment
Maromeo Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 On 2/9/2024 at 9:52 AM, Jayne said: Contracts are usually signed in March for the following year, so a February audition would make sense. OTOH, promoting from within the company is a good morale booster for the company. Who would BalletAlert contributors promote? I was going to say Jasmine Jimison but that just happened 👏🏻 Also Parker Garrison should have been promoted to soloist after Mere Mortals. He was incredible once again. Just like he stole the show during last year's gala and during MADCAP. Who else would you guys promote? Link to comment
Terez Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 Agreed on Parker Garrison! I've been seeing really good things from Kamryn Baldwin of late, and Carmela Mayo. Other females I haven't seen in solos lately but have been really excellent in soloist roles would include Thamires Chuvas, Elizabeth Mateer, and for a while there I thought they were giving Gabriela Gonzalez that magic chance. Nathaniel Remez has been prominent of late, it seems, as is Joshua Jack Price. I've a hunch they're watching Angela Watson closely, giving her some good opportunities, in which she's doing great. There's an apprentice, Jacey Gailliard, who did really, really well as a Swan Maiden across from Sasha Mukhamedov (and I hope the SFB doesn't lose this talented soloist by promoting others to principal over her, time and time again). I was just stunned by her confident stage presence and her ability to keep up the whole time with the always-impressive Sasha M. It wouldn't surprise me if she got bumped into the corp this season; that's what happened to Jasmine Jimison (did I get that right? Or was that Wona Park?) Link to comment
Maromeo Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 1 hour ago, Terez said: Agreed on Parker Garrison! I've been seeing really good things from Kamryn Baldwin of late, and Carmela Mayo. Other females I haven't seen in solos lately but have been really excellent in soloist roles would include Thamires Chuvas, Elizabeth Mateer, and for a while there I thought they were giving Gabriela Gonzalez that magic chance. Nathaniel Remez has been prominent of late, it seems, as is Joshua Jack Price. I've a hunch they're watching Angela Watson closely, giving her some good opportunities, in which she's doing great. There's an apprentice, Jacey Gailliard, who did really, really well as a Swan Maiden across from Sasha Mukhamedov (and I hope the SFB doesn't lose this talented soloist by promoting others to principal over her, time and time again). I was just stunned by her confident stage presence and her ability to keep up the whole time with the always-impressive Sasha M. It wouldn't surprise me if she got bumped into the corp this season; that's what happened to Jasmine Jimison (did I get that right? Or was that Wona Park?) Sasha Mukhamedov was a principal at Dutch National so it's odd that she would want to be at San Francisco Ballet doing less... Yes, Carmela Mayo and Joshua Jack Price have been getting big chances and doing well so that's exciting for them! Link to comment
pherank Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 On 3/1/2024 at 9:49 AM, Maromeo said: Sasha Mukhamedov was a principal at Dutch National so it's odd that she would want to be at San Francisco Ballet doing less... It's actually not that uncommon, when transferring to another big company, for dancers to have to go through a trial period of at least one season before being announced as a new principal. I think everyone expected Mukhamedov to be promoted right away, but unfortunately there were hangups. She's been struggling with injuries for some time. It's entirely possible that Mukhamedov told Tomasson straight up that she wanted to be in the company but was shaving physical issues, and couldn't be dancing leads each program. SFB is renowned for its rehab program, so that would be one reason to come to SFB, besides the versatile repertoire. Link to comment
Maromeo Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 (edited) 9 hours ago, pherank said: It's entirely possible that Mukhamedov told Tomasson straight up that she wanted to be in the company but was shaving physical issues, and couldn't be dancing leads each program. SFB is renowned for its rehab program, so that would be one reason to come to SFB, besides the versatile repertoire. Do you guys really think dancers say that to directors? How is SFB known for its rehab program? Would a dancer really choose to go there for that? I wish there was a way to know these things... Edited March 12 by Maromeo Typo Link to comment
pherank Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 (edited) 3 hours ago, Maromeo said: Do you guys really think dancers say that to directors? How is SFB known for its rehab program? Would a dancer take choose to go there for that? I wish there was a way to know these things... A.D.'s are not unapproachable - they're just ex-dancers who have gone into management. 😉 And that said, an A.D. is going to be able to spot dancers having physical issues immediately. Dancers in the past attempted to hide and 'dance through' injuries, but thankfully the culture is changing, and dealing better with reality - at least at the big North American and European companies. SFB has been proactive in dealing with the difficult reality of professional dancing - that dancers get hurt, a lot, and need proper physical therapy and conditioning to deal with it. I suppose it wasn't that long ago when big companies only had a single doctor to refer dancers to. SFB is better set up these days: Company Physicians Richard Gibbs, MD & Rowan Paul, MD, Supervising Physicians Michael Leslie, PT, Director, Dancer Wellness Center Kristin Wingfield, MD, Primary Care Sports Medicine Frederic Bost, MD, On-site Orthopedist Peter Callander, MD & Keith Donatto, MD, Orthopedic Advisors to the Company Active Care, Lisa Giannone, Off-site Physical Therapy & Conditioning Classes Leonard Stein, DC, Chiropractic Care Kurt Gorrell, Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach Audrey Tseng, Wellness Center Manager and Certified Athletic Trainer Lisa Giannone in particular is quite well-known in the athletic community for her injury prevention and rehab work with dancers and professional athletes. Mathilde Froustey used to make videos of her training and rehab sessions. There's a Pointe Magazine article about Lisa Giannone's facility (but you have to be a member to read the whole story): https://pointemagazine.com/peak-performance-through-personal-training/ Completely off-topic, but Sasha Mukhamedov decided to dress up like Lisa Giannone for Halloween last year: https://www.instagram.com/p/CzFELyPPNOf/?img_index=1 Lisa Giannone's facility, "The Garage", just happened to have posted a photo with three of the SFB dancers currently going through rehab pictured: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz69zOoSFMu/ Former ballet dancer Jaime Diaz (life partner to Sasha De Sola) is also involved in training SFB dancers and helping with rehab. Here's WanTing Zhao working out at Diaz's gym: https://www.instagram.com/p/C4GZS1YRYaa/ And Sasha Mukhamedov too: https://www.instagram.com/p/C14qfglxADX/ Edited March 12 by pherank Link to comment
Helene Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 Any dancer with a European pension and healthcare on the line would be giving up a lot of future security to join a company in the US, and I’d hope they could have a straightforward conversation with the Artistic Director. I don’t know whether Dutch National Ballet does. Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 (edited) Isn't it true that Simone Messmer had a conversation with Helgi Tomasson about why he couldn't give her a principal contract when she joined the company? After all, Mathilde Froustey had been hired as a principal even though she hadn't held a comparable rank in Paris, so Messmer had hoped for the same. I also remember that Sascha Radetsky left ABT to dance as a principal in Amsterdam, but when he returned to New York it was once again as a soloist, and that's the rank with which he retired. Mukhamedov is now in her early thirties, so the window for moving to another company to dance as a principal is closing. That's not to say that she couldn't dance for another ten years. And there have been dancers promoted to principal in their late thirties. But another company may be wary of hiring a dancer her age with a history of injuries, especially when they have their own up-and-comers rising through the ranks. Edited March 12 by volcanohunter Link to comment
pherank Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 (edited) 14 hours ago, volcanohunter said: Isn't it true that Simone Messmer had a conversation with Helgi Tomasson about why he couldn't give her a principal contract when she joined the company? After all, Mathilde Froustey had been hired as a principal even though she hadn't held a comparable rank in Paris, so Messmer had hoped for the same. I also remember that Sascha Radetsky left ABT to dance as a principal in Amsterdam, but when he returned to New York it was once again as a soloist, and that's the rank with which he retired. Mukhamedov is now in her early thirties, so the window for moving to another company to dance as a principal is closing. That's not to say that she couldn't dance for another ten years. And there have been dancers promoted to principal in their late thirties. But another company may be wary of hiring a dancer her age with a history of injuries, especially when they have their own up-and-comers rising through the ranks. All true, I believe. I remember reading something 'official' over the last year, stating that Froustey had been brought on as a soloist, and that wasn't my memory of events at all. And Froustey's original posting said: 'It is time to announce that from the first of July I will become "Principal Dancer" at the San Francisco Ballet for the 2013/2014 season!' Someone was trying to rewrite history, but why? Messmer no doubt needed to prove herself, in Tomasson's eyes. But she's someone that has struggled to find a place that was a good fit. SFB definitely demands that the dancers be 'team players', mutually supportive, and well-rounded in their dancing skills. That last requirement didn't really change under Tomasson until he hired Misa Kuranaga, who was not all that versed in contemporary dance. But she was the exception that proved the rule. It's hard to say if Rojo is going to be working with "specialists" more than Tomasson did. Edited March 13 by pherank Link to comment
PeggyTulle Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 I don't know if Misa's (re)hiring is a good example. She performed a lot of contemporary works at Boston Ballet, which is known for its contemporary repertoire. I think Mukhamedov has fallen into the semi-tall soloist trap that a few others managed to avoid almost due to luck or happenstance. For example, WanTing was promoted to principal after being cast at the little mermaid. Jennifer Stahl was promoted after a slew of contemporary-esque leads. But neither have been cast in the traditional leads since (Odette, Giselle, Kitri, Aurora, etc.). The "tall" girls rarely are (although I think that's just bullcrap). Perhaps that's one more reason (in conjunction with the knee injury) why Sasha M.'s career has stagnated; promoting one more tallish woman to principal who wouldn't be cast (by the AD at the time) in classical lead roles just doesn't make sense. But I'm glad to see both Sasha M. and Jen Stahl cast as Titania. I count this as progress. Link to comment
pherank Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 21 minutes ago, PeggyTulle said: I don't know if Misa's (re)hiring is a good example. She performed a lot of contemporary works at Boston Ballet, which is known for its contemporary repertoire. I think Mukhamedov has fallen into the semi-tall soloist trap that a few others managed to avoid almost due to luck or happenstance. For example, WanTing was promoted to principal after being cast at the little mermaid. Jennifer Stahl was promoted after a slew of contemporary-esque leads. But neither have been cast in the traditional leads since (Odette, Giselle, Kitri, Aurora, etc.). The "tall" girls rarely are (although I think that's just bullcrap). Perhaps that's one more reason (in conjunction with the knee injury) why Sasha M.'s career has stagnated; promoting one more tallish woman to principal who wouldn't be cast (by the AD at the time) in classical lead roles just doesn't make sense. But I'm glad to see both Sasha M. and Jen Stahl cast as Titania. I count this as progress. I didn't mean to suggest that Kuranaga had never done contemporary works, but rather that they were not her forte, nor her interest. And when was the last time she did something contemporary at SFB that was memorable (in a good way). Anything from the recent new choreography festivals? Anyway, my point is that she was being allowed to stick with classical roles and dance with pretty much the same partner, Angelo Greco, throughout - which is something Tomasson never would have allowed in the 'old days'. 'Tall girl' issues is it's own can of worms. It always seems laughable to me because they're not really that tall. 😉 It's more about the guys that they are dancing with. SFB had a number of 'tall' men over the last 5, 6 years. But most have retired or left the company. Esteban Hernández and Wei Wang are never going to be able to heft the women in overhead lifts like Tiit Helimets, Ulrik Birkkjaer, Davit Karapetyan (who was just STRONG), or Aaron Robison, for example. Losing the up-and-coming stars like Ben Freemantle and Max Cauthorn hurt, a lot. Link to comment
Recommended Posts