Saturday Matinee

Vanessa Zahorian in Tomasson/Possokhov's Don Quixote. © Erik Tomasson

San Francisco Ballet’s vibrant production of Don Quixote has many delights, and this full-length production closes the season with a reminder of what we will dearly miss until the 2013 season. Two seemingly very different elements of this production – slapstick humor and high-flying virtuosity – are blended together seamlessly in this wonderful production. It is to the audience’s delight that SF Ballet places equal emphasis on both elements, and the result is just so much fun. Humor is difficult to do well, particularly in ballet, but the company pulled it off with perfect comedic timing and creativity. The colorful costumes and beautiful sets by Martin Pakledinaz pop off the stage and frames the spirited dancing within this production, and brings the familiar Cervantes novel to life. I saw the Sunday matinee performance on April 29, 2012.

Sarah Van Patten in Tomasson/Possokhov's Don Quixote. © Erik Tomasson

One of the highlights of this performance was Frances Chung’s debut performance in the role of Kitri. In a word, her debut was astounding. Chung’s Kitri had a mischievous sense of humor and an unquenchable spontaneity. She exuded a cool confidence and appeared very well prepared to perform this role. She embodied clean lines in her poses and well-articulated feet; however, more than any technical details, Chung still maintains a quality that made her unique even as a dancer in the corps. From dancing Lubovitch to Wheeldon to classics such as Don Q, she always looks like she is having a great time. How many times have we as audience members seen dancers “check out”, with the equivalent of yawning or sighing on stage, or look as if they are nursing an injury, or look like they can’t wait to go home? (Yes, audiences can tell!) Years of dancing hasn’t taken away this quality from Chung, and it’s so thrilling and refreshing to watch. When dancing allegro, she really goes for it, with every molecule of her being. Her adagio is quiet and still as she takes her time to stretch her legs and arms with all the time in the world. Her pas de deux with Vitor Luiz as Basilio in Act 2 flowed effortlessly like a story unfolding, a story of falling in love, with a lovely cinematic quality to it.

San Francisco Ballet in Tomasson/Possokhov's Don Quixote. © Erik Tomasson

In fact, as a couple, Chung and Luiz were successfully more about heart than head in this performance. Technical details wavered a bit, with a wobble here, a failed attempt at a balance there, and a fall onto outstretched hands after a particularly forceful turning jump. However, these details were rare, and it was their spirit that soared; both Chung and Luiz went for it, and everyone was rooting for them. Give me that kind of gumption over textbook poses anyday.

And the comedy! Garen Scribner’s Gamache was an absolute scene-stealer every second he was onstage, even when he was sitting on the sides, fanning himself. James Sofranko’s Sancho Panza was earnest and energetic, bouncing off of Luke Willis’ regal yet absurd Don Quixote.

Vanessa Zahorian and Joan Boada in Tomasson/Possokhov's Don Quixote. © Erik Tomasson

In spite of the comedy, the virtuosity in this ballet makes this ballet a classic, and this production showcases the strengths of the company beautifully. Chung flew through her fouettes and ended with a clean double, and Vitor Luiz drew gasps from the audience with his turning jumps that whips his legs around in the air, defying gravity. Pierre-Francois Vilanoba as the bad-ass matador and Elana Altman as his dramatic partner, Mercedes, mesmerized with their sensual power and intensity. The female corps looked pristine in the airy Dream scene, with soloists Sasha DeSola sailing through with a bright innocence, and Koto Ishihara, all leggy extensions, expertly covered up a wobbly ending to her bird-like solo with a charming flurry of smiles. Pascal Molat and Courtney Elizabeth also added an element of passion as leaders of the gypsy camp, Molat with power and Elizabeth with melodrama.

Having never seen this ballet in its full-length version before, I really didn’t know what to expect. I know that full-length classics can have its slow moments; however, this production surprised and delighted. The virtuosity is thrilling and definitely worth seeing more than one cast, and the comedy is entertaining. It was a really fun way to end the 2012 season.

San Francisco Ballet’s website

Sofiane Sylve and Pierre-François Vilanoba in Robbins' Glass Pieces. © Erik Tomasson

I may be late to the Robbins’ bandwagon, but previously I had always considered Robbins in the context of a Balanchine-centered world. However the more that I see his choreography, the more I am impressed with his ingenuity. In San Francisco Ballet’s Program 5 of contemporary ballets, Robbin’s Glass Pieces was the shining pinnacle in an evening of contemporary ballet pieces. I attended Sunday’s performance on April 1, 2012. In this piece set to the hypnotic music  by Philip Glass, Robbins exemplifies musicality in a unique way. In the background of shimmering chaos, Robbins adds phrases and organizes the music with movement, with everyone walking on stage turning suddenly and changing directions, choreographically marking out measures and bars where none is heard. His musicality is subtle, not bold and flashy like Balanchine can be sometimes, but his is a more gentle musicality that imbues and even adds to the music. His musical ear transcends what we actually hear, but he gently points out the pauses and phrasing in Glass’ music that is not so obvious.

The famous first scene “Rubric” is breathtaking both in its mundane quality and simplicity. A large company of people walk across the stage, each with a different direction and intent, yet they all appear the same. Couples dance in and amongst the crowd, but in fleeting and shifting moments. Interactions are brief (perhaps meaningful?). Who are these people, and what are their relationships? The answer is unclear as they disappear into the crowds.

The second movement “Facades” features a corps de ballet with a fascinating yet repetitive linear movement motif that is repeated throughout the entire movement in the background. Meanwhile, a couple dance in the foreground, oblivious to their surroundings, in suspended and slow partnered dance. Victoria Ananyan and Ruben Martin Cintas inhabited these roles with long phrases, but despite Ananyan’s perfectly proportioned legs, she never quite appeared completely comfortable with a stiff upper body. The piece ended with a rousing movement “Akhnaten” driven by tribal beats and a driving momentum for a large group of dancers, colored by athleticism. The dancing was gorgeous, and the piece was stunning.

San Francisco Ballet in in Robbins' Glass Pieces. © Erik Tomasson

San Francisco Ballet in Robbins' Glass Pieces. © Erik Tomasson

The program also included a world premiere by Edward Liang called Symphonic Dances. This was my first viewing of Liang’s choreography, and I could see glimpses of why his reputation as a choreographer is so stellar. He has an uncanny sense of ensemble patterns that captures the viewer’s interest. His use of space is great, as he places dancers from the highest lifts and also uses the floor as a a medium as well, giving his work a sense of broad and grandiose strokes. Liang’s musicality shines through set against the music of Rachmaninov; Frances Chung and Jaime Garcia Castilla’s duet has a quiet transparency set amongst the drama of the music. And the music! Romantic and opulent, Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances is packed with instruments not always heard at the ballet, including a seductive saxophone and a percussive piano. An especially strong male ensemble including Hansuke Yamamoto with firecracker reflexes and dancing in a refreshingly large space. Despite all these great qualities, the bottom line for me is that this piece didn’t keep my attention, and sections appeared overworked and felt like it could have said the same thing in a shorter period of time. There was enough there however, that made me curious to see more of Liang’s choreography.

Sofiane Sylve and Tiit Helimets in Liang's Symphonic Dances. © Erik Tomasson

The program also included Tomasson’s The Fifth Season. The music by Karl Jenkins was especially quirky and interesting, although the pieces included didn’t appear cohesive as a whole. But sculptural in nature, Tomasson does what he does best, which is to showcase his gorgeous dancers in the best way possible. Lighting by Michael Mazzola highlighted the atmosphere in stark and dramatic ways. Yuan Yuan Tan and Tiit Helimets showed us a flirtier side to their dancing, and Sarah Van Patten and Pierre Francois Vilanoba danced with a free flying spirit. This piece especially featured a fresh corps with lots of new faces who were especially bright and crisp, capturing the spirit and style of the ballet with confidence.

Yuan Yuan Tan and Damian Smith in Tomasson's The Fifth Season. © Erik Tomasson

Sarah Van Patten and Pierre-François Vilanoba in Tomasson's The Fifth Season. © Erik Tomasson

SF Ballet’s Program 7 continues with an all-Balanchine program on April 12-18. Click here for more information.

McGregor’s Chroma
Morris’ world premiere Beaux
Wheeldon’s Number Nine©

Yuan Yuan Tan and Taras Domitro in McGregor's Chroma. © Erik Tomasson

Program 2 burst onto the War Memorial Opera House stage with a repertory program of contemporary ballets from three very prominent modern choreographers. It was a great study of three very different styles, vaguely within the same genre. I got to watch this program for the matinee show on Sunday February 19.

The program opened with Wayne McGregor’s Chroma, a rollercoaster of angular twists and turns around every unexpected corner. With this piece, we as an audience get to experience the joys of having a modern dance choreographer bring his primary expertise to the world of ballet. The stage is set with a bright white background by Jack Pawson lit with different shades of white (with lighting design by Lucy Carter and costumes by Moritz Junge). Within this setting, McGregor places his dancers as superhuman athletes in an alien world. His choreography encompasses a wide range of movements, focusing on the extremes of physicality, from unending fast solos to slow duets where the woman orbits  slowly wrapped around her partner’s torso as if she was underwater. Propelled by music by composer Joby Talbot (including orchestral transpositions of Jack White III’s songs of the White Stripes), every image onstage is riveting and hypnotic. The dancers were spectacular. Vito Mazzeo shaped the space around him beautifully. Sarah Van Patten showed us a flair for contemporary choreography with clear and sharp punctuation in her movements. Sofiane Sylve was stunning, dancing with remarkable sculptural elegance. In a complex duet with Vito Mazzeo, she showed multiple facets of her artistry, from pure strength, to outright sex appeal, to moments of disarming delicacy – and always in command. She was breathtaking to watch. Lonnie Weeks was also another standout, dancing with a fierce intensity. He will definitely be one to watch.

Frances Chung and Pascal Molat in McGregor's Chroma. © Erik Tomasson

Maria Kochetkova in McGregor's Chroma. © Erik Tomasson

Mark Morris’ world premiere Beaux was next. A dance set for nine men and set to the music of Martinu’s Concerto for Harpsichord and Small Orchestra, Morris shows us a more intimate portraiture of male virtuosic dancing. The sets and costumes (both by Isaac Mizrahi) colorfully warn the audience that this might not be what we’re used to seeing, with bright pink unitards and a hot pink camouflage backdrop. Gestural motifs are peppered throughout, but nothing is too forced. The choreography flows like a casual conversation. Morris makes us sit up, pay attention, and look closely, to see that in the opening line of men standing in front of the stage, all but one is facing the same direction. There were references (intentional or not, most likely not) of Rodin’s sculptural figures that I used to bike by at the Stanford campus, standing and posturing with other statues around them. There was beauty in the simplicity of the movements with a communal spirit throughout, and the men danced with full hearts.

San Francisco Ballet in Morris' Beaux. © Erik Tomasson

With the program closing with Christopher Wheeldon’s Number Nine© (is that title really copyrighted?), it was like watching the company do what they do best. The brightly colored costumes by Holly Hynes lit up the stage in a blaze of pristine ensemble work by the excellent corps, and it was thrilling to watch some of the company’s best dancers take over the stage in a showcase of virtuosity. Gennadi Nedvigin made the audience gasp with his flying entrance with his delicate and nimble duet with Maria Kochetkova, and Frances Chung and Pascal Molat flew lightning-fast through the choreography with ease and limber musicality. Yuan Yuan Tan was fun, playful and flirty in her pas de deux with Carlos Quenedit, and Elana Altman and Anthony Spaulding were statuesque in spite of a brief fumble early on. With music by Michael Torke, it was thrilling to watch the dancers dance with such style and mastery over the music’s complex rhythms, and a proper end to a gorgeous evening of contemporary ballet.

Ruben Martin Cintas and Sarah Van Patten in Wheeldon's Number Nine. © Erik Tomasson

San Francisco Ballet in Wheeldon's Number Nine. © Erik Tomasson

Program 2 will end on February 25, 2012. Click here for more info. Program 3 is also playing at this time, and will play through February 26, 2012.

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo's Swan Lake

Balanchine famously said, ballet is woman. Not always so, as this all-male troupe demonstrated. Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo is a pointe-shoe wearing all-male ballet troupe that breaks every ballet stereotype in the book. Anorexic ballerinas? No one could ever imagine such bulging biceps and healthy thighs peeking out from layers of tulle in their tutus. How about the age-old mantra that the female roles/dancers should always be shorter than their male counterparts in point? Not true – the Trocks demonstrate how arresting a 6+ foot dancer can be, majestic and powerful, and always with a touch of humor. In fact, I learned that it’s impossible to take your eyes off a dancer like that. (On this point, I guess the Trocks and Balanchine share their love for tall dancers and their resulting long lines).

It might be difficult to get past the tufts of hair peeking above sparkling white bodices and a flash of dark armpit hair under a gracefully waving arm. But try as you might, and if you can see past your tears of laughter, you will see that the Trocks aren’t just a comedic act. They have a style that is entirely their own, backed by incredible technique. In their famous Act II of Swan Lake (do the Trocks perform this at every performance?), they perform a slightly altered rendition of the notoriously difficult Dance of the Cygnets. I’m so used to seeing the original Dance with at least a little bit of trepidation on stage, which always makes me uneasy as a result. But not only did the Trocks nail it, they tossed off the choreography with humor and flair, complete with facial expressions in addition to the intricate choreography, like it was easy. The effect is hilarious and utterly triumphant.

In fact throughout the entire evening, there was not a whiff of caution onstage. The Trockaderos’ style is bold and exuberant. Their attack is strong and sure. Every step is full out at full speed, whether they go up on point in an arabesque, or whether they are tossing off fouettes with a rare confidence that many ballerinas dream of. Their balances are extraordinary. It’s for these reasons that I particularly enjoy the pieces that they perform without jokes around every corner. Their Go for Barocco choreographed by Peter Anastos is a brilliant spoof of Balanchine’s stark, sexy ballet style, parodying Balanchine’s geometric formations and ensemble work. But even if you had never seen Balanchine before, it’s a delightful musical sketch that holds interest through its lightning fast and repetitious footwork. It’s Balanchine with a wink and a smile.

The evening ended with Majisimas, a Spanish-inflected showcase of classical ballet technique. Danced mostly straight without too many stabs at humor, it was a refreshing showcase of what these men can really do. Through seductive hips, the dancers sailed through this showcase of classical ballet fireworks and technique. I was reminded of the Trockadero’s performance of Paquita that I saw two years earlier at the same venue, and this piece reminded me of the same joy and celebration that I still recall from that performance two years ago. (Their Paquita is a must-see, and something I’d love to see live again someday.) And Paul Ghiselin’s rendition of The Dying Swan is pitch perfect, down to every detail, and a personal favorite.

Hilarious, yes – their Swan Lake is both funny and creative, and kids and adults alike will love this show. But what makes this troupe “the real deal” is their artistry, with their hearts on their sleeve. It doesn’t hurt that names such as Jacques d’Aniels (come on, a ballet and alcohol reference all in one!) and my husband’s favorite, Stanislaus Kokitch is in the program (I had to say that last one out loud before I got it, to my husband’s chagrin). And the dancers! I’m sorry I don’t recognize a lot of the dancers yet, but the fabulous Robert Carter was a standout.

Go see it!!

For a particularly good piece on the Trockaderos, check out this great entry on You Dance Funny. And for an added bonus, you can read in the comments my personal story of seeing the Trocks for the first time.

Click here for more information on the Mondavi Center.

Maria Kochetkova and Vitor Luiz in Cranko's Onegin. © Erik Tomasson

Rarely has a ballet treated its title character with such little sympathy. But equally rare is a full-length ballet assembled with intricate detail that ultimately sweeps the audience up on a breathtaking journey and challenges the audience with such rich choreography. John Cranko’s full-length production of Onegin is a gem. Loosely based on Alexander Pushkin’s poem “Eugene Onegin”, rather than a simplistic love story we’ve come to expect from full-length ballets, this is a refreshing moral tale told in the most interesting way.

Stunning costume and scenic design (by Santo Loquasto) would be empty without solid choreography to sustain such a dramatic journey. John Cranko’s choreography intimately captures the emotions of his characters so well. In addition, his choreography is rife with literature metaphor, an homage to the origin of the story perhaps. In the final pas de deux, Onegin pulls Tatiana’s arms back as she tries to walk forward, symbolizing the burden he had become in keeping her from progressing forward in her life. Add a layer of ingenuity to taking classical ballet steps and adding twists in the partnering, or a sprinkling of modern angles – a lean of the hip here, an innovative lift there. The peasant dances were the most interesting that I’d seen onstage, as  usually they are seen as “fillers” for the more interesting sections. Not so here.

Maria Kochetkova in Cranko's Onegin. © Erik Tomasson

Overall, the choreography captured the emotions of the characters, but also gave the audience lots of things to think about as well. I love choreography that assumes an intelligent viewer. It’s a ballet to capture the heart and brains of its audience.

For the Sunday matinee performance, lead principals Sarah Van Patten and Pierre-Francois Vilanoba lit up the stage in a breathless performance. Van Patten’s heart-wrenching performance led many to tears in the final pas de deux with Pierre Francois Vilanoba, complexly layered with nostalgia, bitter regret, revenge, and heart. They appeared to be dancing a performance of a lifetime, and it was amazing to watch. Isaac Hernandez as Lensky displayed lovely transitions and phrasing, particularly in the curvature of his back and arms, but perhaps didn’t quite have the gravity of presence to master the fiery role. Courtney Elizabeth lit up the house with a lovely natural smile as the fun-loving Olga.

Maria Kochetkova and Vitor Luiz in Cranko's Onegin. © Erik Tomasson

In short, this production is one not to be missed. In my twitter account, I tweeted a three word review of this production, which was “pretty frickin’ amazing”. And that about sums it up. All of the parts of this production lined up to become more than the addition of its parts, with spectacular dancing throughout.

Did you see this production? Who did you see in the leads? I would have loved to have seen Maria Kochetkova and Vitor Luiz dance the title roles as well, I’m sure they were amazing too.

Onegin continues until February 3. Click here for more information. Program 2 starts on February 14.

The season has officially begun! Who’s excited for the upcoming year?? I am!

Some gorgeous photos from the gala; as always, click on them to enlarge. Enjoy!

Sofiane Sylve and Vito Mazzeo in Wheldon's Continuum. © Erik Tomasson

Frances Chung and Taras Domitro in Vainonen's Flames Of Paris. © Erik Tomasson

Maria Kotchetkova and Joan Boada in Ashton's Voices Of Spring. © Erik Tomasson

Yuan Yuan Tan and Alexander Riabko in Neumeier's Lady Of The Camellias. © Erik Tomasson

Dana Genshaft and Ruben Martin Cintas in Wheeldon's Number Nine. © Erik Tomasson

The season opens with Onegin by John Cranko on Jan 27. Click here for more information.

Val Caniparoli in Tomasson's Nutcracker. © Erik Tomasson

Nutcracker season has begun! And what would the holidays be without it? Seriously, for me this year was one of the first years in a long time where I really thought I wouldn’t be able to make it – chalk it up to the hardest rotation in my third year of medical school so far in addition to planning my own wedding next week! – but during the one free night that I had, I squeezed in an evening with friends mere hours after my final exam. And it was totally worth it!! It was a magical evening, and I believe I was smiling the entire time. The magic of this production never fades, year after year, and I’m still convinced it’s one of the finest productions of the Nutcracker in the world.

I had a different viewpoint this time, watching from above in the second balcony, and the view is amazing even from up there as well. In the snow scene, the awe-inspiring falling snow literally piles up in seconds before your eyes, and the additional geometric formations of the dancers’ feet making pretty trails in the snow is an added effect to the formation of bodies onstage. It’s an effect I never noticed from the ground floor before. The only down side is that the grandiose scope of the sets are lost on the audience up there.

And how great is it to experience your friends’ experiencing ballet and the Nutcracker for the first time, and loving it?? They laughed through the hilarious and flamboyant Mouse King (danced with delicious flourish by Daniel Deivison) and admired the impeccably trained children of the San Francisco Ballet school, dancing with that certain joy and that charm that only children have.

Mariellen Olson in Tomasson's Nutcracker. © Erik Tomasson

The highlights of the show for me were Dana Genshaft and Vitor Luiz as Snow Queen and King, dancing with a crystal clarity that translated all the way up to the second balcony. There was a soaring delicacy to their dancing which was perfect for the snow scene. WanTing Zhao made a knockout of an Arabian Coffee, my first time seeing her onstage, which left me scrambling for my program to identify the dancer. Her extensions are gorgeous, and there was an uncanny way of following through every movement with her hands and her feet that was so gorgeous. She took all the time in the world, unfolding herself in oozing sensuality and teasing the audience behind hidden hands. The Russian are always popular, and Daniel Baker with Diego Cruz and Geraud Wielick gave their all in a rousing performance. Frances Chung danced with all the joy in the world and a magnanimous warmth in her expansive movements. Vanessa Zahorian and Joan Boada were the reigning king and queen in the Grand Pas de Deux in a sparkling finale. Joan Boada has never looked better, dancing with a fluidity and an ease in his jumps and lovely deep landings. Vanessa Zahorian sailed through the Grand Pas de Deux with an easy flair and a regal elegance – has that girl ever fallen out of a turn? – which was thrilling to watch. Alyssa Peter also gave a lively performance as the lovely Clara. Also, a shoutout to the conductor for the evening, Ming Luke, who kept a good pace throughout the program which made the first and second acts clip by in a whirlwind of whimsy and fantasy. The orchestra also sounded cohesive, and I can’t stress how much I love having live music.

Maria Kochetkova and Gennadi Nedvigin in Tomasson's Nutcracker. © Erik Tomasson

Basically, go see it!! Performances end on December 27. Click here for more information. Also check out the SF Ballet’s Facebook page; they’ve been having quite a few giveaways and discounts lately.

Did anybody see the PBS showing of the SF Ballet’s Little Mermaid? Just curious about what people thought, I would have seen it if I wasn’t at the Nutcracker.

I was just notified by a friend of mine that NY Times dance critic Alastair Macaulay will be speaking at Stanford University TONIGHT, co-sponsored by their Humanities Center and the Stanford Institute for Creativity for the Arts. The lecture is *free* and open to the public. I would love to go if I didn’t have a night shift at the hospital tonight! Whether you love him or hate him, Alastair Macaulay has shaped the world of dance criticism today, with his sharp biting wit and controversial comments. He’s like the passionate ballet fan that you would love to sit next to in the theater during a show, pointing out fun and interesting (and possibly not necessarily nice) things about what was going on stage. I would love to ask him a question if he feels the pressure to say nice, or not nice, things in his reviews. I could see how controversial things could sell more papers (that Jeni Ringer controversy brought a lot of attention and PR, didn’t it?), and did he behave himself after that incident? It’s an interesting thing, being so public and opinionated.

Click here for more information.

Sacramento Ballet's Serenade by Balanchine. Image by David Alvarez

Last night, I was thrilled to venture out from my usual exhaustion of third year medical school to catch the last performance Sacramento Ballet’s fall program program. This is my first time seeing the Sacramento Ballet, except maybe for about 20 years ago when my cousin was a little dancer in their program of Cinderella. But once I heard that their program included Trey McIntyre and Balanchine’s Serenade, I couldn’t stay away.

I realize that I’m most likely not Sacramento Ballet’s target audience. For this program, Sacramento Ballet heavily promoted its version of Dracula, choreographed by their own artistic director Ron Cunningham, timely for Halloween. They also encouraged audience members to dress up for Halloween, and many audience members actually did, including a convincing Beetlejuice wandering the lobby during intermission. I was impressed with the audience turnout as well, particularly on the closing night of a program run, including running into a college classmate I hadn’t seen in over a decade, a random friend who’d never gone to the ballet before, and a doctor who works at the same hospital I do. Sacramento Ballet really does an excellent job catering to their audience of the residents of Sacramento, making it fun and accessible to go to the ballet. And in addition, I could sense their goal of trying to expose Sacramento audiences to high quality ballet as well, including throwing in a Balanchine classic and a very of-the-moment choreographer, Trey McIntyre. The company’s goals are lofty and admirable.

The program opened with Trey McIntyre’s Second Before the Ground. Who knows what the title means, but this piece showed us why McIntyre is so popular amongst ballet companies today. With music performed by the Kronos Quartet, the quirky strains of nostalgia and joy in the music reflects the high speed fluidity of the movements heavily based in classical ballet vocabulary. Innovation places this piece firmly in the 21st century, with experimentation outside classical ballet poses around every twist and turn. He also utilizes two opposing groups of dancers in different ways, often divided along gender lines. These groups never directly mirror each other but remain as contrasts or reactions to each other, often paralleling different aspects of the music.

McIntyre shows us that even in this plotless ballet, moments are couched in the familiar. The awkwardness of a junior high school dance pervades a sweet and charming duet. The raucous fun of a group square dance reigns in another movement. The men are in khakis, shirtless but with charming suspenders. Girls are in simple light dresses reminiscent of summer dresses. He firmly shows us his very American midwest upbringing with these familiar feelings that are never directly alluded to, but felt.

The program continues with Balanchine’s Serenade. It was thrilling to have my very first full viewing of this piece in its entirety, having seen excerpts all over the internet as well as a school performance of it in college. This piece is easily one of Balanchine’s masterpieces, and I love that it was choreographed for a group of adult beginning ballet students. The opening sequence of women in white romantic tutus to the strains of the richness of Tschaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings, with their feet in parallel, open up to the dancing body with their feet turned suddenly into first position. Basic class exercises are turned into something more than the sum of the movements strung together, flowing together from one to the next. History says that a woman in his adult ballet class saunters into class late, and he choreographs this part into the ballet.

With the stage filled with women in white, the choreography whispers of something ideal, of something heavenly. His formations of women in geometric shapes remain fresh and new despite this piece being choreographed in 1934 (wow), from small groups of 2-3 to the full ensemble. You see how Balanchine is the father of modern ballet, with countless choreographers today copying aspects of his choreography. But Balanchine does what he does with such subtlety and complexity, with movements woven deeply into the music. And is there any other piece that showcases the arabesque in all its grandeur and vulnerability?

The program wrapped up with Ron Cunningham’s Dracula. In all, the audience loved it and was obviously waiting for this piece the entire night. One man in our row ending up leaving in a huff, complaining loudly and bitterly that the two pieces before Dracula were even in the program, saying he refused to wait two hours to see the main attraction. This piece was a draw for many, but admittedly not for myself. The company pulled out all the stops with their sets and effects, including a hard-working fog machine, grandiose sets, and high pitched screams and “dracula” roars. Melodrama dripped off the stage, mainly remaining on that one frenzied high-pitched note the entire performance. Again, I’m not their target audience; my fiancee had to explain to me the different aspects of vampire culture, including their hatred for garlic and their need to continue to kill to stay alive. But it was an excellent vehicle for the company to shine, showcasing their physicality and dramatic skills. Who also knew that vampires were so sexy?? The audience loved it and ate up every moment.

In all, my first experience with the Sacramento Ballet was an excellent one. The company clearly knows how to cater to their audience, and also aims to show varied, historic and modern works as well as entertain. The performers are superb, all of them dancing with a modern snap and fluid clarity with a healthy dose of theatricality to sell every piece. Apologies for not naming individual dancers; I found the program a little confusing, but the soloists and ensemble were both lovely.

Sacramento Ballet. Their next performance is the Nutcracker, with performances starting on December 9, 2011.

San Francisco Ballet in Balanchine's Symphony In C. © Erik Tomasson. Choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust

Hi all – I’m back! It’s been way too long – I’ve been in the throes of 3:30 AM wake up calls, 14 hour days in the operating room, and working 13 days in a row in the abyss known as third year of medical school. Sorry for not blogging, and I especially miss my life in the theater. I barely made it back last month for an entertaining evening of the musical Billy Elliot last month, but aside from that, the closest to a theater I’ve gotten is a lecture hall. Did anybody make it to Stern Grove this year for San Francisco Ballet’s annual performance in that gorgeous park? I was sorely tempted to skip out to go, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be this year.

Just curious, how early do people to go get a decent seat there these days? Any reports? I heard that it was pretty amazing. And the trainees performed this year! Very cool. Even though I can’t post a review of it, enjoy the photos -

Maria Kochetkova and Rubén Martín Cintas in Tomasson's 7 For Eight. © Erik Tomasson

Vanessa Zahorian and Gennadi Nedvigin in Tomasson's 7 For Eight. © Erik Tomasson

Shion Yuasa and Henry Sidford in Thatcher's Timepiece. © Erik Tomasson

Anything good coming up? I just received an email about Philip Glass creating an annual summer arts festival in Carmel Valley and Big Sur, called the Days and Nights Festival. This festival features Philip Glass himself, in addition to artists all across different genres, including music and dance and poetry. Seems interesting, no? The closing concert with Glass himself at the piano sounds terribly intriguing. Go forth and report back! Would love to join you but for now, I’ll only hope to join civilization one day very soon. Click here for more info. The Days and Nights Festival runs from August 19-September 4.

Has anyone seen anything fun in a theater this summer?