Saturday Matinee

San Francisco Ballet marketing called today for the first time for this season – it signals that they’re getting ready for another great year! And what a season it is – they are celebrating their 75th anniversary this year, and really pulling out all the stops. I knew that it was different this year when I got a fancy glossy book (not a pamphlet, a book) in the mail, filled with beautiful artsy full page photos. On top of a great season, these are the special “extras” that are occurring this year:

• The presentation of a New Works Festival: 10 world renowned choreographers are creating 10 new works for the company. These famous names include Mark Morris, Christopher Wheeldon, Paul Taylor, Jorma Elo, James Kudelka, and Yuri Possohkov to name a few.
• An International Salute to San Francisco Ballet: it’s a program performed by world renowned ballet companies to pay tribute to the importance that is SF Ballet (hehe, that is my wording, but it’s an interesting concept). NYCB will be here to perform a pas de deux (I believe) from Duo Concertant, the National Ballet of Canada and Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo will be dancing as well.
• The year will end with an American Tour – touring four American cities (Chicago, New York, Orange County, and Washington D.C.)
• A huge hiring spree.

And that is on top of a great season – every single program is really strong, which is hard pressed to find in ANY ballet company, and definitely has not been true for SF Ballet every year. But this year is definitely different, and the season shows it. I’ll highlight the stuff I’m really excited about.

• Program 1: Balanchine’s “Diamonds”. I’m excited to see Diamonds, especially after having seen the Paris Opera Ballet’s glittering rendition that aired on PBS previously.
• Program 2: Balanchine’s Divertimento No. 15, Morris’ Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes, and resident choreographer Possohkov’s Firebird: I saw Firebird earlier this year, and liked it. It’s a piece that’s a bit cartoonish, and the part for the lead female, the Firebird, isn’t flashy and definitely didn’t make full use of Yuan Yuan Tan’s amazing extensions, but it was a great debut for Possohkov as resident choreographer. This program also includes my two favorite choreographers, Balanchine and Morris.
• GISELLE: This program warrants all caps and bold lettering. One of my favorite ballets of all time (it’s weird, it’s this ballet and Morris’ Sylvia, which is on completely opposite sides of the spectrum, but there it is). I was trying to think of good Giselles in the SF Ballet though, and sort of came up blank. Yuan Yuan Tan is an obvious great choice, but I would pay to see her just stand on stage. It seems like Tina LeBlanc has danced it in the past, but I can see her holding back a tad. I would love to see Sarah Van Patten dance Giselle, especially with her recent promotion to principal – she is the most feminine dancer, and might make a great Giselle. Possibly Elizabeth Miner as well? I can see Vanessa Zahorian being a good First Act Giselle, but the second act really requires such emotional depth and grace and being able to expression passion while being so restrained. She seems too “sunny” – technically she will fly through the piece, but for me, Giselle is so much more than that. A good nontraditional casting of Giselle might be Nutnaree Pipit-Suksun. She’d be beautiful to watch. I’m not worried about finding good Albrechts, there are so many good male dancers in the company who could play him fantastically (Vilanoba, Helimets, Nedvigin, Boada, Molat, the Martin brothers).
• Program 4: Robbins’ Fancy Free. I missed it this year, and I’m not going to miss it again.
• Program 5: Wheeldon’s Carousel (A Dance). Wheeldon staged it at the SF Ballet this year. It got ambivalent reviews in the NY Times, but I got wildly curious after reading Wheeldon’s experiences in staging it at SF Ballet, and after reading the experiences of one of the leads. The program notes says, “It’s [corps dancer, Dana] Genshaft’s first opportunity to carry a ballet as the sole lead woman, and she says she loves the role. “I don’t think I’ve ever danced anything as perfect for a ballerina. It’s very beautiful, and lots of fun.” Paired with Principal Dancer Ruben Martin, Genshaft finds the ballet emotionally powerful. “The first time I had to stare up at him lovingly, I actually cried,” she says. “You feel very vulnerable. You become the part, and to be that vulnerable can be scary.” She describes the characters’ connection, after her first few tentative glances in response to his steady gaze, as having “a stillness to it, even though there are big lifts. After a while the eyes never leave him.””

I can not wait, if you couldn’t tell already. Why all this excitement about SF Ballet, you ask? Well I’ve been going to ballets at the gorgeous War Memorial Opera House since I started going to school in the South Bay, and basically every year since. But even before then, when I was young, I got into the San Francisco Ballet School. My mom wouldn’t let me go because she thought it would interfere with my academic future, but it’s always something I’ll always regret. I definitely feel like it’s the life I could have had. (Could you think of any more polar opposites – ballet… and medicine??)

Check out the special website dedicated to this special anniversary season, here. Be sure to check out the videos.

The official website for the 75th anniversary season here.

Also remember the SF Ballet is performing at Stern Grove for a free outdoor concert! It’s a rare chance to see them dance off-season.