Saturday Matinee

Nutnaree Pipit-Suksun and Pierre-François Vilanoba in Tomasson's 7 For Eight. © Erik Tomasson

Tonight’s 2010 opening night gala at the San Francisco Ballet was a worthy tribute to Helgi Tomasson, celebrating his 25th year as artistic director. Watching it, I began to understand the scope of his vision as well as his sense of accomplishment in shaping this company into a world class one. There’s no doubt that one of his biggest talents is showcasing his stellar dancers in the best light possible. Nutnaree Pipit-Suksun’s arabesque is a breathtaking wonder. Davit Karapetyan is a rare combination of power and ease, while his partner Vanessa Zahorian sparkled with pristine glamor. Pascal Molat’s energy and precision burst off the stage. Maria Kochetkova embodied young love in a moving portrayal of Juliet with her heart on her sleeve, and Yuan Yuan Tan is the free spirit that no one could capture.

A full review will be coming up soon – I  had a thrilling moment when I realized that I was sitting a few rows behind Christopher Wheeldon. I’ll be seeing his company, Morphoses, perform next week.