Saturday Matinee

2008

San Francisco Ballet in Tomasson’s Nutcracker. © Erik Tomasson

What more can I say about San Francisco Ballet’s Nutcracker without sounding like a broken record? Catching back-to-back performances last Tuesday at the San Francisco War Memorial House, I was once again swept up in the sumptuous fairytale of what I’m convinced is one of the best Nutcrackers in the world. The production bursts with sumptuous extravagance in the magnificent sets by Michael Yeargan and costumes by Martin Pakledinaz that speaks of an early 20th century nostalgia where even kids misbehaved in an orderly fashion. But San Francisco Ballet’s Nutcracker firmly plants itself in the present day with a contemporary edge in the crispness of the company’s dancing. Especially having viewed the PBS airing of this production mere days before I saw the performances live, I was struck how much more alive the production looked onstage than on the TV screen. The company seemed to have grown since its recording last year and gave particularly luminous performances.

The entire show seems to fly by like a dream. From the brisk lively overture conducted by Martin West, the children in the audience are enchanted by the first act with its strong narrative plot. But my personal favorite lies in the charms of the second act, where the company shines in Helgi Tomasson’s choreography that is custom made to show off the wonders of the San Francisco Ballet. I found the French section (danced by Ludmila Campos, Lily Rogers, and Jennifer Stahl) to be a choreographic high point, with a light flirtiness and contrasting deep plies on pointe to make it interesting. The famous Sugar Plum Fairy solo accompanied by the heavenly celeste (in this version, the solo in the Grand Pas de Deux) is a refreshingly original take on an over-choreographed variation that seamlessly incorporates the storyline of Clara’s joy in dancing with her Prince directly in the form of flitting, running steps across the stage in pointe. The audience-favorite Russian section danced by Benjamin Stewart, Christopher Mondoux, and Isaac Hernandez in the evening cast never fails to bring down the house with their energy and showmanship. These highlights overshadow the times when Tomasson’s choreography seems to fight the music (for instance, Clara yawns and falls asleep peacefully amidst dark, ominous music) or my annoyance at the missing gunshot in its appropriate place in the music that makes it appearance several bars later.

 

Frances Chung in Tomasson’s Nutcracker. © Erik Tomasson

In comparing the matinee and evening casts, the evening cast was more experienced, yet the matinee cast brought to mind memorable new faces. Corps member Clara Blanco danced the Grand pas de deux with effervescence; her turns were breathtaking, as there is a nice completeness to her dancing, from her fingertips to her follow through out of each step to the next. Principal Nicolas Blanc was her warm and spirited Prince who filled his high flying jumps and extensions with a dash of (dare I say, tongue-in-cheek?) humor, especially when he acted out what happened in the battle with the mice. Rachel Viselli as the Sugar Plum Fairy displayed amazing control with her rock solid balances, yet I found her performance a tad flat, lacking in musicality and a forward-pushing energy. Newly-hired corps member Isaac Hernández was the lead in the Russian section in an eye-popping performance with unabashed bravura and drama, making a dazzling impression in his short time onstage and turning effortlessly as if he was on ice. He will definitely be one to watch this upcoming season. In the evening performance, Kristin Long made a welcoming Sugar Plum Fairy, her dancing expansive as the soloist in the Waltz of the Flowers. Nutnaree Pipit-Suksun was a sensual lead in Arabian, and Nicolas Blanc jumped to the skies in his dynamic rendition of Chinese. Maria Kochetkova reprised her role (from the PBS broadcast) in the Grand pas de deux with the joy of a girl dancing on the happiest day of her life in a thrilling demonstration of technical control and artistry, flitting on her toes across the stage as if on air. Gennadi Nedvigin was her refined and debonair partner. Brett Bauer and Elana Altman as the Snow King and Queen shared an effortless partnership that highlighted an ease to the role I hadn’t seen before. In both casts, Val Caniparoli as Uncle Drosselmeyer added humorous details to his role, such as wiping the eyes and blowing the nose of the Nutcracker after Fritz breaks it. Daniel Deivison was a delightfully bendy dancing doll, and Jessica Cohen was a youthful and vivacious Clara.

 

Vanessa Zahorian in Tomasson’s Nutcracker. © Erik Tomasson

From the smallest ladybug to the most experienced dancer onstage, from the beautiful costumes to the breathtaking snowfall in the Snow Scene, every detail in San Francisco Ballet’s Nutcracker is in its carefully constructed place. The result is a sparkling production bound to be distilled in children’s memories to inspire another generation to dream, as it did for me when I was growing up.

San Francisco Ballet

Links:

• My review last year
• Get the DVD that aired on PBS - narrated by Kristi Yamaguchi and chock full of information on the background, history, and inspiration for this production

Dressed up for the holidays!

Merry Christmas everyone! I’m still working up until the very last minute until my flight leaves, but after having worked all weekend this past weekend, I finally got a break in my experiments when I caught a back to back showing of two Nutcrackers at the San Francisco Ballet yesterday. It was a magical time, and I had a blast with my friends and family. Review coming soon - in the meantime, I still have to pack and cram stuff in (I don’t know how I’m fitting all my presents in my bag). I hope everyone has the warmest of holidays filled with Nutcracker princes, spicy hot apple cider, heartwarming smiles, and lots of much-needed rest!

Elizabeth Powell, Damian Smith, and the San Francisco Ballet in Tomasson’s Nutcracker. © Erik Tomasson 

If you can’t make it to the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House either due to distance or the recession, PBS’ Great Performances is offering a rare opportunity to get a glimpse of a live performance of San Francisco Ballet’s Nutcracker. San Francisco performed the first Nutcracker in the US, starting it as a longstanding holiday tradition in this country. Recently renovated a few years ago, Helgi Tomasson’s rendition of the Nutcracker literally bursts off the screen in its elegance and energy. I got a chance to preview the PBS version - with thoughtful details on making the production local to Bay Area audiences, the design offers a nostalgic nod to its past with the world class dancers looking fresh and modern.

In a sea of Nutcracker DVD’s out there, SF Ballet stands apart in several different ways. Only filmed last year, the newness of the production jumps off the screen in all its sumptuous detail. Also, this filmed performance is a compilation of several live performances, in contrast to other versions filmed without a live audience, including NY City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and the Baryshnikov/Kirkland version to name a few. On one hand, it feels like you’re sitting in the audience, with the energy that comes from a spontaneous live performance instead of the careful calculation that comes with many takes. On the other hand, it comes with a few baubles and the risks that accompany live performance. Maria Kochetkova’s fouettes in the grand pas de deux feel a little bit shaky, but not necessarily in a bad way - there’s an irreplaceable thrill in the live performance that I really enjoyed, rather than looking robotic. Speaking of Kochetkova, she dances with warm consideration infusing her performance with precise detail and the lightness of a meringue. Davit Karapetyan as her noble partner has a big, muscular, tough exterior but possesses this unexpected gentility about him. His long legs extend swiftly, but lands with the softest of landings, almost catlike. There’s something understated about his presence; he has the rare quality of being both a solid partner and an exceptional soloist. Yuan Yuan Tan and Pierre-François Vilanoba make the most out of a mostly thankless pas de deux filled with promenades and presentations rather than dancing; they dance with nobility and grace even in the midst of a torrential snowstorm. Another standout was Clara Blanco as the Doll in the first act; her wide-eyed face and rigid doll-like movements gave her character life and charm. The corps de ballet were particularly expressive in their upper arms in the big group numbers (Snow, Flowers). The sets by Michael Yeargan and costumes by Martin Pakledinaz are breathtaking in person, but I didn’t feel like it translated quite as well on screen. More reason to see it live, I suppose. I really liked the background and history they gave regarding the sets and design of the show, making it more San Francisco-centric and historically accurate. Kristi Yamaguchi narrates pleasantly in awkwardly worded speeches (I thought it was cute the way she pronounced “horticultural” and they made her say it twice!) and adds a personal touch as she shares with us her personal history with this production.

Be sure to catch this opportunity to see a world class company on TV! For most people such as where I am, it will air on Wednesday December 17 at 8 pm, but be sure to check your local listings. Post your comments, thoughts, reactions here, I’d love to know what people thought.

Links:

• PBS Great Performances’ Website: SF Ballet’s Nutcracker
• For tickets to see it live (I can’t reiterate enough, there’s nothing like seeing it live), click here.
• Buy the DVD here
• My review of last year’s live performance, which is getting a ton of hits these days, here.
• Tonya’s take
• Allan Ullrich’s take

Psst. Guess what just went on sale on Amazon today? (Ok aside from Wall-e)  San Francisco Ballet’s Nutcracker! This will also be aired on PBS on December 17. I can’t find anything on the PBS Great Performances website, but I’m sure it’ll be up soon. The cast includes Maria Kochetkova and Davit Karapetyan in the central pas de deux, with Vanessa Zahorian as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Damian Smith as Drosselmeyer. If anyone can point me to a full cast list, please let me know. Although it’s great having the DVD of it, there’s nothing like seeing it live. A little girl behind me screamed at the Mouse King and gasped when the tree grew. Too funny and so adorable! Here’s my review of it last year.

San Francisco Ballet’s Nutcracker. Click here for tickets.

All photos © Erik Tomasson

Lorena Feijoo and Joan Boada in Possohkov’s Fusion. © Erik Tomasson

After too long of a hiatus, I finally got a chance to see my beloved San Francisco Ballet on their American Tour in Orange County this weekend. After hearing all the rave reviews in the other stops on their tour, I was curious to see how the company looked after the summer. It was fun to see many of the men sporting spiffy new haircuts, and even though it’s late in the tour with only one more stop after Orange County, the company showed no signs of wear or tear and looked absolutely phenomenal.

I had previously seen Possohkov’s Fusion and Wheeldon’s Within the Golden Hour at the opening night of their world premiere back in April, and in the few months that have passed, the pieces looked like completely new pieces. For both dances, the choreography had seeped more into the dancers’ pores, where the movements looked more instinctual and were performed with more of a natural flair compared to opening night. In Fusion, resident choreographer Possohkov has his finger on the pulse of the company, where the dancers looked like they were born to dance this piece. Despite some structural issues I still have with this piece with the two groups of opposing dancers (the whirling dervishes and the contemporary costumed dancers) integrating cohesively into one dance, with every whirling turn to every sensuous hip wiggle, each movement was sold to the eager and captivated audience. The overall effect was hauntingly mystical, yet complexly modern.

Yuan Yuan Tan and Benjamin Stewart in Fusion

Vanessa Zahorian in Fusion

Bathed in a warm glow, Wheeldon’s Within the Golden Hour was especially breathtaking. You can almost hear Wheeldon working the steps, trying new things, and reinventing movements and poses. But rather than spiralling into an esoteric multilayered analytical mess, Wheeldon as a master sculptor shapes the steps into something more than the sum of its parts. There’s delight at every corner. Lilting quirks punctuate the gently nimble music by Vivaldi and Ezio Bosso. Wheeldon’s invention worked especially well in the ensemble dancing, where different groups are set up against each other, each group quickly melting into the next and culminating in a triumph with the dancers swirling around each other in a circle. There’s a pas de deux with the lead couple, danced by Katita Waldo and Damian Smith that tripped along charmingly, with Waldo’s leggy glamour and Smith’s unwavering strength. A recurring motif with two male dancers, Garen Scribner and Martyn Garside, burst with lithe agility and vivid sensuality. Scribner was his usual self with his clean lines and striking stage presence. I had to look up Garside, a dancer I didn’t initially recognize, as he stepped up to match Scribner’s presence with his eye-catching dramatic authority and fiery abandon. Some of the pas de deux (what is plural of pas de deux?) especially in the slower ones had the drawn out feeling of a measured awakening that evolved over time but never resolved, still maintaining Wheeldon’s inventiveness. The overall effect was a joyful and richly layered enchanting journey of a sunny, warm world that was winningly the audience favorite of the night.

Maria Kochetkova and Joan Boada in Within the Golden Hour

The program ended with an about face with Balanchine’s Four Temperaments. Set in a stark setting with severe black leotards and simple background, the atonal pulsing music by Paul Hindemith propelled the physicality and the sharp angles of this piece. The overall effect is cool, detached, and a “better than you” distance that makes this piece in my personal opinion, a piece to be respected and admired but difficult to love. There’s lots to think about however, as the evening’s theme of invention continues. The Four Temperaments which premiered in 1946 is so forward thinking that one could easily guess that this piece was made this year. Loosely based on a theme and variations with each variation based on the four humors of the body (black bile, blood, phlegm, and yellow bile whatever that is), these associations with the human body are hard to visualize. A group of four girls (representing the four temperaments?) repeatedly make an appearance as an aloof and unrelentless army of Fembots in leotards, pushing forward with razor sharp pointed feet. My favorite variation was Phlegmatic, with Pierre-Francois Vilanoba in the foreground of these four girls, carving out his presence in space and time with his long sinuous limbs. Pascal Molat flew as the soloist in the Melancholic variation, and Lorena Feijoo and Tiit Helimets created a whirlwind of energy in the Sanguinic variation. In terms of audience response, this 180 degree turn in the mood seemed to catch everyone off guard as the ready applause died down a bit, but perhaps everyone was deep in thought rather than on reflex emotional response. The evening ended with an overwhelming presence of the entire ensemble dancing with hard edged precision, led by the polished Sofiane Sylve.

San Francisco Ballet with Pierre-Francois Vilanoba in Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments.

In all, this was a very long way of saying that San Francisco Ballet overwhelmingly succeeded in showing the audience that ballet is not merely a showcase of tricks, but a complete intellectual and emotional experience that is as diverse as it is deep. It was in a series of Pascal Molat’s entrechats near the end of the night that I realized that I hadn’t seen a fouette or the usual ballet applause-generators, but all the steps were seamlessly incorporated artistically into generating a mood, an emotion, a thought. This is a huge testament to the skill of the company and their ability to completely transport the audience into worlds unseen, and I can’t remember the last time that I found a ballet performance so complete and thrillingly satisfying. It’s also to San Francisco Ballet’s credit that they seem to send their best dancers out on tour, which is a different approach from some ballet companies, leaving a trail of obsessive fans in its wake. The dancers have never looked better; there was a moment in the Wheeldon piece where Damian Smith, Pierre-Francois Vilanoba, and Joan Boada were merely standing in a line in an easy fourth position. There was something about their similar build and jaw-dropping stage presence that was simply awe-inspiring. I’m also sure that pride in my hometown ballet company and the long hiatus added to my enjoyment as well. What a perfect way to officially end San Francisco Ballet’s 75th anniversary with a national tour that sets its stamp on the dance world as a pioneer and leader in the world of contemporary ballet.

San Francisco Ballet stops in Washington D.C. next, November 25-30 as the last stop of their American Tour. Be sure to catch their Giselle!! Here’s my review of SFB’s Giselle.

Other reviews:

• LA Times

UPDATE: In the spirit of innovation and as a result of a conversation I had with a friend, I decided to write up reviews for Fusion and Within the Golden Hour in haiku (in the loosest syllable definition of the word). For what it’s worth, enjoy.

Lily Rogers and Daniel Deivison-Oliveira in Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments. © Erik Tomasson

Wow, has this week crept up on me or what! There’s lots to come, but the thing that I’m most excited about… the chance to see San Francisco Ballet again!! Do you THINK that I’m excited?? I will be attending their stop in their American Tour in Orange County next week, so be sure to check it out. They perform at the Orange County Center for the Performing Arts November 11 - November 16. Click here for tickets.

Program A (November 11, 13, & 15 at 7:30pm; and November 16 at 2pm)
Possokhov: Fusion
Wheeldon: Within the Golden Hour
Balanchine: The Four Temperaments

Program B (November 12 & 14 at 7:30pm and November 15 at 2pm)
Tomasson: The Fifth Season
Morris: Joyride
Elo: Double Evil

Other links:

• Principal Katita Waldo on the preparation for the Orange County stop of their American Tour
• Reviews from their NY stop here, here, here, and here
• San Francisco Ballet at 75: The American Tour

Katita Waldo and Gonzalo Garcia in Tomasson’s The Fifth Season. © Erik Tomasson

I don’t know about you guys, but every day now, I’m getting coupons in the mail at alarming rates than I did before the recession (has the government admitted it yet??). Here’s my favorite one: San Francisco Ballet’s next stop on the American Tour in Orange County, and they have a coupon code for a whopping 75% off in their performances there.  Click here for tickets (warning: embedded video will run automatically so turn your volume down), and use the coupon code 8469 . I’ll blog more about this stop in the OC later. Offer ends on Sunday Nov 2 at 6 pm.

San Francisco Ballet: the American Tour

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

A big hello to all the New Yorkers who have been stumbling onto my website in record numbers, whether it be through online searches or through other websites. San Francisco Ballet makes its second stop in its American Tour at the City Center in New York, starting Friday night with three great programs to showcase the company’s marvelous dancers. Click on Oberon’s Grove for an overview, including links to my reviews from the New Works Festival. I also reviewed SFB’s Divertimento No. 15 which they performed earlier this year.

Please comment if you attend their performances in New York! I’m especially curious about the new principals that have recently joined the company.

San Francisco Ballet performs at the City Center in New York from Oct 10-18. Click here for more information.

From SF Ballet’s new Youtube channel, a sneak peek of its 2009 season, including highlights from pieces they will be performing on their American tour

Good news for San Francisco Ballet fans… In addition to its website, San Francisco Ballet has launched two more sites, their official company blog and a Youtube channel. This doesn’t surprise me, as other companies such as NYCB and the Joffrey have led the precedent in utilizing the internet to promote its company in a world that seeks transparency in a normally formal and shrouded art form. It is a smart move to cater to a generation that voraciously devours information online. And for a newbie or a seasoned audience member, it really does add to the appreciation of the art with a look backstage at the work that goes into a performance. The blog is an excellent start, with entries from up and coming corps member Lily Rogers, soloist Frances Chung, and principal Pascal Molat. I found it intriguing that Lily Rogers described Elo’s Double Evil one of the hardest things she’s ever danced, yet when I looked back at my review, she was one of the standouts in that performance. I never would have guessed.

I’ve been thinking about internet marketing and arts organizations recently, especially with the symphony conference I recently attended. There’s a definite trend, as I learned from a marketing expert that bloggers are a fundamental part of marketing for an organization. Is it really necessary to the point where companies who DON’T jump on the internet bandwagon will be labeled as staid outdated losers who are left behind in the dust? To me, it’s surprising that one of the biggest companies in the world, American Ballet Theater, has displayed the least flexiblity in adjusting to this internet trend. As being a giant in the ballet world, I’d have thought that they would have been the pioneer in forging change. Perhaps they don’t need to, because their superstar dancers are enough to sell tickets, and it reinforces their deep-rooted traditional sense of style. Although which ballet company doesn’t need help selling tickets, even ABT?

Anyways, it’s brilliant that the SF Ballet has a great start with their satisfyingly lengthy blog entries and Youtube channel. Check it out! The dancers will be blogging throughout their American tour, which opens tonight in Chicago.

Counterargument to SF Weekly’s cover article, “Blood, Sweat, and Tutus”

A few days ago, a rather sensationalistic article was published in the SF Weekly, titled “Blood, Sweat, and Tutus:Tear your knee, wrench your back, pirouette, and bow: dancing at the San Francisco Ballet”. It was an article that addresses the sensitive issue of dancers getting injured, and their fears of being fired from an ever-watchful administration. In short, although the article brings up valid and important points, I felt that the article could have been written in a more practical manner to point to possible solutions, instead of sensationalizing the situation and pointing fingers at causes that may not necessarily the reason for the situation.

In an ideal world, a company would be overflowing with funds. There would be money to hire lots of dancers to cover lots of roles, so dancers don’t have to dance as often but get lots of breaks. If dancers get injured, the company would have more than enough money to keep them on and pay them full time until full recovery. No one would ever be let go, and there would be money to hire more dancers if dancers are injured.

But as we all know, we live in a capitalistic society that favors the bottom line over idealism. The problems are worsened by the unfriendly financial environment for arts organizations, where funding is never enough. In many occupations, an employer has a right to let an employee go if he or she cannot fulfill the duties of the job. Some exceptions exist - as a friend brought up, police officers are guaranteed a desk job or payments for the rest of their lives if they are injured on the job. The big difference between the police department and a ballet company however, are that police departments are guaranteed funding through tax money. Arts organizations are not. Is it heartbreaking? Yes. Is it compassionate? No. Should it even be happening? No. But given its reality, what other choice does a company have?

The competitive nature of the field that drives dancers past their physical comfort zones isn’t the fault of any one administration, but of the field itself. Competition is always tough in a field where there are more people who want to dance than there are jobs. It’s even harder for people who fight their way up to the top of the elite status of principal dancer. In the article, dancer Quinn Wharton states that he continued to dance because “the idea of stepping down and ceding his big breaks to the throngs of dancers nipping at his heels would be as instinctually unthinkable as a dog refusing steak”. But is this not the nature of all competitive fields? In the field that I know best, my own, a comparable situation might be to getting an all-too-rare interview at one of the top medical schools in the country, such as Harvard or UCSF. If I had been unable to attend that interview, whether the reason was injury, job related or not, I would sacrifice a huge irreparable stepping stone to my career because there are thousands who are more than willing to take my place. I know too many stories of sabotage, including spitting in another person’s experiment to screw up their lab results, in the pre-med world. Competition is tough, but sadly and heartlessly no less severe than other equally competitive fields.

Part of the problem that San Francisco Ballet has been put under the spotlight is not due to the fault of its administration, but as an accidental result of its meteoric rise in prestige as a world class ballet company. Dancers, even really great ones, want to dance with the company. More competition brings more pressure, which leads to trying to stand out from the crowd and pushing past comfort zones, and leading to more injuries. Can anyone blame the company for being too good, or too popular, or too prestigious?

Don’t get me wrong. No one should ever have to dance or function through a disc herniation. No one should be denied medical care because they fear for their job. No one should ever be told that they’re being let go without the truth (as the dancer who was let go in the article for being told that he wasn’t “versatile”, although it was obvious that it was because of his injury). No one should be let go in an impersonal flippant manner, without acknowledgment and respect especially for a situation beyond their control. Administrations should be challenged and questioned by the public that they are doing everything possible to prioritize the health and well being of their dancers. In addition, articles like this can be helpful to question traditional ways of thinking. In the medical profession, it was articles such as this that revealed the horrendous state of affairs that set healthy laws like setting limits on residency working hours to 30 hours at a time and no more than 80 hours a week, so that a patient’s life will not be in the hands of a sleep deprived doctor. Articles like this can bring about positive change if done in a practical way. But I didn’t think that posting pictures of toe shoes covered in blood and painting the SF Ballet administration to be a lone bloodthirsty lion roaming to pick off wounded gazelles in a herd helped anything because it reeks of a partiality to a foregone conclusion. The causes run much deeper than a single organization - I don’t think anyone really believe that this problem only exists in SFB and if not worse, at other prestigious dance companies and all throughout the dance world.

Solutions? Of course it’s tough, given the facets of this situation that are unchangeable and multifaceted, including competition, capitalism, limited resources, and multiple organizations from unions to dancers to the administration to the government. The most obvious solution is increased arts funding and keeping vocational rehabilitation and disability funding through the state. However, the solutions need to go deeper than the obvious, including not only preventative medicine but also prevention in ending of careers. A big help would be to provide education and alternatives for dancers if their careers end earlier than expected, so dancers have options to follow other desired career paths.

If you object to the way that injured dancers are treated and want to do something about it, the most immediate way I see of anyone helping out is to buy a ballet ticket. Give money to an organization so that you can support medical care for dancers and their careers and other programs such as education for them. Vote for state funding for the arts and vocational rehabilitation and disability. Pointing fingers at an administration constrained by finances, union laws, and audience demand for healthy present dancers doesn’t accomplish a lot.

Reading the responses to this article, I also see that I’m not the only one who feels that this article was a bit one-sided and overly dramatic (click on “show/hide comments”).

Anyways, I also recommend that you read the article (albeit with a grain of salt) also for the fun stories that are included. Tiit Helimets dancing the lead of Don Q while simultaneously drunk and high off of eight cups of coffee? Hilarious! (although probably unnecessary for the article’s point.)

My deepest heartfelt wishes extend to Julianne Kepley and other dancers who are out due to their injuries at the SF Ballet. Many speedy returns for her recovery and her soon appearance on the War Memorial stage.

Julianne Kepley before her knee injury. Photo from the article by Herbert Migdoll.