Boston Ballet – Chroma, Serenade, Symphony in C – Boston
Chroma: Perhaps it’s meant as a kind of sherbet to clear the palate between the Balanchine pieces… In short, I found the ballet dazzling but soulless.
New York City Ballet – Spring Gala with Wheeldon premiere – New York
But ‘A Place for Us’ (new Wheeldon) feels like a bauble, not quite a jewel.
San Francisco Ballet – Cinderella – San Francisco
If extravagant productions are the way to bring in new audiences and fill the till then they are justified for those reasons alone. However, they don’t necessarily leave a rich legacy for future generations.
Christopher Wheeldon – Choreographer
Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon is currently at the San Francisco Ballet preparing for the American premiere of his Cinderella. He has a rehearsal in forty-five minutes so we quickly set off to discuss his latest full-length ballet and many other things…
San Francisco Ballet – Criss-Cross, Francesca da Rimini, Symphony in Three Movements – San Francisco
Program 7 made me think a lot about this tricky issue of programming because this bill is a weird sandwich made with a delectable gourmet filling between slices of bland Wonder bread.
San Francisco Ballet – Raymonda Act III, Ibsen’s House, Symphonic Dances – San Francisco
The highlight of the program is Lorena Feijóo’s return to the stage in more than one ballet during the evening. After being out on maternity leave for a year …is dancing better than ever.
San Francisco Ballet – Onegin (3 casts) – San Francisco
I first saw Onegin with Marcia Haydée and Richard Cragun when the Stuttgart Ballett made its New York debut in 1969. So when San Francisco Ballet premiered it in the 2011-12 season I was happy to meet an old acquaintance again.
San Francisco Ballet – From Foreign Lands, Scotch Symphony, Golden Hour – San Francisco
From Foreign Lands: “This amusing, yet subtle send-up of classical ballet is rewarding in its expertly-shaped choreography, and made all the more appealing by the slight wackiness of the costumes and visual jokes.”
San Francisco Ballet – Guide to Strange Places, Beaux, Rite of Spring – San Francisco
Possokhov’s Rite of Spring is a mixture of mostly good choices with a few that seem rather odd to me.
Ballet San Jose – Don Quixote – San Jose
The good news is that I had a very pleasant afternoon, mostly the result of the dancers actually having a splendid time on stage.
The Joffrey Ballet – Age of Innocence, After the Rain, The Green Table – San Francisco
Closing the program is Kurt Jooss’s anti-war ballet from 1932,The Green Table, one of the greatest pieces of choreography ever created and still relevant after more than 80 years.
San Francisco Ballet – Borderland (premiere), Suite en Blanc, In the Night – San Francisco
The highly anticipated world premiere of Wayne McGregor’s Borderlands, commissioned by SF Ballet, meets with a standing ovation.
San Francisco Ballet – 80th Season Gala Opening – San Francisco
Perhaps the best pas de deux of the evening, judging by the audience reaction, is one from Christopher Wheeldon’s After the Rain.
2012 Dance Memories – London
Lynette Halewood with her personal selection of London dance memories this last year…
Mark Morris Dance Group – The Hard Nut – San Francisco
I always enjoy The Hard Nut even though there isn’t a lot of choreography.
Ballet West – The Nutcracker – Washington
From start to finish this Nutcracker …is a true Christmas gift for children and adults alike – one of the most satisfying versions of the holiday classic I have ever seen.
San Francisco Ballet – Nutcracker – San Francisco
Not to be a scrooge-ish Grinch (or is it a grinchy Scrooge?), but I don’t really like all the sentimental and consumeristic trimmings and trappings that surround the holidays.
San Francisco Ballet – Trio, RAkU, Voices of Spring, Number Nine – Washington
The mixed bill proved once again that San Francisco Ballet is a dedicated promoter of new work…
Ballet San Jose – Gala Performance – San Jose
…I’m not certain in which direction the company is headed. There is so much potential to be realised that it would be disappointing to see it ebb away.
Australian Ballet – 50th Anniversary Gala – Melbourne
It was a program that harkened back to the big international Galas of previous years, as well as a nice reference to the company’s first years, when artists including Sonia Arova, Erik Bruhn, Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev guest-starred.
