Musings on ballet, classical music, the violin, and life
Exciting news just announced by San Francisco Ballet: encore performance of Swan Lake with thrilling guest artists. Details below! I know some of you, my dear readers, are classical music fans but not ballet fans. Likewise, some among you are just as happy—maybe you even prefer—to see contemporary ballet works set to jazz, soul, even electronica. … Read more
Question: what makes choreographer Christopher Wheeldon’s stunning ballet, Cinderella, come so magically alive onstage? Answer: it’s everything. The scrim that gives the prologue a dreamy, cinematic feel. The four benevolent Fates who blend into the shadows. Prokofiev’s affecting music. Wheeldon’s choreography. The really, really good dancers. The tree that sprouts from Cinderella’s tears at her … Read more
90 years is a long time for a ballet company to be in operation, particularly in North America, and the San Francisco Ballet is achieving this milestone in 2023. It’s decidedly something to celebrate, as well an opportunity to offer a glimpse of what comes next for this trailblazing, world-class company. No better way, then, … Read more
Arts-loving readers, mark your calendars: World Ballet Day 2022 is Wednesday, November 2nd! To celebrate, enjoy my ballet-centric novel, A Dancer’s Guide to Africa, for FREE, all week long! Click HERE. Also, check out the Ballet Theatre Chronicles, HERE. World Ballet Day has started, and HERE is the all-important link to watch the livestream! … Read more
San Francisco Ballet’s Program 4, opening on Tuesday March 15, brings something elusive and wonderful to the stage in the form of two ballets, La Sylphide and Alexei Ratmansky’s The Seasons. Both hold an element of “Oh, finally!” and both help celebrate and commemorate this, artistic director Helgi Tomasson’s 37th and final season at the helm … Read more