“Mrs. Robinson” kicks off a memorable season at San Francisco Ballet

It’s going to be a memorable, one-of-a-kind repertory season, as the San Francisco Ballet celebrates artistic director Helgi Tomasson’s 37th and final year with the company. The entire season interconnects and celebrates Tomasson’s enormous legacy, one that shaped San Francisco Ballet into the acclaimed, world-renowned ballet company it is today. And the magic is about … Read more

SF Ballet appoints its next artistic director

It’s big news, something I’ve been waiting for since artistic director Helgi Tomasson announced his retirement: the San Francisco Ballet today appointed Tamara Rojo as the company’s next artistic director. The following is taken from the San Francisco Ballet’s press release: (SAN FRANCISCO, CA) January 11, 2022 San Francisco Ballet today announced the appointment of … Read more

The Classical Girl’s very casual “Top 10 classical ballets” list

Google “Top 10 classical ballets” or something similar, and you’ll find a whole slew of lists that, in truth, really don’t vary a whole lot. Some feature more contemporary ballets and include the works of Frederick Ashton, Kenneth MacMillan, George Balanchine. Others opt for the whimsical and light, like Coppélia and La Fille Mal Gardée. … Read more

Rachmaninov’s spooky “Isle of the Dead”

You’ve quite possibly seen a copy of “Isle of the Dead,” a painting by Swiss symbolist artist, Arnold Böcklin. The dreamy, haunting portrait depicts a small rowboat traversing a lake. In the boat a figure shrouded in white stands, transporting a draped coffin, as the rower behind steers the boat to shore, a rocky island … Read more

Q & A with author Terez Mertes Rose

I had the opportunity to sit and talk face-to-face with author Terez Mertes Rose the other day (okay so it was a mirror), about her recently released novel, Ballet Orphans, a prequel and Book 3 of the Ballet Theatre Chronicles series. Here’s what she had to say…. What was the most challenging thing about writing … Read more