March 24 through today!

I've been really behind with posting links to the San Francisco Appeal. Eek and sorry! But if you want to read everything in real time, the best way to do that is to add the Appeal's RSS feed (or just mine, if you'd like) to your reader (or whatever you use to manage blogs, rss, etc.).

On March 24, I wrote about dance anywhere, an annual event where "people [dance] wherever they are at the same time: noon here in San Francisco, 3PM in New York, 8PM in Paris, etc."

On March 31, I spoke with Aline Wachsmuth, a dance/collaborate with LEVYdance who says that "[b]eing a dancer in this particular company has given me room for growth as a mover, a choreographer, a dance viewer, and a person. I'm really grateful to have such an amazing collaborative relationship with Ben [Levy]."

And on April 7, I previewed Stephen Pelton Dance Theater's The Dance Hour. Pelton said that, "I chose the framing device of a radio hour, as a way of prompting the audience to expect varying points of view. So it is a very eclectic program. But as many of the performers have been working together for some time, it feels as if the ensemble really shines as a whole."

Today, I reviewed SF Ballet's Program 7. About Jerome Robbins' The Concert, I wrote, "The 21 dancers, clad in powder blue leotards, tights, and shoes, funnel in to see a concert, and from there we zoom off with them into music-inspired daydreams."

dance flash @ the appeal: Q&A with chitresh das

This week, I Q&A-ed Chitresh Das at the SF Appeal:

How did you two [you and Jason Samuels Smith] meet and what prompted this collaboration?

We met several years ago while practicing backstage at the American Dance Festival at Duke University. I started to dance and Jason said. "How can you do that with your bare feet?"

dance flash @ the appeal: sf ballet 2010, program 3

Here's a quick little excerpt from my review over at the SF Appeal of San Francisco Ballet's Program 3:

Last on the bill was Theme and Variations, a tutu ballet that, for all except the main duo, focuses way too much on aquamarine and periwinkle (it's like My Little Ponies exploded onstage). With teal drapings and chandeleirs hanging from above, Theme and Variations is lighter than most Balanchine works, embodied with a pureness of soul that swoops across the stage as the corps begins their procession. But this ballet isn't for pussies; feet move with warp-10-like speed, bodies fly through the air, and astounding abs are required.

Yuan Yuan Tan and Anthony Spaulding in Balanchine's Stravinsky Violin Concerto.
© Erik Tomasson

dance flash and other stuff @ the appeal: 2/2010!!!

yours truly is truly busy this week. i reviewed "beyond the pole," a mockumentary about two british dudes taking their environmental crusade to the north pole yesterday. it has nothing to do with dance; wait, scratch that. there are two scenes at a salsa dancing class! today i previewed "love everywhere," a multi-location dance and theater piece that kicks off at city hall on friday at noon. still to come: two, albeit brief, reviews of sf ballet!

beyond the pole excerpt:

The film opens up with one of the funniest parts: Mark and Brian explaining the why behind hiking, training, and ferrying (no planes here!) to the North Pole. They banter back and forth and finally show off what's under their shirts: more shirts. The tees say, "Don't be impotent. Be important." Ah, boys.

full review is here.

love everywhere excerpt:

Chong Shuch says, "I feel like [Love Everywhere] is just a really special thing. You know, this is the six-year anniversary of when they started issuing the same sex marriage licenses, so this piece is... really joyful and very much a celebration of those marriages, like a Valentine's Day celebration of love in this huge public space where so many people have been married. For Friday, I think it's going to be really fun..., and I hope that the performance will bring to the forefront this whole marriage equality issue without being political about it. I hope we can put some pictures and images out there in the world that bring life to that issue. "

full preview is here.

in addition, i got a chance to see sean dorsey's work at dance mission this week, and i was really blown away. so much so that i wrote to my undergrad's dance, gender studies, and glbt? heads and insisted they host him in some shape, form, or manner.

dance flash @ the appeal: sean dorsey dance

This week at the SF Appeal, I spoke with Sean Dorsey, who is recognized as the nation's first out transgender modern dance choreographer.

Excerpt:

My whole identity was very much wrapped up in being a traditional activist and community organizer, and I really struggled for many years with the idea of giving myself over to being a working artist. It felt like it would be selfish, but it was through the process of being in dance school and starting to make work that I got that actually this was the way that I could, I think, affect the most change in my community: through my cultural activism as a choreographer and artistic director.

For the full interview, go here.

Photo by Lydia Daniller

dance flash @ the appeal: KUNST-STOFF's new space and NYE bash

This week at the sf appeal, I've highlighted KUNST-STOFF's new arts space, which kicks off with a NYE open house.

The location may be "amazing," but this is one local who thinks that Adoniou has his work cut out for him. Located just east of the basement-located, florescent light-filled Marshall's, this mid-Market span has gotten loads of attention over a planned revitalization, but currently foot traffic tends to fall off once you hit 5th. Should the area flourish, Adoniou could have a major success on his hands.

For the full article, go here.

dance flash @ the appeal: Rhythm & Motion -- Legwarmers not required

This past week I took a class at Rhythm & Motion to get a feel for their unique "dance workout" class, in advance of their free day of dance classes next Wednesday.

Fusing dance styles and eclectic music? A dance workout? This is gibberish, sort of like if someone said that Mayor Newsom had turned in his hair gel for pomade. Make sense, dammit! Well, to find out, I did what any hardworking dance writer does. I went and took a class.

For the entire article at the SF Appeal, go here.

dance flash @ the appeal: the christmas ballet

An excerpt from my preview of Smuin Ballet's "The Christmas Ballet" at the SF Appeal:

Don't get me wrong; I love a good "Nutcracker." But what does it really have to do with Christmas? Is the underlying theme, "X-mas is all just a dream!" Or, heavens no, that there really is a magical Sugar Plum Fairy who can whisk you away at a moment's notice to a land filled with high fructose corn syrup and red dye #40, and that Jesus nursed on candy and coffee during his first night in the manger?

Either way, I was skeptical about Smuin Ballet's "The Christmas Ballet." The name slightly scares me. It's not the holiday ballet; it's focused on Christmas. Yikes. But I checked out the first half Wednesday afternoon at the company's dress rehearsal and now feel semi-reassured.

For the entire article, go here.

Photo by Smuin Ballet

Also, last week was hectic, and I didn't get a chance to post a link to my interview with Catherine Galasso. Here's an excerpt and link.

"Lightning Never Strikes the Same Place Twice" was selected to be presented at the 2006 Skena UP International Theater and Film Festival in Pristina, Kosovo, where it received the New Spirit award for most original outreach in theater. I'm a dance geek, so I have to admit, I don't know what "original outreach in theater" means. Would you help me out, in layman's terms?

I think the "original outreach" part was just a poor translation. It means, "Most Original," I guess. There were awards for "Best Director" and "Best Theater Show." I don't think they had ever seen anything quite as cross disciplinary as our "Lightning" piece, but they really liked it so they gave it this special award. Brandt Adams, who plays the lead in "Lightning," was awarded "Best Actor" which is hilarious because he doesn't utter a single word during the entire show! Brandt is definitely a great actor and an exceptional mover.

You're remounting "Lightning," which is based on the real-life story of Roy Sullivan, a man who was struck by lightning seven times during his lifetime. What drew you to his story?

Originally I wanted to make a piece about a character that goes on a quest or journey. Roy Sullivan's story seemed to fit perfectly. There is not a ton of biographical information available about Sullivan, but based on what I've read, it seems like he had a really hard time being close with the people around him. We made up new characters that are to exist in Sullivan's psyche. We use video sequences to tell the story of the real Sullivan, and to describe some of the medical consequences of a lightning encounter. The live sequences are an interpretation of Sullivan's hallucinations, and his love for an imaginary woman made of electrical cords.

OK, gotta ask, have you ever been struck by lightning?

Nope!

For more, go here.

dance flash @ the appeal: an interview with dv8's lloyd newson

I interviewed Lloyd Newson, the artistic director of DV8 Physical Theatre, for the San Francisco Appeal. Here's an excerpt.


What does physical theater mean? Could you give me a little more information about how it's different from other forms?

We call it physical theater instead of dance theater because it's often driven by meaning as opposed to theater or dance. And because it's highly physical as much more than just talking heads, hence physical theater seemed appropriate.

[That was a short response. Maybe I won't push on that. I mean, we went round and round and round and finally the guy agreed to call me from England, the home of Posh Spice and Harrods. But is dance not driven by meaning?]

I was reading on your website that you're moving towards more text-based work as opposed to movement-based. Is there any specific reason for that?

Well, if you try just saying in dance, "This is my sister, " it's going to take you a long time.

Hmm...[Really. I said that aloud.]

For the complete interview, go here.

"To Be Straight With You": Image of Ankur Bahl. Photo by Matt Nettheim

dance flash @ the appeal: printz dance project

this week's dance flash (at the san francisco appeal) focuses on printz dance project.

"While creating new dances and guest teaching here and throughout the world (like Ireland, Russia, New York, and Kentucky), PDP has been Printz' local expressive outlet. Reflecting on the past decade, Printz says, 'While I think the company has evolved and changed, I also feel like our core values and desires have stayed the same. And, unfortunately some of the 'bootstrap' financial struggles that we had early on, we still face today! On the flip side, there is a calmer approach to producing the home seasons than there was in the beginning; early on there are so many new things to figure out. At this point we have a better sense of how to organize it and make it unfold. That said, I love that each season is full of surprises that offer just enough newness to keep us on our toes.'"

read the entire preview here.

dance flash @ the appeal: trolley dances

this week's dance flash: trolley dances

"Picture this: you and your buds, post-40 minute wait at Tartine for the most delicious éclair ever, meet up at Dolores Park, check in with your "tour guide" at the statue of Miguel Hidalgo, and, along with the rest of your group, make your way, via foot and the J, through the Mission, Noe Valley, and Balboa Park, all while stopping along the way to see a wide variety of local dance companies and performers in site-specific works. The cost to you: $2 (your Muni fare)...

But what kind of dance will you see? SF-based Deborah Slater Dance Theater is a sure crowd pleaser, and you've got to feel giddy when watching the SF Merionettes Synchronized Swim Club whirl about in the pool. Former Urban Bush woman Amara Tabor-Smith's Deep Waters Dance Theater doesn't perform in water, but her movement and incorporated text tend to have a liquid feel to them. Knowing Kathleen Hermesdorf, a popular instructor, performer, and choreographer, expect the unexpected (and how can you not? In this video, she gives an interview sitting atop a stove). Also on the bill are Jorge Rodolfo De Hoyos, performance artist and dancer, and Rosamaria Garcia, and Trolley Dances' director Kim Epifano's Sonic Dance Theater.
.."

read more at the appeal.

dance flash @ the appeal: margaret jenkins dance company and who is paco gomes?

this week's dance flash.

"This week, I'm slinging two vastly different events at ya. Why, you ask? Well, I have grand delusions that San Franciscans want to jam-pack their weekends with dance performances galore. Or I think you, Mr. Tall, Blonde, and Cute-in-that-Cuddly-Bear-Sort-of-Way, need a few extra opportunities to impress Ms. Right with your cultural know-how. Either way, let's add some spice to your social calendar..."

dance flash @ the appeal: dandelion dancetheater's MUTT

this week's dance flash.

"Often times, I'm positive I've stunted my imagination. Cases in point:
The number of non-black work shoes that I own: Three
Did I rename my cat post-SPCA adoption? Nope
Years it took me to accept brown as a full-fledged color and not just what dirt looks like: 28

Thankfully, Eric Kupers and his local company Dandelion Dancetheater infuse out-of-the-blue originality where I would only contribute a dependable yet deplorable snoozefest. A while back, Kupers caused watercooler tittering with "The Undressed Project," a series of dances performed by Dandelion Dancetheater's wide ranging dancers of all shapes, sizes, and abilities. Oh, and the costuming included nada. That's right. Modern dance and dance theater in the buff. It proved to be quite the first-date night outing..."

dance flash @ the appeal: jesse hewit

this week's dance flash.

"San Francisco's arts scene is thriving in venues both large and small. Case in point: Mama Calizo's Voice Factory, a petite space located smack-dab between SOMA and the Mission, will present Jesse Hewit's "Total Facts Known" over the next two weekends. MCVF seeks to nurture the development of queer performers, educators, and activists by providing them with artist in-residence programs and arts programming.

Over the past few years, Hewit has presented work across the city including CounterPULSE, The Garage, and The LAB. Don't expect post-modern dance or perfectly pointed toes and big leaps; Hewit isn't here to make pretty pictures. Instead, he takes bold visuals, everyday gestures, and life-inspired theater, and molds them into a contemporary tale inspired by Anne Carson's "Autobiography in Red." Carson's story, described by "The New York Times" as a "hybrid work of poetry and prose," retells the Greek myth of Geryon, a winged red monster killed by Hercules. Hewit breathes flesh and blood into Carson's story while investigating the connections between knowledge and ability..."

folawole's "exposition of the heart"

my preview of folawole's "exposition of the heart" is up at sfappeal.com.

it's all very appealing

quick, stop the presses! wait, do actual presses even exist anymore? by the looks of things, not for dance writing...

in addition to reviews at criticaldance.com, you can now find me at the san francisco appeal. weekly wednesday dance flashes start... now!

b.

SFB, Program 4, 3/12/2009

San Francisco Ballet
Program 4
Thursday, March 12, 2009, 8PM

With “Swan Lake” packed up, San Francisco Ballet is churning out several mixed bills, and last night’s opening of Program 4 presented timeless works and a more recent, yet questionable, addition.

Antony Tudor’s “Jardin Aux Lilas” melds intricate emotion and circular, unrestrained movement into a compact spin through love, lust, and gutrenchingly difficult life choices, all at a moonlit garden party. “Jardin” moves through streams of consciousness, throttling forward as Caroline, danced with raw emotion by Lorena Feijoo, wrestlesbetween her future and her heart. Sofiane Sylve played coy and jealous, showing added dimension as the strong yet possessive mistress of Caroline’s stoic husband-to-be, Pierre François-Villanoba. This marriage of convenience doesn’t seem convenient to anyone, really, but before Caroline and The Man She Must Marry walk down the aisle, she and her lover, Ruben Martin, share a passionate but unresolved goodbye. Tudor’s movement still rings fresh, some 70 years later, and violinist Roy Malan’s tearful and discontented final note rang true, reminding me that not all choices are for love and happiness, but sometimes for some other grand purpose.

Balancing “Jardin’s” sorrowful tone was Jerome Robbins’ “The Concert,” set to the music of Frederic Chopin, and staged by Jean-Pierre Frohlich. Sarah Van Patten’s hammy Ballerina immediately caused the audience to break out into boisterous, unapologetic snorts with her adoration and forceful slap-turned-bear-hug of Michael McGraw’s grand piano, and the good times just kept rolling with Erin McNulty’s prissy wife and Pascal Molat’s uncommitted but hysterical husband. The rest of the cast didn’t disappoint either, with the corps of women journeying through a side-splitting lesson on timing and a few very obvious and appreciative glances at ballet’s extremes. I’m curious to know what other casts might do with this special work, especially Vanessa Zahorian as the Ballerina. Comedic timing worthy of “Whose Line is it Anyway?” and first-rate ballet aren’t normally thought of in the same vein, but maybe choreographers should rethink things because “The Concert” was rip-roaring fun and, again, like “Jardin,” relevant and highly enjoyable years after its debut.

Seeing these two after Helgi Tomasson’s encore of “On a Theme of Paganini” made it even clearer that Tomasson, while a wonderful and well respected artistic director, isn’t meant to choreograph. Last night, I scratched my head, trying to figure out why “Paganini” returned, and my gut tells me that if it were any other choreographer, it would have been shelved or majorly retooled. In “Paganini,” Tomasson’s ballet vocabulary mixes traditional with those associated with George Balanchine: 180 degree kicks, open hips, and flexed hands. He also leans on awkward, jagged karate-like jumps and, while they’re certainly unique, they’re not eye pleasing or consistent, which, combined with the large sections of unison and lack of emotion or impetus, tended to make the dancers, from the principals to the corps, look messy and hesitant. The high point of “Paganini” came in the packages of the smaller, focused sections like the pas de deux featuring Maria Kochetkova and Davit Karapetyan in a tender moment of quiet retreat. Nice yes, but four minutes couldn't ease the pain.

“Jardin aux Lilas” and “The Concert” alone are worth the price of admission, and I hope both return next year. They’re oldies, but goodies.

San Francisco Ballet in Robbins' The Concert.
© Erik Tomasson

Pappa Tarahumara @YBCA, 2/19/2009

Pappa Tarahumara
"Ship in a View"
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
February 19, 2009, 8PM


Japan’s Pappa Tarahumara, a dance-theater troupe, sailed about last Thursday in “Ship in a View,” creating bold images of remembrance while using intricate props to transform the stage at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts into an extraordinary, fantastical world.

Directed by founder Kiroshi Koike, “Ship in a View” pushes the abstract and imaginary, with the twelve dancers playing towards their strengths of operatic song, modern dance, gesture, and theater through sections that seemed like a series of fantastical clouds interweaving through dreams. The stage filled with blueish white fog, enveloping the centered wooden post and the audience in a 95-minute trance of swirling images and rocking emotions. And as a tiny ship embarked across the stage, we entered a world of water and motion. Various performers ran around the stage, wailed with heartbreak, and climbed the mast to look out towards the horizon, but “Ship” didn’t feel slapped together; on the contrary, the attention to detail astounded me. Koji Hamai and Ryoichi Isomoto’s simple yet elegant costumes fit well and looked to be made with extreme craft and care; all flattered and enhanced the presentation, especially those in light blue and citron at the conclusion, which, combined with Yukiko Sekine cool lighting design, created a wintery futuristic feel. “Ship” built slowly but surely, like the tortoise versus the hare, towards a grand, climatic finish, featuring twinkling lights hanging from overhead and a metal man with a flat screen face.

Koike’s vision along with the casts’ vast repertoire and choreographic intricacies seamlessly blended into a stunning and riveting event. The evening felt unexpected, but wildly refreshing, and Pappa Tarahumara provided a unique and enjoyable experience.

Photo by Sakae Oguma/Katsui Sato

Japan Dance Now, YBCA, 1/29/2009

Japan Dance Now
featuring Baby Q, Sennichimae Blue Sky Dance Club, and Nibroll
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Thursday, January 29, 2009, 8PM

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, over the past few years, has developed into an innovative arts presenting powerhouse. Not only is most of their season eclectic and forward-thinking, but also the visiting companies continue to challenge audiences’ minds and souls. Thursday night’s presentation of “Japan Dance Now” promised a window into Japan’s modern dance landscape, and it delivered, mixing the slick and the wow with the huh.

Baby Q, led by founder/dancer Yoko Higashino and live electronic musicians including Toshio Kajiwara, gave us an excerpt from the cerebral “E/G – Ego Geometria.” The overarching work looks at the physical and metaphysical aspects of the space-time continuum. In this solo excerpt, Higashino moved across the stage abruptly at first while dressed in clunky heels and draped skin-colored stretchy fabric from the top of her head to her thighs. Without being able to see her facial expressions, the images became shapes without emotion. Early on, Higashino walked decisively amongst different pools of light, yanking her arms and bending as if held about by strings, and partway through, she pulsed from her abdomen, almost as if a giant earthquake was coming while the music grew more insistent with each thumpety thump. Across the back wall, angular and formulaic images popped up, but the projection was best used when showing nightvision-like video images of Higashino, especially as she started to move more towards the metaphysical, shedding her cocoon for a ruby red dress sans face covering. Here, her movements became softer yet more powerful as she carved through space, with a yearning look piercing through her eyes as if to say, “All of this is me. Take what you will.”

Still dynamic yet utterly unassuming was Sennichimae Blue Sky Dance Club, an all-female Butoh-influenced troupe from Osaka who performed an excerpt from “The end of Water,” which is a series of interludes focusing on images and archetypes of femininity. With multiple costumes changes, the sections flowed slowly but well. The company opened with stark white water nymphs who slowly rolled on the ground and transitioned to a lone woman dressed in an obi, slowly walking underneath a low-flying plane. The women then downed brownish separates, crawling in a small circle but then standing up and turning slowly in a circle. I wanted to be mesmerized, but instead thought this is what it would like if the Borg went to prom. The last portion felt the most satisfying. With the five dancers donning traditional white blouses and knee-length skirts, they splayed themselves across wooden chairs and stared in delicate handheld mirrors. Gazing at their own reflections, the women gracefully gaped, frowned, gawked, cried, and smiled while tilting their heads and shoulders at slight yet different angles. The slow, controlled, yet various positions and mannerisms was beautiful to watch, but didn’t create that transcendental experience that I have come to anticipate with most Butoh performances. I’m sure that a devoted evening would provide a greater context, but the thirty-five minutes gave an ample taste of the soft-stepping group and their immense skill.

Nibrol, an artists’ collective that features dancers and multimedia, reflected on everyday movements and activities connected with aggressive behavior through the lens of drinking coffee. In the excerpt from “Coffee,” animation and live-action video played behind the five dancers as they danced, interacted, and argued with each other. With bright colors and fast-paced music, this should have been Japanese pop, but instead Mikuni Yanaihara’s choreographic pacing just felt long and tiring.

So what is dance in Japan like now? It’s diverse, powerful, soft, in your face, chaotic, focused, and/or multifaceted. Take your pick. Right now.

Photo: Sennichimae Blue Sky Dance Club

SFB, Program 1, 1/27/2009

San Francisco Ballet
Program 1: "Prism," "Diving into the Lilacs," "The Four Temperaments"
Tuesday, January 27, 2009

The city may be experiencing a slight chill, but last night, San Francisco Ballet opened Program 1 with sizzling pizazz. There was nary a tutu in sight, but the dancers onstage displayed classic technique combined with a refreshing sincerity, providing the perfect warmth to melt any cold winter’s night.

Yuri Possokov’s “Diving into the Lilacs” provided the evening’s subtle dash of royalness. Set to Boris Tchaikovsky’s hauntingly beautiful “Sinfonietta for String Orchestra," Possokov played with dark, wintry moods and full shapes, reminiscent of his youth in Russia. He succeeded in highlighting the women in “Lilacs”; adorned in Sandra Woodall’s flowing chiffon dresses, they looked to be in full bloom, and the men complimented them as supportive stems. The dancers jogged, tiptoed, and skipped backwards, sweeping their bodies in arc-like ways, and partway through the third section, Anthony Spaulding leaped through the gaggle of women like a child running through a garden on a warm spring day. Maria Kochetkova, in a pale pink-purple, resembled a coy butterfly, fluttering effortlessly between the traditional ballet steps and contemporary movements with Pascal Molat. Yuan Yuan Tan, adorned in an almost-white purple, graced the stage with her lean, long limbs, a stunning contrast to Spaulding’s protective demeanor. And while Lorena Feijoo looked lovely in deep purple, she didn’t seem to be in sync with her partner, Joan Boada; but this was a minor glitch in what was otherwise a lovely build over 25 fast-paced minutes. Not to be outdone, former principal dancer Benjamin Pierce collaborated with lighting designer David Finn to create a kaleidoscope of copious blossoming lilacs against the backdrop that, depending on their lighting, simmered vividly in varying pastel hues. With numerous intricacies and tiny details, this is a special work that easily deserves multiple viewings. It’s just that good.

Helgi Tomasson’s “Prism” and George Balanchine’s “The Four Temperaments” bookended the evening. “Prism” uses neoclassical ballet to reflect on space and light, and the large corps de ballet acts as reflections or echoes of the principal dancers; this is unison used wisely. Kristin Long sprightly turned on a dime, and Sofiane Sylve looked positively regal as she weaved herself through the adagio with an underwhelming Ivan Popov. Clara Blanco and Isaac Hernandez stood out in the corps, their technique and presence easily surpassing their peers. But the “breakout star award” goes to Taras Domitro, a Cuban-born dancer. While his technique sometimes seemed iffy, this guy offered a wow factor, especially when he’d turn in the air and whip out a massive 210 degree straddle split. The orchestra played Beethoven’s “Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1” admirably, and throughout the evening, pianist Roy Bogas has never sounded better.

“The Four Temperaments,” set to an evocative score by Paul Hindemith, showed a more steely side of the company. This is neoclassical ballet at its truest. Elana Altman, in the second theme with Brett Bauer, danced with amazingly strong assurance and commitment. Over the past few years, she’s slowly come out of her shell, and now performs with a wonderful newfound musicality and radiance. Davit Karapetyan, debuting in ‘Phlegmatic,’ danced with such unaffected lushness; he's proved that he’s the epitome of a dancer’s dancer, having impeccable technique while also moving with fresh honesty. There’s no pretentiousness here. Ruben Martin and Sarah Van Patten partnered together in ‘Sanguinic,’ but while Martin looked to be back to form, Van Patten moved with awkward, and unexpected, stiffness. Sofiane Sylve, followed in the final variation, ‘Choleric,’ and was a dream to watch.

The company is lucky to have Sylve return this year. She’s a dancer unlike anything else SF Ballet has to offer. She’s athletic yet supple, and every time she’s onstage, she’s focused on the performance. The way she uses the muscles of her back, her legs, her eyes, her entire body, shows a confidence that only comes with years of practice, dedication, and experience, and as a dancer is never done learning and improving, I bet she has a lot to offer the company.

Last year, San Francisco Ballet celebrated its 75th anniversary, and the elephant in the room over the summer may have been how do you top a season of new works, large-scale celebrations, and world-renowned visiting companies. The answer, at least for SF Ballet, is to keep plugging away. And they have.

Yuan Yuan Tan and Anthony Spaulding in Possokov's "Diving into the Lilacs."
Taras Domitro in Tomasson's "Prism."
San Francisco Ballet in Balanchine's "The Four Temperaments."
© Erik Tomasson