Visions of Classical (Re)Vision in San Francisco

By Jaime Robles, 13 February 2020

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“leg extensions as high as the ballerina’s ear”

Reviewed at War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco on 11 February 2020

Bespoke (Stanton Welch)

Foreshadow (Val Caniparoli)

After the Rain: pas de deux (Christopher Wheeldon)

Soirées Musicales (Helgi Tomasson)

Sandpaper Ballet (Mark Morris)

San Francisco Ballet

Cordula Merks, Violin

Natal'ya Feygina, Piano

San Francisco Ballet Orchestra

Esteban Hernandez, Dancer

Carlo Di Lanno, Dancer

Mathilde Froustey, Dancer

Wei Wang, Dancer

Jennifer Stahl, Dancer

Tiit Helimets, Dancer

Elizabeth Powell, Dancer

Yuan Yuan Tan, Dancer

Luke Ingham, Dancer

Angelo Greco, Dancer

Misa Kuranaga, Dancer

Houston Ballet: a hugely entertaining Cinderella

Carla Escoda, 24th February

Stanton Welch's Cinderella has mostly worn well at Houston Ballet, anchored by a delightful rewriting of the central love story and packed with marvellous, witty details.

****1

Stanton Welch's zany, imaginative Nutcracker for Houston Ballet

Carla Escoda, 9th December

Stanton Welch's 2016 production of The Nutcracker for Houston Ballet is a wild and dazzling ride, even for those who think they've had enough of this warhorse of a ballet.

****1

No Greek tragedy: the Australian Ballet has fun in Sylvia

Chantal Nguyen, 13th November

The Australian Ballet is impressive in this light, entertaining story ballet: a winner of an evening.

****1

A lively evening of pure dance from San Francisco Ballet

Graham Watts, 5th June

An enjoyable evening of thematic dance but without any insights into the future of ballet.

***11

Unbound Festival continues with superb dancing

Jaime Robles, 24th April

Benjamin Freemantle danced the opening solo, gorgeously, in the role of the grandfather as a dreamy young Adonis.

****1

Smuin: Dance Series 1

Terez Rose, 1st October

Smuin Contemporary American Ballet presents a trio of works ranging from the sublime to the eclectic in the company’s 2016-17 opening program.

****1

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Jaime Robles

Jaime Robles has previously written in the San Francisco Bay Area, including for the San Francisco Classical Voice. Also a poet, she has written song lyrics and librettos for several one-act operas, including Inferno (music by Peter Josheff), staged in 2009 by San Francisco Cabaret Opera, and Vladimir in Butterfly Country (music by Anne Callaway), staged in 2012.