<B>San Francisco Ballet Preview</B><P>From now to the end of November, London dance fans hardly have a chance to draw breath. Later in the year we will see the 2001-2 Royal Ballet season with 'Don Q', 'Onegin' and much else. In addition, Dance Umbrella has an exceptional programme this year with Ballett Frankfurt, Mark Morris, Alvin Ailey and other top companies from around the world.<P>For the present, as the Kirov Opera vacate The Royal Opera House after an unspectacular season, the Royal Ballet is back in situ to be followed by London's first sight of Sylvie Guillem's production of 'Giselle' for La Scala. Then to conclude the ambitious Hochhauser season at Covent Garden, we will have the great pleasure of three mixed bills from one of the most exciting companies in the world - San Francisco Ballet.<P>It's almost 2 years since the company was last here, when they made such an impression on dance fans in London. They were at Sadler's Wells for just a week, but inspired programming gave us a splendid overview of the Company. We saw an unconventional Gala which went way beyond the usual rep for such evenings and allowed us to see all the Principals and most of the rest of the dancers. Next there was an excellent mixed bill with Jerome Robbins' 'The Cage' and Mark Morris's 'Sandpaper Ballet' delighting everyone and showing the variety of work that the Company can offer. Finally we had no less than four casts in San Francisco's distinctive production of 'Swan Lake' by their Artistic Director, Helgi Tomasson. I saw two of these casts and reading reviews of the others, it was clear that all were from the top draw. Overall we had been expecting SFB to be good, but they took our breath away. <P>David Dougill gives an overview of the <A HREF="http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/news/pages/sti/99/10/31/sticuldnc03003.html?1376249" TARGET=_blank><B>Gala and Mixed Bill</B></A> and Nadine Meisner reviews two of <A HREF="http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/news/pages/sti/99/11/07/sticuldnc02002.html?1376249" TARGET=_blank><B> 'The Swan Lake'</B></A> casts.<P>And so the conquering heroes return, this time to The Royal Opera House. Again, it's an ambitious programme with three Mixed Bills rather than the full length ballets that we are accustomed to in programmes from the Hochhausers. I am delighted as it gives us the chance to savour some recent commissions by the Company together with an opportunity to widen our knowledge of the work of Jerome Robbins and George Balanchine. <P>We rarely blow our own trumpet here, but in the two years since we established criticaldance.com we have a wider range of international reviews of all dance forms, both from the newspapers and from our own readers, than any other website that I am aware of worldwide. Nowhere is this more evident than in the San Francisco area and thus we have several reviews of nearly all the dances in the SFB London season. Using this database, I have put together an introduction to the pieces on view. Can I suggest that you read through to the end of the preview and then link to those pieces that particularly interest you. I’d be delighted if you read them all, but there’s about 2 hours reading here. <P><B>Programme 1</B> reflects the principal themes of the season with exciting new works and key pieces from the 20th Century. Mark Morris is one of the most successful and imaginative choreographers around today and he reaffirmed his strong link with the Company with this new piece, <A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000709.html" TARGET=_blank><B>'A Garden'</B></A>, set to music by Richard Strauss after Francois Couperin. <P> <P><A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000799.html" TARGET=_blank><B>'Magrittomania'</B></A> must give the Company great pleasure as it is a critically acclaimed creation that is a result of SFB's 'New Works' programme with pieces made by their own dancers. As the picture shows it is a witty take on the surrealist world of Belgian artist Magritte. Yuri Possokhov, the choreographer, is also a superb dancer who we will see during the week. <P>One of the shortcomings in ballet programming in the UK, is the relative shortage of dances by Jerome Robbins. The first of the two of his works in the season is <A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000663.html" TARGET=_blank><B>'Fanfare'</B></A>, described by one reviewer as a 'ballet-vaudeville'. <P>The programme is brought to a close with one of Balanchine's most famous creations, <A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000777.html" TARGET=_blank><B>'Symphony in 3 Movements'</B></A>, of which our own Azlan wrote, 'The intended sexy slinkiness of "Symphony in Three Movements," danced to Igor Stravinsky's composition, is apparent immediately.' <P><B>Programme 2</B> opens with Christopher Wheeldon's <A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000655.html" TARGET=_blank><B>'Sea Pictures'</B></A>. Here in the UK we have been hearing great things about this local boy who is proving so successful in the US, so it will be very good to see this recent work. <P><A HREF="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1995/04/07/DD66262.DTL" TARGET=_blank><B>'Bugaku'</B></A> is one of Balanchine's most controversial pieces, so it will be especially interesting for those of us who will be seeing it for the first time.<P>The programme closer is <A HREF="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1999/02/06/DD94606.DTL" TARGET=_blank><B>'Glass Pieces'</B></A>, the second creation in the season by Jerome Robbins. Octavio Roca, writes, 'For all its mad rush, it strikes a note of solace, of acceptance and of joy.'<P> <P>Julia Adam's "Night"<BR>Photo by Marty Sohl<P><B>Programme 3</B> opens with 'Night', another home-grown product, this time from SFB Principal Julia Adam, who has won much respect for her choreography as well as her dancing. The season brochure describes 'Night' as '...a contemporary odyssey into the dream world.'<P>Next comes <A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000655.html" TARGET=_blank><B>'Prism'</B></A> by Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson, which was first performed to critical plaudits by New York City Ballet. I note that Tomasson has modestly included only one of his works in the season.<P>Finally, London gets a second chance to see the delicious <A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000131.html" TARGET=_blank><B>'Sandpaper Ballet'</B></A> by Mark Morris - Yummie! <P>With San Francisco Ballet's visit Londoners will experience a concentrated primer in American Ballet with masterworks from the past 50 years and the cream of the new generation of choreographers performed by this terrific Company. I can't wait.<P><I>Programme 1: ‘Fanfare’,’A Garden’,’Magrittomania’, ‘Symphony in 3 Movements’ – 13 & 17 August<P>Programme 2: ‘Sea Pictures’, ‘Bugaku’, ‘Glass Pieces’ – 14 & 15 August<P>Programme 3: ‘Night’, ‘Prism’, ‘Sandpaper Ballet’ – 16 & 18 August<P>To book, ring +44 (0) 7304 4000 or visit the website <BR> <A HREF="http://www.royaloperahouse.org" TARGET=_blank>www.royaloperahouse.org</A></I> <P><BR><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited July 24, 2001).]

Stuart, <BR>What a GREAT preview!!<BR>Will you be attending all of the 3 programs?<BR>With so many interesting and varied pieces, it's hard to make a decision, isn't it? <P>SFB is, as you say, really one of the most *exciting* and *interesting* companies in the world. I wish them the best of luck at the ROH.

Thanks for your kind words Terry. Yes, I'm going to all 3 programmes. They're too good to miss.

I will also be attending all 3 programmes. It will be an SFB week for me. We are planning to get reviews up for you as soon as possible so that you can share in the delights....

Emma, I am also going to attend all 3 programmes. Maybe we will meet there? <BR>About 3 months ago I also got to meet Stuart<BR>for the first time at a performance.

Gosh - how will we identify each other - I am going on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

I will e-mail you beforehand and let you <BR>know what I am going to wear.<BR>I have tickets for Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

Great - look forward to meeting you.

I've been asked to pick a program, if I had to choose one of the three. I simply can't. They are all three superb bills. However, there are three must-see works that Londoners have not yet seen and I would certainly recommend them: Julia Adam's <I>Night</I>, especially if Tina LeBlanc dances the lead; Yuri Possokhov's <I>Magrittomania</I>, especially if Roman Rykine is in it; and Christopher Wheeldon's <I>Sea Pictures</I>, most especially if Joanna Berman dances it.<P>Seeing Joanna in <I>Sea Pictures</I> would be the main reason I would fly across a continent and an ocean. We were all deprived last season, as she wasn't able to reprise her role in this ballet due to an injury.<P>[This message has been edited by Azlan (edited July 30, 2001).]<p>[This message has been edited by Azlan (edited August 06, 2001).]

Well, Stuart's preview has been edited and e-published at:

http://www.criticaldance.com/sfb

with a couple of additional photos.

<small>[ 05 January 2003, 06:53 PM: Message edited by: Azlan ]</small>

Does anyone know what the casting will be or when it will be officially announced?<P>Thanks in advance.

I love this casting questions! I'm sure SFB loves them too. There's the unoffical casting and then there's the official one. Let me work on the unofficial one...

[img]../../../images/jadam.gif[/img]<P><BR>An interview from our special SFB in London section:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>An Interview with Julia Adam<BR>San Francisco Ballet Principal Dancer and Choreographer<P>Azlan Ezaddin, criticaldance.com<P>Julia Adam has a reputation.<P>I'm speaking not of her dancing, as beautiful as it is, nor of her emerging talent as a choreographer, as brilliant as that is, but rather of her wit and her comedic timing. By her own account, she is known "... as the person who can make the room laugh." She can also make a whole theater laugh.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><a href=../../../interviews/jadam010801.html target=_blank>More</a>

Here's the SFB Press Release with he news that two additional short Tomasson pieces have been added to the 10 works already scheduled.<P><BR><B>AMERICAN DREAM RETURNS TO LONDON</B><P>TWO MORE BALLETS ADDED TO PROGRAMME<P>SAN FRANCISCO BALLET<BR>AT THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE, LONDON, 13-18 AUGUST 2001<BR>.<BR>"Handsome, crisply drilled, bursting with American pizzazz, these dancers could persuade you that classical style had just been invented…I've rarely been made to feel so happy and replete by a mixed bill" <BR>(Jenny Gilbert, Independent on Sunday)<P>San Francisco Ballet is bringing three mixed-bill programmes to London for its week-long season at the Royal Opera House, and that means no less than twelve ballets, seven of them UK premieres.<P><a href=../../../ubb/Forum13/HTML/000312.html target=_blank>more...</a><p>[This message has been edited by Admin (edited August 06, 2001).]

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<small>[ 05 January 2003, 06:54 PM: Message edited by: Azlan ]</small>