San Francisco Ballet - 2008 Season

LMCtech · **Posted:** Tue Apr 08, 2008 1:30 pm

I never understand what it is people like this want exactly. They puzzle me. And what would he hope to gain by seeing Helgi? And why would he think that Helgi would meet with a person like him with no association with the ballet? He is quite presumptuous in even asking for such a meeting. I never would have and I worked there.

sf_herminator · **Posted:** Tue Apr 08, 2008 3:38 pm

RaHir wrote:

Interesting letter to the editor from this Sunday's Chronicle. Personally, I think there's a significant amount of same-sex partner work in SFB's choreography. But Jaime Garcia Castilla as Juliet? I doubt we'll see that any time soon.

LETTERS
Sunday, April 6, 2008

Quote:

Ballet ignores gay love

Editor - In 2006 you published my letter about the lack of gay-themed love affairs portrayed by the San Francisco Ballet. After the letter was published I tried to get an appointment to see His Highness Helgi Tomasson, the artistic director, to no avail. I picketed the Ballet administration building, distributing copies of the letter, to no avail. And I leafleted several performances, to no avail. Still, the San Francisco Ballet has not been brave enough to portray same-sex love and passion in a ballet. I find it hard to celebrate the 75th anniversary of an institution so insensitive to a large part of its clientele. I have not attended a performance of that company since 2006 and have felt no loss.

Donald Dinelli

Oakland

That letter is just ridiculous. I am a gay man and the main thing I want to see when I go to the ballet is great dancing - which San Francisco Ballet has in spades. And yes, there is enough male to male partnering that I don't feel the need or have the desire to see a dance portraying same-sex love and passion. I wonder if this man were in New York if he would do the same with NYCB and ABT??? I don't think they have a great wealth of pieces dealing with such subject matter. I think I recall the letter - it was a response to the premiere of Robbins' Afternoon of a Faun.

shallot · **Posted:** Wed Apr 09, 2008 10:56 am

I think that this person needs to take a basic class in Literary analysis; such a course would open his mind to the idea that "characters" in a dance, painting, novel, poem, etc. are symbols that do not necessarily assume a gender identity. Such an absence of specific sexual index allows them to accomodate and assume the roles and forces to which a wide variety of audience members might relate. "Masculine" and "feminine" characters are no more than vessels of complex human emotions, which have no specific locus in the genders that costume their powers. Othello is as powerfully emotive of the feminine mystique as is Juliet expressive of masculine rigors...someone needs to get out more...no pun intended.

LMCtech · **Posted:** Wed Apr 09, 2008 12:30 pm

If he's so annoyed with the ballet he is welcome to continue going to other dance companies. The ballet won't miss his single ticket too much.

There are many companies in town that will oblige him in his need to see same-sex love explicityly displayed onstage. Why pick on the Ballet?

Actually, I know why, and people like him drive me nuts.

LMCtech · **Posted:** Fri Apr 11, 2008 12:15 pm

From the SF Chronicle.

Quote:

DECADE BY DECADE 1993-2002
Leba Hertz

Friday, April 11, 2008

This is the seventh installment in a series looking at the history of the San Francisco Ballet as it celebrates its 75th anniversary. To see the entire series, go to sfgate.com/entertainment.

Anniversary waltzes: Two key birthdays and another honoree are celebrated by the company during this decade. San Francisco Ballet turns 60 in 1993 and 65 in 1998. The 65th anniversary marks the company's return to the War Memorial Opera House after a two-year retrofit. One of the highlights of that season is the West Coast premiere of Lar Lubovitch's "Othello."

more...

DavidH · **Posted:** Fri Apr 11, 2008 12:45 pm

Quote:

I think that this person needs to take a basic class in Literary analysis; such a course would open his mind to the idea that "characters" in a dance, painting, novel, poem, etc. are symbols that do not necessarily assume a gender identity. Such an absence of specific sexual index allows them to accomodate and assume the roles and forces to which a wide variety of audience members might relate. "Masculine" and "feminine" characters are no more than vessels of complex human emotions, which have no specific locus in the genders that costume their powers. Othello is as powerfully emotive of the feminine mystique as is Juliet expressive of masculine rigors...someone needs to get out more...no pun intended.

Shallot:
Please send your reply to the Editor of the Chronicle.

daisyjo · **Joined:** Thu Feb 07, 2008 1:07 pm **Posts:** 6

"But Jaime Garcia Castilla as Juliet? I doubt we'll see that any time soon. "

Wow, Castilla as Juliet sounds really fascinating!

Mark Morris is remaking Romeo and Juliet, perhaps he will make the roles gender-flexible? The closest we might come to seeing gay partnering in a love story may be Morris' Dido and Aeneas, if that ever plays in SF Ballet, although both roles are sometimes danced by one person. I sort of echo the sentiment of others here who agree that I go see great dancing, which the SF Ballet fulfills quite satisfyingly.

Thanks for the link, it's an interesting comment in the Chronicle.


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