Janos Gereben reviews Programs 3 and 4 in the San Francisco Examiner.

SF Examiner

Paul Parish's review of SFB's Programs 3 and 4 reflects my experience, too, though I think the company is even sharper and more "on" now than it was on opening nights. Paul's review is here:

http://www.ebar.com/arts/art_article.ph ... rticle=179

Like Andre Yew, I think Classical Symphony could be SFB's calling card anywhere in the world. Maria Kochetokova is extraordinary in her airborne lightness, but she can also "get down," as Yuri Possokhov's inventive choreography demands. But the whole company shines in Classical Symphony, as it does in Artifact Suite, which is now part of the company's DNA. Sofiane Sylve is magnificent in the lead, but the whole company is on display here, and it looks strong and vibrant. Forsythe may not be everyone's cup of tea, but SFB dancers respond to him here with complete commitment.

The revelation of the past 10 days for me, however, has been Sarah Van Patten. In Nanna's Lied she was innocent, fresh, furious, despairing, and it's not just her famous "acting" that conveys complex feelings: it is her dancing. In Winter Dreams she brought a lyricism and vulnerability that was even more affecting than Darcey Bussell's filmed performance--and Macmillan created the piece on Darcey, one of my favorite dancers. The exquisite Tiit Helimets was Sarah's smitten partner.

You can still catch Programs 3 and 4 at the Opera House this Tuesday and Wednesday, and then this wonderful series will end. As Paul Parish says, "right down to the dancers in the back row, the talent is simply phenomenal."

I guess Andre Yew and I will just have to agree to disagree I thought Trio was fine.

I can see that including it in a program with Theme and Variations was not a great idea - the music and some of the dance were too similar. And I don't think Trio is on the level of Theme and Variations. But it's fine - what I call a pleasant little ballet. Not a masterpiece, not a work for the ages, but good music and outstanding dancing. The costumes in the first variation were way too much purple. The corp men and women each in two shades of purple and soloists in two shades of burgundy, from the same color family. (I had a flashback to the purple vegetable craze of the 90s - purple potatoes, purple cauliflower, purple broccoli, purple kohlrabi, purple carrots, purple basil - oi vey!) The basic design was OK, and the neutral pastels of the second movement a big improvement over the Purple Passion.

On a more general topic, in 4 programs I have yet to see Kristin Long, Darvit Karpetyan, Nutnaree Pipit-Suksun, or Elizabeth Minor - are they injured? If so, hoping for speedy recovery.

Alastair Macaulay reviews Programs 3 and 4 in the New York Times.

NY Times

Francis,
Thanks so much for your prompt posting of so many reviews of SFB. The discovery for me this season has been Geri Jeter. I've really enjoyed her balanced and appreciative reviews. There is something about a dancer reviewing dance that makes a difference. With Rachel Howard gone, and Mary Ellen Hunt writing less, I especially appreciate Geri Jeter's reviews. Still, I hope crandc is happy with Macaulay's withering dismissal of Artifact Suite!

In the California Literary Review, Geri Jeter interviews new corps member Nicole Ciappone and previews the March 19 opening of "Coppelia."

California Literary Review

Allan Ulrich reviews the Saturday, March 19 opening performance of "Coppelia" in the San Francisco Chronicle.

SF Chronicle

Janos Gereben reviews the Sunday, March 20 matinee performance in the San Francisco Examiner.

SF Examiner

Sean Martinfield reviews the opening night performance on Saurday, March 19 in the San Francisco Sentinel.

SF Sentinel

Geri Jeter reviews the Sunday, March 20 matinee of "Coppelia" in the California Literary Review.

California Literary Review

Becca Klarin reviews the Tuesday, March 22 performance of "Coppelia" in the SF Appeal.

SF Appeal

Paul Parish reviews "Coppelia" in the Bay Area Reporter.

Bay Area Reporter

I attended Tuesday evening's Coppelia. Thanks to Danilova, no doubt, quite a bit of the traditional Ballet Russe choreography survived, notably in the Swanhilda opening variation and Swanhilda and Friends variations in Act I. I was so happy to see all the pantomime! I didn't care for the reworking of the Mazurka and Czardas. The Mazurka and Czardas did not contain a single mazurka or czardas step... weird... They looked like Russian folk dances which is nice but???? Act 2 was delightful and traditional. Well done! Act 3 I knew would be different as this would be the part of the ballet one could make some changes... Dawn and Prayer present... Prayer did not evoke the proper mood due to the choreography, not the lovely performance by Sofiane Sylve. It just seemed like another variation... Dawn was beautifully danced by Sarah Van Patten. The soloist of the Waltz of the Golden Hours, leading the delightful young dancers of SFB School, was gorgeous and talented Courtney Elizabeth. She has the most radiant smile... The stars of Act 3 are the children of SFB school! They were wonderful! They looked beautiful, were well rehearsed (credit to Jeffrey Lyons!), and really performed a LOT of complicated dancing and formations. BRAVO! I saw an outstanding principal cast. Vanessa Zahorian was a delightful, charming, and, most important (to me, anyway!), sweet Swanhilda. Her Franz, Taras Domitro, was charming, funny, charismatic, and an outstanding dancer. Ricardo Bustamante (the last person I shared the stage with at SFB for my final performance) shined in the role of Dr. Coppelius. I felt sympathy for him as he struggles with ridicule and teasing; and then, puts his entire heart and soul into creating life in his beloved Coppelia. When the trick is revealed, you can only feel his pain and loss... What a delightful evening at the ballet!!! I highly recommend your getting out in the rain to see Coppelia this weekend!

In the San Francisco Chronicle, Allan Ulrich talks to choreographer Wayne McGregor about "Chroma," which will be seen on Program 6, beginning on Thursday, April 7.

SF Chronicle

SFB's May 3 and 5 performances of John Neumeier's "The Little Mermaid" will be recorded for rebroadcast on PBS, European and Asian markets and on Blu-Ray and DVD. Story in Benzinga.com.

Benzinga

Allan Ulrich reviews the Thursday, April 7 performance of Program 6, which includes Christopher Wheeldon's "Ghosts," Helgi Tomasson's "7 for Eight" and Wayne McGregor's "Chroma."

SF Chronicle