How do the good ballet loving citizens of SF feel about the SFB not appearing in their fair City until December, I believe?

I think this is pretty normal.<BR>I think SFB does not perform their first ballet until Nutcracker.<BR>Then they have a very long spring season.<P>I think this happened last year also.<BR>It gives them time to tour in the fall.<P>Ballet West used to do two seasons before Nutcracker.<BR>But this year, there will only be one...<BR>Late Sept.<BR>They then go to China,<BR>And get back for Rehearsals for Nutty.<P>But they still do the full 4 seasons, and Nutty.<BR>The next three will be post Dec.<P><BR><P>------------------<BR>bek<BR>CCA CREATIONS<BR>Website:<BR>http://members.tripod.com/~Casalino<P>

The SF Ballet and the SF Opera have an interesting arrangement in their sharing of the War Memorial Opera House. SF Opera occupies it during the fall and summer. SF Ballet has it in December for Nutcracker and then the spring for their regular season. The Opera offered to spilt seasons with the Ballet a few years ago but the story I heard was that the Ballet preferred to keep their opening gala in February to avoid competition with the other performing arts companies.<P>As for the absence of SF Ballet in the fall? It's not that bad really, as there are a fair number of good ballet companies whose seasons begin in September, such as Lines Contemporary Ballet, Oakland Ballet, Diablo Ballet, Smuin Ballets/SF, etc. Then there is also both Cal Performances and Stanford Lively Arts bringing big name companies to the Bay Area as well.