San Francisco Ballet
“2010 Repertory Season”
April 9, 2009
by Rita Felciano
copyright © Rita Felciano, 2009
Though 2010 will be Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson’s 25th season with the San Francisco Ballet, the announced program seems to underplay this milestone. There will be no new Tomasson choreography this coming year. Instead, the eight programs will be bracketed by two of his full-lengths creations. His new-this -year “Swan Lake” will open the season on January 23, 2010, the 1994 “Romeo and Juliet” will close it on May 8.
Announced as a “as a one-time only” programming, SFB will use the opportunity of Tomasson’s anniversary to schedule a third full-evening ballet. The mid-season Program five will be dedicated to the American premiere of John Neumeier’s 2005 “The Little Mermaid”, commissioned by the Royal Danish Ballet with a score by Russian composer/pianist Lera Auerbach. Neumeier, the American-born, longtime artistic director of Hamburg Ballet, also designed the production’s sets and costumes. The ballet, based on Anderson’s fairy tale, is said to look at parallels between the story and its creator.
Another highlight should be Fokine’s 1911 classic “Petrouchka” which will enter the SFB repertoire this coming year. It will be preceded on the program with a reprise of Company Resident Choreographer’s Yuri Possokhov’s 2009 “Diving into the Lilacs” and William Forsythe’s 1987 Paris Opera Ballet commission “In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated,” first performed by SFB in 1989.
The season also features an all Balanchine program and three world premieres by Possokhov, Christopher Wheeldon and Renato Zanella, the former director of the Vienna State Opera Ballet. The Zanella will be shown on Program six with Alexei Ratmansky’s “Russian Seasons” and Tomasson’s 1991 “’Haffner’ Symphony.”
San Francisco Ballet’s 2010 season will begin with 31 performances of “Nutcracker”, Dec. 8-27, 2009.
The 2010 Season in Brief
Program 1: Helgi Tomasson’s “Swan Lake”. Opens Jan. 23.
Program 2: Jerome Robbins’ “OPUS 19/ The Dreamer”, Christopher Wheeldon World premiere, Paul Taylor’s “Company B.” Opens Feb. 9.
Program 3: All-Balanchine program: “Serenade,” “Stravinsky Violin Concerto” and “Theme and Variations.” Opens Feb. 11.
Program 4: Yuri Possokhov’s “Diving into the Lilacs”, William Forsythe’s “In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated” and Fokine’s “Petrouchka.” Opens March 2.
Program 5: “The Little Mermaid” by John Neumeier. Opens March 20.
Program 6: Tomasson’s “’Haffner’ Symphony”, Renato Zanella World Premiere and Alexei Ratmansky’s “Russian Seasons.” Opens April 8.
Program 7: Christopher Wheeldon’s “Rush”, Possokhov World Premiere and Robbins’ “The Concert.” Opens April 9.
Program 8: Tomasson’s “Romeo and Juliet.” Opens May 1.
San Francisco Ballet in Helgi Tomasson’s “Swan Lake”
Photo: Erik Tomasson
