Dance, Performance

Sand Francisco Ballet: British Icons

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San Francisco Ballet
February, 9 & 10, 2024
Opera House San Francisco

“British Icons”

Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, who was formerly with the English Ballet (and is listed in the program as responsible for “Principal Coaching,” has brought two “British Icons” to San Francisco. Following the company’s opening with the complexity of ‘Mere Mortals,” these ballets offered comprehensible drama and brilliant dancing.

“Song of the Earth” (to sung music by Gustav Mahler), was premiered in 1965 in Germany and is in the repertory of the Royal Ballet. Now the work is at San Francisco. Martin West, music director of San Franciso Ballet, tells us that Mahler’s work is not often played for ballet. He says, “McMillian ( Sir Kenneth McMillan, choreographer) was able to illuminate further the full range of emotions that Mahler set out to convey…”

The principal dancers for the Mahler work have a tremendous task for both endurance and expressivity since McMillan says the work is,  ”a man, a woman and death. Throughout the ballet you ‘sort of watch’ the woman through the cycle of her life.”

On February 9 the soloists were Wei Wang (The Messenger of Death), Isaac Hernancdez (Man) and Wona Park (Woman), well supported by the ensemble. On Saturday, Feb. 10 the cast was (Messenger) Esteban Hernandez, (Woman) Wona Park, (Man) Joseph Walsh. The singing was performed by tenor Moisas Salazar, and mezzo soprano Garielle Beteag, All were brilliant in this demanding but intriguing work,

What is intriguing in “Song’ is not only the interaction of the principals using dramatic gesture (hands to head, heart, and very intimate duets), but that the ‘movement’ is beyond the usual ballet vocabulary!. Fingers are spread wide; torsos are bent and twisted; and although there is plenty of the usual ballet ‘ensemble’, there is continual use of ‘pas de deux’ vocabulary that echos contemporary dance and theater. All the performers handle this with remarkable rhythmic precision and dance skill. Bravo!

We are graced with remarkable leaps and jumps from all the performers as well as unusual partnering (sometimes men with me). But it is the ‘dynamic flow’ of energy the the skillful ‘gesturing’ that makes “Song” so unusual for it time… and ours.

Although “Marguerite and Armand” a romantic episode (from a dramatic “Camille” theme,) to music by Franz Liszt, is well known in story and opera, choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton has here presented us with a setting of English court and club life. “Marguerite” is the mistress of ‘A Duke” (danced by Steven Morse) but she in enamored by Armond (Frederick Walsh). Although surrounded by ‘admirers”, it is her romantic involvement with Armond that is the ballet’s several essential ‘pas de duex.”

On Feb. 9 Misa Kuranaga danced Marguerite. On Saturday, the principal dancers were Yuan Yuan Tan (Marguerite) and Aaron Robinson (Armand). The San Francisco Ballet added the performance by Ms. Tan to celebrate her departure from the company on February 14. Both events were outstanding performances, although Ms. Tan’s was intensely dramatic as her passion (and her storied illness) overwhelmed the ballet.

It is pleasing and delightful to have the opportunity to see these works transformed by San Francisco Ballet by contemporary dancers. They have all met the challenged brilliantly. Ms Rojo offers extensive notes in the beautifully illustrated programs…but alas no cast lists are offered. One has to ‘photograph’ the (QR codes) and perhaps consult a cell phone. The performers deserve to be known before the lights go out. They deliver brilliant performances and audiences must give their applause to dancers that will be well remembered and honored in future ballet events.

Dance, Performance, Theater

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo – Jan 27, 2024

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Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
Cal Performances UCB
January 27, 2024. 8 PM

Wonderful! Oh wonderful to behold!

What a pleasure it is to welcome the “Trocs” back to UC Zellerbach Hall. They (the company) have often appeared at Zellerbach. Tonight’s event was listed as a 50th Anniversary.

So much of what they do its amazing, preposterous and wonderful! It helps if one knows a little of ballet repertory to appreciate the skill – and satire each program event presents.The choreographic patterns are there for each item…yet the “Trocs” take every advantage to make the audience laugh…not just at their playful physical dance jokes…but at the choreography itself.

We are offered “Le Lac des Cynes” (Swan Lake Act III), perhaps the best known ballet in the western world. To music by Tchaikovsky (1877), a princess becomes a swan by an ‘evil’ sorcerer. (Apparently this was a well known fable of Russian folklore). In 1893 the Maryinsky Ballet produced the version presented (always with alterations) by most companies today

The “Trocs” know how to build satire into performance. In “Swan Lake,” Prince Siegfried (Araf Legupski) and his friend Benno (Kraviji) attempt to win the Queen of the Swans (Collete Adae) from the evil Van Rothbart (Yuri Smirnov). Many unsucessful pas de deux and pas de trois are danced, but alas! Rothbart prevails. All this and the splendid accompanying dances of the corps de ballet reconstruct this most popular of all ‘romantic/classical” ballets .. And/But the choreography is complete with prat falls, slaps,”incorrect” positions and postures and the amazing skill of every “Troc”…soloist and corps de ballet.(Men..in point shoes!)

Next, to our further delight is “Yes, Virginia, Another Piano Ballet” to music by Chopin. There is a grand piano on stage; we hear music; no one is playing. This work is a direct satire on “Dances at a Gathering,” a ballet by Jerome Robbins when Robbins was ‘away’ from Broadway (1969) and in residence at the NYC Ballet. To the ballet world at that time, the work was a direct challenge to the full orchestra, classical events presented by George Balanchine, the famous director and choreographer.

As the “Trocs” performed it three “women” Greanya Protozoa, Ludmilla Beaulemova and Holly Day-Abroad dance with the boys, Parcel Tord and Chip Pididonda to give us a more contemporary play time, embracing the piano and sometimes each other in Robbins’ modern ballet style. It is a romp and as the program says, “plain folk relating to each other”. However these “plain folk” are amazingly skilled dancers and comedians with superb timing.

We are treated to the most divine solo work in ballet repertory, “The Dying Swan”.(Alas I cannot find the brilliant artist’s name who performed this evening). Originally Anna Pavlova was the first in this role, in 1916. Although its intention is to portray the ‘fragility of life’ the Trocs Swan ballerina was losing her feathers at the start and it got better (or worse) as the solo continued. Nevertheless, she(He) gathered her feathers and took numerous bows and curtain call.

The evening’s finale “Paquita”(a superb exapfeifengesictmple of “French” style ballet) is now seen as ‘academic classical dance’ enriched by unexpected “combinations and steps”. We are entranced by the Ballerina Varvara Laptopova and Cavalier Bruno Backpfeiferngesicht as they command our attention and that of the five ‘ballerianas” who dance the five variations. As in other inventive, funny and classically profound work,

“Paquita” shows us what ballet is (and was) and above all, the many superb skills in performance and satire of “Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo”. Come back again every year for another 50 years!

Commentary, Dance, Performance

SF Ballet – “Mere Mortals”

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SF Ballet – “Mere Mortals”
Friday, January 26, 2024
SF Opera House

Brave New Ballet

Tamara Rojo, the new director of San Francisco Ballet, in her new 2023 program booklet remarks, “Greetings” says commenting on “Mere Mortals” …”I truly hope this ballet leaves you curious about the creative promise that this new technology holds…”

Yes! But are we the ‘older’ audience ready for the use of technology at the ballet when we became so fond of the orchestra (directed by Martin West), clearly visibly sets and costumes and a presentation of solos, duets and group work, either with or without narrative? This reviewer, for one (and many agree) that “Mere Mortals” was a thorough challenge as the opening event of the 2024 season. We have much to learn.

Background. Over half a century ago I, as a dance student, worked with Hanya Holm, a German choreographer (who eventually did “Kiss Me Kate” and “My Fair Lady’). We, the student chorus faced upstage and in total ensemble performed simple walking steps. Meanwhile on the stepped set, a soloist performed. We never saw her. It was “expressionism”! Some of this pattern, for me, was present in “Mere Mortals”.

In “Mere Mortals” the soloists dominate the choreography although from time to time the group is challenged to move with them in various unified patterns. The soloists are all fantastic. In early sections, the group is almost always on its knees. “Ouch”!

There is a complex narrative. Hope (Wei Wang) portrayed by “both male and female dancers” is first. Then Prometheus (Isaac Hernådez) (a rebel who thrives in chaos) steals fire from the Gods. Pandora (Jennifer Stahl) “has a totally different skill set from the group…”. And finally Epimetheus, (Parker Garrison) ,“one of the few fearless beings…who welcomes new ideas and inventions.” If only we knew more of this mythology.

A major problem for this viewer was the lighting (or lack of it) for the opening sections. All the dancers were in black, soloists and chorus. The floor (which I heard later, seen from above) was lit, but it was not adequately lit from orchestra seats. Darkness prevailed although the remarkable light show technology (by Hammill Industries) broke into the darkness. The mythic environment remained dark. The music (by Floatjng Points) added to the “technological update” of this work choreographed by Azsure Barton (a woman from Canada). The “older audience” had much to learn, to experience, to question… and to accept.

Two brilliant dance episodes were worth close observation and appreciation.Jennifer Stahl (Pandora) and Parker Garrison (Eptmetheus) performed a duet that was thrilling in its innovative movement vocabulary. Stahl also held still for a long solo episode while the music and technical visuals surrounded her. All the soloists, (cited above) and Prometheus (Isaac Hernandez), deserve praise and applause.

But it is the chorus, in opening sections, almost always on the ground as worshipers of Prometheus who make the greatest impact as they move in powerful unison. They (all 40 of them) later serve, responding to the other ‘immortals”.

When finally in the last section the costuming changes to gold body suites (for all dancers), the chorus is on its feet, performing brilliantly in geometric patterns behind and with the soloists, particularly with Wei Wang as Hope.

Audiences usually do not read program notes before the show. So…much of the characterization of the soloists challenged their ‘information’ understanding. For many in my seating area “Mere Mortals” was a light show, complete with technical and sound technology, a setting for some stunning soloists performances and much empathy for the dramatic, brilliant corps.

Then, to everyone’s delight as the audience moved into the Lobby, a dance event was going on! SFB promises that will happen after all shows, There, at last, we could understand and enjoy as we are and what it is to be “Mere Mortals”.