Open Studio 455: San Francisco Ballet Blog

SFB Scene

This week the Company heads into the final performances of the 2009 Repertory Season with rotating presentations of Programs 7 and 8. Your last chance to see Program 8 is Friday, May 8, and Balanchine’s Jewels (Program 7) will close the season with a matinee performance on Sunday, May 10. On both of these dates, SF Ballet is offering some cool special events, in addition to the performance, including a Nite Out event for the LGBT community on May 8. Join other fans after the show for an exclusive cocktail reception that includes a DJ and light hors d’oeuvres. Then, on Sunday, May 10 (Mother’s Day), bring your Mom to the Ballet and she’ll receive a complementary rose!
And, don’t forget, Saturday, May 9, Principal Dancer Tina LeBlanc will give her farewell performance with the Company, after 17 years with SF Ballet.
On Thursday, May 7, the Center for Dance Education will host a Community Matinee, which offers deeply discounted tickets to students and seniors. The program will include Balanchine’s “Rubies” and Possokhov’s Fusion, as well as a demonstration featuring students from the San Francisco Ballet School. Click here to see video highlights from a recent Community Matinee hosted by Tina LeBlanc.
Tina LeBlanc in Balanchine's "Rubies" (Choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust; photo © Erik Tomasson)

This Saturday, May 2, the San Francisco Ballet School will hold auditions for its 2009-2010 school year. Aspiring students from ages 7 ½ - 18 will audition for a spot in the prestigious program. For more details, click here.
The final program of the 2009 season (Program 8) opens tonight. The Company will be busy this afternoon with a dress rehearsal and then enjoy a brief break before tonight’s 8pm performance. Program 8 features works by three contemporary choreographers: Yuri Possokhov, Alexei Ratmansky, and Jorma Elo, and runs today through May 8. Click here for a preview of Possokhov’s Fusion and Elo’s Double Evil on SF Ballet’s YouTube channel.
Want to learn more about ballet firsthand from dancers and choreographers? Did you know that SF Ballet offers free lectures that are open to the public? The Pointes of View lecture series continues tomorrow, April 29 from 6pm-7pm at Herbst Theater, across from the Opera House. Local Dance Scholar and Educator Mary Wood will interview a panel about the challenges and thrills of dancing Balanchine’s works. The panel includes Artistic Director and Principal Choreographer Helgi Tomasson; Repetiteur for The George Balanchine Trust, Elyse Borne; and SF Ballet Principal Dancer Sarah Van Patten. Click here for more information.
San Francisco Ballet in Possokhov's Fusion (© Erik Tomasson)

Pascal Molat and Vanessa Zahorian in Elo's Double Evil which opens Tuesday, April 28, 2009 (© Erik Tomasson)

: Principal Dancers Sarah Van Patten and Ruben Martin perform Yuri Possokhov’s Fusion during the 2008 American Tour. Fusion will be featured on Program 8 which opens April 8, 2009. Click here for a high-definition preview of the piece: