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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROGRAM 05 | LYRIC VOICES / PROGRAM 06 | SPACE BETWEEN

05 Greetings from the Artistic Director

& Principal Choreographer

06 Board of Trustees

Endowment Foundation Board

07 SF Ballet Leadership

08 For Your Information

09 Timeline

1 0 Season News

1 1 SF Ballet Student Matinees

1 2 Explore Ballet

1 6 Artists of the Company

24 PROGRAM 05 Lyric Voices

Your Flesh Shall Be a Great Poem

Bound To

“... two united in a single soul ...”

World Premiere

32 PROGRAM 06 Space Between

Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes

Die Toteninsel World Premiere

Björk Ballet

40 SF Ballet Orchestra

42 SF Ballet Staff

44 Donor Events and News

48 SF Ballet Donors

62 Thank You to Our Volunteers

64 Last Words on “... two united in a single soul ...”

05

San Francisco Ballet | Program Book | Vol. 26, No. 52019 Repertory Season

All editorial material © San Francisco Ballet, 2019 Chris Hellman Center for Dance

455 Franklin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 415 861 5600 | sfballet.org

Cover: Dores André in Pita's Björk Ballet // © Erik Tomasson

Above, top to bottom: Helgi Tomasson; Yuan Yuan Tan and Carlo Di Lanno in Bound To©

by Christopher Wheeldon // Both © Erik Tomasson

Bound To© by Christopher Wheeldon

24

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PROGRAMS 05 / 06 | 415 865 2000 | 5

Welcome to the Opera House for the fourth and fifth programs of our 2019 Season, Lyric Voices and Space Between. These programs mark a shift from the opulent tutus and classical virtuosity of our recent performances of The Sleeping Beauty. Beloved story ballets are an important part of our heritage, and we take great pride in dancing them well. At the same time, I believe it’s essential to keep the art of ballet vibrant and relevant with new works. Which is why I’m so pleased you’ve joined us for these two programs of six ballets—all of which have been created in the last four years.

Program 05, Lyric Voices, is made up of three works created for San Francisco Ballet over the last two years: Your Flesh Shall Be a

Great Poem and Bound To were both made for our 2018 Unbound festival and “… two united in a single soul …” is brand new. As the program title suggests, all three ballets are set to music with vocal accompaniment. And yet, from this similar starting point, three choreographers have created three quite distinct ballets. Trey McIntyre, whose Your Flesh Shall Be a Great Poem is set to music by singer-songwriter Chris Garneau, came to us thinking about a photograph. It was an image of his very tall grandfather as a young athlete, and Trey, who is 6'6", was wondering how much else they had in common. The resulting ballet is playful, quirky, and deeply heartfelt. When Christopher Wheeldon came to San Francisco to create Bound To, he was thinking about how attached we are to our phones. His ballet is an exploration of what happens when we do (and don’t) put the phone down and connect with another person. SF Ballet’s Choreographer in Residence Yuri Possokhov has created a work that’s centered around the myth of Narcissus, who falls in love with his own reflection. It’s a particularly interesting subject for ballet dancers, who spend a good part of each day critiquing and evaluating their own reflection. Yuri’s work is always thought-provoking and I’m looking forward to seeing his latest creation on the stage.

Program 06, Space Between, features work by three choreographers who are working all over the world—in ballet, on Broadway, and on film. And each of the artists on this program leads the art form in a slightly different direction. Justin Peck’s Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes is an athletic, kinetic take on Aaron Copeland’s iconic score. His ballet, created for New York City Ballet in 2015, features 15 men and 1 woman, and highlights both the competitiveness and the tenderness in male relationships in a way not often seen onstage. Liam Scarlett, whose Frankenstein we performed last season and whose Hummingbird we are taking to London later this spring, created a brand-new work, Die Toteninsel (set to Rachmaninoff’s score of the same name, or Isle of the Dead, in English). It’s a thoughtful piece about death that’s more evocative than definitive, with Scarlett’s expressive movement creating an otherworldly, haunting mood. The final work on this program was created by the inimitable Arthur Pita, and set to the music of a fellow Icelander, Björk. This joyous, bold work makes you realize how refreshingly vibrant and unconventional ballet can be.

Thank you for joining us for these two dynamic programs. Our Season continues with John Neumeier’s deep dive into the emotional undercurrents of the Hans Christian Andersen story The Little Mermaid, followed by Alexei Ratmansky’s look at the life of a legendary composer in Shostakovich Trilogy. I hope to see you again this spring in the Opera House.

Sincerely,

Helgi Tomasson Artistic Director & Principal Choreographer

GREETINGS FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & PRINCIPAL CHOREOGRAPHER

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6 | SAN FRANCISCO BALLET | PROGRAMS 05 / 06

SAN FRANCISCO BALLET ENDOWMENT FOUNDATIONBOARD OF DIRECTORS | 2018–19

BOARD OF TRUSTEES | 2018–19

SAN FRANCISCO BALLET ASSOCIATION

Carl F. Pascarella, Chair of the Board and Executive Committee

John S. Osterweis†, Immediate Past Chair

Margaret G. Gill, Vice Chair

James H. Herbert, II†, Vice Chair

Lucy Jewett, Vice Chair

James D. Marver, Vice Chair

Diane B. Wilsey, Vice Chair

Nancy Kukacka, Treasurer

Jennifer J. McCall, Secretary

Susan S. Briggs, Assistant Secretary

Helgi Tomasson, Artistic Director & Principal Choreographer

Glenn McCoy*, Executive Director

Jola Anderson

Kristen A. Avansino

Richard C. Barker†

Karen S. Bergman

Gary Bridge

Chaomei Chen

Hannah Comolli

Christine Leong Connors

David C. Cox

Lisa Daniels

Susan P. Diekman

Sonia H. Evers

Shelby M. Gans

Joseph C. Geagea

Richard Gibbs, M.D.

Beth Grossman

Matthew T. Hobart

Patrick M. Hogan

Thomas E. Horn

Hiro Iwanaga

Thomas M. Jackson, M.D.

Elaine Kartalis

James C. Katzman

Yasunobu Kyogoku

Kelsey Lamond

Brenda Leff

Marie O’Gara Lipman

Alison Mauzé

Marissa Mayer

John T. Palmer

Fritz Quattlebaum

Kara Roell

Christine Russell

Randee Seiger

John S. Osterweis, President Emeritus

J. Stuart Francis, Vice President

Thomas E. Horn, Treasurer

Kevin Mohr‡, Chief Financial Officer

Elizabeth Lani‡, Assistant Secretary

Richard C. Barker

Susan S. Briggs

Nancy Kukacka

Hilary C. Pierce

Larissa K. Roesch

Robert G. Shaw

Christine E. Sherry

Charlotte Mailliard Shultz

Catherine Slavonia

David Hooker Spencer

Fran A. Streets

Judy C. Swanson

Richard J. Thalheimer

Miles Archer Woodlief

Timothy C. Wu

Zhenya Yoder

Janice Hansen Zakin

TRUSTEES EMERITI

Michael C. Abramson

Thomas W. Allen

Marjorie Burnett

Charles Dishman

Garrettson Dulin, Jr.†

Millicent Dunham

J. Stuart Francis†

Sally Hambrecht

Ingrid von Mangoldt Hills

Pamela J. Joyner†

David A. Kaplan

Mary Jo Kovacevich

James J. Ludwig†

Stephanie Marver

Nancy H. Mohr

Marie-Louise Pratt

George R. Roberts

Kathleen Scutchfield

Robert M. Smelick

Susan A. Van Wagner

Dennis Wu

Akiko Yamazaki

ASSOCIATE TRUSTEES

Ann Kathryn Baer, President, San Francisco Ballet Auxiliary

Steve Merlo, President, BRAVO

Daniel Cassell, President, ENCORE!

Stewart McDowell Brady, Patrice Lovato, Co-Chairs, Allegro Circle

James D. Marver, President

† Past Chair * Non-Trustee ‡ Non-Director


SAN FRANCISCO BALLET LEADERSHIP

MARTIN WESTMUSIC DIRECTOR & PRINCIPAL CONDUCTOR

PATRICK ARMANDDIRECTOR, SAN FRANCISCO BALLET SCHOOL

Martin West leads an orchestra that is as

musically excellent as it is adventurous.

Under his direction the SF Ballet Orchestra

has greatly expanded its catalog of

recordings. Born in Bolton, England,

he studied math at Cambridge. After

studying music at the Royal Academy

of Music in London and St. Petersburg Conservatory of Music, he made

his debut with English National Ballet and was appointed resident

conductor. As a guest conductor, he has worked with New York City

Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada, and The Royal Ballet. He was

named music director of SF Ballet in 2005. West’s recordings with

SF Ballet Orchestra include the complete score of Tchaikovsky’s

Nutcracker and an album of suites from Delibes’ Sylvia and Coppélia.

He also conducted for the award-winning DVD of Neumeier’s The Little

Mermaid as well as SF Ballet’s televised recording of Nutcracker for

PBS and the 2015 in-cinema release of Romeo & Juliet for Lincoln

Center at the Movies’ Great American Dance.

Born in Marseille, France, Patrick Armand

studied with Rudy Bryans, his mother

Colette Armand, and at the École de

Danse de Marseille. He won the Prix

de Lausanne in 1980 and continued his

studies at the School of American Ballet.

In 1981, he joined the Ballet Théâtre

Français de Nancy and was promoted to principal dancer in 1983.

The following year he joined the English National Ballet, where he

danced for six years before joining Boston Ballet in 1990. A frequent

guest teacher for schools and companies in Amsterdam, Florence,

London, Naples, Tokyo, and Toronto, Armand was appointed teacher

and ballet master of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan in 2006. In 1998

and 2009, he served as a jury member of the Prix de Lausanne and

since 2010 has been the competition’s official male coach and teacher.

He was appointed principal of the SF Ballet School Trainee Program

in 2010, SF Ballet School associate director in 2012, and director of

SF Ballet School in 2017.

HELGI TOMASSONARTISTIC DIRECTOR & PRINCIPAL CHOREOGRAPHER

GLENN MCCOYEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Helgi Tomasson, one of the supreme

classical dancers of his generation,

has led San Francisco Ballet for 34 years

and is the longest-serving sole artistic

director of a major ballet company. Born

in Iceland, he danced with Harkness

Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet, and New York

City Ballet, where he distinguished himself as a dancer of technical

purity, musicality, and intelligence. Tomasson assumed leadership of

SF Ballet in 1985. Under his direction, SF Ballet has developed into a

Company widely recognized as one of the finest in the world. Tomasson

has balanced devotion to the classics with an emphasis on new work,

cultivating frequent collaborations and commissions with renowned

choreographers such as William Forsythe, Christopher Wheeldon,

Alexei Ratmansky, and Mark Morris, among many others. He has

choreographed more than 50 works for the Company, including

full-length productions of Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Romeo &

Juliet (taped for Lincoln Center at the Movies’ Great American Dance),

Giselle, and Nutcracker (taped for PBS’s Great Performances). He

conceptualized the 1995 UNited We Dance festival, in which SF Ballet

hosted 12 international companies; the 2008 New Works Festival,

which included 10 world premieres by 10 acclaimed choreographers;

and the 2018 Unbound: A Festival of New Works. Tomasson has

also connected SF Ballet to the world, through co-commissions

with American Ballet Theatre, The Royal Ballet, and Dutch National

Ballet; and major tours to Paris, London, New York City, China,

and his native Iceland.

SF Ballet pays tribute to Glenn McCoy

this season, which is his 31st and final

season with San Francisco Ballet

before retirement. After working

for San Francisco Opera and the

Metropolitan Opera, McCoy joined

San Francisco Ballet in 1987. He served

as company manager and general manager before being appointed

executive director in April 2002. McCoy has overseen the production

of more than 130 new repertory and full-length ballets and more than

50 domestic and international tours, including engagements in Paris,

London, New York, Beijing, and Washington, DC. He supervised

SF Ballet’s operations for the critically acclaimed international dance

festival, UNited We Dance, in 1995; SF Ballet’s 75th Anniversary

Season in 2008; and the 2018 Unbound festival. He has overseen

tapings of Lar Lubovitch’s Othello, Helgi Tomasson’s Nutcracker,

and John Neumeier’s The Little Mermaid, which have been broadcast

on PBS by Thirteen/WNET New York’s performing arts series Great

Performances, as well as Tomasson’s Romeo & Juliet, which premiered

in Lincoln Center at the Movies’ Great American Dance series in 2015.

His incredible contribution to the past, present, and future of SF Ballet

is profoundly admired throughout the organization.

Headshots // © Erik Tomasson and Chris Hardy

Hilary C. Pierce

Larissa K. Roesch


P U R C H A S I N G T I C K E T S You can order online at sfballet.org or call Ticket Services at 415 865 2000, Monday–Friday, 10 am–4 pm. On performance dates, phones are open from 10 am until the performance begins. The SF Ballet Box Office in the Opera House is open only on performance dates and opens four hours prior to each performance. During the hour prior to curtain, the Box Office only handles business for the upcoming show.

Groups of 10 or more can save up to 30 percent. For information, visit sfballet.org/groups or call 415 865 6785.

IN THE OPERA HOUSE

DINING and refreshment options are offered pre-show and

at intermissions throughout the War Memorial Opera House

by Global Gourmet. For reservations, call 415 861 8150, email

[email protected], or visit opentable.com.

Beverages in the auditorium are allowed if they are purchased

in the Opera House and are in the approved compostable cup

with a lid.

THE SHOP at SF Ballet is open one hour before each performance,

during intermissions, and after weekend matinees, even if you’re

not attending the performance itself (visit the Box Office for a

special pass). The Shop is also online at sfballet.org/shop.

RESTROOMS are located on all floors except Main Lobby level

(first floor).

COAT AND PARCEL CHECK ROOMS are located on the north

and south side of the Main Lobby. All parcels, backpacks, and luggage

must be checked.

OPERA GLASSES are available for $5 rental at the north lobby

coat check room and require a valid ID as a deposit.

COURTESY TELEPHONES, for local calls only, are on the

Main Lobby level, across from the elevators.

TAXIS line up after performances at the Grove Street Taxi Ramp

on the south side of the Opera House. Taxis are provided on a

first-come, first-served basis. Our staff will assist you.

WALKING TOURS of the San Francisco War Memorial and

Performing Arts Center are available most Mondays at select hours.

For information, call 415 552 8338.

ACCESSIBILIT Y SF Ballet is committed to providing access for all of our patrons.

Please contact Ticket Services at 415 865 2000 prior to the

performance with questions so that we can ensure your comfort.

Wheelchair-accessible entrances are available on the north, east,

and south sides of the Opera House.

Wheelchair seating positions are on the Orchestra and Dress Circle levels.

Wheelchair accessible stalls in restrooms can be found on all floors except

the Main Lobby and fifth floor Balcony level. A lockable single user/special

needs restroom is located on Floor 3. Please see the usher closest to this

location for access. Accessible drinking fountains are located on all floors

except the Balcony level.

Assistive listening devices (Sennheiser model infrared sound amplification

headsets) are available at both coat check locations in the Main Lobby.

A major credit card or driver’s license is required for deposit.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

I M P O R TA N T P O L I C I E S

Late seating isn’t allowed while a performance is in

progress. You’ll be asked to stand until a break in the

action, which might be at intermission.

Occupying a seat other than the seat for which you hold

a ticket isn't allowed. Please sit only in your ticketed seat.

Audio/visual recordings of any kind of the performance

are strictly forbidden.

Mobile devices should be turned off and put away before

the performance; the lights and sounds are a distraction.

Children attending a performance must have a ticket

and occupy that seat; no infants or lap sitting, please.

Children need to be at least five years old to attend

Repertory Season performances.

Management reserves the right to remove any patron

who is creating a disturbance.

Smoking is not permitted in the Opera House.

Emergency services are available in the Opera House

Lower Lounge level, where an EMT is on duty.

Lost & Found is located at the north coat check room.

Call 415 621 6600, Mon–Fri, 8:30–11:30 am, or email

[email protected].

PROGRAMS 05 / 06 | 415 865 2000 | 9

TIMELINEA tradition of innovation flows through the history of San Francisco Ballet. As the oldest professional ballet company in the U.S., SF Ballet builds upon strong classical roots, while continually exploring and redefining where the art form is headed. Interwoven with SF Ballet milestones are important premieres that highlight the Company’s longtime commitment to new work. For a complete history of San Francisco Ballet, please visit sfballet.org/history.

The San Francisco Opera Ballet performs the first all-dance performance at the new

Opera House.

Design for Adolph Bolm’s Le Ballet Mecanique

1933Coppélia is the Company’s first full-length ballet—and the first complete version in the United States.

Christensen’s Coppélia

1939

2015Justin Peck’s Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes premieres at New York City Ballet.

Historic photos: Courtesy of the Museum of Performance + Design. Photos of When We No Longer Touch; Magrittomania // © Marty Sohl. Photos of Joyride; Natasha Sheehan; and Wheeldon’s Within The Golden Hour© // © Erik Tomasson

2018Unbound: A Festival of New Works

premieres 12 ballets by 12 international choreographers, including Trey McIntyre,

Arthur Pita, and Christopher Wheeldon.

Natasha Sheehan

1995SF Ballet hosts 12 companies from

five continents for UNited We Dance, celebrating the 50th anniversary of

the signing of the UN Charter.

Sabina Allemann and Eric Hoisington in Tomasson's When We No Longer Touch

The New Works Festival celebrates SF Ballet’s 75th Anniversary with 10 works by 10 choreographers, including Yuri Possokhov and Christopher Wheeldon.

Christopher Wheeldon’s Within the Golden Hour©

2008

1985Helgi Tomasson arrives as artistic director, beginning a new era for SF Ballet.

Helgi Tomasson

Liam Scarlett and Yuri Possokhov premiere Die Toteninsel and “. . . two united in a single soul . . .” at SF Ballet.

2019

SF Ballet establishes Dance in Schools and Communities (DISC) to offer arts instruction in public schools. 1979

1940SF Opera Ballet performs the first full-length

Swan Lake in the United States.

Lew Christensen and Jacqueline Martin in Swan Lake

Ballet ’60 is one of the first choreographers’ workshops in America. Over the next 13 years, 43 choreographers create more than 100 new works.

1960

Michael Smuin’s The Tempest— the first ballet broadcast live from the War Memorial Opera

House—is nominated for three Emmy Awards.

Betsy Erickson in The Tempest

1981

1965Lew Christensen’s Life: A Do-It-Yourself Disaster is credited as being the first pop-art ballet.

Nancy Robinson in Christensen’s Life: A Do-It-Yourself Disaster

SF Ballet’s Discovery Program features six world premieres by four SF Ballet principal dancers, plus Vladimir Anguelov and Christopher Wheeldon.

Yuri Possokhov’s Magrittomania

2000


2019 SEASON NEWS

This page, top to bottom, counterclockwise: Jennifer Stahl during company class on stage at the War Memorial Opera House // © Erik Tomasson; San Francisco Ballet School Students in Balanchine’s

Stars and Stripes // Choreography by George Balanchine © The Balanchine Trust // © Lindsay Thomas; San Francisco Ballet in McIntyre’s Your Flesh Shall Be a Great Poem // © Erik Tomasson

Opposite page, top to bottom: Scenes from a student matinee performance // © Chris Hardy; Student illustration post-student matinee performance // © courtesy of SF Ballet’s DISC program

SF BALLET FAN FEST CELEBRATES BAY AREA DANCE WEEK On Saturday, April 27, the Opera House doors will open early so audiences can watch our

dancers’ daily ritual—company class. Guests will enjoy open seating in the auditorium for

this free event, and company class will be held onstage at noon. SF Ballet’s Fan Fest, from

10 am–2 pm outside the Opera House, will feature interactive booths where attendees can

try on a tutu, learn about pointe shoes, explore our ballets, and grab a snack or lunch.

SF BALLET VISITING SCHOLAR TAKES THE STAGE SF Ballet’s 2019 Visiting Scholar Clare Croft, PhD, gives a free Pointes of View lecture on

March 27 on the topic: What makes a ballet “American?” Croft, a dance historian and theorist,

is on the faculty of University of Michigan. She’ll speak about Trey McIntyre’s Your Flesh Shall

Be a Great Poem, which draws its title from famous American poet Walt Whitman’s Leaves

of Grass; and Justin Peck’s Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes, which re-imagines one of the most

iconic Americana ballets.

SF Ballet’s Visiting Scholar program invites one established scholar to participate in audience

engagement programs each year. The goal of this program is to bring cutting-edge scholarship

on ballet to SF Ballet’s audiences, students, and staff. Visiting Scholars are asked to present

excerpts from their scholarly work to company audiences during Pointes of View Lectures,

participate in special topics symposia, and give talks about their area of research to SF Ballet

School students and company staff.

SF BALLET SCHOOL SPRING FESTIVAL The much-anticipated annual spring performance of students at SF Ballet School has a

new format. SF Ballet School Spring Festival (formerly known as SF Ballet School Student

Showcase) will include three nights of unique performances, a dinner on opening night,

and new interactive activities. A new work by AXIS Dance Company Artistic Director

Marc Brew created for the Trainees, excerpts from two ballets by Jiří Kylián, and a premiere

from one of the School’s Choreographic Trainees will augment the repertory. In addition,

one or more new works from SF Ballet School’s student choreographers will receive its

first public performance.

Performances will be held May 22–24 at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater. Following

the May 22 performance, SF Ballet Auxiliary hosts the SF Ballet School Spring Festival Dinner

at the Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco to benefit the School’s scholarship fund, which gives

more than $1.2 million annually in need and merit-based grants to students. For more:

sfballet.org/schoolfestival

SF BALLET TO PERFORM IN LONDON AND SUN VALLEY THIS SUMMER Soon after the 2019 Season ends in San Francisco, the Company will head to London

for two weeks at London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre, May 20–June 8. The London

performances will include 10 ballets commissioned by SF Ballet, all of which are

European premieres. Alexei Ratmansky’s Shostakovich Trilogy opens the tour,

followed by three programs featuring works from last year’s Unbound: A Festival

of New Works, and Liam Scarlett’s Hummingbird. Unbound works include those

by David Dawson, Edwaard Liang, Cathy Marston, Trey McIntyre, Justin Peck,

Arthur Pita, Stanton Welch, and Christopher Wheeldon. SF Ballet’s engagement

at Sadler’s Wells is made possible in part by Lead Sponsor Diane B. Wilsey and

Sponsor Ms. Laura Clifford.

In July, SF Ballet will head to Sun Valley, Idaho, for performances July 5 and 7 at

the Sun Valley Pavilion, open-air venue set amidst the natural beauty of the area.

The Company will perform a gala-style performance of short works on July 5 and a

mixed-repertory performance of longer works on July 7. For more: sfballet.org/tour


INSIDE SF BALLET’S COMMUNIT Y PROGRAMS

Each year, there’s a distinctive buzz in the Opera House as the auditorium fills

with children for SF Ballet’s annual Student Matinee performances. Designed

for school groups, Student Matinees, held twice a year, offer an introduction

to classical and contemporary ballet to nearly 6,000 Bay Area K–12 students,

many of them part of SF Ballet’s Dance in Schools and Communities (DISC)

program. “We’re committed to filling a critical need for arts education in our

community,” says Andrea Yannone, director of education and training at

SF Ballet. “These Student Matinees are a great way to introduce children

to the transformative power of creativity through the performing arts.”

BRILLIANT DANCING, ENTERTAINING INSIGHTS, AND MAYBE AN ANIMAL OR T WO:

Introducing Ballet to Elementary Schoolers in Student Matinees

“The ballet made me feel magical! I loved all of the music and dancing.” —Leonie, age 8

The 2019 Student Matinees featured excerpts from story ballets Don Quixote and The Sleeping Beauty, performed by SF Ballet dancers,

as well as a world premiere created for the SF Ballet School Trainees by choreographer Marc Brew. Brew is artistic director of AXIS Dance

Company, which integrates dancers with and without physical disabilities. His new ballet quicksilver was performed by SF Ballet School

Trainees, the most advanced dancers at the School. “It was a real joy to work with the Trainees,” says Brew. “I wanted to open their mind

to new possibilities. I was never exposed to anyone with a disability during my own training. The fact that I was in that studio with them,

working with them, hopefully changed their perception of what a dancer is and what it means to be a dancer.”

“I was surprised the men were so strong.” —Sebastian, age 7

As part of both of the Student Matinee performances, students—who range in age from about

7 to 12 years old—are offered a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to stage a ballet. SF Ballet

dancer Madison Keesler served as host of this year’s Student Matinees. At the January Don Quixote

event, she started by explaining the story and introducing the dancers playing the main characters.

Between Act I and Act II, she asked students to cheer (loudly!) for the character that protagonist

Kitri should marry: Gamache or Basilio (who received the lion’s share of the applause). Students also

learned a short phrase of mime from the ballet and practiced it in their seat. Another highlight was

watching how the stage crew changed the scenery between acts. “I really enjoyed showing us how

they changed the scenes and it was surprising how large the stage was,” says Radka Pulliam,

a SFUSD educator who attended with a group of students. “I loved how you went through the acts

and told us tidbits of how they lived and performed. Having the dancer lead us through this journey

was amazing and helped our students access the ballet.”

“How are the shoes so cool?” —Makani, age 8

Performance day is just one part of the Student Matinee experience, which starts months prior with free professional development workshops

for teachers at SF Ballet. In these workshops, teachers explore activities, lessons, and resources to share with students before and after the

Student Matinee performance. All attending schools are supplied with a Study Guide, which includes activities—geared to state and national

education standards—that challenge students to think about the performance and artistic process.

“My favorite part of the performance was when the cats went jump, jump, jump!” —America, age 7

Programming is designed with schoolchildren in mind—performances last 75 minutes and feature high energy performances with plenty

of stagecraft. It’s a winning formula—at the Don Quixote matinee, the errant knight’s live horse drew as many gasps of delight as did the

ebullient dancing. The White Cat and Puss in Boots, who dance in The Sleeping Beauty, are favorites. “The students who attend

these performances have a great experience, and so do the dancers,” says Yannone. “Their enthusiasm and

energy are contagious.”

EXPLORE BALLETMEET THE ARTIST INTERVIEWS (AND PODCASTS) 1–1:30 PM BEFORE SUNDAY MATINEES; 7–7:30 PM BEFORE FRIDAY EVENING PERFORMANCES;

1 HOUR PRIOR TO CURTAIN ON OPENING NIGHTS AND AFTER SELECT SATURDAY MATINEES

FREE and open to all ticket holders for selected performances. For details: sfballet.org/mta

For an inside look at the performance you’re about to see, come a bit early. Perfect for newcomers, balletomanes,

and everyone in between, Meet the Artist Interviews (MTAs) feature a conversation with an artist who worked on

the performance. Curious about what our artists have to say? An archive of previous MTAs is available on all

podcast players, including Apple Podcasts, and at sfballet.blog.

POINTES OF VIEW LECTURES WEDNESDAYS, 6–6:45 PM

FREE and open to the public. For details: sfballet.org/pov

PROGRAM 05 Lyric Voices March 27 Join SF Ballet’s 2019 Visiting Scholar Clare Croft, PhD as she asks the question: How might ballet help us imagine “American” as an identity

that can be reimagined and inhabited by many?

PROGRAM 06 Space Between April 3 SF Ballet’s Production Director Christopher Dennis and Company Manager Juliette LeBlanc discuss Arthur Pita’s spectacular Björk Ballet

and how they’ll bring it and 11 other ballets on tour to London.

PROGRAM 07 The Little Mermaid April 24 Company dancers discuss how they prepare to perform the dramatic roles in John Neumeier’s ballets.

PROGRAM 08 Shostakovich Trilogy May 8 Carrie Gaiser Casey, PhD presents an in-depth analysis of Alexei Ratmansky’s Chamber Symphony, the centerpiece of his stunning

Shostakovich Trilogy.

DANCE FOR ALL AGES Let your spirit soar as you experience the joy of moving in our beautiful studios.

ADULT BALLET CL ASSES

Open to adults and teens over the age of 16 with basic ballet experience, classes start at the barre, then move to the center through traditional

ballet exercises and combinations. Be prepared to sweat (at least a little) and to have a good time. Gentle Ballet, True Beginner, Beginner/

Intermediate, and Intermediate/Advanced classes are offered. For more information: sfballet.org/adultballet

ADULT BEGINNER BALLET SERIES

Through May 11, Saturdays, 3:00–4:20 pm. Taught by Cecelia Beam

This eight-session beginner series is for those who are new to ballet and those who feel like they would like to get a handle on the basics.

Instruction will be broken down to the core elements and then built each week so that you’ll finish feeling confident and excited to continue

your training.

ADULT BALLET WORKSHOP

June 10–15

Why do kids always get to have all the fun? SF Ballet School is organizing the third-annual summer dance workshop just for adults. Join acclaimed

faculty and special guests in daily ballet technique and repertory classes in our beautiful studios with live accompaniment. Dance lovers from

across the country will unite in San Francisco this summer to share in a one-week experience of a dancer’s life at SF Ballet.

DANCE SERIES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH PARKINSON’S DISE ASE

In partnership with Kaiser Permanente, we're offering free dance classes designed for people with Parkinson’s Disease to develop individual

artistic expression while honoring PD concerns such as balance, flexibility, coordination, isolation, and depression. Classes take place Saturdays

at 1 pm, beginning March 16. For more information, contact Cecelia Beam at [email protected].

SF BALLET SCHOOL AT F ITNESS SF

1455 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA

SF Ballet School Faculty now teach classes at FITNESS SF. Ballet 101 is a beginner series, Fridays 10:30–12:00 pm, intended for adults

(ages 16+) who are new to ballet. There is an April and May series, and the class fee includes a day pass to FITNESS SF. NEW: Ballet 201,

ongoing Wednesdays 6:00–7:30 pm, an open beginner/intermediate ballet class.

A not-for-profit community owned and operated by Covia. License No. 380540292 COA# 325

The location that connects you to the best of San Francisco.San Francisco is known for its rich intellectual and creative culture, progressive spirit, and global outlook — and that’s just what you’ll find at San Francisco Towers, a sophisticated Life Plan Community in the heart of the city.

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Join the waiting list! For information, or to schedule a visit, call 415.447.5526.

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PROGRAMS 05 / 06 | 415 865 2000 | 13

BALLET CHATMarch 31, 4:30–6 pm: Lyric Voices

April 7, 4:30–6 pm: Space Between

May 12, 4:30–6 pm: Shostakovich Trilogy

You’ve just seen an inspiring performance.

Now what? Rather than heading home, channel

that insight and creative energy. Have a glass of

wine, mingle with fellow ballet fans, and participate

in an informal moderated conversation. Cost: $10

BALLET BOOK CLUBApril 20, 5–6:30 pm: The Little Mermaid

Ever wondered about the literature behind the

ballets? Or wanted an excuse to delve a little

deeper into everyone’s favorite story ballets?

We’ll do exactly that: read the story, compare it

to the ballet, and, of course, have a glass of wine.

Cost: $20/$15 (subscribers & donors)

BALLET TALKMay 11, 5–6:30 pm: Creating New Work with

Marc Brew

These lively events include a 60-minute talk and

Q & A, as well as a wine-and-cheese reception with

the speaker. Cost: $35/$30 (subscribers & donors)

Looking to deepen your knowledge of

SF Ballet and the art form in general?

From classes to lectures to social events,

we have a wide variety of opportunities

to explore the method behind the magic

you see onstage as well as to meet

the artists who are creating ballet

today. For more: sfballet.org/events

All Audience Engagement Programs are subject to change. The views, opinions, and information expressed are strictly those of the participants, and do not necessarily represent or imply any official position of San Francisco Ballet Association. For more information about these programs, visit sfballet.org/explore or email [email protected].

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FP 5


EXPLORE BALLET CONTINUED

BALLET FOR CHILDREN Share a love of dance with the

next generation.

CHILDREN’S AUDITIONS FOR

SF BALLET SCHOOL

Pursue a love of dance. For children with an

interest in dance or the dream of becoming

a ballet dancer, San Francisco Ballet School

offers a training program of unqualified

excellence. We’re holding auditions for our

2019–20 school-year program on June 2.

To be eligible to audition, students must

be age 8–11 by September 1, 2019.

For more information and to register:

sfballet.org/school/audition

BALLET FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

Learning the joy of movement begins with

Pre-Ballet classes at SF Ballet School. We

introduce young children ages 4–7 to the

fundamentals of classical ballet, focusing on

proper body alignment, basic ballet technique

and terminology, and musicality. Audition

not required. Fall 2019 classes will be open

for enrollment beginning in April. For more

information about free trial classes:

sfballet.org/preballet

SUMMER BALLET CL ASSES

June 8–29 and July 6–27

Students ages 4–13 welcome. For more:

sfballet.org/school/summer-classes

SUMMER DANCE CAMP

Summer 2019 (June dates to be announced)

Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco (BGCSF)

and SF Ballet are partnering to offer the

annual Summer Dance Camp. At this free,

weeklong dance program, BGCSF members

will take classes in a range of dance styles

from professional teaching artists at SF Ballet

School. Enrollment begins in April. For more

information: sfballet.org/dancecamp

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PRINCIPAL DANCERS

Dores André

Ulrik Birkkjaer

Frances ChungHerbert Family Principal Dancer

Sasha De Sola

Carlo Di Lanno

Mathilde Froustey

Jaime Garcia Castilla

Angelo Greco

Tiit Helimets

Luke Ingham

Vitor Luiz

Aaron Robison

Ana Sophia Scheller

Jennifer Stahl†

Sofiane SylveDiane B. Wilsey Principal Dancer

Yuan Yuan TanRichard C. Barker Principal Dancer

Sarah Van PattenDiana Dollar Knowles Principal Dancer

Joseph WalshJohn and Barbara Osterweis Principal Dancer

Wei Wang†

SOLOISTS

Max Cauthorn†

Daniel Deivison-Oliveira†

Isabella DeVivo†

Jahna Frantziskonis

Benjamin Freemantle†

Esteban Hernandez

Koto Ishihara†

Vladislav Kozlov

Steven Morse†

Wona Park†

Elizabeth Powell†

Julia Rowe†

Henry Sidford†

Lauren Strongin

Lonnie Weeks

Hansuke Yamamoto

WanTing Zhao†

CORPS DE BALLET

Kamryn Baldwin†

Sean Bennett†

Ludmila Bizalion†

Samantha Bristow†

Alexandre Cagnat†

Ethan Chudnow†

Thamires Chuvas†

Cavan Conley

Diego Cruz†

Megan Amanda Ehrlich

Lucas Erni†

Solomon Golding

Gabriela Gonzalez

Nicolai Gorodiskii

Anatalia Hordov†

Ellen Rose Hummel†

Blake Johnston†

Madison Keesler†

Shené Lazarus†

Elizabeth Mateer

Norika Matsuyama†

Carmela Mayo†

Swane Messaoudi†

Davide Occhipinti†

Kimberly Marie Olivier†

Sean Orza†

Lauren Parrott†

Nathaniel Remez†

Alexander Reneff-Olson†

Emma Rubinowitz†

Skyla Schreter

Natasha Sheehan†

Miranda Silveira†

John-Paul Simoens†

Myles Thatcher†

Mingxuan Wang†

Joseph Warton†

Maggie Weirich†

Ami Yuki†

APPRENTICES

Estéban Cuadrado†

Max Föllmer†

Jasmine Jimison†

Joshua Jack Price†

Leili Rackow†

Jacob Seltzer†

BALLET MASTERS

Betsy Erickson† Anita Paciotti† Katita Waldo†

COMPANY TEACHERS

Helgi Tomasson Patrick Armand Ricardo Bustamante† Felipe Diaz†

Ricardo Bustamante† Val Caniparoli† Anita Paciotti†

PRINCIPAL CHARACTER DANCERS

Ricardo Bustamante† Felipe Diaz†

BALLET MASTERS & ASSISTANTS TO THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Yuri Possokhov

CHOREOGRAPHER IN RESIDENCE

Martin West

MUSIC DIRECTOR AND PRINCIPAL CONDUCTOR

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & PRINCIPAL CHOREOGRAPHER

Helgi Tomasson

2018–19 SEASONSAN FRANCISCO BALLET ARTISTS OF THE COMPANY

†Received training at San Francisco Ballet School Dancer head shots // © Chris Hardy and David Allen


DORES ANDRÉBorn in Vigo, Spain, Dores André trained with Antonio Almenara and at Estudio de Danza de Maria de Avila. She joined the Company in 2004, was promoted to soloist in 2012, and to principal dancer in 2015.

JAIME GARCIA CASTILLAJaime Garcia Castilla was born in Madrid, Spain, and studied at the Royal Conservatory of Professional Dance. He was named an SF Ballet apprentice in 2001 and joined the Company the following year. He was promoted to soloist in 2006 and to principal dancer in 2008.

ULRIK BIRKKJAER Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Ulrik Birkkjaer trained at the Royal Danish Ballet School. He danced with the Royal Danish Ballet before joining San Francisco Ballet as a principal dancer in 2017.

FRANCES CHUNGBorn in Vancouver, Canada, Frances Chung trained at Goh Ballet Academy before joining SF Ballet in 2001. She was promoted to soloist in 2005 and principal dancer in 2009. She was appointed Herbert Family Principal Dancer in 2018.

CARLO DI LANNOCarlo Di Lanno was born in Naples, Italy, and trained at La Scala Ballet School in Milan. He danced with La Scala Ballet and Staatsballett Berlin before joining San Francisco Ballet as a soloist in 2014. He was promoted to principal dancer in 2016.

MATHILDE FROUSTEYMathilde Froustey was born in Bordeaux, France, and trained at the Marseille National School of Ballet and Paris Opera Ballet School. She danced with Paris Opera Ballet before joining SF Ballet as a principal dancer in 2013.

SASHA DE SOLABorn in Winter Park, Florida, Sasha De Sola trained at the Kirov Academy of Ballet. She was named an SF Ballet apprentice in 2006 and joined the Company in 2007. She was promoted to soloist in 2012 and principal dancer in 2017.

TIIT HELIMETSBorn in Viljandi, Estonia, Tiit Helimets trained at Tallinn Ballet School. He danced with Estonian National Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet before joining San Francisco Ballet as a principal dancer in 2005.

ANGELO GRECOBorn in Nuoro, Italy, Angelo Greco trained at La Scala Ballet School in Milan. He danced with La Scala Ballet before joining SF Ballet as a soloist in 2016. He was promoted to principal dancer in 2017.

LUKE INGHAMFrom Mount Gambier, South Australia, Luke Ingham trained at the Australian Ballet School. He danced with The Australian Ballet and Houston Ballet before joining SF Ballet as a soloist in 2012. He was promoted to principal dancer in 2014.

AARON ROBISONBorn in Coventry, England, Aaron Robison trained at the Institut del Teatre in Barcelona and at the Royal Ballet School. He has danced with Birmingham Royal Ballet, Ballet Corella, Houston Ballet, and English National Ballet. Robison joined SF Ballet as a principal in 2016 and returned in 2018.

VITOR LUIZBorn in Juiz de Fora, Brazil, Vitor Luiz trained at The Royal Ballet School. He danced with Birmingham Royal Ballet and Ballet do Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro prior to joining SF Ballet as a principal dancer in 2009.

PRINCIPAL DANCERS


PRINCIPAL DANCERS

PRINCIPAL CHARACTER DANCERS

ANA SOPHIA SCHELLERBorn in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ana Sophia Scheller trained at the Instituto Superior de Arte del Teatro Colón and the School of American Ballet. She danced with New York City Ballet before joining SF Ballet as a principal dancer in 2017.

SARAH VAN PATTENSarah Van Patten, born in Boston, Massachusetts, danced with Massachusetts Youth Ballet and the Royal Danish Ballet before joining SF Ballet as a soloist in 2002. She was promoted to principal dancer in 2007. She was appointed Diana Dollar Knowles Principal Dancer in 2013.

JENNIFER STAHL† Born in Dana Point, California, Jennifer Stahl trained at Maria Lazar’s Classical Ballet Academy and SF Ballet School. She was named an SF Ballet apprentice in 2005 and joined the corps de ballet in 2006. She was promoted to soloist in 2013 and principal dancer in 2017.

SOFIANE SYLVESofiane Sylve was born in Nice, France, where she studied at the Académie de Danse. She danced with Germany’s Stadttheater, Dutch National Ballet, and New York City Ballet prior to joining SF Ballet as a principal dancer in 2008. She was appointed Diane B. Wilsey Principal Dancer in 2017.

JOSEPH WALSHBorn in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Joseph Walsh trained at Walnut Hill School of the Arts and Houston Ballet II. He danced with Houston Ballet before joining SF Ballet as a soloist in 2014. He was promoted to principal dancer that same year. He was appointed John and Barbara Osterweis Principal Dancer in 2017.

YUAN YUAN TANYuan Yuan Tan was born in Shanghai, China, and trained at Shanghai Dancing School and Stuttgart’s John Cranko School. She joined SF Ballet as a soloist in 1995 and was promoted to principal dancer in 1997. She was appointed Richard C. Barker Principal Dancer in 2012.

WEI WANG†Born in Anshan, China, Wei Wang trained at Beijing Dance Academy and SF Ballet School. He was named apprentice in 2012, and joined the Company as a corps de ballet member in 2013. He was promoted to soloist in 2016 and to principal dancer in 2018.

ANITA PACIOTTI†Born in Oakland, California Joined in 1968 Named principal character dancer in 1987

RICARDO BUSTAMANTE†Born in Medellín, Colombia Joined in 1980 Named principal character dancer in 2007

VAL CANIPAROLI†Born in Renton, Washington Joined in 1973 Named principal character dancer in 2007

PROGRAMS 05 / 06 | 415 865 2000 | 19

SOLOISTS

MAX CAUTHORN†Born in San Francisco, California Named apprentice in 2013 Joined in 2014 Promoted to soloist in 2017

DANIEL DEIVISON-OLIVEIRA† Born in Rio de Janeiro, BrazilJoined in 2005Promoted to soloist in 2011

ISABELLA DEVIVO† Born in Great Neck, New York Joined in 2013 Promoted to soloist in 2017

BENJAMIN FREEMANTLE†Born in New Westminster, Canada Named apprentice in 2014 Joined in 2015 Promoted to soloist in 2018

STEVEN MORSE†Born in Harbor City, California Joined in 2009 Promoted to soloist in 2017

JAHNA FRANTZISKONIS Born in Tucson, Arizona Joined in 2015 Promoted to soloist in 2017

VLADISLAV KOZLOVBorn in Saratov, Russia Joined as a soloist in 2018

ESTEBAN HERNANDEZBorn in Guadalajara, Mexico Joined in 2013 Promoted to soloist in 2017

KOTO ISHIHARA†Born in Nagoya, Japan Joined in 2010 Promoted to soloist in 2014

†Received training at San Francisco Ballet School

Dancer head shots // © Chris Hardy and David Allen


SOLOISTS

WONA PARK†Born in Seoul, South KoreaJoined in 2017 Promoted to soloist in 2018

ELIZABETH POWELL† Born in Boston, MassachusettsNamed apprentice in 2011Joined in 2012 Promoted to soloist in 2018

LONNIE WEEKS Born in Los Alamos, New MexicoJoined in 2010 Promoted to soloist in 2018

JULIA ROWE† Born in Elizabethtown, PennsylvaniaJoined in 2013Promoted to soloist in 2016

LAUREN STRONGINBorn in Los Gatos, CaliforniaJoined as a soloist in 2015

HANSUKE YAMAMOTOBorn in Chiba, JapanJoined in 2001Promoted to soloist in 2005

HENRY SIDFORD† Born in Marblehead, MassachusettsNamed apprentice in 2011Joined in 2012 Promoted to soloist in 2018

WANTING ZHAO† Born in Anshan, ChinaJoined in 2011 Promoted to soloist in 2016



SAMANTHA BRISTOW†Born in Media, PennsylvaniaNamed apprentice in 2014Joined in 2015

ETHAN CHUDNOW†Born in Napa, California Named apprentice in 2017 Joined in 2018

CORPS DE BALLET

KAMRYN BALDWIN†Born in Honolulu, Hawai’i Joined in 2015

CAVAN CONLEYBorn in Bozeman, Montana Joined in 2018

SEAN BENNETT† Born in San Francisco, CaliforniaNamed apprentice in 2011Joined in 2012

LUDMILA BIZALION†Born in Rio de Janeiro, BrazilNamed apprentice in 2006Joined in 2007Returned in 2016

MEGAN AMANDA EHRLICHBorn in Charleston, South CarolinaNamed apprentice in 2011Joined in 2012Returned in 2017

ALEXANDRE CAGNAT†Born in Cannes, FranceNamed apprentice in 2016Joined in 2017

THAMIRES CHUVAS†Born in Rio de Janeiro, BrazilNamed apprentice in 2014Joined in 2015

GABRIELA GONZALEZBorn in Mérida, MexicoJoined in 2017

DIEGO CRUZ† Born in Zaragoza, SpainJoined in 2006

LUCAS ERNI†Born in Santo Tomé, Argentina Joined in 2018

SOLOMON GOLDINGBorn in London, United KingdomJoined in 2017

†Received training at San Francisco Ballet School

Dancer head shots // © Chris Hardy and David Allen


SHENÉ LAZARUS†Born in Durban, South AfricaNamed apprentice in 2016Joined in 2017

CORPS DE BALLET

NICOLAI GORODISKIIBorn in Lviv, Ukraine Joined in 2018

NORIKA MATSUYAMA†Born in Chiba, Japan Joined in 2014

ANATALIA HORDOV† Born in Santa Clarita, California Named apprentice in 2017 Joined in 2018

CARMELA MAYO† Born in Las Vegas, Nevada Named apprentice in 2017 Joined in 2018

ELLEN ROSE HUMMEL†Born in Greenville, South CarolinaNamed apprentice in 2011Joined in 2012

BLAKE JOHNSTON†Born in Charlotte, North CarolinaJoined in 2017

MADISON KEESLER†Born in Carlsbad, CaliforniaJoined in 2009Returned in 2017

ELIZABETH MATEERBorn in Boca Raton, FloridaJoined in 2016

SEAN ORZA†Born in San Francisco, CaliforniaNamed apprentice in 2007 Joined in 2008

SWANE MESSAOUDI†Born in Aix-en-Provence, France Named apprentice in 2017 Joined in 2018

DAVIDE OCCHIPINTI†Born in Rome, ItalyNamed apprentice in 2016Joined in 2017

KIMBERLY MARIE OLIVIER†Born in New York, New YorkNamed apprentice in 2009Joined in 2010


PROGRAMS 05 / 06 | 415 865 2000 | 23


NATASHA SHEEHAN†Born in San Francisco, CaliforniaJoined in 2016

CORPS DE BALLET

APPRENTICES

LAUREN PARROTT†Born in Palm Harbor, FloridaNamed apprentice in 2012Joined in 2013

JOHN-PAUL SIMOENS†Born in Omaha, NebraskaNamed apprentice in 2014Joined in 2015

NATHANIEL REMEZ† Born in Washington, DCNamed apprentice in 2016Joined in 2017

ALEXANDER RENEFF-OLSON†Born in San Francisco, CaliforniaNamed apprentice in 2012Joined in 2013

EMMA RUBINOWITZ†Born in San Francisco, CaliforniaNamed apprentice in 2012Joined in 2013

SKYLA SCHRETERBorn in Chappaqua, New YorkJoined in 2014

JOSEPH WARTON†Born in Beaverton, OregonJoined in 2017

MIRANDA SILVEIRA†Born in Rio de Janeiro, BrazilNamed apprentice in 2013Joined in 2014

AMI YUKI†Born in Saitama, JapanNamed apprentice in 2014Joined in 2015

MYLES THATCHER† Born in Atlanta, GeorgiaNamed apprentice in 2009Joined in 2010

MINGXUAN WANG†Born in Qingdao, China Named apprentice in 2013Joined in 2014

MAGGIE WEIRICH†Born in Portland, OregonNamed apprentice in 2014Joined in 2015

ESTÉBAN CUADRADO†

MAX FÖLLMER†

JASMINE JIMISON†

JOSHUA JACK PRICE†

LEILI RACKOW†

JACOB SELTZER†


0 5

LYRIC VOICESMAR 27—APR 07

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Your Flesh Shall Be a Great Poem – Music: “The Leaving Song”, “Dirty Night Clowns”, “Raw and Awake”, “Fireflies”, “No More Pirates”,

“Les Lucioles en Re Mineur”, “Hands on the Radio” and “Black Hawk Waltz”—all written and performed by Chris Garneau, and published by

Sony/ATV Songs (BMI). Courtesy of Bank Robber Music o/b/o Absolutely Kosher. Costumes constructed by Colin Davis Jones Studios,

New York, New York. Video Design by Photon Creative Video Agency, San Francisco, California.

Bound To – Music: “Elevator Song (Kid Kanevil Remix)” (Faber Music), and “Elevator Song (Ulrich Schnauss Remix)” (Faber Music)—all written

and performed by Keaton Henson; by arrangement with Faber Music Ltd, London. “Arpeggio,” “Healah Dancing,” “Nearly Curtains,” “Urgent,”

and “Field”—all music by Keaton Henson and orchestration by Matthew Naughtin; performed by arrangement with Faber Music Ltd, London.

“Epilogue”—written and performed by Keaton Henson; orchestration by Matthew Naughtin; performed by arrangement with Kobalt Music

Publishing. Costumes constructed by Parkinson Gill Ltd. London, United Kingdom. Scenic construction and painting by San Francisco Ballet

Carpentry and Scenic Departments.

“. . . two united in a single soul . . .” – Music: G. F. Handel: Recitative “Inumano fratel” from Tolomeo, re d’Egitto: Aria “Lascia ch’io pianga”

from Rinaldo; Overture from Rinaldo; Aria “Cara sposa, amante cara” from Rinaldo; Aria “Empio, dirò, tu sei” from Giulio Cesare in Egitto;

Aria “Stille Amare” from Tolomeo, re d’Egitto; Concerto grosso No. 6 in G minor, Movement IV. Allegro.


San Francisco Ballet in Bound To© by Christopher Wheeldon // © Erik Tomasson

YOUR FLESH SHALL BE A GREAT POEM

Composer: Chris Garneau

Choreographer: Trey McIntyre

Costume Design: Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung

Lighting Design: James F. Ingalls

World Premiere: April 24, 2018—San Francisco Ballet,

War Memorial Opera House; San Francisco, California

The 2018 world premiere of Your Flesh Shall Be a Great Poem was made

possible by Unbound Festival Presenting Sponsor Diane B. Wilsey.

These performances of Your Flesh Shall Be a Great Poem are made

possible by Major Sponsor Brenda and Alexander Leff, and Sponsors

Kacie and Michael Renc, and O.J. and Gary Shansby.

“. . . t wo uni ted in a s ingle soul . . .” WORLD PREMIERE

Composer: Daria Novo, after George Frideric Handel

Choreographer: Yuri Possokhov

Scenic Design: Ben Pierce

Costume Design: Christopher Read

Lighting Design: Jim French

World Premiere: March 27, 2019—San Francisco Ballet,


The 2019 world premiere of “... two united in a single soul ...”

is made possible by Lead Sponsors Athena and Timothy Blackburn,

and Yurie and Carl Pascarella.

BOUND TO

Composer: Keaton Henson

Choreographer: Christopher Wheeldon

Scenic and Costume Design: Jean-Marc Puissant

Projection Design: Jean-Marc Puissant and Alexander V. Nichols



World Premiere: April 20, 2018—San Francisco Ballet,


The 2018 world premiere of Bound To was made possible by Unbound

Festival Presenting Sponsor Diane B. Wilsey and Grand Benefactor

Sponsor Kelsey and David Lamond.

These performances of Bound To are made possible by Lead Sponsors

Sonia H. Evers, Alison and Michael Mauzé, and Denise Littlefield Sobel;

Major Sponsors David and Vicki Cox, and John and Amy Palmer;

and Sponsor Alex and Carolyn Mehran.


Sasha De Sola in McIntyre’s Your Flesh Shall Be a Great Poem // © Erik Tomasson

Y O UR F L E S H S H A L L B E A G R E AT P O E MP R O G R A M N O T E S by Cheryl A. Ossola

Trey McIntyre came to San Francisco Ballet knowing he would make a

piece about his grandfather. What he didn’t know was how that idea

would play out choreographically—but he always trusts his subconscious

during the creative process. And when he finished his ballet, Your Flesh

Shall Be a Great Poem, he saw that it was about loss and remembrance,

pain and happiness—a mind-meld of sorts between grandson and

grandfather in a family from the American Great Plains.

The idea for this ballet, McIntyre’s second for the Company, began

percolating when McIntyre’s father died a few years ago. Among the

family photos was a 1920s portrait of his grandfather in a football uniform

of high-waisted trousers and heavy boots. McIntyre, a photographer

and filmmaker as well as a dancemaker, was intrigued. “My grandfather

was a giant like me. I’m six-foot-six and he was six-three, but that was

probably six-six for the 1920s,” he says, laughing. “Even though I never

knew him, I always envisioned some life perspective that he and I might

have shared.”

That’s the idea he brought with him to SF Ballet. Then came the solar

eclipse, coinciding with the first day of rehearsals, which McIntyre

thought was auspicious. “How I pictured it,” he says, “was the sun

and the moon lining up, creating this portal through time—that I had

this chance to be with my grandfather, to get to know him.” The portal

idea led to the ballet’s structure of two solos, danced by the same man,

bookending the “eclipse” section, which could be read as vignettes from

the grandfather’s life. The solo man is the grandfather, but so are all the

men, conceivably. For McIntyre, the eclipse is potent because he has

begun to think that “all time is happening at once,” he says. “I always

thought that was kind of woo-woo. But I thought of the piece in that

way—[my grandfather’s] lifetime is happening all at once.”

Two aspects of his grandfather’s life give the ballet its emotional

tone—death and dementia. “There is a picture I paint because he was

an undertaker,” McIntyre says. “There’s a morbidity to living in a funeral

home, in a way that resonates with me. I’m interested in the darkness

of experience; I’m interested in the contrast of light and dark.” Images

of death permeate the ballet, in lingering leave-takings, loving touches

tinged by sadness.

The ballet’s ending, though, comes from a specific memory. McIntyre’s

grandfather had dementia late in life, “and I remember one story of him

walking around the neighborhood in his underwear,” the choreographer

says. What he liked about the story was “thinking about life as

reincarnation—going through life [from childhood], and in our old age

returning to a childlike state,” he says. “Dementia underlines that even

more because you lose the experience that you had. And so I wanted,

especially in the final solo, to have it be my grandfather wandering

around in his underwear and experiencing life in reverse.”

The ballet’s themes are both supported and belied by the music,

songs by Chris Garneau from his album El Radio. Some of the rhythms

are bouncy, the melodies catchy; others lament, “We left too soon,”

or “It drags me down.” “I wanted something that had some quietness to

it,” says McIntyre. “I like how varied and interesting the instrumentation

is; it isn’t just a bunch of ballads.” With these songs as a soundtrack, he

fills the ballet with buoyancy, playfulness, charm—yet somehow instills an

undertone of loss. “You learn happiness because you have it in contrast

to the sorrow that you’ve had,” he says. “I like having those elements all

in play at once.”

Being a filmmaker has influenced McIntyre’s approach to transitions,

and it has slowed him down. “There are probably more moments of quiet

in this piece, and stillness, because of making film,” he says. He doesn’t

mean pauses or inaction; the stillness is built into the steps. It’s an

approach that accommodates introspection. McIntyre, imagining looking

back at life after death, says “it would be pure empathy for every moment.”

That’s how he imagines his grandfather would see this ballet. “You realize

that life is just this big, amazing experience and that the pain was just as

valuable as the joy.”

PROGRAMS 05 / 06 | 415 865 2000 | 27

RE ID BARTELME Costume Designer

Reid Bartelme is a New York-based dancer and costume designer

who specializes in costuming dance. Born in New York, he trained at

Pacific Northwest Ballet School and danced with BalletMet, Alberta

Ballet, Shen Wei Dance Arts, and the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company.

Bartelme then enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where

he met Harriet Jung (below). Bartelme and Jung founded Reid & Harriet

Design in 2011. Collaboratively, they have worked with choreographers

Justin Peck, Pam Tanowitz, Trey McIntyre, and Matthew Neenan,

and designed productions for New York City Ballet, American Ballet

Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago,

and Miami City Ballet, among others.

HARRIET JUNG Costume Designer

Harriet Jung is a New York-based artist with experience in costume

design, womenswear design, and illustration. Jung studied visual

arts at a young age and attended Orange County School of the Arts in

Southern California. She earned a degree in molecular and cell biology

from the University of California, Berkeley, before studying fashion

design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Upon graduating, she

joined the womenswear design team at Jill Stuart. Jung founded Reid

& Harriet Design with Reid Bartelme (above) in 2011. Collaboratively,

they work with choreographers Justin Peck and Pam Tanowitz, and

have designed productions for New York City Ballet, American Ballet

Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago,

and Miami City Ballet, among others.

JAMES F. INGALLS Lighting Designer

James F. Ingalls designs lighting for dance, theater, opera, and

symphony concerts. He is a Department of Dramatic Arts graduate

of The University of Connecticut and studied at the Yale School of

Drama. His designs for SF Ballet include Don Quixote, Onegin, Sylvia,

Nutcracker, Helgi Tomasson’s Silver Ladders, the 2008 New Works

Festival and the 2018 Unbound festival. Ingalls’ work is seen in the

repertories of American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, Dutch National

Ballet, Mark Morris Dance Group, The National Ballet of Canada, and

Pacific Northwest Ballet. Recent designs include Concertiana, Half Life,

and The Beauty of Grey for Paul Taylor’s American Modern Dance and

The Nutcracker for Miami City Ballet. His work in opera and theater with

director Peter Sellars spans 37 years. Ingalls often collaborates with

The Wooden Floor dancers in Santa Ana, California.

C R E A T I V E T E A M CHRIS GARNE AU Composer

Chris Garneau is an American singer/songwriter and composer.

A Boston native, Garneau briefly attended Berklee College of Music,

and subsequently worked in Paris and New York. His fourth full-length

album Yours was released in November 2018. Garneau’s earlier albums

Winter Games (2013), El Radio (2009), C-Sides EP (2007), and Music

for Tourists LP (2006) have been released in North America, Europe,

China, Japan, and South Korea—where he has also toured extensively.

Garneau has composed scores for choreographers Jonah Bokaer and

Adam H. Weinert, which were performed live around the world, including

at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and the Festival d’Avignon. His cover

of Elliot Smith’s “Between the Bars” was featured in Pedro Almodóvar’s

The Skin I Live In. Garneau resides in New York and is currently scoring

his first feature film.

TRE Y MCINT YRE Choreographer

Trey McIntyre is a choreographer, filmmaker, writer, and photographer.

Born in Wichita, Kansas, he trained at North Carolina School of the Arts

and Houston Ballet Academy. McIntyre spent 13 years as choreographic

associate to Houston Ballet, a position that was created especially

for him. He has also created works for American Ballet Theatre,

Pennsylvania Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, New York City

Ballet, Queensland Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, and The Washington Ballet,

among others. The company he founded, Trey McIntyre Project, has been

lauded as a new model of an arts organization, developing new models

of community engagement while being highly visible worldwide through

touring. In 2014, he transitioned the company to focus on photography

and video projects. He continues to choreograph and teach dance

worldwide and is working on a collection of photography he published

on a Patreon site, in addition presenting his documentary entitled Gravity

Hero at film festivals around the country. McIntyre has received a Choo-

San Goh Award for choreography, a Lifetime Achievement Award from

the National Society of Arts and Letters, and two National Endowment

for the Arts grants for choreography. He is also a United States Artists

Fellow. Your Flesh Shall Be a Great Poem is his second work for SF Ballet,

following Presentce for the 2017 Opening Night Gala.


B O UND T OP R O G R A M N O T E S by Cheryl A. Ossola

The curtain rises on Christopher Wheeldon’s ballet, Bound To,

to reveal dancers mesmerized by their cellphones. For viewers the

moment of recognition is instantaneous—we are bound to technology.

In this ballet, Wheeldon comments on what happens to us when we’re

tucked behind our screens. “It’s a false sense of safety because you’re

not actually with someone; the screen is like a shield,” he says. When

we let the world rush by unnoticed, “we’re not seeing the beauty in

life.” On the flip side, he’s addressing what we can achieve when

we’re together—when we see, acknowledge, and interact without

any screens to shield us.

Wheeldon recognizes that he is as bound to technology as anyone

else. Last year, on vacation, he saw kids and their parents hunkered

down with cellphones or iPads instead of talking to each other, and he

realized that he wanted to make a ballet about “this lack of connectivity,

the way that technology is shifting our instincts for community and

social interaction,” he says. “I think it’s definitely heading in a bit of

a scary direction.”

The phones come and go in Bound To, giving the ballet something of

a narrative at times; the rest of the time, they’re metaphorical. At first,

the phones dominate. Later, right before a pas de deux made on

Principal Dancers Yuan Yuan Tan and Carlo Di Lanno, a dancer

snatches Tan’s phone from her hand. In the pas de deux, the dancers

reconnect, hardly separating, as if they need to touch each other in

as many ways as possible. “It’s the idea of literal human connection,

the need for the warmth of skin and not just the icy-cold blue of a screen,”

Wheeldon says. In contrast, a dance for four women is filled with embraces,

dependence, the love and longing of friendship. “If there’s going to be

a subtitle about this dance,” Wheeldon tells the women, “it would be

‘Remember when we used to talk?’”

Much of the movement in Bound To features resistance, groundedness,

or manipulation of the body, all of which represent both the theme and

a visual aesthetic. The women do not wear pointe shoes. “There’s

something free about the movement of the shoe,” Wheeldon says,

“of the toes on pointe, but”—he hesitates for fear of being overly literal—

“[Bound To addresses] a bit of a heavy subject, so the idea of weight in

movement makes sense. The pointe shoe is something very special and

quite inhuman, in a way. That’s one of the things that’s so appealing and

beautiful about ballet—they’re like gods up there. And I didn’t want

this to be about gods; I wanted it to be about people.”

And he wants it to be about people who reveal their struggles and their

humanity. Rehearsing a solo with dancer Lonnie Weeks, who is hunched

on the floor, Wheeldon asks for more vulnerability; Weeks pulls his legs

San Francisco Ballet in Bound To© by Christopher Wheeldon // © Erik Tomasson


in, deepens his posture. Later, Wheeldon wants more risk: “After you

break and fall forward, can you be a little bit braver about where you

put your foot?” As Weeks whirls through an insanely fast sequence of

chaînés (a series of turns on two feet), Wheeldon calls, “It should be

manic—you should be busting out about now.”

As a choreographer, Wheeldon says he’s in “a constant state of

evolution.” His work on Broadway and with contemporary companies

is part of that evolution, as is day-to-day life. “I’m very much a person

who tries to live in the moment, so what I’m reading or listening to

often ends up partly informing what I’m doing,” he says. “I saw the

movie Detroit the other night, which was so hard to watch, but such

a reflection, especially now, of the times we live in and the times

we come from and how little we’ve learned.” Enter the temptations

and pressures of social media, inundating us with reminders of what

Wheeldon calls this “very weird world we live in now.” Choreographing

is, for him, a way to put his mind and energy into something productive.

“One of the joys of being immersed in making a new work,” he says,

“is that you really are immersed in it.”

C R E A T I V E T E A M KE ATON HENSON Composer

Keaton Henson is a musician, writer, and visual artist from London.

He has released four albums: Dear, Birthdays, Romantic Works,

and Kindly Now. Henson has played sold-out shows in cathedrals,

museums, and concert halls around the world; has exhibited his visual

art in galleries internationally; and has written scores for film, ballet,

and concert performances. He has released four books, Gloaming,

5 Years, Idiot Verse and The Tallowmere Annual. Due to a long struggle

with anxiety as well as a private nature, Henson has shied away from

interviews, social media, and touring. His books and albums are a small

window into his sometimes unsettling, but hopefully engaging, world.

CHRISTOPHER WHEELDON Choreographer

Christopher Wheeldon is a choreographer working in dance, theater,

opera, and film. Born in Yeovil, England, he trained at The Royal Ballet

School and danced with The Royal Ballet and New York City Ballet

(NYCB). Wheeldon served as NYCB’s first-ever artist in residence

before being named NYCB’s first resident choreographer in July

2001. He has created ballets for NYCB, The Royal Ballet, American

Ballet Theatre, Pennsylvania Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Royal

Swedish Ballet, the Bolshoi Ballet, and The National Ballet of Canada.

In 2007, Wheeldon founded Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company

and was appointed an associate artist for Sadler’s Wells Theatre in

London. His Broadway credits include The Sweet Smell of Success

and An American in Paris, for which he won a 2015 Tony Award

for choreography. He has choreographed for Metropolitan Opera

productions of La Gioconda and Carmen, Brigadoon at City Center

and the feature film Center Stage (2000). He has been awarded the

Martin E. Segal Award from Lincoln Center, the American Choreography

Award, a Dance Magazine Award, two Benois de la Danse awards,

and the 2014 Leonard Massine Prize for choreography. Wheeldon was

awarded an OBE in the 2016 New Year’s Honours and was made an

Honorary Fellow of American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Bound To,

created for the 2018 Unbound festival, was his 10th work for SF Ballet.

JE AN - MARC PUISSANT Scenic, Projection, and Costume Designer

Jean-Marc Puissant designs sets and costumes internationally for

theater, musicals, opera, and dance. He completed the Motley Theatre

Design Course in London and studied art history at La Sorbonne in

Paris. Nominated as Best Scenographer at the 2016 Benois de la Danse,

he has designed for several productions that have won Laurence

Olivier, South Bank Show, and National Dance Awards. Previously a

dancer, Puissant graduated from Paris Opera Ballet School before

dancing with Birmingham Royal Ballet and Stuttgart Ballet. A 2018

Fellow at New York University’s Center for Ballet and the Arts, he is

developing the multi-disciplinary study called Kingdom of Shades:

Dance Beyond Choreographic Identity. He is invited to curate one

of the programs of the 2019 Joyce Theater Ballet Festival. Future

commissions include productions for Bunkamura Tokyo, Santa Fe

Opera, National Ballet of Japan, and American Ballet Theatre.

ALEX ANDER V. N ICHOLS Projection Designer

Alexander Nichols designs lighting, scenery, costumes, and

projections for theater, opera, music, and dance. His designs for

San Francisco Ballet include Death of a Moth, Later, Thread, RAkU,

Trio, Francesca da Rimini, Swimmer, and Ghost in the Machine.

Nichols has been resident lighting designer for Pennsylvania Ballet,

Hartford Ballet, and American Repertory Ballet and lighting supervisor

for American Ballet Theatre. His Broadway credits include Hugh

Jackman: Back on Broadway, Nice Work If You Can Get It, and Carrie

Fisher’s Wishful Drinking. He has received a San Francisco Certificate

of Honor, four Isadora Duncan Awards, four Bay Area Critics Circle

Awards, and three Dean Goodman Awards.


See page 27.


“. . . t wo uni ted in a s ing le soul . . .” WORLD PREMIERE P R O G R A M N O T E S by Caitlin Sims

The myth of Narcissus, who falls deeply in love with his own reflection,

is the basis of Yuri Possokhov’s new ballet. In Greek mythology, Narcissus

is a hunter known for his otherworldly beauty. After rejecting the nymph

Echo and angering the Greek gods, Narcissus comes upon a forest

spring. Captivated by his own reflection, he wastes away, pining for

an unattainable love. It’s a story that has inspired artists and writers,

philosophers and psychologists for more than 2,000 years. “It’s a

beautiful myth,” says Possokhov. “To fall in love with yourself, and yet

never to be able to take it any further—I think as a human being, that’s

tragic. And I think, inside, all men have a side of Narcissus. Actually,

I think everyone has some of this—especially ballet dancers.”

Professional dancers spend much of the workday in studios lined with

mirrors, and an ongoing pursuit of perfection often leads to a complex

relationship with their own reflection. “We all stare at ourselves in the

mirror every day for a good portion of our lives,” explains Principal

Dancer Joseph Walsh, who dances as Narcissus in Possokhov’s ballet.

“You know it can be bad for you, but you keep doing it. Video adds

another level to it, and social media. You just constantly see yourself.”

Possokhov himself had a long and successful career as a dancer

at San Francisco Ballet, during which he also launched a career in

choreography that has taken him around the world. Upon his retirement

from the stage in 2006, he was named SF Ballet’s Choreographer in

Residence. Possokhov has created more than a dozen ballets for the

Company, including Magrittomania, The Rite of Spring, Firebird, and

Swimmer. He has been fascinated by the myth of Narcissus for some

time, first exploring the idea in a short ballet he workshopped for

The Royal Danish Ballet in 2012. “There it was small, like a sketch,”

he says. “We make it bigger, with more people and new music here.”

Possokhov’s ballet opens with dancers seated in scattered patterns

across the stage, centered behind Narcissus. “I’m multiplying the

reflections,” he explains. “It’s like a hall of mirrors.” Even when the

dancers start to move, one side of the stage is the mirror image of

the other, until a solo for Narcissus shifts the perspective.

Woven into the dance is an onstage singer, who connects with the

character of Narcissus, providing yet another reflection. The music is

a newly commissioned score by Daria Novo, a young Russian composer.

Her score centers around several Handel arias originally written for

castrati. Today these roles are sung by a countertenor, the highest

male singing voice, known for having a beautiful and sometimes

otherworldly sound.

Novo fuses classical music with modern sounds to create the ballet’s

score. “I took original Handel music and integrated it with electronics

and my own music,” she explains, “so that it sounds interesting—

and still like classical music.”

The contrast between the old and the new in the music is meant to

reflect the duality of Narcissus. “My idea was to use a harpsichord as

Narcissus’ main instrument in two different ways—acoustic sound from

a real harpsichord and processed sound from a keyboard,” explains

Novo. “Something real and organic becomes artificial and heartless.

Narcissus sees himself in a river and falls in love so deeply that he

dies. I tried to use this contrast in music as well.”

Walsh says there’s a freedom in being onstage, away from the studio

mirrors. “When you look toward the audience, where you’re used to

seeing a reflection, instead it’s just a void. And then you don’t have

to deal with yourself looking back and passing judgement.”

C R E A T I V E T E A M GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL Composer

George Frideric Handel (1683-1759) was a German, and later British,

composer of the Baroque period. Handel displayed an early proclivity

for music, having learned to play the organ before he turned 10.

He began composing arias while attending the University of Halle

in Germany, and his first operas were composed in 1705, at age 22.

Handel’s most famous works include the anthem Zadok the Priest,

which was written for the coronation of Britain’s King George II in

1727 and has been featured at every British coronation since; and the

Messiah oratorio, perhaps most-recognized for its “Hallelujah” chorus.

At the time of his death in 1759, Handel had composed more than 200

works, including operas, oratorios, anthems, and organ concertos.

Having spent most of his life in London, Handel is buried in

Westminster Abbey.

DARIA NOVO Composer & Arranger

Daria Novo is a Russian composer, arranger, and orchestrator

working mainly in scoring for films and animation, as well as music

for theater. A graduate of the St. Petersburg State Conservatory

and San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Novo has arranged or

Wei Wang and Joseph Walsh rehearsing Possokhov's ". . . two united in a single soul . . ." // © Erik Tomasson

PROGRAMS 05 / 06 | 415 865 2000 | 31

orchestrated for the St. Petersburg Concert Choir, the St. Petersburg

Theater of Musical Comedy, and has orchestrated alongside several

Russian film composers. Her original arrangements for a cappella

choir hold a special place in her work. In 2013 she was named the

laureate of the Youth Prize of St. Petersburg in the field of Art. Novo

is currently a recording engineer and music composition teacher at

SF Conservatory of Music, and is writing music for mobile games,

television, and theaters in the US and Russia.

YURI POSSOKHOV Choreographer in Residence

Known for his thoughtful and wide-ranging choreography, beautiful

dancing, and strong partnering skills, Russian-born Yuri Possokhov is

choreographer in residence for San Francisco Ballet. After training at

the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, he danced for ten years with the Bolshoi

Ballet and two years with Royal Danish Ballet before moving to the US

and joining SF Ballet as a principal dancer in 1994. Over the next 12 years,

he performed leading roles while also beginning to choreograph and

set up short tours with colleagues. When Possokhov retired from the

stage, he was named SF Ballet’s choreographer in residence. He has

created 14 ballets for SF Ballet, including Magrittomania, which won an

Isadora Duncan Dance Award for outstanding choreography; RAkU;

and Swimmer. His full-length ballet A Hero of Our Time debuted at the

Bolshoi Ballet in 2015 and was awarded a Benois de la Danse for

choreography. Possokhov’s new Nutcracker for Atlanta Ballet premiered in

December 2018. His most recent full-length production, Anna Karenina,

was commissioned by Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet and premiered in

February 2019.

BEN PIERCE Scenic Designer

Ben Pierce, a former San Francisco Ballet principal dancer, is an

Emmy Award–winning TV producer, independent filmmaker, and graphic

designer. Born in Bethesda, Maryland, Pierce graduated from the Digital

Video Program at San Francisco State University and is a former field

producer for KQED TV. Pierce trained at Canada’s National Ballet School

and the School of American Ballet, under the tutelage of Maggie Black.

He danced with American Ballet Theatre and SF Ballet, where he was

a principal dancer for seven years. While still dancing with SF Ballet,

Pierce created scenic and costume designs for Julia Adam’s Night,

Yuri Possokhov’s Study in Motion, and Possokhov and Muriel Maffre’s

Ballet Mori. Pierce and Possokhov have collaborated on a number

of works for SF Ballet, including 2004’s Fusion and 2013’s The Rite

of Spring.

CHRISTOPHER RE AD Costume Designer

Christopher Read is a costume designer and a resident cutter with

The National Ballet of Canada. Based in Toronto, his 30-year career at

The National Ballet of Canada has encompassed many productions of

classical works, neoclassical ballets, contemporary works, and world

premieres. In addition to designing and building costumes for a wide

variety of ballet repertory, he has designed for numerous theater

productions across Canada and the US, as well as for Olympic figure

skaters. Read most recently constructed the costumes for Robbins’

Other Dances at San Francisco Ballet.

J IM FRENCH Lighting Designer

Jim French, lighting supervisor for San Francisco Ballet, designs

lighting for performing arts and live events. He has designed lighting

for world premieres at San Francisco Ballet by Christopher Wheeldon,

Myles Thatcher, Jiří Bubeníček, and Arthur Pita, among others. After

working with the Martha Graham Dance Company and Twyla Tharp

Dance, French spent nine years as resident designer for Cedar Lake

Contemporary Ballet. He has collaborated with Bandaloop, Ballet

San Jose, Ballett Basel, Carte Blanche, Joe Goode Performance Group,

Post:Ballet, Richmond Ballet, and choreographers Amy Seiwert, Jessica

Lang, Crystal Pite, Pascal Rioult, and Val Caniparoli. In theater, he has

designed lighting for Marin Theatre Company, Pittsburgh Irish and

Classical Theatre, Shotgun Players, Just Theater, and New York’s

Playwrights Horizons and Primary Stages. He has been a house lighting

designer at SF Jazz, and volunteers for Dancers Responding to AIDS

and Bike East Bay.

[ I N S TA NT E X PE RT >> W H AT I S A C O U N T E R T E N O R ? ]

When the curtain rises on Yuri Possokhov’s world premiere “… two united in a single soul …”, you may be surprised to

see not only dancers, but a singer on stage as well. And not just any singer, but a countertenor.

So what’s a countertenor? Countertenors are adult male singers who perform in the same vocal range as a female

soprano or mezzo soprano, or as a boy soprano or alto. Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, a countertenor on the rise who’s

currently a San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow, is scheduled to sing in Possokhov’s premiere—his first ballet.

Although some music has been written expressly for countertenor—largely before 1750 or after 1950—today, they mostly

sing music originally written for castrati. In the case of “… two united in a single soul …” you’ll hear several arias written

by George Frideric Handel for alto castrati. As countertenors such as Nussbaum Cohen continue to light up stages

around the world, they’re also keeping Baroque music alive and flourishing.


San Francisco Ballet in Peck’s Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes // © Erik Tomasson

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes – Music: Four Dance Episodes from Rodeo by Aaron Copland, used by arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc.,

publisher and copyright owner. Costumes constructed by Christopher Read, Toronto, Canada.

Die Toteninsel – Music: The Isle of the Dead, Op. 29.

Björk Ballet – Björk Ballet is a ballet set to a selection of existing songs and composed pieces by Björk from her album collection.

Music: “Overture”, “All Is Full of Love”, “You’ve Been Flirting Again”, “Bachelorette”, “Vokuro”, “Frosti”, “The Gate”, “Hyperballad”, and “Anchor

Song”—all written exclusively by Björk Gudmundsdottir (Kobalt Music Publishing), except “Bachelorette” which is co-written with Sjón (Universal

Music Publishing) and “The Gate” which is co-written with Alejandro Ghersi (Sony/ATV Music Publishing). Performed by Björk. Courtesy of

One Little Indian. Costumes constructed by Marco Morante, Los Angeles, California. Scenic construction and painting by San Francisco Ballet

Carpentry and Scenic Departments.


SPACE BETWEENMAR 29 —APR 09

0 6

San Francisco Ballet in Peck’s Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes // © Erik Tomasson

RODEO: FOUR DANCE EPISODES

Composer: Aaron Copland

Choreographer: Justin Peck

Staged by: Craig Hall

Costume Design: Reid Bartelme, Harriet Jung, and Justin Peck

Lighting Design: Brandon Stirling Baker

World Premiere: February 4, 2015—New York City Ballet, David H. Koch Theater; New York, New York

San Francisco Ballet Premiere: January 18, 2018—San Francisco Ballet 85th Anniversary Gala,


These performances of Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes are made possible by Major Sponsor

Kara and Charles Roell, and Sponsors Almaden and BRAVO.

DIE TOTENINSEL WORLD PREMIERE

Composer: Sergei Rachmaninoff

Choreographer: Liam Scarlett

Costume Design: Sandra Woodall

Lighting Design: David Finn

World Premiere: March 29, 2019—San Francisco Ballet, War Memorial Opera House;

San Francisco, California

The 2019 world premiere of Die Toteninsel is made possible by Lead Sponsors Ms. Laura Clifford,

Shelby and Frederick Gans, Beth and Brian Grossman, Mary Jo and Dick Kovacevich,

and Christine Russell and Mark Schlesinger.

BJÖRK BALLET

Composers: Björk Gudmundsdottir, Alejandro Ghersi, and Sjón

Choreographer: Arthur Pita

Costume Design: Marco Morante


Visual Décor: Arthur Pita

Sound Design: Martin West

World Premiere: April 26, 2018—San Francisco Ballet, War Memorial Opera House;

San Francisco, California

The 2018 world premiere of Björk Ballet was made possible by Unbound Festival Presenting Sponsor

Diane B. Wilsey and Grand Benefactor Sponsor Kathleen Scutchfield.

These performances of Björk Ballet are made possible by possible by Major Sponsors Hannah and

Kevin Comolli, and Kathleen Scutchfield, with additional support provided by the Byron R. Meyer

Choreographers Fund of the SF Ballet Endowment Foundation.

PROGR AM SPONSOR THE BERNARD OSHER FOUNDATION


R O DE O : F O UR D A N C E E P I S O DE SP R O G R A M N O T E S by Cheryl A. Ossola

Justin Peck’s Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes, named for the suite by Aaron

Copland, is a bounding, whooping balletic interlude of male bonding, and

then some. Like many of Peck’s ballets, it celebrates community—but

delivers it in the form of a rambunctious cohort of 15 men, with one

strong female sidekick. In its ratio of men to women, its lone female’s

take-charge attitude (think frontier woman), and its sunset-over-the-

plains color scheme, Rodeo evokes the West without displaying a single

cliché step or costume. The West is the backdrop in this sleek, modern

ballet; musicality and male camaraderie are the stars.

Copland’s score premiered in 1942 as the music for Agnes de Mille’s

ballet Rodeo, made for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Three years

later, Copland adapted the music, omitting one movement and the

transitional interludes, to make a suite form. Frequent fare in concert

halls, the suite is iconic now. Listening to it, you can’t help but think of the

West, of cowboys and ranchers, men determined to tame a wild

landscape. In creating this ballet, Peck, resident choreographer at

New York City Ballet, was undaunted by the music’s popularity and ballet

history. “I thought perhaps there could be two completely different

interpretations of the same music, side by side,” he says in a New York

City Ballet video. “I wanted to strip away all of the narrative and scenic

elements of the original piece and do an interpretation that focused on

the relation between the movement and the music.” His interpretation

explores all the brashness and subtleties of Copland’s irresistibly

toe-tapping score. And, in the words of Craig Hall, a ballet master at

New York City Ballet who staged the work for SF Ballet, it has heart.

Peck’s Rodeo premiered at New York City Ballet in 2015, and when

San Francisco Ballet Artistic Director and Principal Choreographer

Helgi Tomasson saw it, he loved it. “The music is so familiar, but he’s

completely rethinking it,” he says. “And it is so valid, what he has done.”

Another enticement: its nearly all-male cast. “I have terrific men here,”

Tomasson says. Rodeo lets them loose in individualized glory and

dynamic ensemble movements.

For Peck, working with so many men “was a big challenge,” says Hall.

“It was his first [ballet] with so many men of the company, and the energy,

the testosterone—he had to wrangle all the wild bulls in order to get

some structure. But when it happened, it turned into this amazing form

of energy that was synchronized into something quite beautiful.”

The ballet begins with the men sprinting in canon to the exhilarating

opening phrases of “Buckaroo Holiday,” and it ends on an exuberant high

note with “Hoedown.” In between are a quintet, to the adagio “Corral

Nocturne,” and a mostly lighthearted pas de deux, danced to “Saturday

Night Waltz.” Peck says the second movement is the heart and soul of the

ballet. The five men move through this lyrical section with a striking

sense of unity. Each time one man moves away, the others bring him

back, supporting and lifting him with touching warmth. “Justin likes to

say that the five men are tumbleweeds and they’re constantly rotating

and re-forming and trying to figure out where their standings are,”

Hall says. “But they can’t act alone; they need the support of the other

men.” There’s no romance in it, he says; the idea is “to show another

side, some vulnerability, in five guys, which is maybe not seen enough—

it’s very striking.”

The second movement is difficult to learn, Hall says, “because most guys

want to be in control. We don’t know what it’s like to be partnered.”

Contemporary ballets often do pair men, but usually not in such a gentle,

caring way. It was an emotional experience for Hall, a member of the

original cast. When he performed it for the last time before he retired,

“we all broke down in tears,” he says, “because it was such an intimate

[experience], like five longtime friends that were saying goodbye.”

Because the quintet is the heart of Rodeo, you might think there’s

no need for a pas de deux, the traditional centerpiece in a ballet.

Peck would disagree. Though his ballets offer innovative movement

and ideas, they are deeply based in classical dance. “He admires that

world so much, and he doesn’t want to reinvent the wheel,” says Hall.

“He just wants to take what he’s learned and tell his vivid story. He loves

the structure of classical dance. This is a ballet; you have to have a pas

de deux.” As always in Peck’s work, this wrangling between man and

woman is multilayered. When the duet begins, the mood is flirtatious,

playful—and confident, because the couple seems very much at ease.

Suddenly the dynamic shifts: after a tender embrace, the woman

steps away and the man brings her up short, their hands clasped

between them. Now their relationship is more uncertain, delving into

unexpected terrain. “There’s a balance of ‘If I take that step, will he take

that step?’ or ‘If she steps away from me, should I let her go?’” says Hall.

“Something’s at stake then; it’s like a chess match. And finally, when you

break that tension, you go into a moment of almost total bliss.”

Peck has said that he’s always trying to find a balance between

artistry and athleticism, and he thinks Rodeo is the closest he’s come.

You can see the parallels to team sports in the ballet’s playfulness and

camaraderie, the grace and machismo. The costumes extend the

metaphor, particularly the shorts and wide-striped shirts for the quintet,

which bring to mind rugby players on a cold day. (They’re wearing leg

warmers.) The other men’s costumes, in the rusty browns of a Western

sunset, have the same wide stripe across the chest.

PROGRAMS 05 / 06 | 415 865 2000 | 35

Peck’s choreography is big and athletic much of the time, and in Rodeo

the dancers zip across the stage with the speed of wild horses. But Peck

also knows how to entrap audiences with subtlety and poignancy.

And always, his movement seems to well up from within, “like you

are pouring your heart out,” says Hall. The depth and texture of Peck’s

movement come from his fastidious attention to the music. His phrasing

is specific, following the rules of his own musicality, which makes

counting essential until the movement is ingrained in the body; in Rodeo,

syncopation and moments of stillness make finding the right musicality

difficult. A musical phrase has a structure—8 counts, for example, or 17, or

32—and within that, the dancers might interpret the movement’s timing in

various ways. But in Peck’s choreography, “within that structure, there’s

an added structure that he wants to show everyone, like under a

microscope,” Hall says. “You can’t have vague movement, because that’s

not Justin Peck.”

Rodeo is the fourth Peck ballet in the Company’s repertory, and the first

one that was made elsewhere. Hall is happy to see “such a big, robust

ballet” come to San Francisco. “The West Coast needs to see this,”

he says. “Justin is excited that it’s coming here. He loves this company—

he loves the ballet dancers, he loves the size, he loves the power.”

C R E A T I V E T E A M A ARON COPL AND Composer

Aaron Copland (1900–90) was one of the twentieth-century’s most

influential composers, known for his distinctive blend of classical, folk,

and jazz idioms and a unique sound evocative of the American west.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, he played piano as a child, continuing his

studies with Nadia Boulanger in Paris in the 1920s. The music Copland

composed for dance is iconic: particularly Billy the Kid (1938),

commissioned by Lincoln Kirstein and choreographed by Eugene

Loring, Rodeo (1942) originally choreographed by Agnes de Mille,

and the Pulitzer Prize–winning Appalachian Spring (1944) for a work

by Martha Graham. A writer, teacher, and scholar, he spent his later

years traveling the world conducting and creating recordings. Among

many honors, Copland was awarded The Presidential Medal of Freedom,

the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic

of Germany, Kennedy Center Award, and an Academy Award for his

film score for The Heiress.

Opposite page: Dores André and Ulrik Birkkjaer

in Peck’s Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes

Left: San Francisco Ballet in Peck’s Rodeo:

Four Dance Episodes // Both © Erik Tomasson

JUSTIN PECK Choreographer

Justin Peck is Resident Choreographer, Artistic Advisor, and a

Soloist dancer with New York City Ballet (NYCB). Peck joined NYCB in

2006 and was promoted to Soloist in 2013. He began choreographing

in 2009 at the New York Choreographic Institute. In 2014, after the

creation of Everywhere We Go, Peck was appointed Resident

Choreographer of NYCB. He has created more than 30 ballets, which

have been performed by Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet,

Miami City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, LA Dance Project, Dutch

National Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet, Houston Ballet, and Pennsylvania

Ballet. In 2014, Peck was the subject of the documentary Ballet 422,

which followed him as he created Paz de la Jolla, NYCB’s 422nd

original dance. Peck choreographed the 2018 Broadway revival of

Carousel, for which he was awarded the 2018 Tony Award for Best

Choreography. In addition, Peck choreographed the feature film

Red Sparrow, and will be creating new choreography for the upcoming

film remake of West Side Story, directed by Steven Spielberg. His

Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes won the Bessie Award for Outstanding

Production in 2015. Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming from the 2018 Unbound

festival was Peck’s second work created for SF Ballet; his first was

In the Countenance of Kings.

REID BARTELME Costume Designer

See page 27.

HARRIET JUNG Costume Designer

See page 27.

BR ANDON STIRLING BAKER Lighting Designer

Brandon Stirling Baker is an award-winning lighting designer for ballet,

opera, and theater who has collaborated extensively with

choreographer Justin Peck. A graduate of the California Institute for the

Arts, Baker also studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music &

Drama in Glasgow, Scotland. He has designed lighting for an extensive

list of dance companies internationally, including New York City Ballet,

Miami City Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Staatsballett Berlin, Pacific

Northwest Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Houston

Ballet, Semperoper Dresden, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater,

among others. In 2018, Baker was appointed Lighting Director of the

Boston Ballet.


D IE T O T E NIN S E L WORLD PREMIERE

P R O G R A M N O T E S by Caitlin Sims

Liam Scarlett’s premiere for San Francisco Ballet’s 2019 Season has

a similar dark beauty as his 2016 Frankenstein, an epic retelling of Mary

Shelley’s macabre novel. And similarly, this new ballet draws inspiration

from another artist’s work: in this case Rachmaninoff’s brooding and

hypnotic symphonic poem The Isle of the Dead, itself based upon a

painting of the same name. (Die Toteninsel is the German name of these

works.) Scarlett uses the music and its history as a jumping off point for a

more abstract work exploring the deep-rooted questions about what lies

beyond this life. If Scarlett’s Frankenstein was a choreographic novel,

his new ballet is more a short story—in which symbolism, movement

motifs, and ambiguity both color the work and give viewers room to

make diverse, individual interpretations.

Rachmaninoff’s The Isle of the Dead was itself inspired by Arnold

Böcklin’s 1880 painting of the same name. In Böcklin’s work, a solitary

boat bearing an oarsman, a shrouded figure, and a coffin traverses

whisper-still water toward an island of rocky cliffs and rectangular

portals encircling a grove of tall cypresses. A commission from a

German widow, who asked Böcklin to repaint an unfinished painting

of an island and add the figures in a boat, The Isle of the Dead was

such an immediate success that he painted several additional versions.

Böcklin’s illumination of a mysterious island that seems not entirely of

this world resonated powerfully and, with the advent of mass-produced

lithography, reproductions were pervasive by the early 20th century.

Russian novelist and poet Vladimir Nabokov wrote that The Isle of

the Dead could be found “in every Berlin home” in his novel Despair.

Freud had one in his office, Lenin had one above his bed, and (decades

after Böcklin’s death) Hitler paid a high sum for one of the originals.

“I’m always first drawn to the music,” says Scarlett, who has a deep

appreciation for Rachmaninoff’s works. The music opens quietly with

a slow build, all low strings and apprehension. There’s a 5/8 time

signature, an uneven tempo that contributes to a feeling of restlessness

and foreboding. “Like waves lapping,” says Scarlett, “or breathing in and

out, or a heartbeat. There’s a definite and then a faltering step. By putting

that second beat on different accents, time shifts and is not as we know

it.” He pauses, thoughtfully. “If you’re making a journey to somewhere

that’s not in this life, then who’s to say what time is?”

The tempo colors Scarlett’s choreography as well, as it’s not a common

time signature for ballet. “Finding steps to go into five counts switches

on a different way of thinking,” says Scarlett. “But once you get that

rhythm, it sets [the choreographic process] up from the beginning.”

Scarlett draws upon the music’s repetitiveness in creating movement

that grows and builds, then unexpectedly echoes itself. As a central

couple emerges, surging forward and sweeping back in great arcs, their

movements are reflected by groups that form and dissipate as easily as

waves, giving the ephemeral “a sense of weight, and passing through

one another,” says Scarlett.

In rehearsal, Scarlett moves through the room, encouraging dancers to

think about how to shape and extend movement phrases. “When you

move bigger and slower, you see everything,” he explains. “When you

make sure that you enable every fiber of your body, it’s much more

visceral and beautiful. It’s a matter of accentuating everything that

you do just a tiny bit more.”

There’s a softness to Scarlett’s movement that heightens the ballet’s

otherworldly feel. “It’s like water and how you move underwater,”

he explains. “When gravity is diminished and time is warped into

something else, then you don’t need to adhere to the same rules.

You twist them a bit, so it’s clear we’re somewhere else.”

Exactly where that is will also be up for interpretation. “Everyone

has wondered, “What’s the next thing after this life?’” says Scarlett.

“Thinking about it raised a lot of questions for me, and I put those

questions in the piece.” He smiles enigmatically. “But I haven’t

necessarily answered them.”

[ I N S TA NT E X PE RT >> W H AT I S A N A M E R I C A N B A L L E T ? ]

In the 1930s and 40s, choreographers were interested in finding ways to show American life on the ballet stage:

Lew Christensen’s Filling Station (1937), Eugene Loring’s Billy the Kid (1938), or Jerome Robbins’s Fancy Free (1944).

These ballets all blended stories of American life, movement from Broadway and vaudeville, and ballet technique to

create a new style of “Americana” ballet.

Rodeo, created in 1942 by American choreographer Agnes de Mille to music by Aaron Copeland is emblematic of this

period, telling the story of a young girl finding herself on the American plains.

But that’s not the ballet you’re seeing today. Although Justin Peck’s Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes uses (some of) the

same music as the 1942 version, it does away with the story and setting, and the choreography is completely new.

And yet… there still is something in this ballet that seems particularly “American.” The music helps of course. But what

else? The high-energy kineticism. The openness of the set. The vitality and athleticism of the dancers. The sense of

youth and playfulness. In 2019, Americana ballet may be out, but American ballet is definitely still in.


C R E A T I V E T E A M SERGEI R ACHMANINOFF Composer

Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff (1873–1943) was a Russian pianist,

composer, and conductor of the late Romantic period. Regarded as one

of the major composers of the 20th century, his works remain popular in

the classical repertory. Born into an aristocratic, musical family,

Rachmaninoff started piano as a child and enrolled in the Moscow

Conservatory at age 12. At the home of his teacher, Nikolai Zverev, he

met Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who became a mentor. In the early 1900s,

Rachmaninoff was in constant demand as a conductor, pianist, and

composer. After the Russian Revolution, he moved with his family to the

United States, where he toured extensively as a concert pianist. In later

years, he composed Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Symphony No. 3,

and Symphonic Dances.

LIAM SCARLETT Choreographer

Currently artist in residence at The Royal Ballet and artistic associate at

Queensland Ballet, Liam Scarlett is in demand as a choreographer

worldwide. Born in Ipswich, England, Scarlett trained at the Linda Shipton

School of Dancing and The Royal Ballet School before joining The Royal

Ballet in 2005. While still dancing, Scarlett choreographed Asphodel

Meadows (2010), which won the Critics’ Circle National Dance Award for

Best Classical Choreography, and Sweet Violets (2012), about Jack the

Ripper, for The Royal Ballet. He then retired from dancing to focus on

creating his first full-length work, Hansel and Gretel (2013). In addition

to numerous works for The Royal Ballet, Scarlett has choreographed

for New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Miami City Ballet,

and Norwegian National Ballet. Following the 2016 premiere of his

new A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Queensland Ballet in Australia,

he was named artistic associate of that company. This is Scarlett’s

fourth creation for San Francisco Ballet, including the popular

co-production of Frankenstein.

SANDR A WOODALL Costume Designer

Sandra Woodall is one of the best-known and most prolific designers

in the Bay Area. Born in Oakland, Woodall studied painting at the

San Francisco Art Institute. Woodall and her workshop have designed

and executed creations for more than 200 productions for dance

companies including San Francisco Ballet, the Bolshoi Ballet, the Vienna

State Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Finnish National Ballet, Ballet

West, Stuttgart Ballet, and Frankfurt Ballet, among others. She has

worked with San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Symphony, Eureka

Theater, American Conservatory Theater, Magic Theater, Kronos Quartet,

and Hong Kong Repertory Theatre. Woodall is the recipient of five

Isadora Duncan Awards.

DAVID F INN Lighting Designer

David Finn is a lighting designer who has worked extensively in dance,

opera, and theater. He began his career as lighting designer for the

master puppeteer Burr Tillstrom and Kukla, Fran & Ollie. Finn was

resident lighting designer for Mikhail Baryshnikov’s White Oak Dance

Project. His designs have also been seen at The Royal Ballet, Paris Opera

Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada, The Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet

Theatre, Australian Ballet, Bayerisches Staatsballett, and Birmingham

Royal Ballet. Finn has designed extensively for opera throughout the

world, including Arabella last autumn and Rusalka this summer for the

San Francisco Opera. In film, Finn’s work includes stage lighting for

Martin Scorsese’s The Age of Innocence, and producing and directing

the PBS documentary The Green Monster. Finn has designed lighting

for two Cirque du Soleil shows: Zed in Tokyo, and Michael Jackson

ONE in Las Vegas. Recently, Finn designed new productions of Swan

Lake with Liam Scarlett for The Royal Ballet, Yuri Possokhov’s The

Nutcracker for Atlanta Ballet, as well as Possokhov’s Anna Karenina

for The Joffrey Ballet. He is currently preparing world premieres for

a new work for Sasha Waltz at the Völksbuhne in Berlin, a new creation

for Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas, and The Flying Dutchman for

The Metropolitan Opera.

Liam Scarlett and Davide Occhipinti rehearsing Scarlett’s Die Toteninsel // © Erik Tomasson


B J Ö R K B A L L E TP R O G R A M N O T E S by Cheryl A. Ossola

There might be no better combination of artists than choreographer

Arthur Pita and Icelandic music superstar Björk. If you’ve never seen

a ballet rave—and who has?—get ready. Pita delivers that and more with

his second piece for the Company, Björk Ballet, an imaginative spectacle

that will make you want to jump up and dance.

Pita never forgot the moment he first heard Björk’s music. During his

training at London Contemporary Dance School, a friend introduced

him to Björk’s album Debut, “which I loved so much,” he says. In thinking

about his music for the Unbound festival, he wondered what he could

do to make the dancers feel unbound. “And I thought, ‘The music is going

to drive them,’ and immediately Björk made sense,” he says. “The music

is so theatrical—it’s big, but in a modern way.” And, he reasoned, Artistic

Director and Principal Choreographer Helgi Tomasson is Icelandic.

“I knew [Björk’s music] would mean something to him,” says Pita.

In this ballet’s episodic form, Björk’s music provides a framework for

fragmented stories, dances that are more thematic than descriptive.

A lone fisherman provides a ghost of a narrative and, because Björk’s

music often references nature, a link to the natural world. Though the

set is minimal and abstract, tall grasses create a focal point throughout

the ballet. At first they “appear magically,” Pita says; then the dancers

rearrange them, emphasizing humans’ relationship to the Earth.

Pita sees the fisherman as “the simple human being.” He wears

two masks, one happy, one sad—an idea that came to Pita because

of a duality he sees in Björk. “She’s this very playful, naughty fairy,

dancing nymph, otherworldly creature, full of light and love,” he says.

“And then you’ve got this very deep, mournful, sorrowful, almost tragedy

in some of her songs. So it’s like the theater masks.” The fisherman’s

journey ends with “The Anchor Song,” which Pita says he read “as a

lovely kind of sailor song.” The lyrics—“I live by the ocean / and during

the night / I dive into it / down to the bottom / underneath all the currents

/ I drop my anchor / and this is where I’m staying / this is my home”—

might be a suicide note or a love letter to one’s native land; either

way, the song conveys a feeling of peace.

Woven around the fisherman’s tale are snippets of love stories.

In “Bachelorette,” Björk sings that “she’s ‘a path of cinders’ for the

person to step on,” Pita says. At the other extreme, “All Is Full of Love” is

dangerous, “about falling off things and running and catching and being

held. Tempestuous, deep-rooted, immense love,” he says. “Hyperballad”

is even more dangerous. Paraphrasing the lyrics, Pita says the song is

about “imagining ‘what it feels like to jump off a cliff just so that when

I wake up I can feel safe with you.’ That’s so extreme.”

The fisherman, the pas de deux couples, the pixie-like creature who

flits through the action—everyone in this ballet is Björk. In trying to

capture her essence, Pita goes to extremes with his movement, giving

the dancers flicks, squats, and lunges along with concave shapes,

flung arms, and references to nature. There are cantilevered duets

with an underwater quality and a classically based octet, set to “Frosti,”

that Pita says “should look like a ballerina music box on acid.” And then

there’s “Hyperballad,” Pita’s ballet rave, with a long jumping sequence

to a pumping, driving rhythm. “It’s a metaphor—jumping for joy, jumping

for love,” he says. As the ensemble moves into a sideways kick step Pita

borrowed from Björk herself, one couple moves into a slow, sinuous,

stretched pas de deux, and the pixie-like figure darts past. It’s an

enchanting and exhilarating moment.

Ultimately, Björk Ballet is about birth, life, sex, and death, he says.

When Björk sings—about love or joy, sex or death—“it comes from

such a human place,” Pita says. For him, “All Is Full of Love” says

everything. “It’s such a beautiful lyric—‘You’ll be given love,’ and

‘You’ll be taken care of,’ ” he says. “What a beautiful message!

We have to remember that we do have love in the world.”

C R E A T I V E T E A M BJÖRK GUDMUNDSDOTTIR Composer

Björk Gudmundsdottir, known as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter,

actress, record producer, and DJ. She was born in Reykjavik, Iceland

where she attended music school. The versatile singer-songwriter first

garnered attention as the lead singer of the alternative rock band,

The Sugarcubes. Since 1993, when she became a solo artist, Björk has

released a series of acclaimed albums and has worked on a range of

multi-media projects with various prominent artists. In total, 30 of her

singles have reached the top 40 on pop charts worldwide. A full-scale

retrospective exhibition dedicated to Björk was held at the Museum of

Modern Art in 2015. She is the recipient of numerous awards and has

been nominated for 14 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and two

Golden Globe Awards.

ALEJANDRO GHERSI Composer

Alejandro Ghersi, better known as Arca, is a producer, songwriter,

singer, and DJ. Born in Venezuela, he studied at the Clive Davis

Institute of Recorded Music at New York University. Arca is associated

with numerous popular music artists, having contributed songwriting

and producing to albums by Björk, Kanye West, and FKA Twigs,

among others. He has released three studio albums, the most

recent, Arca, in 2017.

PROGRAMS 05 / 06 | 415 865 2000 | 39

SJÓN Composer

Sjón is a celebrated Icelandic novelist, poet, and lyricist. He has won the

Nordic Council Literary Prize for his novel The Blue Fox and the Icelandic

Literary Prize in 2014 for Moonstone—The Boy Who Never Was. As a

librettist and lyricist he has written four opera libretti and frequently

worked with singer-songwriter Björk. His latest literary work CoDex

1962 was published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux in late 2018. Sjón is the

president of the Icelandic PEN Centre. His novels have been translated

into 35 languages.

ARTHUR PITA Choreographer

Arthur Pita is a Portuguese choreographer born in South Africa who

graduated from London Contemporary Dance School with a master’s

degree. He has worked internationally in opera, musicals, plays, and

film, and created commissions for Phoenix Dance Theatre, Candoco,

Bare Bones, Theatre Rites, Ballet Black, and Body Traffic. Recent work

includes The Mother and Facada for Bird & Carrot with Natalia Osipova,

The Tenant for The Joyce and James Whiteside, The Wind for The Royal

Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet’s production of Casse-noisette/The Nutcracker,

Run Mary Run with Natalia Osipova and Sergei Polunin, and The Ballad

of Mack and Ginny for Wendy Whelan and Edward Watson. His work for

Men in Motion includes Volver Volver for Edward Watson, and Jingling

from the Zills for Irek Mukhamedov. He created The Metamorphosis,

an adaptation of Kafka’s short story that won both South Bank and

National Dance Awards. Pita’s original productions include BoomShe

SheBoom, Bugger: a fairytale, Camp (The Place); The World’s Greatest

Show, The Little Match Girl (Sadler’s Wells, international touring);

and Stepmother/Stepfather for DanceEast, where Pita is currently

artist in residence. Björk Ballet is his second work for SF Ballet,

following 2017’s Salome.

MARCO MOR ANTE Costume Designer

Marco Morante established his label, Marco Marco, in 2002 and

under this moniker has designed and created iconic garments for

celebrity artists and performers of all métiers. This is his first project

for San Francisco Ballet. He is best known for runway shows that feature

his designs shown on an array of contemporary artists as well as society

and nightlife personalities. Recent credits include Ringling Bros. and

Barnum & Bailey’s Circus, Britney Spears’ Piece of Me, and Todrick Hall’s

Forbidden. Morante earned his BFA in costume design from CalArts.


See page 27.

MARTIN WEST Sound Designer

See page 7.

[ I N S TA NT E X PE RT >> S PAC E B E T W E E N ]

San Francisco Ballet in Pita's Björk Ballet // © Erik Tomasson

FP 6


SAN FRANCISCO BALLET ORCHESTRA

MUSIC DIRECTOR & PRINCIPAL CONDUCTOR

Martin West

GUEST CONDUCTOR

Ming Luke

For more than 40 years, the Grammy Award–winning San Francisco Ballet Orchestra has made the music that propels our movement. With a core group of 49 regular members that expands to 65 players for certain productions, the Orchestra’s repertory extends from classics such as Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and Nutcracker to the more abstract and contemporary of ballet and symphonic works. Our musicians are as brilliant as individual artists as the orchestra is as an ensemble. Please visit sfballet.org/orchestra for photos of each SF Ballet Orchestra musicians.

**Seasonal Substitute

*Extra Player

VIOLIN I

Cordula Merks, Concertmaster

Heeguen Song, Associate Concertmaster

Beni Shinohara, Assistant Concertmaster

Heidi Wilcox

Robin Hansen

Brian Lee

Mariya Borozina

Wenyi Shih**

Laura Albers *

Jeremey Preston*

VIOLIN II

Ani Bukujian, Principal

Craig Reiss, Associate Principal

Jeanelle Meyer, Assistant Principal

Marianne Wagner

Rebecca Jackson**

Karen Shinozaki Sor**

Jennifer Hsieh*

Emma Votapek*

VIOLA

Yi Zhou, Principal

Anna Kruger, Associate Principal

Joy Fellows, Assistant Principal

Caroline Lee

Paul Ehrlich

Elizabeth Prior*

CELLO

Eric Sung, Principal

Jonah Kim, Associate Principal

Victor Fierro, Assistant Principal

Thalia Moore

Ruth Lane**

Mark Votapek*

CONTRABASS

Steve D’Amico, Principal

Shinji Eshima, Associate Principal

Jonathan Lancelle, Assistant Principal

Mark Drury

FLUTE

Barbara Chaffe, Principal

Stephanie McNab*

Julie McKenzie

PICCOLO

Julie McKenzie

OBOE

Laura Griffiths, Principal

James Moore*

Marilyn Coyne

ENGLISH HORN

Marilyn Coyne

CLARINET

Natalie Parker, Principal

Matthew Boyles*

Steve Sanchez**

BASS CLARINET

Steve Sanchez**

BASSOON

Rufus Olivier, Principal

Shawn Jones*

Patrick Johnson-Whitty

CONTRABASSOON

Patrick Johnson-Whitty

HORN

Kevin Rivard, Principal

Keith Green

Brian McCarty, Associate Principal

William Klingelhoffer

Mark Almond*

Lawrence Ragent*

TRUMPET

Adam Luftman, Principal

Joseph Brown

John Pearson*

TROMBONE

Jeffrey Budin, Principal

Gabe Cruz**

BASS TROMBONE

Scott Thornton, Principal

TUBA

Peter Wahrhaftig, Principal

TIMPANI

James Gott, Principal

PERCUSSION

David Rosenthal, Principal

Todd Manley*

Tyler Mack*

Mark Veregge*

HARP

Annabelle Taubl, Principal

KEYBOARDS

Mungunchimeg Buriad

Natal’ya Feygina

ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL MANAGER & MUSIC ADMINISTRATOR

Tracy Davis

MUSIC LIBRARIAN

Matthew Naughtin

(855) 886-4824 | fi rstrepublic.com | New York Stock Exchange symbol: FRCMEMBER FDIC AND EQUAL HOUSING LENDER

“I say ‘bravo’ to my bank – First Republic’s performance has been extraordinary.”

Y UA N Y UA N TA N

Principal Dancer, San Francisco Ballet

Untitled-2 1 12/11/17 3:03 PM

http://firstrepublic.com


SAN FRANCISCO BALLET STAFFHELGI TOMASSON

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & PRINCIPAL CHOREOGRAPHER

GLENN MCCOY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

A R T I S T I C

Ricardo Bustamante, Felipe Diaz, Ballet Masters & Assistants to the Artistic Director

Betsy Erickson, Anita Paciotti, Katita Waldo, Ballet Masters

Yuri Possokhov, Choreographer in Residence

Amelia Bear, Artistic Administrator

Alan Takata-Villareal, Logistics Manager

Mateo Santos Perry, Assistant to the Artistic Staff

O P E R A T I O N S

DEBRA BERNARD, General Manager

Juliette LeBlanc, Company Manager

Amy Hand, Operations Manager

P R O D U C T I O N

CHRISTOPHER DENNIS, Production Director

Daniel Thomas, Technical Manager

Kate Share, Manager of Wardrobe, Wig, Make-up & Costume Construction

Jim French, Lighting Supervisor

Jane Green, Production Stage Manager

Kathryn Orr, Stage Manager

Nixon Bracisco, Master Carpenter

Kelly Corter Kelly, Master Electrician

Kenneth M. Ryan, Master of Properties

Kevin Kirby, Audio Engineer

John O'Donnell, Flyman

Barbara Nicholas, Interim Head of Women’s Wardrobe

Paige Howie, Head of Men's Wardrobe

Richard Battle, Head of Hair & Make-up

Thomas Richards-Keyes, Assistant Head of Hair & Make-up

M U S I C

MARTIN WEST, Music Director & Principal Conductor

Mungunchimeg Buriad, Natal'ya Feygina, Nina Pinzarrone, Company Pianists

Tracy Davis, Orchestra Personnel Manager & Music Administrator

Matthew Naughtin, Music Librarian

A D M I N I S T R A T I O N

DARIN CONLEY-BUCHSIEB, Human Resources Director

Jennifer French Kovacevich, Interim Board Relations Manager

Kayla Harris, Human Resources Generalist

Katharine Chambers, Assistant to Senior Executive Staff

D E V E L O P M E N T

DANIELLE ST.GERMAIN-GORDON, Chief Development Officer

Elizabeth Lani, Deputy Director of Development /Planned Giving

Operations & Membership

Laurel Skehen, Senior Manager, Membership & Operations

Hannah Young, Donor Communications Manager

Ashley Rits, Development Operations Manager

Juanita Lam, Development Coordinator

Megan Ohls, Development Operations Assistant

Jim Sohm, Research Manager

Institutional Giving

Elizabeth Luu, Associate Director of Development, Institutional Giving

Colette Whitney, Corporate Giving Manager

Megan Anderson, Institutional Giving Associate

Stella Ji, Institutional Giving Intern

Special Events

Ingrid Roman, Associate Director of Development, Events

Emma Lundberg, Special Events Coordinator

Meg Sullivan, Special Events Coordinator

Niki Naftzger, Events Associate & Auxiliary Liaison

Individual Giving

Sarah Warner, Associate Director of Development, Individual Giving

Brent Radeke, Major Gifts Officer

Ari Lipsky, Senior Manager, Individual Giving

Tilly Chiles, Individual Giving Officer

Haley O’Neil, Donor Relations Manager

Aja Lathan, Donor Relations Associate

M A R K E T I N G & C O M M U N I C A T I O N S

JULIE BEGLEY, Chief Marketing Officer

You You Xia, Director of Communications

Mary Goto, Associate Director, Analytics & Relationship Marketing

Valerie Megas, Senior Manager, Retail Operations

Monica Cheng, Senior Manager, Graphic Design

Caitlin Sims, Senior Manager, Content & Editorial

Matthew Donnelly, Video Production Manager

Jane Ann Chien, Web & Digital Platforms Manager

Jillian Vasquez, Marketing & Promotions Manager

Abby Masters, Marketing Operations Manager

Kate McKinney, PR & Communications Manager

Nannette Mickle, Group Sales Representative

Emily Munoz, Relationship Marketing Coordinator

Rachel Bauer, Media Asset Administrator

Francis Zhou, Graphic Design Specialist

T I C K E T S E R V I C E S

BETSY LINDSEY, Director of Ticket & Patron Services

Jennifer Peterian, Senior Manager, Ticket & Patron Services

Mark Holleman, Sales & Service Manager

Elena Ratto, Patron Services Specialist

Megan Quintal, Ticket Services Database Specialist

Arielle Hazan, Jericho Lindsey, Patricia Pearson, Michelle Schafer, Cherryl Usi, Ticket Services Associates

F I N A N C E

KEVIN MOHR, Chief Financial Officer

Kristin Klingvall, Controller

Valerie Ruban, Accounting Supervisor

Evangelina Maravilla, Payroll Manager

Matthew Czarnecki, Senior Accountant

Jonathan Creecy, Leanna Wright, Staff Accountants

F A C I L I T I E S

NATHAN BRITO, Facilities Manager

Scott Christenson, Facilities Supervisor

Adrian Rodriguez, Facilities Coordinator

Todd Martin, Stanley Wong, Facilities Assistants

Neil Miller, Weekend Facilities Assistant

Tamara de la Cruz, Nicole Drysdale, Yana Vincent, Receptionists

I N F O R M A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y

MURRAY BOGNOVITZ, Director of Information Technology

Stacy Desimini, IT Operations & Project Manager

Karen Irvin, Application Administrator & Help Desk Coordinator

Josh Marshall, Web Administrator

Jiapeng Jiang, IT Specialist

F R O N T O F H O U S E

JAMYE DIVILA, House Manager

Marialice Dockus, Head Usher

Rodney Anderson, Danica Burt, Frank Chow, Laurent De La Cruz, Martin Dias, Jonathan S. Drogin, Chip Heath, Elaine Kawasaki, Eileen Keremitsis, Ryszard Koprowski, Bill Laschuk, Sharon Lee, Marilyn Leong, Lenore Long, Doug Luyendyk, Leontyne Mbele-Mbong, Sam Mesinger, Dale Nedelco, Wayne Noel, Beth Norris, Jan Padover, Julie Peck, Robbie Remple, Bill Repp, Rilla Reynolds, Robyn Sandberg, Kelly Ann Smith, Melissa Stern, Theresa Sun, Claire Tremblay, Richard Wagner, Steve Weiss, Elaine Yee, Ushers

E D U C A T I O N & T R A I N I N G

San Francisco Ballet School

HELGI TOMASSON, Artistic Director

PATRICK ARMAND, Director School Faculty

Patrick Armand

Kristi DeCaminada

Jaime Diaz, Ballet & Boys Strengthening

Karen Gabay

Jordan Hammond-Tilton

Tina LeBlanc

Jeffrey Lyons

Ilona McHugh

Pascal Molat, Ballet & Trainee Program Assistant

Anne-Sophie Rodriguez

Henry Berg, Conditioning

Brian Fisher, Dexandro Montalvo, Contemporary Dance

Dana Genshaft, Ballet, Contemporary Repertoire & Conditioning

Jamie Narushchen, Daniel Sullivan, Music

Jennie Scholick, PhD., Dance History

Cecelia Beam, Adult Ballet & Dance for Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease

Lisa Giannone, Conditioning Class Consultant

Sofiane Sylve, Principal Guest Faculty

Julio Bocca, Monique Loudieres, 2018–19 Guest Faculty

School Pianists

Jamie Narushchen, School Pianist Supervisor, Lee R. Crews Endowed Pianist

Ella Belilovskaya, Julia Ganina, Ritsuko Micky Kubo, Daniel Sullivan, Katelyn Tan, Sky Tan, Galina Umanskaya, Linli Wang, Billy Wolfe, School Pianists

Education & Training Administration

ANDREA YANNONE, Director of Education & Training

Jennie Scholick, PhD., Associate Director of Audience Engagement

Christina Gray Rutter, Associate Director of School Administration

Jasmine Yep Huynh, Associate Director of Youth and Community Programs

Tai Vogel, School Registrar and Summer Session Coordinator

Karen Maloney, School Programs Coordinator

Aurelia Moulin, School Logistics Coordinator

Amanda Alef, Education Coordinator

Miles Petty, Administrative Assistant, Education & Training

Pamela Clark, Education Assistant

Julie Kibui, School Assistant

Alyssa Puleo, School Assistant

Cecelia Beam, Audience Engagement Coordinator Naima McQueen, Residence Manager

Matt McCourt, Kayla Murkison, Resident Assistants

Leslie Donohue, Chris Fitzsimons, School Physical Therapists

Dance in Schools & Communities Teaching Artists

Alisa Clayton

Sammay Dizon

Cynthia Pepper

Phoenicia Pettyjohn

Jessica Recinos

Joti Singh

Genoa Sperske

Maura Whelehan

Dance in Schools & Communities Accompanists David Frazier

Omar Ledezma

Zeke Nealy

Wade Peterson

Bongo Sidibe

C O M P A N Y P H Y S I C I A N S

Richard Gibbs, M.D. & Rowan Paul, M.D., Supervising Physicians

Michael Leslie, PT, Director, Dancer Wellness Center

Kristin Wingfield, M.D., Primary Care Sports Medicine

Frederic Bost, M.D., On-site Orthopedist

Peter Callander, M.D., Keith Donatto, M.D., Jon Dickinson, M.D., Orthopedic Advisors to the Company

Karl Schmetz, Consulting Physical Therapist

Active Care, Lisa Giannone, Director, Off-site Physical Therapy & Conditioning Classes

Leonard Stein, D.C., Chiropractic Care

Henry Berg, Rehabilitation Class Instructor

Gabrielle Shuman, Wellness Program Manager

The artists employed by San Francisco Ballet are members of the American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO, the Union of professional dancers, singers, and staging personnel in the United States. The San Francisco Ballet Association is a member of Dance/USA; American Arts Alliance; the Greater San Francisco Chamber of Commerce; and the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau. Legal Services provided by Adler & Colvin; Fallon Bixby Cheng & Lee; Fettmann Ginsburg, PC; Blue Skies Immigration Services; Epstein Becker & Green, PC; Littler Mendelson, PC; Miller Law Group; and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP. Audit services provided by Grant Thornton LLP. Insurance brokerage services provided by DeWitt Stern Group.

The Centers for Sports and Dance Medicine at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital are the official health care providers for San Francisco Ballet School. Special thanks to Dr. Susan Lewis, Dr. Jane Denton, Dr. Rémy Aridizzone, Christine Corpus, and the Physical Therapy Department for generously providing their services.


DONOR EVENTS & NEWSDid you know that ticket sales and school tuition cover only 50 percent of our expenses each year? That makes our donors equal partners in our success. We invite donors to take a look behind-the-scenes at dress rehearsals, learn more about the art form at lectures and other special events, and celebrate at cast parties and other special events with artists of SF Ballet. Join us, won’t you? Just visit sfballet.org/donate or call Laurel Skehen, Senior Manager, Membership and Operations at 415 865 6628 to make your gift and receive exclusive benefits designed to enhance your SF Ballet experience.

We’ve designed a wonderful variety of events for our supporters during our 2019 Repertory Season. Listed below are events for members of the Artistic Directors Council, Chairman’s Council, Christensen Society, The Jocelyn Vollmar Legacy Circle, and Friends of SF Ballet. Christensen Society members and above will receive invitations to events that correspond with their performance dates. These events are marked with an asterisk (*). To receive an invitation for events on dates which you do not currently have tickets, please consider exchanging or purchasing tickets for those dates. For more information, please visit our website at sfballet.org/donor-events, or contact Ari Lipsky, Senior Manager, Individual Giving, at [email protected] or 415 865 6635.

MARCH Cast Party*, Lyric Voices (CHM+)

Wednesday, March 27 at 10 pm

Hayes Street Grill

Pre-Curtain Dinner*,

Space Between (CHO+)

Friday, March 29 at 5:30 pm

The Green Room, Veterans Building

CS Cast Party*, Space Between (ASO+)

Friday, March 29 at 10:30 pm


APRIL Company Class Observation

and Reception (SUP+)

Saturday, April 6 at 10 am

War Memorial Opera House

Orchestra Rehearsal (PAT+/VLC)

Wednesday, April 17 at 11:30 am

Zellerbach Rehearsal Hall

Open Dress Rehearsal,

The Little Mermaid (SUP+)

Friday, April 19 at 1 pm


MEMBERSHIP LEVEL KEY

ADC | ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S COUNCIL ($100,000+)

CHM | CHAIRMAN’S COUNCIL ($15,000–$99,999)

CHRISTENSEN SOCIET Y

CHO | CHOREOGRAPHER’S COUNCIL

($7,500–$14,999)

DAN | DANCER’S COUNCIL ($5,000–$7,499)

ASO | ASSOCIATE’S COUNCIL ($2,500–$4,999)

FRIENDS OF SF BALLET

PAT | PATRON ($1,000–$2,499)

SUP | SUPPORTER ($500–$999)

CON | CONTRIBUTOR ($200–$499)

VLC | JOCELYN VOLLMAR LEGACY CIRCLE

MAY CS Studio Rehearsal (DAN+)

Wednesday, May 1 at 5:30 pm

Chris Hellman Center for Dance

Open Dress Rehearsal,

Shostakovich Trilogy (CON+)

Tuesday, May 7 at 1 pm


Pre-Curtain Dinner*,

Shostakovich Trilogy (CHO+)



CS Cast Party*,

Shostakovich Trilogy (ASO+)



CS Warehouse Event (ASO+)

Details to follow

Ballet History Lecture (CON+)

Details to follow

RECOGNIZING KORET FOUNDATION Koret Foundation’s steadfast support for more than three decades has helped San Francisco Ballet flourish as one of the world’s leading ballet organizations. We are grateful for the Foundation’s recent support, which has contributed to the development and growth of SF Ballet’s Education and New Audience initiatives.

The Koret Foundation has a long history of funding arts and cultural organizations and believes that innovative and effective cultural organizations contribute to a dynamic Bay Area. In recent years, the Foundation has focused on strengthening the local arts and culture ecosystem by supporting creative strategies for developing younger and more diverse audiences. The return of SF Ballet’s Sensorium, a one-night only performance featuring interactive pop-ups and tech installations that specifically engage younger audiences, has been made possible by the dedication of Koret Foundation.


TURN YOUR ASSETS INTO INCOME AND SUPPORT SAN FRANCISCO BALLET Charitable gift annuities are a good way to help San Francisco Ballet even if you don’t have a great deal of money. A gift of this type fulfills your desire to help the future of dance and provides you with fixed payments for life. The payments are partly a tax-free return of principal and if you itemize, you will receive a charitable deduction. You can also minimize capital gains tax if you have appreciated securities you wish to gift.

The way a charitable gift annuity works is that you transfer cash or property to the charity in exchange for the charity’s promise to make fixed annuity payments to one or two life annuitants. The donor is usually one of the annuitants but it could be one or two other people. Unlike charitable remainder trusts or pooled income funds, a charitable gift annuity is considered a general obligation of the issuing charitable organization. The San Francisco Ballet Endowment Foundation acts as the insurer and maintains an investment reserve for these annuities.

Since these are gift annuities, the rates of return may be lower than commercial annuities. Like most organizations, the SF Ballet Endowment Foundation follows the recommended payout rates of the American Council on Gift Annuities. The council bases the rates on current mortality studies, prevailing and projected investment returns on invested reserves and projected administrative costs. The annuity rate is based on the age and number of annuitants. Current rates begin at 5.2 percent for a single-life annuitant age 66 and increase to 9.5 percent for single-life annuitants age 90 and older. SF Ballet Development staff would be happy to provide you with the payout rates for any age, starting at 65, including two-life arrangements, plus the illustration of deductions and other tax benefits. The minimum threshold to establish a gift annuity with the SF Ballet Endowment Foundation is $15,000.

The annual annuity rate is stated as a percentage of the net fair market value of the donation. The annual amount can be paid annually, semi-annually, quarterly or monthly. If you transfer $100,000 to a single-life charitable gift annuity at age 70, the ACGA current annuity rate is 5.6 percent and in addition to a tax deduction you would receive $5,600 per year as long as you live. Part of this will be tax-free.

You can also make a deferred payment gift annuity donation. You make a donation and claim a tax deduction for that year but you can elect to delay your income benefit at a date you specify, at least one year in the future. In general, deferred gift annuities pay higher rates than immediate payment gift annuities and the longer the time between the gift date and first payment date, the higher the rate. This arrangement is appealing for those wanting to make a special gift now, receive an immediate tax deduction and establish a future income stream.

Most importantly, your gift will help SF Ballet thrive as a valuable culture resource for future audiences, artists of the Company, and students of SF Ballet School. For more information about gift annuities and other planned giving options at SF Ballet, please contact Elizabeth Lani, Deputy Director of Development/Planned Giving at [email protected] or 415 865 6623.

Dores André and Luke Ingham in Pita’s Björk Ballet // © Erik Tomasson

FREED OF LONDON

Freed of London has been supporting San Francisco Ballet School’s Summer Session for 15 consecutive years. Summer Session students are ages 12–18 and travel both nationally and internationally to train at our studios in San Francisco. Students partake in a multi-week program where they have the opportunity to improve technique, learn from new teachers, and master innovative choreography from SF Ballet’s repertory. Students leave the Summer Session program with first-class training that will help them work toward professional careers in dance. Attendance is invitation only through our countrywide Audition Tour that allows SF Ballet School to recruit the most promising dancers from around the world. Thanks to Freed of London’s generous support, we enroll hundreds of talented students each summer.

Freed of London is a world leader in design and manufacturing of professional dance shoes. Founded in 1929, Freed takes pride in providing the highest quality of handcrafted dance shoes, all produced in the United Kingdom. Keep an eye out, as you will see many of SF Ballet’s very own dancers performing in Freed of London pointe shoes.

MAY 22–MAY 24, 2019

SAN FRANCISCO BALLET SCHOOL

2019 SPRING FESTIVAL

On Wednesday, May 22, 2019, San Francisco Ballet School launches its first annual Spring Festival. Formerly called Student Showcase, the SF Ballet School Spring Festival will include three nights of unique performances, a dinner on opening night, and new interactive activities and more opportunities to learn about ballet. Proceeds will provide support for the School’s scholarship and financial aid programs.

SPRING FESTIVAL PERFORMANCE AND DINNER

DATE | Wednesday, May 22, 2019

TIME | SF Ballet School ON STAGE performance at 6 pm, followed by dinner

VENUES | Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater and Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco

EVENT CHAIR | Ms. Catherine Bergstrom

SF BALLET SCHOOL ON STAGE PERFORMANCE DATES

Wednesday, May 22 at 6 pm

Thursday, May 23 at 7:30 pm

Friday, May 24 at 7:30 pm

BUY TICKETS NOW SFBALLET.ORG/SCHOOLFESTIVAL415 865 2000

San Francisco Ballet School students performing during the 2016 Student Showcase // © Chris Hardy


DONOR EVENTS & NEWS CONTINUED

TEN-YEAR CHRISTENSEN SOCIETY HONOREES Our loyal supporters are instrumental in helping us bring classical and contemporary ballet to life, one production at a time. Each year we honor donors who have been members of the Christensen Society for 10 consecutive years. The 2019 Season marks the 10th anniversary of the following Christensen Society members:

We congratulate these donors and thank them for their steadfast support. We are pleased to give special recognition to donors

who have been honored as 10-year Christensen Society Honorees in our program books. Their names are followed by a plus

sign (+) in the Chairman’s Council and Christensen Society sections.

Mr. Noel T. Blos

Kelly and Samuel Bronfman II

Jane A. Cook

Michael E. Dreyer and Harry B. Ugol

Beth and Brian Grossman

Ms. Kimberly M. Hughes

Ms. Karen J. Irvin

Ms. Andrea Jacoby

Mr. and Mrs. Alan F. Klein

Kelsey and David Lamond

Pam G. Lewis

Mr. Gregg Mattner

Julie Desloge and George A. Newhall

Miriam Sedman and Ralph Nyffenegger

Ms. Carla Oakley and Mr. Kevin McCarthy

Ms. Mindy Owen

The Phillips Family

Mr. John Pringle

Paul A. Violich

Ms. Adrian Walker

Jennifer and Steven Walske

THE ARTISTS ’ RESERVE FUND HELPS

DANCERS INVEST IN THEIR FUTURES How do our dancers prepare for a career after the stage? Many receive financial support for education-related expenses through the Artists’ Reserve Fund. Each season, dancers donate the salary of one performance on the Opera House stage, the organization matches their contributions, and SF Ballet patrons contribute. Over the past ten years, the Fund has given grants to an average of 23 dancers annually.

The Artists’ Reserve Fund has a champion in long-time SF Ballet Board Trustee and former dancer Jola Anderson, who takes pride in helping dancers plan for their futures without giving up the profession they

love. Many Fund recipients choose to participate in the Liberal Education for Arts Professionals program at St. Mary’s College, which provides flexible class schedules in locations that enable dancers to pursue a degree. “A dance career is short,” says Jola. “It’s important that dancers prepare for a life after dance. The Artists’ Reserve Fund is an investment in their future.”

SF Ballet continues to build this fund. To contribute, you can donate online at sfballet.org/arf or by contacting Assistant to Senior Executive Staff Katharine Chambers at 415 865 6581. Please note that donations to the Artists’ Reserve Fund are fully tax-deductible but do not count toward membership in the Friends of SF Ballet or the Christensen Society.

The dancers of SF Ballet would like to thank the donors to the Artists’ Reserve Fund (since July 2017):

Jola and John Anderson

Kristen A. Avansino

Ms. Barbara Baxter

Ms. Carol Benz

Dr. Brendan Collins

EACH Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Christian P. Erdman

Mr. Roger Green

In memory of Marjorie Isaac

Ms. Yeuen Kim

Mr. and Mrs. Barry R. Lipman

Mr. Wallace Mersereau

Mr. and Mrs. Edward Plant

Arlene Sullivan, in memoriam

Mr. and Mrs. Helgi Tomasson

Artists’ Reserve Fund Grant Recipients with SF Ballet Board Trustee Jola Anderson // © Erik Tomasson

MAY 22–MAY 24, 2019

SAN FRANCISCO BALLET SCHOOL

2019 SPRING FESTIVAL

On Wednesday, May 22, 2019, San Francisco Ballet School launches its first annual Spring Festival. Formerly called Student Showcase, the SF Ballet School Spring Festival will include three nights of unique performances, a dinner on opening night, and new interactive activities and more opportunities to learn about ballet. Proceeds will provide support for the School’s scholarship and financial aid programs.

SPRING FESTIVAL PERFORMANCE AND DINNER

DATE | Wednesday, May 22, 2019

TIME | SF Ballet School ON STAGE performance at 6 pm, followed by dinner

VENUES | Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater and Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco

EVENT CHAIR | Ms. Catherine Bergstrom

SF BALLET SCHOOL ON STAGE PERFORMANCE DATES

Wednesday, May 22 at 6 pm

Thursday, May 23 at 7:30 pm

Friday, May 24 at 7:30 pm

BUY TICKETS NOW SFBALLET.ORG/SCHOOLFESTIVAL415 865 2000

San Francisco Ballet School students performing during the 2016 Student Showcase // © Chris Hardy

2019 REPERTORY SEASONSAN FRANCISCO BALLET SEASON SPONSORS

P R O G R A M O 1

Don Quixote

LEAD SPONSORS

Margaret and Will Hearst

Diane B. Wilsey

MAJOR SPONSOR

Anonymous

SPONSOR

James C. Gries

P R O G R A M O 2

Divertimento No. 15

MAJOR SPONSOR

Catherine and Mark Slavonia

SPONSOR

ENCORE!

Appassionata

LEAD SPONSOR


MAJOR SPONSORS

Kathleen Grant, M.D. and

Thomas Jackson, M.D.

Mrs. Joyce L. Stupski

SPONSOR

Karen S. Bergman

Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

MAJOR SPONSOR

Anonymous

P R O G R A M O 3

The Fifth Season

LEAD SPONSOR

Fang and Gary Bridge

MAJOR SPONSOR

Sue and John Diekman

SPONSOR

H. B. and Lucille Horn Foundation

Snowblind

LEAD SPONSOR

Randee Seiger

MAJOR SPONSOR

Nancy A. Kukacka

SPONSOR

Larissa Roesch and Calder Roesch

SF Ballet Allegro Circle

Etudes

SPONSOR

John G. Capo and Orlando Diaz-Azcuy

P R O G R A M O 4

The Sleeping Beauty

LEAD SPONSORS

Mr. James D. Marver

Judy C. Swanson

SF Ballet Auxiliary

MAJOR SPONSORS

Innovation Global Capital

Elaine Kartalis

Mr. and Mrs. James C. Katzman

Richard Thalheimer Family

SPONSOR

Joseph and Marianne Geagea

P R O G R A M O 5

Your Flesh Shall Be a Great Poem

MAJOR SPONSOR

Brenda and Alexander Leff

SPONSORS

Kacie and Michael Renc

O.J. and Gary Shansby

Bound To

LEAD SPONSORS

Sonia H. Evers

Alison and Michael Mauzé

Denise Littlefield Sobel

MAJOR SPONSOR

David and Vicki Cox

John and Amy Palmer

SPONSOR

Alex and Carolyn Mehran

“. . . two united in a single soul . . .”

LEAD SPONSORS

Athena and Timothy Blackburn

Yurie and Carl Pascarella

P R O G R A M O 6

PROGRAM SPONSOR

The Bernard Osher Foundation

Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes

MAJOR SPONSOR

Kara and Charles Roell

SPONSORS

Almaden

BRAVO

Die Toteninsel

LEAD SPONSORS

Ms. Laura Clifford

Shelby and Frederick Gans


Mary Jo and Dick Kovacevich

Christine Russell and Mark Schlesinger

Björk Ballet

MAJOR SPONSORS

Hannah and Kevin Comolli


P R O G R A M O 7

The Little Mermaid

LEAD SPONSOR

Cui Lihong and Wang Wei

MAJOR SPONSORS

Chaomei Chen and Dr. Yu Wu

In Memory of Carole Demsky

Drs. Richard D. and Patricia Gibbs

Jim and Cecilia Herbert

Marie and Barry Lipman

Mrs. Henry I. Prien

SPONSOR

Brian and Rene Hollins

P R O G R A M O 8

Shostakovich Trilogy

LEAD SPONSORS

Mr. Richard C. Barker

Teri and Andy Goodman

Mr. and Mrs. John S. Osterweis

S A T U R D A Y N I G H T

S U B S C R I P T I O N S E R I E S

Lucy and Fritz Jewett Saturday Night Series


PROGRAMS 05 / 06 | 415 865 2000 | 49

Lonnie Weeks in Bound To© by Christopher Wheeldon // © Erik Tomasson

Join Friends of San Francisco Ballet and ensure that we are around for future generations to enjoy. As our way of saying thanks, you’ll get special benefits designed specifically to enhance your SF Ballet experience.

LOOKING FOR MORE OUT OF YOUR SF BALLET EXPERIENCE?

JOIN US, WON’T YOU? Visit our website at sfballet.org/donate or call 415 865 6628.

T H I S I S P A S S I O N 2019 Opening Night Gala

PRESENTING SPONSOR Osterweis Capital Management

PERFORMANCE SPONSOR Laura Clifford, in memory of Erna Clifford

BENEFACTOR DINNER SPONSOR KPMG

PATRON DINNER SPONSOR JPMorgan Chase & Co.

GRAND BENEFACTOR RECEPTION SPONSOR Shreve & Co.

SPARKLING STROLL SPONSOR Brooks Brothers

WINE AND SPARKLING WINE SPONSOR Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards

APÉRITIF SPONSOR Lillet

BEER SPONSOR Fort Point Beer Company

S E N S O R I U M

SPONSOR

ballerina.io

G E N E R A L

E D U C A T I O N & T R A I N I N G

Additional support is provided by Gap Foundation, U.S. Bank Foundation, and the Zellerbach Family Foundation.

The Dance in Schools and Communities program is supported by The Charles Henry Leach, II Fund, an advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

The Student Matinee Series is supported by the Gaia Fund of the San Francisco Ballet Endowment Foundation.

Lead Sponsors of San Francisco Ballet’s Education Programs

San Francisco Ballet gratefully acknowledges San Francisco Grants for the Arts, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts for their support.

Official Gym of San Francisco Ballet Media Sponsor


GREAT BENEFACTORSOur most loyal donors are dedicated to supporting exquisite art and understand that a contribution to San Francisco Ballet is an investment in the cultural life of the Bay Area. Our growth and evolution as a company and school is due in large part to the steadfast and generous support of patrons in the Bay Area and beyond. In 2005, we created the honor of Great Benefactor to recognize donors whose cumulative giving to SF Ballet is $1 million or more. We are pleased to welcome the Estate of Norma Stanberry and the Estate of Arlene H. Sullivan as our newest Great Benefactors.

$ 1 0 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 A N D A B O V E

Grants for the Arts

The Hellman Family

William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

Lucy and Fritz Jewett

$ 5 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 – $ 9 , 9 9 9 , 9 9 9

Estate of Dora Donner Ide

The James Irvine Foundation

Mrs. Jeannik Méquet Littlefield

National Endowment for the Arts


John Osterweis and Barbara Ravizza

Diane B. Wilsey

$ 2 , 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 – $ 4 , 9 9 9 , 9 9 9

Richard C. Barker

California Arts Council

First Republic Bank

Ford Foundation

Diana Stark and J. Stuart Francis

Gaia Fund

Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund

Estate of Richard B. Gump

Mimi Haas

Estate of Katharine Hanrahan

Hellman Foundation

The Herbert Family

Donald F. Houghton

G. William Jewell

Koret Foundation


Kenneth Rainin

Mr. George R. Roberts


The Swanson Foundation

Phyllis C. Wattis

Wells Fargo

$ 1 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 – $ 2 , 4 9 9 , 9 9 9

American Airlines

Estate of Helen Anderton

AT&T

Bank of America Foundation

Bingham McCutchen LLP

Athena and Timothy Blackburn

BRAVO


Jennifer Caldwell and John H. N. Fisher

The State of California

Estate of Lewis and Emily Callaghan

Mrs. Daniel H. Case III

Chevron Corporation

Estate of Barbara A. Daily

Deloitte

Susan and John Diekman

Suzy Kellems Dominik

Rudolph W. Driscoll

Kate and Bill Duhamel

Sonia H. Evers

Ann and Robert S. Fisher

Estate of Georg L. Frierson

Stephen and Margaret Gill Family Foundation

Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund

Colleen and Robert D. Haas

Walter & Elise Haas Fund

Dr. and Mrs. Jeffrey P. Hays

William Randolph Hearst Foundation

The Edward E. Hills Fund

James C. Hormel and Michael P. Nguyen

The William G. Irwin Charity Foundation

George F. Jewett Foundation

George F. Jewett, Jr. 1965 Trust

Estate of Mildred Johnson

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Maurice Kanbar

Dr. and Mrs. Jerome Ormond Kirschbaum

Diana Dollar Knowles

Estate of Diana Dollar Knowles



The Charles Henry Leach, II Foundation, Jennifer Jordan McCall, Foundation Trustee

Catherine Lego

Paul Lego

Marie and Barry Lipman

The Marver Family

Stephanie and James Marver


Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Nicola Miner and Robert Mailer Anderson

Pacific Gas and Electric Company

The Thomas J. and Gerd Perkins Foundation

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock

Bob Ross

Gordon Russell

San Francisco Ballet Auxiliary

The San Francisco Foundation

Randee Seiger

O.J. and Gary Shansby

Shubert Foundation, Inc.

The Smelick Family


Estate of Norma Stanberry

Estate of Natalie H. Stotz

Joyce Stupski

Estate of Arlene H. Sullivan

Richard J. Thalheimer

Ms. Susan A. Van Wagner

Visa Inc.

Wallis Foundation

The E. L. Wiegand Foundation

Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang

The Zellerbach Family

Eifman BalletThe Pygmalion Effect(US Premiere)

For 40 years, the defiantly controversial choreographer Boris Eifman has created productions punctuated by sumptuous costumes, exquisite dancing, and riveting drama. Here, the company presents the United States premiere of his brand new ballet, set to a score by Johann Strauss Jr.

May 31–Jun 2ZELLERBACH HALL

“This Russian dancemaker and his dancers are among the most fascinating artists before the public today.”—San Francisco Chronicle

Alvin Ailey American Dance TheaterRobert Battle, artistic director Masazumi Chaya, associate artistic director

April 9–14ZELLERBACH HALL

60th Birthday Celebration!FEATURING THREE BAY AREA PREMIERES:Lazarus by hip hop pioneer Rennie Harris, inspired by Ailey’s life and legacy

Ronald K. Brown’s The Call, which blends Bach, jazz, and Malian music

Jessica Lang’s vivid, celebratory work, EN

ALSO FEATURING Timeless Ailey, a retrospective program of Ailey’s choreography

calperformances.org/tickets Season Sponsor:

S E A S O N2018/19music dance theater

PerformancesCal U N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , B E R K E L E Y

1/2V


G R A N D B E N E F A C T O R S

$250,000 and above

The Hellman Family

Diane B. Wilsey

A R T I S T I C D I R E C T O R ’ S C O U N C I L

$100,000–$249,999

Anonymous

Mr. Richard C. Barker

Anne T. and Robert M. Bass


Ms. Laura Clifford

Cui Lihong and Wang Wei

Sonia H. Evers

Shelby and Frederick Gans

Teri and Andy Goodman


Margaret and Will Hearst

Lucy Jewett



Brenda and Alexander Leff

Mr. James D. Marver


Mr. and Mrs. John S. Osterweis


Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock

Christine Russell and Mark Schlesinger

Randee Seiger


Judy C. Swanson

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR'S COUNCILSan Francisco Ballet gratefully acknowledges the members of the Artistic Director’s Council. Their generous support of $100,000 or more to the annual fund is instrumental to the success of SF Ballet, SF Ballet School, and SF Ballet’s education programs. This list does not include gifts made in support of special projects or special events, as they are recognized separately.

Council members receive concierge service and special access to performances, exclusive events, and rehearsals. To learn more about the Artistic Director’s Council, please contact Sarah Warner, Associate Director of Development, Individual Giving at [email protected] or 415 865 6634.

http://calperformances.org/tickets


CHAIRMAN'S COUNCIL

P R E S E N T E R ’ S C O U N C I L

$50,000–$74,999

Athena and Timothy Blackburn+

Chaomei Chen and Dr. Yu Wu

Hannah and Kevin Comolli

David and Vicki Cox+

In Memory of Carole Demsky

Sue and John Diekman+

Drs. Richard D. and Patricia Gibbs

Margaret and Stephen Gill+

Kathleen Grant, M.D. and Thomas Jackson, M.D.+

Jim and Cecilia Herbert+

Matthew & Siska Hobart

Elaine Kartalis

Mr. and Mrs. James C. Katzman+

Nancy A. Kukacka

Marie and Barry Lipman+

Marissa Mayer and Zachary Bogue+

John and Amy Palmer

Mrs. Henry I. Prien+

Kara and Charles Roell

Kathleen Scutchfield+

Catherine and Mark Slavonia

David H. Spencer

Mrs. Joyce L. Stupski+

Mr. Richard J. Thalheimer+

Ms. Zhenya Yoder

S P O N S O R ’ S C O U N C I L

$25,000–$49,999

Anonymous (2)

Gioia and John Arrillaga+

Eleonore Aslanian+, in memory of Edward Aslanian

Karen S. Bergman+

Ms. Eliza M. Brown+

John G. Capo and Orlando Diaz-Azcuy+

Robert and Laura Cory

Katherine and Gregg Crawford+

Dana and Robert Emery+

Carol Emory and The Wingate Foundation+

Mr. Robert S. Fisher*+

Mr. David Galloreese

Joseph and Marianne Geagea

James C. Gries+

Brian and Rene Hollins+

James C. Hormel and Michael P. Nguyen+

Thomas E. Horn+

Ms. Jeri Lynn Johnson+

Christine and Pierre Lamond+

Dr. and Mrs. Stephen Leavitt

Dr. Timothy Marten, M.D. and Ms. Mary Heylin+

Nion McEvoy and Leslie Berriman

Alexander R. Mehran*+

Michael Moritz and Harriet Heyman

Roland G. Ortgies and Carmela C. Anderson-Ortgies+

Mr. and Mrs. Norman C. Pease

Wylie Peterson and Anne-Marie Peterson

Kacie and Michael Renc+

Mr. and Mrs. Edward Roach+

Mr. George R. Roberts+

Larissa Roesch and Calder Roesch+

Michael and Mary Schuh+

O.J.* and Gary Shansby+

Marc Sinykin and Kevin Osinski

Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Smelick+

Tom Steyer and Kat Taylor+

Mr. and Mrs. William Truscott

Barbara and Stephan Vermut

Beatrice Wood

C H A I R M A N ’ S C O U N C I L

$15,000–$24,999

Anonymous (3)

Joseph and Brooke

Brenton and Lysbeth Warren Anderson+

Kristen A. Avansino+

Rosemary B. Baker*+

Courtney Benoist and Jason M. Fish*+

Ms. Susan Blake+

Bruce Braden+

Rachel Brass and Richard Foster

Ron and Susan Briggs+

Paula and Bandel Carano

Rosalyn Chen Chavez

Mr. and Mrs. Scott Connors

Ms. Phoebe Cowles+

Mrs. Courtney C. Dallaire

Jill Daly

Dr. and Mrs. Jordan Deschamps-Braly

Mr. Josh Elkes and Ms. Rachel Happ

Paula M. Elmore*

Douglas and Barbara* Engmann+

Mr. Frank J. Espina and Mrs. Andrea Valo-Espina

Lynn Feintech and Tony Bernhardt+

Mr. Edward G. Fernandez

Randi and Bob Fisher

Mrs. Mortimer Fleishhacker+

Patty Garbarino

James K. and Helen L. Goodwine+

Brian and Elizaveta Gustafson

Mr. Isaac Hall

Mr. and Mrs. Terry Houlihan

Fred Isaac and Robin Reiner

John G. Kerns*+

William and Gretchen Kimball Fund+

Arlene and Steve Krieger+

Patrice and Walther Lovato

Peter and Melanie Maier

Ms. Susan Marsch

Mr. Gregg Mattner+

Justin T. McBaine

Jane and Roger McCarthy+

Stewart McDowell Brady and Philip Brady

Dr. Maya Meux

Mr. Ronald W. Miller+

Mr. James E. Milligan*+

Mrs. Stuart G. Moldaw+

Mr. David Morandi

Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Newman+

Michel and Mekhala Oltramare

Mr. James Parsons and Ms. Andrea Hong

Dave and Judy Redo+

Glenn H. Reid+

Mr. Jeremy Rishel

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Shaw

Christine Sherry and Lawson Fisher+

The Honorable and Mrs. George P. Shultz+

Mr. and Mrs. George H. Sollman

The Spero Family

Michael and Susanna Steinberg

Alan and Patricia Tai+

Adam J. Thaler

Mr. and Mrs. Charles V. Thornton+

Mr. and Mrs. William R. Timken+

Mr. and Mrs. Alan B. Vidinsky

Paul A. Violich+

Daniel and Marie Welch

Cynthia and Edgar Whipple+

The Whitman Family Foundation

Ms. Patricia Wyrod

Diane and Howard Zack+

The Chairman’s Council brings together a like-minded community of business leaders and philanthropists who share the goal of bringing world-class ballet to a world-class city. San Francisco Ballet gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Chairman’s Council members, who contributed gifts of $15,000 or more to the annual fund as of February 20, 2019. This list does not include gifts made in support of special projects or special events, as they are recognized separately. In addition to receiving Christensen Society benefits, members of the Chairman’s Council receive benefits tailored to their individual interests, such as the opportunity to sponsor a ballet or enjoy an exclusive viewing of a ballet rehearsal. If you would like more information about the Chairman’s Council, please contact Danielle St.Germain-Gordon, Chief Development Officer at [email protected] or 415 865 6615.

The names of donors who have been honored as ten-year members of the Chairman’s Council or Christensen Society are followed by a plus sign (+). Former SF Ballet Trustees and Associate Trustees are noted with an asterisk (*).

PROGRAMS 05 / 06 | 415 865 2000 | 53

CHRISTENSEN SOCIET Y

The Spero Family

Michael and Susanna Steinberg

Alan and Patricia Tai+

Adam J. Thaler

Mr. and Mrs. Charles V. Thornton+

Mr. and Mrs. William R. Timken+

Mr. and Mrs. Alan B. Vidinsky

Paul A. Violich+

Daniel and Marie Welch

Cynthia and Edgar Whipple+

The Whitman Family Foundation

Ms. Patricia Wyrod

Diane and Howard Zack+

The Christensen Society, named for the three brothers whose artistic vision pioneered SF Ballet, offers a foundational connection to the heritage of the Company. Christensen Society member donations enable SF Ballet to underwrite season productions, acquire contemporary and classical works for our repertory, conduct national and international tours, train hundreds of young dancers at San Francisco Ballet School, and share the love of dance with underserved children and families throughout the Bay Area.

San Francisco Ballet gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Christensen Society members, who contributed gifts of $2,500 to $14,999 to the annual fund as of February 20, 2019. This list does not include gifts made in support of special projects or special events, as they are recognized separately. For more information about the Christensen Society, please contact Ari Lipsky, Senior Manager, Individual Giving at [email protected] or 415 865 6635.

The names of donors who have been honored as ten-year members of the Christensen Society are followed by a plus sign (+) in this section. Former SF Ballet Trustees and Associate Trustees are noted with an asterisk (*).

Anne and Michelle Shonk+

Ms. Cherida Collins Smith+

Susanne Stevens+

The Streets Family+

Ms. Nadine Tang and Mr. Bruce Smith

Helgi and Marlene Tomasson

The Watkins Family+

Helena and William Wheeler

Ms. Leslie Wilson

Ms. Deann Wright and Dr. Luke Evnin

Mr. Tim C. Wu and Mr. Eric Murphy+

Sharon and Robert Yoerg

Dr. Janice and Mr. Jonathan Zakin+

Kenneth and Anna Zankel, The Grove

D A N C E R ’ S C O U N C I L

$5,000–$7,499

Anonymous (4)

Ms. Diane K. Aaron

Andrew and Linda Rosenberg Ach

Judy and David Anderson

Mr. and Mrs. Greer Arthur+

Ms. Corine Assouline

Mr. John Atwater and Ms. Diana L. Nelson

Ms. Donna Bachle

Dr. Thomas and Julie Ballard

Ms. Deborah Taylor Barrera

Mr. Charles Barrett

Mr. and Mrs. Gene Becker

Valli Benesch and Bob Tandler

Curtis Grisham and Charles Black, Jr.

Mr. William Bonville and Ms. Virginia Jordan

Mr. and Ms. Ron Borelli

Dr. Thomas and Janice Boyce+

Dr. Odelia Braun

Cynthia and Frederick Brinkmann+

Mr. and Mrs. Kent F. Brooks

James R. and Melinda M. Brown

Kelli and Steve Burrill+

Dr. Heidi H. Cary

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cauthorn

Mr. and Mrs. Donald Chaiken+

Drs. Valerie and Devron Char+

Jack and Gloria Clumeck

Ms. Sandi Covell+

Mary B. Cranston*+

Ms. Nancy Curtiss

Ms. Lisa Daniels

Mr. and Mrs. James A. Davidson

Ms. Bonnie De Clark

Jacqueline* and Christian P. Erdman+

Tawna and John Farmer+

Mr.* and Mrs. Irwin Federman+

Brent and Sandra Fery

Ms. Linda Jo Fitz+

Mr. and Mrs. David Fleishhacker+

Ms. Sonia Florian

Mr. Dennis N. Fluet+

Camille and Sean Flynn+

John and Kelly Foley

Mr. and Ms. Donald D. Fortune Jr.

Ms. Mayhill Fowler

Mr. David B. Franklin and Mr. Ruedi F. Thoeni

Mrs. Phyllis K. Friedman+

Marilyn & Robert Funari Family Foundation

Ms. Jane Gazzola

Ms. Malin Giddings and Mr. Richard Hechler

Sally L. Glaser and David Bower+

Mary and Nicholas Graves+

Donald W. and Patricia L. Green

Claude and Nina Gruen+

John and Lucie Hall

Michael and Julie Hawkins

Miranda Heller and Mark Salkind+

Joan and Alan Henricks

The Henrikson Family Foundation

Ms. Mary Herman

Cynthia Hersey

Mr. Patrick M. Hogan

Hank J. Holland*

Ms. Kimberly M. Hughes+

Ms. Giovanna Jackson*

Ms. Andrea Jacoby+

Mr. Peter Joshua

Mr. David A. Kaplan and Mr. Glenn Ostergaard+

Ms. Dorothy Kaplan

C H O R E O G R A P H E R ' S C O U N C I L

$7,500–$14,999

Anonymous (5)

Sig Anderman

Norby Anderson

Ms. Maren Armour

Drue and Jerry Ashford+

Mr. and Ms. Bartley B. Baer

Jeanne and William Barulich

Dr. Margaret Bates and Scott Johnson+

Mr.* and Mrs. Joachim Bechtle+

Lydia and Steven Bergman

Davidson Bidwell-Waite and Edwin A. Waite+

Claire and Jared Bobrow+

Mr. and Mrs.* William S. Brandenburg

Kelly and Samuel* Bronfman II+

The Robinson Family - AB Butler Family

Damian S. Carmichael

Jon B. Chaney+

Antoinette Chatton+

Ms. Karen K. Christensen+

Robert Clegg*+

Mr. and Mrs. Sol Coffino

Ms. Katie Colendich

Dr. Charles Connor+

Ms. Phyllis Cook+

Michele Beigel Corash and Laurence Corash+

Peter and Quin Curran

Mr. and Mrs. Angelos Dassios

Juanita and Manuel Del Arroz+

Mrs. Suzy Kellems Dominik*+

Ms. Paulette Doudell+

Robert and Judith Duffy+

Ms. Katherine M. Fines and Mr. Henry Heines+

Doris Fisher+

J. Stuart Francis and Diana Stark+

John and Marcia Goldman+

William J. Gregory

Ann M. Griffiths+

Linda Groah

Dr. Elizabeth A. Harrison

Dr. Birt Harvey

Mr. and Mrs. A. Grant Heidrich III+

Dr. and Mrs. I. C. Henderson+

Mr. and Mrs. John S. Hoch

Ms. Kathryn Huber and Mr. William Larry Binkley

Mr. Hiro Iwanaga

Arnold and Laurel Jacobson

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Jasen

Guyton Jinkerson+

Mrs. Barbara L. Johnson

Jim and Barbara Kautz

Ms. Micki Klearman

Linda and Robert Klett+

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Kostic

Mrs. Maja Kristin

Ms. Linda Kurtz

Captain Witold Klimenko and Dr. Darlene Lanka-Klimenko+

Laube Family Foundation

Mark and Debra Leslie+

Ms. Betsy A. Linder+

Mark and Lori Litwin+

Ms. Tiffany Lockridge

Carol and Hal Louchheim+

Mr. and Mrs. Allen Luniewski

Lori and David F. Marquardt+

Ms. Suzanne M. Miller

Marta L. Morando+

Mrs. Janet Morris+

Manfred K. Mundelius+

Miriam Sedman and Ralph Nyffenegger+

Ms. Carla Oakley and Mr. Kevin McCarthy+

Mr. David Oldroyd and Mr. Ronnie Genotti

Ms. Mindy Owen+

Ms. Elizabeth A. Peace

Beth Price+

Leslie and Nick Podell+

Mr. and Mrs. Neal I. Powers

Mr. Gordon L. Radley+

Ms. Patricia Rock and Mr. John Fetzer

Mr. Gordon Russell and Dr. Bettina McAdoo+

Dorothy Saxe+

Kamran and Helena Shamsavari+

Mr. and Mrs. Roderick W. Shepard

Dr. and Mrs. Stephen Sherwin+


CHRISTENSEN SOCIET Y CONTINUED

Philip Bettens

Amos and Carla Blackmon

Ms. Martha E. Blackwell

Dr. Phyllis B. Blair

Mr. Noel T. Blos+

Ms. Janet M. Bollier

Bon Air Center

Rebecca and Michael Bradley

Ms. Carolyn J. and Mr. David W. Brady

Germaine Brennan Foundation+

Ms. Barbara Brown+

Catherine Brown and Gerald Gwathney

Josephine Brownback+

Julie Brown-Modenos

Katie Budge

Betty C. Bullock and Robert Murray

Julie and David Burns

Peggy and Donald Burns+

Mrs. Leah Busque

Adrian and Carol Byram

Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Calabrese

Mrs. John Callander+

Dr. Paula Campbell

Libi Cape+

Nina Cardoza and John Krowas

Nina Carroll+

Ms. Linda Carson+

Michaela Cassidy* and Terry Whitney+

Charles R. Castellano and Deryl Castellano

Mr. Benedick Chai

Mr. Marvin Charney

Mr. Paul Clifford

Douglas Clough and Erin Uesugi

Ms. Margaret Coblentz

Mitchell and Susan Cohen+

Ms. Claudia Coleman+

Richard and Sylvia Condon+

Sandi Conniff

Mrs. Glenna Cook

Jane A. Cook+

Alice M. Corning+

Joan and Victor Corsiglia

Ms. Carmen Côté De Vaughn

Ms. Lilly Creighton

Ms. Jennifer Crutchfield

Dr. Stephen J. Danko

Ms. Susan J. Davenport

Mr. Dan Davies

Dr. and Mrs. R.L. Davis+

Mr. Keith Dehoff

Dr. Richard M. Delfs+

Marvin Dennis+

Mr. Curtis E. Dennison

Ms. Simone Derayeh

Julie Desloge and George A. Newhall+

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Dickson

Mr. and Mrs. Theodore S. Dobos+

Alicia Dougherty-Wold and Thomas Wold

Mr. and Mrs. William H. Draper III

Michael E. Dreyer and Harry B. Ugol+

Mrs. Jennifer M. Duarte

Mr. Garrettson Dulin, Jr.

Ms. Jane Durie

Mr. Fritz Eberly

Ms. Freya Eduarte and Mr. Philippe Courtot

Diane and Joseph Ehrman III+

Dr. Robert Elfont and Ms. V’Anne Singleton

Kirsty Ellis

Mr. and Mrs. Lionel Engelman

Mr. Stephen W. Etter

Mr. Greg Evans

Mrs. Mickey Evans

Rev. Richard Fabian

Buck Farmer and Leida Schoggen

Mr. Zé Figueirinhas

Mr. William E. Fisher+

Dr. and Mrs. Keith Flachsbart

Shelley Floyd and Albert Loshkajian

Mr. and Mrs. Roy A. Francies Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Frankel+

Mr. Douglas Frantz

Mr. Ernest Freeman

Ms. Baerbel Freytag

Dr. and Mrs. A. W. Fricke

Mr. Ian Friedland

Ms. Joyce Friedman

Ellen Fujikawa

Dr. Kim Fullerton-Nelson

Ms. Ayumi Funaki

Penny and Gregory Gallo+

Mr. John Garfinkle

David Getchell and Allison Gonzalez

Nora L. Gibson and William L. Hudson

Joy Gim

Mr. Brendan Glackin

Glaucoma Center of San Francisco

Ms. Georgie Gleim

Ms. Barbara Glynn

Mr. Alberto Gobbi

Jennie Golde

Nora Goldschlager

Drs. Meryl Gordon and Robert Schermer

Phillip and Philippa Newfield Gordon+

Shelley Gordon

Mr. James Gosling+

Mr. Michael Grady

Richard L. Grant and James L. Miller+

Ms. Joan Green

Judy and Josh Green

Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Green

Nonie H. Greene and Todd Werby+

Mr. Roger D. Greer

Sara G. Griffith

Duncan and Jeanie Gurley

Mimi Haas+

Stephen Halprin+

Alexander and Catherine Hargrave+

Mr. Loren B. Kayfetz

Mr. and Mrs. Jascha Kaykas-Wolff

Ms. Lisa A. Keith+

Kristen Kelly

Rev. Keenan C. Kelsey

Mr. and Mrs. John D. and Paulette Kempfer

Mr. and Mrs. Alan F. Klein+

Ms. Patricia D. Knight

Mr. and Mrs. James Knoll

Ms. Suzanne Knott and Mr. Tom Rose

Sharon Lambert and Charles Cohen+

Mr. and Mrs. Jude Laspa+

Jeff and Melissa Li

Ms. Judy Lichterman

Christa and Mark* Lopez

John and Kate Lord+

Dr. and Mrs. G. Karl Ludwig, Jr.+

Mr. and Mrs. Laurence R. Lyons

Mr. Michael Manning

Ms. Dosia Matthews

Mr. Patrick McCabe

Jennifer J. McCall+

Dr. Jack M. McElroy and Dr. Mary Ann Skidmore+

Joan and Robert McGrath+

Mr. and Mrs. John A. McQuown

Mr. Steve Merlo

Mary Mewha*

Carole Middleton

Mr. Ted E. Mitchell+

Kathleen Much and Stanley Peters

Ms. Donna Neff

Mr. Paul Nordine

Mr. Richard Oppenheimer

Mr. and Mrs. Michael O’Sullivan

Sandy Otellini+

Mrs. Alexandra Ottesen

Mr. Dennis Otto & Mr. Robert Meadows

Mr. William D. Parent+

Patricia Sanderson Port

Ms. Ruth Quigley

Ursula Elisabeth Ralph

Ms. Teresa Remillard

Dr. and Mrs. Robert E. Richardson+

Mr. and Mrs. Fredric H. Roberts

Mr. Sanford R. Robertson+

Ms. Marianne B. Robison+

Ms. Susan Rosin and Mr. Brian Bock

Mr. and Mrs. Mark J. Ryan+

Paul Sack and Shirley Davis+

William and Linda Schieber

Carolynne Schloeder

Dr. David Tai-Man Shen and Mrs. Elaine Shen+

Dr. Dale Skeen+

Ms. H. Marcia Smolens+

Mrs. Linda Snyder

James Sokol

Ms. Ellice Sperber and Ms. Emma Elizalde

Mr. and Mrs. Mathew Spolin+

Ms. Tricia Stephens

Mr. Matthew Stepka

Ms. Catherine Stout

Ms. Fran A. Streets+

Mrs. Dwight V. Strong+

Maureen and Craig Sullivan

Mr. and Mrs. Jim Swartz+

Ms. Jody K. Thelander

Mr. and Mrs. William L. Thornton+

Mr. Harry Tierney+

Mr. Dana Tom

Mr. and Mrs. Edward Tortorici

Ms. Lida Urbanek

Drs. Oldrich and Silva Vasicek+

Ms. Adrian Walker+

Jennifer* and Steven Walske+

Ms. Susan Warble

Daphne and Stuart Wells

Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Wertsch+

Karen and Stephen Wiel+

Mr. and Mrs. David Wilner

Mr. Paul Wilson

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Woodall

Dr. Keith R. Yamamoto+

A S S O C I A T E ' S C O U N C I L

$2,500–$4,999

Anonymous (6)

Ms. Marcia Abrams

Michael C Abramson+

Norman Abramson and David Beery

Molly and Stewart Agras+

Mr. Bruce Albert and Dr. Chady F. Wonson+

Ms. Melissa Allen

Lisa and Maria Alvarez

Jola and John M. Anderson+

Mr. Zachery Anderson

Dr. and Mrs. Joseph S. Andresen+

Ms. Christine DeSanze and Mr. Scott Anthony

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Benton Armstrong

Mr. and Mrs. Hiroki Asai

Asmus Family

Ms. Mary Atwater

Ms. Nancy R. Axelrod+

Chris and Janet Bajorek

Mr. Stephen A. Bansak III

Ms. Olivia Barbee

Karen Bartholomew

Marie-José and Kent Baum+

Mr. and Mrs. David W. Beach+

Ms. Lydia Beebe

Mr. Daniel C. Belik

Ms. Desa C. Belyea

Dr. and Dr. Anne Leland Benham

Mr. Robert G. Benson

Mr. and Mrs. William H. Bentley

Ms. Carol Benz

Mrs. LaVerne Beres

Diana Bersohn

Ms. Cameron L. Best


Sara and Catherine Harkins+

Mr. and Mrs.* Kenneth Hecht

Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Heckmann

John F. Heil+

Martha and Michael Helms

Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Hemphill

Ms. Kristine T. Hernandez and Mr. Michael R. Glaser

Ms. Shelly Hernandez

Virginia Hind Hodgson

Susan and Russell Holdstein Philanthropic Fund

Sunny Holland and Alan Pryor+

Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Hollenbeck

Ms. Carol Ann Holley

Amal and Denis Hommais

Ms. Billye Howard

JHGM Foundation

Dr. Serena Hu

Cordell and Susan Hull

Ms. Marie L. Hurabiell

Susan and Lyman Hurd

Ms. Margaret C. Hutchins

Carolyn T. Hutton

Mr. Churn Hwang

Ms. Corey Hyde

Ms. Meghan Imrie

Ms. Karen J. Irvin+

Ms. Anne Irwin

Jackson Family+

Dennis and Paula Jaffe

Ms. Lili Jensen

Ms. Berdine Jernigan

Ms. Jane L. Johnson

Todd Jolly and Judith Murio

Debra and Blake Jorgensen

Ms. Roberta Kameda

Bruce and Dasa Katz+

Tom Kennedy

Drs. Douglas and Carol Kerr

Ms. Kathryn Kersey

Mehrzad Khajenoori

Ms. Jennifer H. Kilpatrick

Kevin King and Meridee Moore+

Mrs. Jerome Ormond Kirschbaum+

Mr. and Mrs. Mark S. Koenig

Mr. and Mrs. Martin M. Koffel

Mr. Abner Korn

Ms. Gladys Kwong

Reiko and Yasunobu Kyogoku

Ms. Nicole LaFlamme

Mrs. Brigitte Laier

Mr. Bryan Lamkin and Ms. Arianna Carughi

Ms. Sandy S. Lee

Patricia W. Leicher

Julius Leiman-Carbia and Kyle Thomas Smith

Patricia Lekas and John Wentz+

Mr. and Mrs. Edward M. Leonard+

Mr. and Mrs. Mark R. Lepper+

Robert Levenson and Michelle Shiota

Mr. Fred M. Levin and Ms. Nancy Livingston

Mr. Roy Levin and Mrs. Jan Thomson

Pam G. Lewis+

Ms. Allison Jacobs

Ms. Debra A. Leylegian+

Claire and Herbert Lindenberger+

Dr. Mary Jane W. Loda

Carol and Bill Lokke

Mr. and Mrs. Steve Love

Dan Lowenstein & Mylo Schaaf

Ms. Pirkko Lucchesi

Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Ludgus+

Mr. Harvey Lynch

Leslie MacDonald

Mrs. Rhondalee Mahendroo

Howard and Siesel Maibach+

Dr. Aditi Mandpe

Mr. Richard Martin

Ms. Virginia Martin

Mr. Adolph V. Martinelli

Ms. Connie V. Martinez

Ms. Mary E. Massee

Holly and Stephen Massey

Niko and Steven Mayer+

Dr. and Mrs. W. D. McCallum+

Mr. and Mrs. George McCown+

Mr. Glenn McCoy+

Dan McDaniel, M.D.

Ms. Kathleen McEligot+

Ms. Jean A. McIntyre

Lisa and Jason McPhate

Dr. and Mrs. Bruce Mebine

Mr. David E. Meders

Ms. Alena Meeker

Mr. Martin Melia

Dr. Beryl Mell and Renee Mell+

Mr. Wallace Mersereau

Byron R. Meyer*+

Mr. and Mrs. Lou Meylan

Fred A. Middleton+

Richard Miller and John Vinton+

Ms. Elizabeth Mitchell

Susan and Jack Molinari+

Mr. and Mrs. Ken Moonie+

Gary and Eileen Morgenthaler

Dianne and Brian Morton

Ms. Alexandra Moses+

Mr. Milton J. Mosk and Mr. Thomas Foutch+

Chris Motley & Neil O’Donnell

Ms. Sharon S. Muir

Mr. Roger Murray

Ms. Vija Hovgard Nadai

Mrs. Shirley Negrin+

Dr. Alex Nellas

Drs. Andrew and Lynn Newman+

Jeanne Newman

Cathy and Raul Nicho

Tom Nicoll+

Ms. Allison Nielsen

Patricia and Hayes Noel

Mrs. Wilma J. Nurenberg

Ms. Linda L. Olson and Mr. David Polnaszek

Mr. and Mrs. Philip Ouyang+

Mr. and Mrs. Will Parker

Dr. Eugene H. Peck

Hon. Nancy Pelosi & Mr. Paul Pelosi

Dr. Barbara A. Peters

Mrs. Lois M Peterson

Ms. Patricia Peterson

The Phillips Family+

Dr. Ben M. Picetti

Hilary C. Pierce and Keir J. Beadling

Edward and Linda Plant+

Melissa and Ritchie Post+

Mrs. and Mr. Patrick V. Powers

Burr Preston

Ms. Sandra Price+

Virginia Leung Price and Walter C. Price, Jr.

Mr. John Pringle+

Louis Ptacek and Ying-Hui Fu+

Mr. Fritz Quattlebaum+

Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Ralph

Barbara Rambo* and Thomas A. Goossens+

James Deveney and Steve Rausch

Drs. Garry and Kathy Rayant+

Judge and Mrs. Charles B. Renfrew

Louise and Paul Renne

Ann and Jon Reynolds+

Prof. and Ms. Paul L. Richards

Thomas C. Rindfleisch and A. Carlisle Scott+

Mr. Chip Roame

L.L. Roberts and A.R. Wilbanks+

Jack and Fran Rominger

Ms. Patricia Rosenberg

Kate Rowe+

Mr. Paul L. Rowe and Mr. Michael Sereno

Tiffany Loren Rowe

Mrs. Chandra K. Rudd

Mr. Roberto Ruiz and Mr. Kevin Lee

Nicholas Heldt and Elizabeth Salveson

Louise Adler Sampson

Ms. Letitia Sanders

Donald and Terry Sarver+

Mr. Michael Scagliotti and Mrs. Miya R. Peard

Gwendy and Anthony Scampavia+

Warren A. Schneider

Mr. and Mrs. Paul A. Schroeder

Ms. Deborah Schultz and Mr. Gary Cohen

Mrs. Avé M. Seltsam and Mr. James D. Seltsam, Jr.

Joan and Lynn Seppala

Ms. Teresa Serata

Mr. and Mrs. Gary J. Shapiro+

Yuqiao Shen

Mr. and Mrs. Drew Sievers

Mr. Lawrence J. Simi and Mrs. Janet Rogers

Earl Singer

Mr. Paul Skan

Mr. Jeffrey Sloan

Mrs. Paula Anne Smith

Mr. Stephen R. Smith and Ms. Theresa E. Lahey

Mr. Scott C. Sollers

Mary Ann Somerville+

Lisa J. Stern-Hazlewood+

Mr. Paul Stone

Mrs. Mary Stuard

Jonathan Feinstein and Erika Stuart

Joseph J. Sturkey+

Kimberly and Philip Summe

Darian and Rick Swig+

Roselyne C. Swig*+

Ms. Lita Swiryn

Jane and Jay Taber

Teresa Tang

Ms. Trecia Knapp and Mr. Bruno Tapolsky

Mrs. Bente Tellefsen+

Mr. James Teter

Ms. Holli P. Thier, J.D.

Judy and Harold Ticktin

Mr. Ronald R. Titus

Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Tobkin

Lowell Tong and Alasdair Neale

Ms. Amanda Topper+

Lee Travers

Mr. John Tusch

Charles W. Tuttle, Jr.

Ms. Helen Tyree

Mr. Herbert Uetz

Patricia Unterman and Tim Savinar

Janet Sassoon-Upton and John R. Upton, Jr.+

Karina Velasquez, Esq.

Dr. Conrad Vial

Mrs. Virginia Wade

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Wallace

Mr. Richard Walsh

Emily and Bob Warden

Rosalie V. Weaver

Eitan Fenson and Barbara Weinstein

Mr. and Mrs. Otto Weiss+

Ms. Carol A. Weitz

Melanie and Ronald Wilensky

Ms. Faye Wilson

Mr. and Mrs. Terry Winograd

Ms. Muriel Wolverton

Sharon* and Dr. Russell Woo+

Laureen Woodruff+

Ms. Daphne Wray

Ms. Margaret Wrensch

Ms. Kelly Wulff

Mr. Babak Yazdani

Jacqueline Young

Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Zaragoza

Mr. James Zawada

Catherine Zimmerman

Mr. and Mrs. Harold Zlot

Mrs. Sandra J. Zrnic


INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORTForward-thinking organizations understand the need to create a vibrant civic life in the places they do business. Giving from private, family, and community foundations helps us commission new works; design and build sets and costumes; take the Company on tour; and engage our communities. Leading corporations—local, national, and international—enhance their reputations by supporting SF Ballet performances, touring, special events, and our community engagement programs. And when they do, they are able to promote their brand to an audience of opinion makers, entertain clients at performances, and receive other special benefits as part of a customized benefits package.

To learn more about Foundation giving, contact Elizabeth Luu, Associate Director of Development, Institutional Giving, at [email protected] or 415 865 6616.

To learn more about Corporate giving, contact Colette Whitney, Corporate Giving Manager, at [email protected] or 415 865 6651.

G R A N D B E N E F A C T O R S

$250,000 and above

San Francisco Grants for the Arts


$100,000–$249,999

Hellman Foundation

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

George F. Jewett Foundation

Koret Foundation



$50,000–$99,999

Flora Family Foundation

Stephen and Margaret Gill Family Foundation

The Diana Dollar Knowles Foundation

National Endowment for the Arts

The Shubert Foundation, Inc.


$25,000–$49,999

Mimi and Peter Haas Fund

Heising-Simons Foundation

H. B. and Lucille Horn Foundation

Jerome Robbins Foundation

The Charles Henry Leach, II Fund

E. L. Wiegand Foundation

C H O R E O G R A P H E R ’ S C O U N C I L

$10,000–$14,999

The Guzik Foundation

Walter & Elise Haas Fund

John Brockway Huntington Foundation

Taube Philanthropies

Zellerbach Family Foundation


$5,000–$9,999

Mervyn L. Brenner Foundation, Inc.

Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund

The Hope and Norman Hope Foundation

Walter S. Johnson Foundation

Marin Community Foundation

A S S O C I A T E ’ S C O U N C I L

$2,500–$4,999

Lakeside Foundation

FOUNDATION & GOVERNMENT SUPPORT


$100,000–$249,999

Osterweis Capital Management

P R O D U C E R ’ S C O U N C I L

$75,000–$99,999

Bank of America

WSO2 Inc.


$50,000–$74,999

Chevron

Innovation Global Capital

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Kaiser Permanente

KPMG

Pacific Gas and Electric Company


$25,000–$49,999

First Republic Bank

Tiffany & Co.

Visa


$15,000–$24,999

Almaden

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.

Freed of London

Shreve & Co.

UBS

U.S. Bank Foundation


$10,000–$14,999

B | O| S (Bingham, Osborn & Scarborough, LLC)

Brooks Brothers

Dodge & Cox

Gap Foundation

Lillet

Mechanics Bank Wealth Management

Willis Towers Watson


$5,000–$9,999

Athleta

Denning and Company

Ted Baker


$2,500–$4,999

Fort Point Beer Company

GI Partners

SpotHero

CORPOR ATE SUPPORT

[email protected] • 510-525-7057

www.barbarafracchia.com

Spring/Winter of Life, oil on canvas, 14 x 11

Ballet and Opera Painting by

BARBARA FRACCHIA

PROGRAMS 05 / 06 | 415 865 2000 | 57


$25,000–$49,999

First Republic Bank

Tiffany & Co.

Visa


$15,000–$24,999

Almaden

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.

Freed of London

Shreve & Co.

UBS

U.S. Bank Foundation


$10,000–$14,999

B | O| S (Bingham, Osborn & Scarborough, LLC)

Brooks Brothers

Dodge & Cox

Gap Foundation

Lillet

Mechanics Bank Wealth Management

Willis Towers Watson


$5,000–$9,999

Athleta

Denning and Company

Ted Baker


$2,500–$4,999


GI Partners

SpotHero


$100,000–$249,999

Bay Area Rapid Transit

J Riccardo Benavides

FITNESS SF


$50,000–$99,999

Immersive Productions

McCalls Catering & Events

SmashMallow


$25,000–$49,999

Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards

Nob Hill Gazette

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP


$15,000–$24,999

Allegra Entertainment & Events

Ernest Vineyards

Piedmont Piano


$10,000–$14,999

Almaden

Miette

Ordaz Family Wines

Sbragia Family Vineyards


$5,000–$9,999

Etude Wines



$2,500–$4,999

Diptyque Lillet

IN - KIND SUPPORT

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http://barbarafracchia.com


JOCELYN VOLLMAR LEGACY CIRCLEYour estate gift to SF Ballet puts you in very special company: the Jocelyn Vollmar Legacy Circle. Jocelyn Vollmar’s career extended from performing roles in SF Ballet’s first Nutcracker and Swan Lake to training generations of dancers in SF Ballet School. We created the Jocelyn Vollmar Legacy Circle to recognize and thank those individuals who, as a part of their own legacy, make an investment in the future of SF Ballet.

Members gain special insight into SF Ballet and the creative process of dance through an annual celebratory luncheon and other behind-the-scenes events. Legacy gifts come in all sizes and include gifts from wills and living trusts; gifts that return lifetime income, such as charitable gift annuities; our pooled income fund; and other planned gifts. For information about Legacy Circle membership and estate gift options, please contact Elizabeth Lani, Deputy Director of Development/Planned Giving, at [email protected] or 415 865 6623.

Anonymous (68)Michael C. AbramsonNorman Abramson and David BeerySophie and Ted AldrichAnthony J. AlfidiCal AndersonJola and John M. AndersonDavid and Judith Preves AndersonSteven D. AriasRoulhac and Tom AustinNancy R. AxelrodML Baird, in memory of Travis & Marion BairdRosemary B. BakerRichard C. BarkerValera Ferrea BarnhartMarie Schoppe BarteeMargaret Bates, M.D.Richard and Kathy BealCecelia BeamDr. and Mrs. Walter E. BergerKaren S. BergmanMs. Catherine BergstromShannyn BessoniDavidson Bidwell-Waite and Edwin A. WaiteArthur BienenstockPatricia Ellis BixbyPhyllis B. BlairAviva Shiff BoedeckerJon BorsetDr. Carol BowdenBruce BradenLisa K. BreakeyRon and Susan BriggsLeonard Brill and Richard SanjourCynthia and Frederick BrinkmannAgnes Chen Brown, in memory of Robert Elliott BrownJames R. and Melinda M. BrownWilliam C. BullockMarjorie and Gerald BurnettJulie and David BurnsPatricia ButlerAdrian and Carol ByramPatricia J. CampbellJack CapitoLinda Parker CassadyMichaela CassidyAnnag Rose ChandlerAntoinette ChattonLarry Chow and Ralph WolfDiane and William ClarkeRobert CleggBette Jean Clute

Michael Q. Cohen and Carol Berman CohenMaggie CollinsJane A. CookMary Ellen CopnerColette V.A. CornishSandi CovellDeborah Pearson CowleyKenneth and Diane CoxLynda Meyer CroninGerald CurrierRamona Manke DavisCornelia Y. de SchepperMartha DebsDavid and Alaina DeMartiniKarel and Mark DettermanCharles DishmanChristine H. DohrmannSam Alicia DukePeter and Ludmila EggletonJoseph Ehrman IIICarol EmoryMs. Frances EubanksJoan FalenderMerritt and Mary Lou FinkC. Candace FitzgeraldRichard FitzgeraldVictoria FlavellFrannie FleishhackerJohn and Kelly FoleyMr. and Mrs. Thomas W. FooteMary Jo FrancisDouglas FrantzSandra and Alfred FrickeJoseph and Antonia FriedmanConnie Marie GaglioShelby and Frederick GansJohn GarfinkleJacqueline GhosinStephen and Margaret GillS. Bradley GillaughJane GitschierTeri and Andy GoodmanMeryl Gordon, M.D.Michael W. GradyJeneal GranieriLawrence Grauman, Jr.Joan and Michael GreenPatricia Lindsay and Donald W. GreenRoger W. GreenNeed to ConfirmJames GriesMartin C. HamiltonRosemary (Rosie) Hayes

Terry Hynes HelmCecilia and Jim HerbertJerry HillLinda K. HmeloBetty HoenerHolly and Chris HollenbeckThomas E. HornMr. and Mrs. Terry HoulihanVija M. HovgardHarold D. and Jocelyn P. HughesMarie Louise HurabiellGary IsoardiDorothy and Bradford JeffriesBerdine JerniganMrs. Barbara JohnsonSusan E. and John E. Johnson Jr.Mark G. JonesMrs. René JopéDr. Devorah Joseph, in memory of Nerrissa JosephDavid A. KaplanRose Adams KellyJohn KernsMrs. Jerome Ormond KirschbaumLinda and Robert KlettSuzanne Knott and Tom RoseCarole Dillon KnutsonMs. June KronbergJoan Shelbourne KwansaSharon LamptonMr. and Mrs. Norman Graham LeaperKimun LeeMarcia Lowell LeonhardtIrv Lichtenwald and Stephen R. RippleBetsy LimSusan R. LinCarol and Hal LouchheimBarbara LoweJames J. LudwigMr. and Mrs. Laurence R. LyonsSusan Adair MaleckiJo MarkovichJohn Robert MartinConnie V. MartinezMr. James D. MarverDosia MatthewsGwen and Hamp MauvaisSteven and Niko MayerMs. Shawna Marie McDonaldKathlyn McDonough and Dennis YamamotoDonald L. McGeeMrs. William L. McGeeDr. Terri McGinnis

Betsy and Ed McGuiganEdward M. Silva and James H. McMurraySusan J. MeadowsRobert L. MerjanoSteve MerloKarl Meyer and Kelly HailsJ. Sanford MillerMs. Joyce E. MillerSandra M. MiragliaMr. Sidney F. MobellNancy and Larry MohrPatricia MokMilton J. MoskElise MosseKathleen MuchTom and Anne MullerManfred K. MundeliusPeter Johnson MustoVirginia Mylenki and James J. PidgeonMr. and Mrs. Robert L. NewmanTom NicollJeffrey A. NighNorman and Hillevi NullPeter Nye and James MarksJohn S. OsterweisJohn and Amy PalmerJames O. Pearson, Jr.Laura Holmes PetersRudy PicarelliMichael C. PirrungKaren PosnerSteve and Cleo PostleRoger and Deborah PotashMr. and Mrs. Albert M. PriceJane RadcliffeDave and Judy RedoGlenn H. ReidM.A. Rey-Bear TrustMr. and Mrs. Richard D. RingePat RobertsElsie RobertsonPauline and Richard RoothmanRenee and Dennis RossRenee RubinKarl Ruppenthal and Jo MaxonPat SandersonDorothy SaxeNorman SchlossbergMs. Catherine SchmidtWalter and Sharon SchneiderAl SchroederLeonard C. SchwabHarold E. Segelstad


Mr. and Mrs. Jack SelfChristine SelleMichael and Daryl ShafranJ. Gary and O.J. Shansby FoundationJohn-Luke SheridanMrs. Carter Parrish SherlinCarol R. SholinJames H. McMurrayMarc Sinykin and Kevin OsinskiCharles G. SmithCleveland M. SmithDr. W. Byron SmithM. Eileen Soden, Ph.D.Scott C. SollersSue SommerSharon St. JamesStephen B. SteczynskiNancy SternBarbara and Charles StevensSusanne StevensMrs. Dwight V. StrongJane and Jay TaberMr. and Mrs. Alan TaiJack Eugene TeetersSam Thal, M.D.Richard J. ThalheimerSuzanne and Charles ThorntonJazz TiganMr. and Mrs. Howard TimoneyMichael E. TullyJanet Sassoon-Upton and John R. Upton, Jr.Carolyn and Terry VoetMrs. Katherine WallinMrs. Barbara W. WanvigRosalie V. WeaverDr. Frieda WeinerDaphne and Stuart WellsBenjamin and Mary Ann WhittenKaren and Stephen WielMr. Burlington WillesMichael WilliamsMiles Archer WoodliefLaureen WoodruffDr. Robert and Sharon YoergJanice Hansen ZakinKristine A. ZeiglerMrs. Stephen A. Zellerbach

ESTATE GIFTSSan Francisco Ballet gratefully recognizes the following patrons whose contributions to SF Ballet through their estates have provided meaningful support since July 1, 2015. The Ballet is honored by their generosity and vision for the future of the institution. Bequests and other estate gifts, both large and small, are an integral part of the Ballet’s financial well-being.

$1,000,000 and AboveBarbara A. Daily

Chris Hellman

Donald F. Houghton

Norma Stanberry

Natalie H. Stotz

Arlene H. Sullivan

$500,000–$999,999Milan Milton Holdor

$250,000–$499,000Anonymous

Ruth A. Copley

$100,000–$249,999Earl Diskin

Gloria R. Hendricks

Bernice Itkin

George W. Lord

Dr. Florence R. Oaks

$50,000 to $99,999Ms. Edith Hammerslough

Mason B. Wells

Up to $50,000Anonymous (8)

Carol S. Arnold

Eileen Bobrow

Barbara Deepe

Mr. and Mrs. Rudolf Glauser

Arnold A. Grossman

John E. Leveen

Ruth Morse

Julia Nash

Rachel H. Norman

Jessica M. Putney

Michelle Scholz

Betty S. Thal

San Francisco Ballet in Ratmansky's Shostakovich Trilogy // © Erik Tomasson

FA

MIL

Y

LA

WProud to Support the Arts in San Francisco

575 Market Street, Suite 4000 San Francisco, CA 94105 415.834.1120 www.sflg.com

Personal attention

thoughtful litigation

final resolution

Our goal is to preserve our client’s dignity and humanity.

FAMILY LAW GROUP, P.C.

YOUR LEGACY, OUR FUTURE

Jocelyn Vollmar dedicated her life to dance and to San Francisco Ballet. A San Francisco native, she received her training at SF Ballet School and was a distinguished principal dancer with the Company. Her extraordinary career included important milestones for the organization: she performed in the American premieres of the now-universally loved ballets Swan Lake and Nutcracker, in which she was our first Snow Queen.

In 1948, she was invited by George Balanchine to dance with New York City Ballet in its inaugural year and then performed internationally before returning to complete her performing career here at SF Ballet. After leaving the stage, Jocelyn was a teacher at the SF Ballet School from 1985 to 2005, training generations of dancers. Her contributions have been many in shaping the institution, including her devotion to the art form at the highest standards of excellence.

The Jocelyn Vollmar Legacy Circle is comprised of thoughtful individuals who have made a commitment to our work by including SF Ballet in their will or other estate plans. For information about bequests and other legacy gifts, contact Deputy Director of Development Elizabeth Lani at 415 865 6623 or [email protected].

Jocelyn Vollmar in Marius Petipa’s Don Quixote, circa 1948–1950s

1/6V


ENDOWMENT FOUNDATIONThe San Francisco Ballet Endowment Foundation is a separate nonprofit public benefit corporation that holds and manages endowment funds. It is now the third largest source of revenue for SF Ballet after ticket sales and contributions and supports creating new ballets, touring, scholarships and financial aid for SF Ballet School students, and community education and outreach programs.

Donors who make gifts of $25,000 or more to the endowment have a fund created in their name that can provide general support or support designated for specific uses at SF Ballet, SF Ballet School, and SF Ballet’s education programs. For more information, please contact Elizabeth Lani, Deputy Director of Development/Planned Giving, at [email protected] or 415 865 6623.

SF Ballet is honored to list the following named funds that contribute support for the creation, acquisition, and performance of new works. Those highlighted with an asterisk (*) were fully or primarily funded through bequests and other planned gifts.

ENDOWED FUNDS FOR NEW WORKS

Ernest A. Bates New Works Fund

Burnett Family New Works Fund

Dan and Stacey Case New Works Fund

Robert Clegg New Works Fund

Columbia Foundation New Works Fund

Mary B. Cranston New Works Fund

Suzy Kellems Dominik New Works Fund

Sonia H. Evers New Works Fund

Ford Foundation New Works Fund

Diana Stark and J. Stuart Francis New Works Fund

Stephen and Margaret Gill New Works Fund

Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. New Works Fund

Mimi Haas New Works Fund

Mimi & Peter Haas New Works Fund

Walter & Elise Haas New Works Fund

Sally and William Hambrecht New Works Fund

The Hellman Family New Works Fund

Cecilia and James Herbert New Works Fund

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation New Works Fund

Donald F. Houghton New Works Fund*

George B. James New Works Fund

Lucy and Fritz Jewett New Works Fund

Catherine P. Lego New Works Fund

Paul G. Lego New Works Fund

Irv H. Lichtenwald and Stephen R. Ripple New Works Fund

The Marver Family New Works Fund

Byron R. Meyer Choreographers Fund

Berit and Robert A. Muh New Works Fund

National Endowment for the Arts New Works Fund

Osher New Work Fund

Barbara Ravizza and John Osterweis New Works Fund

Kenneth Rainin New Works Fund*

Bob Ross New Works Fund

Kate and George W. Rowe New Works Fund

The Smelick Family New Works Fund

Gail and Robert M. Smelick New Works Fund

TeRoller Fund for New Productions*

Richard J. Thalheimer New Works Fund

Helen Von Ammon New Works Fund

Karen and David Wegmann New Works Fund

Akiko Yamazaki and Jerry Yang New Works Fund

Anonymous

http://www.sflg.com

YOUR LEGACY, OUR FUTURE

Jocelyn Vollmar dedicated her life to dance and to San Francisco Ballet. A San Francisco native, she received her training at SF Ballet School and was a distinguished principal dancer with the Company. Her extraordinary career included important milestones for the organization: she performed in the American premieres of the now-universally loved ballets Swan Lake and Nutcracker, in which she was our first Snow Queen.

In 1948, she was invited by George Balanchine to dance with New York City Ballet in its inaugural year and then performed internationally before returning to complete her performing career here at SF Ballet. After leaving the stage, Jocelyn was a teacher at the SF Ballet School from 1985 to 2005, training generations of dancers. Her contributions have been many in shaping the institution, including her devotion to the art form at the highest standards of excellence.

The Jocelyn Vollmar Legacy Circle is comprised of thoughtful individuals who have made a commitment to our work by including SF Ballet in their will or other estate plans. For information about bequests and other legacy gifts, contact Deputy Director of Development Elizabeth Lani at 415 865 6623 or [email protected].

Jocelyn Vollmar in Marius Petipa’s Don Quixote, circa 1948–1950s


*Denotes 2019 subscriberListing correct as of February 14, 2019

THANK YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEERS

Ms. Ann Kathryn Baer, President

Mrs. Michelle Gilman Jasen, Vice President

Patrice Lovato and Stewart McDowell Brady

Co-Chairs

Mrs. Ally Sievers, Recording Secretary

Miss Carla Wytmar, Corresponding Secretary

Rosalyn Chen

Paula Elmore

Ms. Beverley Siri Borelli, Treasurer

Mrs. Robert W. Wood, Events Treasurer

Isaac Hall

Susan Marsch

L E A D E R S H I P

L E A D E R S H I P

The San Francisco Ballet “family” extends beyond the stage to include a large community of dedicated and generous

volunteers who are personally involved in the Company’s success. The tireless efforts of these volunteers contribute

greatly to SF Ballet’s accomplishments.

ALLEGRO CIRCLE Allegro Circle is one of our newest organizations—a small and mighty group of donors who also volunteer their networks and their professional

expertise to SF Ballet. Learn more at sfballet.org/allegrocircle.

A C T I V E M E M B E R S

Ms. Donna Bachle

Ms. Deborah Taylor Barrera

Mrs. Kevin W. Bartlett

Ms. Louisa Basarrate

Ms. Carol Benz

Mrs. Steven Bergman

Ms. Catherine Bergstrom

Mrs. William S. Brandenburg

Mrs. Rada Brooks

Mrs. G. Steven Burrill

Mrs. David John Byers

Mrs. Alston Calabrese

Mrs. Kathleen Coffino

Ms. Katie Colendich

Ms. Rebecca Cooper

Mrs. Courtney Dallaire

Mrs. Patricia I. Dassios

Ms. Melissa del Sol

Mrs. John E. Fetzer

Ms. Jane Gazzola

Ms. Diane Goetz

Mrs. Vincent Golde

Ms. Shelley Gordon

Mrs. Colin Greenspon

Mrs. David Grove

Ms. Lori Harmon

Mrs. Joseph Harris, Jr.

Mrs. Ronald R. Heckmann

Mrs. Christopher Hemphill

Ms. Kathryn A. Huber

Ms. Corey Hyde

Mrs. Jonathan Kaufman

Mrs. Rebecca Kaykas-Wolff

Mrs. Trecia Knapp

Ms. Maureen Knoll

Mrs. Carolyn Koenig

Ms. Claire Stewart Kostic

Ms. Rochelle Lacey

Ms. Brenda Leff

Ms. Betsy A. Linder

Mrs. Carol Louie

Mrs. Rhonda Mahendroo

Mrs. Heather Cassady Martin

Mrs. Emily Millman

Dr. Shokooh Miry

Mrs. Elizabeth Robinson Mitchell

Ms. Monika Moscoso-Riddle

Mrs. Sarah Newmarker

Mrs. Michael O’Sullivan

Ms. Hemalee K. Patel

Mrs. Jack Preston

Ms. Virginia Leung Price

Ms. Kacie Renc

Mrs. Patricia D. Roberts

Ms. René Rodman

Ms. Tiffany Loren Rowe

Ms. Dylan Rumley

Ms. Meg Ruxton

Mrs. James D. Seltsam, Jr.

Ms. Grace Nicolson Sorg

Mrs. Christy Swartz

Ms. Holli P. Thier

Mrs. Andrea Valo-Espina

Mrs. Patrick Walravens

Ms. Amy Wender-Hoch

Mrs. Freddi Wilkinson

Mrs. Eric Wold

Mrs. Ronald Zaragoza

Mrs. Helgi Tomasson,

Honorary Member

S U S T A I N I N G M E M B E R S

Ms. Blanca Aguirre

Jola Anderson*

Mrs. Judy Anderson*

Mrs. James P. Anthony*

Mrs. Thomas G. Austin*

Ms. Rosemary B. Baker*

Ms. Katherine Banks*

Mrs. Patrick V. Barber*

Mrs. Kent T. Baum*

Ms. Alletta Bayer

Mrs. Barbara Bechelli*

Mrs. Peter Berliner*

Ms. L’Ann Bingham

Mrs. John W. Bitoff*

Mrs. Athena Blackburn*

Mrs. Richard A. Bocci*

Ms. Giselle Bosc*

Ms. Caroline Krawiec Brownstone*

Ms. Alison Fogg Carlson*

Mrs. Walter Carpeneti*

Dr. Carolyn C. Chang

Mrs. Allen Chozen

Mrs. Charles E. Clemens*

Miss Robin Collins*

Ms. Christine Leong Connors*

Mrs. Daniel P. Cronan*

Ms. Gail De Martini*

Ms. Carleen Hawn DeLay

Ms. Christine DeSanze*

Mrs. Theodore S. Dobos*

Mrs. David Dossetter*

Mrs. Happy Dumas*

Dr. DiAnn Ellis*

Mrs. Douglas J. Engmann*

Mrs. Christian P. Erdman*

Ms. Patricia Ferrin*

Ms. Dixie D. Furlong*

Mrs. Alison Morr Gemperle*

Ms. Layne Gray*

Mrs. William E. Grayson

Ms. Nonie H. Greene*

Mrs. John P. Grotts*

Ms. Barbara S. Hager

Ms. Catherine D. Hargrave*

Ms. Constance Harvey

Mrs. Michael R. Haswell*

Ms. Terry Hynes Helm*

Ms. Mindy Henderson*

Ms. Kelli Hill*

Mrs. Kurt Hoefer

Mrs. Mavin Howley

Ms. Marie Louise Hurabiell*

Mrs. Michael F. Jackson*

Ms. Daru H. Kawalkowski*

Ms. Lisa A. Keith*

Mrs. James C. Kelly

Mrs. Robert D. Kroll*

Mrs. William D. Lamm

Ms. Jean Larette

Miss Elizabeth Leep*

Mrs. Christopher E. Lenzo

Ms. Debra A. Leylegian*

Mrs. Barry R. Lipman*

Ms. Sheila M. Lippman*

Mrs. John C. Lund*

Mrs. Robert W. Maier*

Ms. Susan A. Malecki*

Ms. Sandra Mandel*

Mrs. Michael L. Mauzé*

Mrs. Lynn McGowin

Mrs. Mark A. Medearis*

Mrs. James J. Messemer

Ms. Laura V. Miller*

Ms. Margaret Mitchell

Mrs. Timothy Michael Monahan

Mrs. Dennis Mooradian

Mrs. Jane S. Mudge

Ms. Vickie Nelson*

Mrs. Robert L. Newman*

Mrs. Peggy L. Newton*

Ms. Carole A. Obley*

Ms. Margrit Paul

Mrs. Edward Plant*

Mrs. Nick Podell*

Dame Tanya Marietta Powell*

Ms. Maria K. Ralph*

Mrs. Todd G. Regenold*

Ms. Katherine Robertson*

Ms. Lorrae Rominger*

Ms. Stephanie B. Russell

Mrs. Jay Ryder*

Ms. Isabel M. Sam-Vargas*

Ms. Ellen Sandler*

Mrs. Elaine Wong Shen*

Ms. Merrill Randol*

Mrs. John P. Shuhda

Ms. V’Anne Singleton*

Ms. Karen L. Skidmore*

Mrs. Susan Solinsky*

Mrs. Mathew Spolin*

Mrs. Terrence M. Hazlewood*

Mrs. Jerome J. Suich II

Mrs. Judy Swanson*

Ms. Jody K. Thelander*

Mrs. Charles V. Thornton*

Ms. Valerie D. Toler

Ms. Elizabeth W. Vobach*

Mrs. Gregg von Thaden*

Ms. Barbara Waldman*

Mrs. Wallace Wertsch*

Mrs. Aimee West*

Ms. Patricia Wyrod*

AUXILIARY Vibrant, energetic, and passionately committed to the success of each ballet season, SF Ballet Auxiliary members comprise an exclusive group

of women who leverage their talents in fundraising events that raise more than $4 million for SF Ballet each year.

Gregg Mattner


Steve Merlo, President

Kathryn Roberts, Vice President

Patricia Knight, Secretary

Paulette Cauthorn

Martha Debs

Joan Green

Julie Hawkins

Giovanna Jackson

Pirkko Lucchesi

Daniel Cassell, President

Elizabeth Sgarrella, Vice President

Jamie Lee Taylor, Secretary and Gala Chair

Susan Lin, Treasurer

Christopher Correa, Immediate Past President

Jacqueline Barrett

Jeannie Gill

Alana Naber

Gary Williams

Maggie Winterfeldt Clark

Angela Zhang

L E A D E R S H I P

L E A D E R S H I P

SAN FRANCISCO WAR MEMORIAL & PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

ENCORE! If you’re a young professional who loves dance and a great party, join our 300 plus ENCORE! members at a wide variety of social, educational,

and networking events. Learn more at sfballet.org/encore.

BR AVO Each year BRAVO members contribute a collective total of more than 14,000 hours of volunteer assistance to SF Ballet. In the process they get

a personal close encounter with the inner workings of the world of SF Ballet. Learn more at sfballet.org/bravo.

We are pleased to recognize BRAVO members who contributed 40 hours or more during the 2017–18 Season.

2 5 0 + H O U R S

Corine Assouline*

Paulette Cauthorn

Martha Debs

Julie Hawkins

Giovanna Jackson*

Patricia Knight

Suzanne Knott*

Pirkko Lucchesi

Dosia Matthews

Steve Merlo

Twyla Powers

1 0 0 - 2 4 9 H O U R S

Margaret Anderson

Carolyn Balsley

Philip Fukuda*

Joan Green

James Gries*

Susanne Johnson

Kathy Judd

Elmira Lagundi*

Sabrina Leong

John Mazurski

Roberta McMullan

Patricia Nelson

Deric Patrick

Sherri Relerford

Kathryn Roberts

Pauline Roothman

Herm Sinoy

Lacy Steffens

Karen Wiel*

Michael Williams

Steve Wong

May Yasui

5 5 - 9 9 H O U R S

Marilyn Breen

Jenny Au-Yeung

Jenya Bordas

Jon Borset

Monique Bouskos

Julie Brown-Modenos*

Klara Cheung

Hao Do

Doris Duncan

Vicente Garcia

Keiko Golden

Roger Green

Lydie Hammack

Carolyn Hutchinson

Robin Kinoshita

Carrie Kost

Christine Lasher

Maria Lawrence

Cyndy Lee*

Lucy Lo

Margaret McCormack Wilcox

Keiko Moore*

Gale Niess

Deborrah Ortego

Johanna Payne

Sue Plasai

Sara Pope

Mercedes Rodriguez

Blaine Shirk

Eileen Soden

Stephanie Somersille

Tracy Stoehr

Elena Sukhovnina

Sherrie Szalay*

Susan Warble

Daphne Wray

Eve Zhang

4 0 - 5 4 H O U R S

Edie Bazjanac

Justin Chew

Jeanette Chudnow

Pamela Clark

Donna Diseroad

Linda Drake

Inna Edwards

Janet Gamble

Piers Greenhill

Cindy James

Susan Kalian

Kiyoshi Kimura

Kenneth Kitch

Betsy Lim

John Maher

Linda Miyagawa*

Sara Osaba

Elizabeth Price

Susan Sakai-McClure

Anne Snowball*

Erika Stuart

Joshua Theaker

Steve Trenam

Audrey Tse Treanor

Sylvia Walker*

Stephen Wiel*

Stas Yurkevich

The War Memorial Opera House is owned and operated by the City and County of San Francisco through

the Board of Trustees of the War Memorial of San Francisco.

T R U S T E E S

Nancy H. Bechtle, President

Vaughn R. Walker, Vice President

Belva Davis

Thomas E. Horn

Lt. Col. Wallace I. Levin, CSMR (Ret.)

Gorretti Lo Lui

Mrs. George R. Moscone

MajGen J. Michael Myatt, USMC (Ret.)

Paul F. Pelosi

Charlotte Mailliard Shultz

Diane B. Wilsey

Elizabeth Murray, Managing Director

Jennifer E. Norris, Assistant Managing Director

The Honorable London N. Breed, Mayor

*Denotes 2019 subscriberListing correct as of February 14, 2019

Ms. Beverley Siri Borelli, Treasurer

Mrs. Robert W. Wood, Events Treasurer

The San Francisco Ballet “family” extends beyond the stage to include a large community of dedicated and generous

volunteers who are personally involved in the Company’s success. The tireless efforts of these volunteers contribute

greatly to SF Ballet’s accomplishments.

ALLEGRO CIRCLE Allegro Circle is one of our newest organizations—a small and mighty group of donors who also volunteer their networks and their professional

expertise to SF Ballet. Learn more at sfballet.org/allegrocircle.

AUXILIARY Vibrant, energetic, and passionately committed to the success of each ballet season, SF Ballet Auxiliary members comprise an exclusive group

of women who leverage their talents in fundraising events that raise more than $4 million for SF Ballet each year.

*Denotes 25 or more years of BRAVO membership

Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01527235. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been veri-fied. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footage are approximate.

*$12M+ Sale Price, San Francisco County

The Powerof Two

Year after year, Malin and Neal set

new standards with record-breaking

prices never before achieved.

Consistently heralded as icons of the

luxury market, they have represented

83% of the most prestigious homes

sold in 2018*. In San Francisco’s most

exclusive neighborhoods, Malin and

Neal are the recognized leaders.

Together they represented the five highest

priced home sales of 2018 in San Francisco.

See where The Power of Two can take you.

Gold Coast

$39,000,000

Gold Coast

$32,000,000

Pacific Heights

$25,000,000

Presidio Heights

$18,500,000

Russian Hill

$16,500,000

Malin Giddings

415.531.5033

[email protected]

sfproperties.com

DRE 00511339

Neal Ward

415.269.9933

[email protected]

nealwardproperties.com

DRE 01052285

Untitled-5 1 2/25/19 11:31 AM

LAST WORDS ON “ . . . TWO UNITED IN A SINGLE SOUL . . . ”

Joseph Walsh rehearsing Possokhov’s “ . . . two united in a single soul . . . ” // © Erik Tomasson

“No more my shade deceives me, I perceive

‘Tis I in thee—I love myself—the flame

arises in my breast and burns my heart—

what shall I do? Shall I at once implore?

Or should I linger till my love is sought?

What is it I implore? The thing that I

desire is mine—abundance makes me poor.

Oh, I am tortured by a strange desire

unknown to me before, for I would fain

put off this mortal form; which only means

I wish the object of my love away.

Grief saps my strength, the sands of life are run,

and in my early youth am I cut off;

but death is not my bane—it ends my woe.—

I would not death for this that is my love,

as two united in a single soul

would die as one.”

—Metamorphoses, by Ovid (translation by Brookes More)

FP 7


http://www.nealwardproperties.com

Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01527235. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been veri-fied. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footage are approximate.

*$12M+ Sale Price, San Francisco County

The Powerof Two

Year after year, Malin and Neal set

new standards with record-breaking

prices never before achieved.

Consistently heralded as icons of the

luxury market, they have represented

83% of the most prestigious homes

sold in 2018*. In San Francisco’s most

exclusive neighborhoods, Malin and

Neal are the recognized leaders.

Together they represented the five highest

priced home sales of 2018 in San Francisco.

See where The Power of Two can take you.

Gold Coast

$39,000,000

Gold Coast

$32,000,000

Pacific Heights

$25,000,000

Presidio Heights

$18,500,000

Russian Hill

$16,500,000

Malin Giddings

415.531.5033

[email protected]

sfproperties.com

DRE 00511339

Neal Ward

415.269.9933

[email protected]

nealwardproperties.com

DRE 01052285

Untitled-5 1 2/25/19 11:31 AM

http://www.nealwardproperties.com

EAP full-page template.indd 1 1/31/19 1:59 PM

http://hermes.com

2019 SEASON LYRIC VOICES / SPACE BETWEEN

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