2017 Season Infinite Worlds PROGRAM 03 Frankenstein “ City National helps keep my financial life in tune.” So much of my life is always shifting; a different city, a different piece of music, a different ensemble. I need people who I can count on to help keep my financial life on course so I can focus on creating and sharing the “adventures” of classical music. City National shares my passion and is instrumental in helping me bring classical music to audiences all over the world. They enjoy being a part of what I do and love. That is the essence of a successful relationship. City National is The way up® for me. Michael Tilson Thomas Conductor, Educator and Composer Hear Michael’s complete story at cnb.com/Tuned2SF Find your way up.SM Call (866) 618-5242 to learn more. 17 City National Bank 17 City National 0 ©2 City National Personal Banking CNB MEMBER FDIC February 2017 Volume 94, No. 4 Table of Contents PROGRAM Paul Heppner Publisher Susan Peterson 03 Design & Production Director PAGE 26 Ana Alvira, Robin Kessler, Shaun Swick, Stevie VanBronkhorst Production Artists and Graphic Design 5 Greetings from the Artistic Director 41 Sponsor & Donor News Mike Hathaway Sales Director & Principal Choreographer 44 Great Benefactors Marilyn Kallins, Terri Reed, Rob Scott 7 History of San Francisco Ballet San Francisco/Bay Area Account Executives 45 Artistic Director’s Council Brieanna Bright, 9 Board of Trustees Joey Chapman, Ann Manning Endowment Foundation Board 46 Season Sponsors Seattle Area Account Executives Jonathan Shipley 11 For Your Information 49 The Chairman’s Council Ad Services Coordinator Carol Yip 12 Explore Ballet 51 The Christensen Society Sales Coordinator 17 Leadership 54 Corporate & Foundation Support 18 Artists of the Company 56 San Francisco Ballet Principal Dancers Endowment Foundation Principal Character Dancers Soloists 58 The Jocelyn Vollmar Legacy Circle Corps de Ballet Paul Heppner 61 Thank You to Our Volunteers President 26 Program 03 Mike Hathaway Frankenstein 62 San Francisco War Memorial and Vice President Performing Arts Center Genay Genereux 36 San Francisco Ballet Orchestra Accounting & Office Manager Sara Keats 38 San Francisco Ballet Staff Marketing Manager Ryan Devlin 40 Calendar of 2017 Repertory Season Business Development Manager Donor Events Corporate Office San Francisco Ballet | Vol. 94, No. 4 425 North 85th Street Seattle, WA 98103 2017 Repertory Season p 206.443.0445 f 206.443.1246 All editorial material © San Francisco Ballet, 2017 Chris Hellman Center for Dance [email protected] 455 Franklin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 800.308.2898 x105 www.encoremediagroup.com Cover: Vitor Luiz // © Erik Tomasson Above: The Royal Ballet’s Steven McRae as The Creature, Federico Bonelli as Victor Frankenstein, and Alexander Campbell as Henry Clerval in Liam Scarlett’s Frankenstein // © 2016 The Royal Opera House. Photo by Bill Cooper FOLLOW US BEFORE AND AFTER THE PERFORMANCE! Encore Arts Programs is published monthly by Encore Media facebook.com/sfballet twitter.com/sfballet Group to serve musical and theatrical events in the Puget Sound and San Francisco Bay Areas. All rights reserved. youtube.com/sfballet instagram.com/sfballet ©2017 Encore Media Group. Reproduction without written permission is prohibited. PROGRAM 03 SAN FRANCISCO BALLET 3 2017 Season Infinite Worlds Try a Triple Bill for the Ultimate Ballet Experience A triple-bill program offers the allure of variety and possibility. Carefully curated to include a range of styles, moods and viewpoints, our triple bills are spectacular combinations of world premieres, audience favorites, and iconic works. UPCOMING TRIPLE BILLS Must-See Balanchine | Mar 07–18 Contemporary Voices | Mar 09–19 Made for SF Ballet | Apr 05–18 Take a chance—you may find out that this is exactly what you’ve been looking for in ballet. // © Erik Tomasson Trio Visit sfballet.org/tryatriplebill for program descriptions and dates. Vanessa Zahorian and Vitor Luiz in Tomasson’s in Tomasson’s Zahorian and Vitor Luiz Vanessa BUY TICKETS TODAY sfballet.org 415 865 2000 | Mon–Fri, 10 am–4 pm 2017 Season Media Sponsors Greetings from the Artistic Director & Principal Choreographer Thank you for joining us for the North American premiere of Frankenstein. When I saw the world premiere in London last spring (this ballet is the result of a wonderful collaboration with The Royal Ballet), I knew audiences in San Francisco would love it. From the opening storm to the emergence of the Creature to the fiery finale, this is an astonishing, engrossing new work. Creating a brand-new, full-length story ballet is always a risk — one that’s important to keep taking in order to challenge our dancers, to invest in choreographers, and to keep the art form vibrant. Many of the beloved story ballets in our repertory were originally created more than 100 years ago: Don Quixote (1869), Coppélia (1871), Swan Lake (1877), and Nutcracker (1892). These treasured works are the classical foundation that our Company is built upon, and yet at SF Ballet we also continue to look forward, to explore new ways to tell dynamic stories that stir the imagination. Finding a story with the right mix of drama and poetry to translate into a compelling ballet is as challenging as coordinating a new co-production across two continents. When Kevin O’Hare, director of The Royal Ballet, approached me about a Erik Tomasson co-production of Frankenstein, I was immediately intrigued. © Mary Shelley’s novel has the potential to engage on many levels — as a suspenseful story, an evocation of the universal longing for love and acceptance, an exploration of the dark recesses of the soul, and countless others. Liam Scarlett’s first work for us, Hummingbird, was the unqualified hit of the 2014 Season. Watching Liam create that work and his subsequent Fearful Symmetries, I became convinced of his storytelling ability. Liam has recently spent more time here in San Francisco working with our dancers to deepen their connection to Frankenstein, and I’m thrilled with the progress that’s been made. I hope you enjoy Frankenstein, and I invite you to return for more of our 2017 Repertory Season, which continues into May with three dynamic triple-bill programs as well as Swan Lake and Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella©. Sincerely, Helgi Tomasson Artistic Director & Principal Choreographer PROGRAM 03 SAN FRANCISCO BALLET 5 PACIFIC HEIGHTS | $6,950,000 SANTA ROSA | $3,995,000 Grand Queen Anne Victorian on a large lot with 7+ bedrooms, Custom home with 5 bedrooms, 5.5 baths, 3 car parking. Highly 3.5 baths, garage and coveted south garden. PacHtsHome.com functional, aesthetically exquisite. EntertainersDreamHome.com Janet Feinberg Schindler 415.265.5994 Maria Marchetti 415.699.8008 MARINA | $2,695,000 MARIN COUNTY | $2,500,000 Luxe living. Fully renovated 2-level home with 3 bedrooms and Brand new 5 bedroom, 4.5 bath home on approx. 2.5 acres. Approx. 2.5 baths. Landscaped deeded garden, deck. 2330Francisco.com 15 miles to Golden Gate Bridge, near downtown night life in Marin. 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History of San Francisco Ballet A tradition of innovation flows through Helgi Tomasson’s arrival as artistic director in the history of San Francisco Ballet. As 1985 began a new era at SF Ballet. Like Lew America’s oldest professional ballet Christensen, Tomasson had been a leading company, SF Ballet has always built upon dancer for George Balanchine, one of the most strong classical roots, while continually prominent choreographers of the 20th century. exploring and redefining where the art Tomasson has choreographed extensively for the form is headed. The San Francisco Opera Company and has staged acclaimed full-length Ballet was founded in 1933, primarily to productions of Swan Lake (1988, 2009); The prepare dancers to appear in lavish opera Sleeping Beauty (1990); Romeo & Juliet (1994); productions. In 1942, the ballet officially Giselle (1999); and a new Nutcracker (2004). He separated from the opera and was has also expanded the repertory to include new renamed San Francisco Ballet. works by choreographers William Forsythe, Mark Morris, Paul Taylor, Christopher Wheeldon, Val From the late 1930s to the 1970s, SF Caniparoli, and many others. Ballet was led by three brothers: Willam, Lew, and Harold Christensen. The young In 1991, SF Ballet performed in New York City for company was the first to create full-length the first time in 26 years. The New York Times American productions of Swan Lake (1940) proclaimed, “Mr. Tomasson has accomplished and Nutcracker (1944). SF Ballet performed the unprecedented: He has pulled a so-called on the East Coast for the first time in 1956, regional company into the national ranks, and at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. The he has done so by honing the dancers into a following year, the Company toured 11 classical style of astonishing verve and purity. Asian nations, the first performances of an SF Ballet under Helgi Tomasson’s leadership is American ballet company in Asia.