Why You Should Not Miss The Second Half Of SF Ballet’s Season

Photo Credit: © Erik Tomasson

From the incredible dancers to the innovative choreography to the fabulous events, there is much to love about San Francisco Ballet. There’s only one disappointing thing: the fact that its season is so short! Blink, and you could very well miss one of the world premieres or story ballets. This year the company opened its repertory season with a gala on January 23, and it concludes on May 12 with each program showing less than 10 times.

Photo Credit: © Erik Tomasson

Thanks to the Unbound Festival, the 2018 season concluded with a bang—and this year many of the most anticipated dances are coming up. Last night was the world premiere of Yuri Possokov’s ballet, …two united in a single soul…Possokov’s work explores the myth of Narcissus, who falls in love with his reflection. It’s supposed to be an interesting piece—ballet dancers spend their entire lives staring at their reflection in the mirror. The ballet features three males and two females with the debut danced by the creme de la creme of principals, Joseph Walsh, Yuan Yuan Tan, Aaron Robison, Sofiane Sylve, and Luke Ingham.

Photo Credit: © Erik Tomasson

Also on the playbill? Bound To, Christopher Wheeldon’s exploration of humans connections to and disconnections from technology, in particular smartphones. It’s a fascinating concept to illustrate through dance.

Photo Credit: © Erik Tomasson

Tomorrow Friday, March 29 will be the premiere of a new piece by Liam Scarlett that looks at the definition of death. Also, that evening is Justin Peck’s Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes and Arthur Pita’s Björk Ballet, which premiered at Unbound, and features music by Björk. Rodeo is noteworthy because it’s set to Aaron Copland‘s iconic score, but features 15 male dancers and one female and highlights both tenderness and competitiveness of male dancers not generally seen on stage.

Photo Credit: © Erik Tomasson

The final ballet you should not miss is The Little Mermaid by John Neumeier, which opens on April 19. It’s not Disney’s Little Mermaid, but a darker variation about a woman who risks losing everything for love and struggles as she attempts to become something she is not. The score includes a theremin, a unique electronic instrument that will be played by Carolina Eyck, arguably the world’s foremost theremin player—for the run of the show. It promises to be an exciting and enlightening performance.