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San Francisco Ballet is the oldest ballet company in the United States, founded in 1933 as the San Francisco Opera Ballet under the leadership of ballet master Adolph Bolm. The company is currently based in the War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, and effective December 2022 under the direction of Tamara Rojo. It is among the world's leading dance companies, presenting more than 100 performances annually, with a repertoire that spans both classical and contemporary ballet. Along with
American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant, it is recognized as one of the world's leading classical ballet companies. Through 2019, it had an annual ei ...
and the New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet has been described as part of the "triumvirate of great classical companies defining the American style on the world stage today".


History


Founding: Christensen brothers

Willam Christensen,
Harold Christensen San Francisco Ballet is the oldest ballet company in the United States, founded in 1933 as the San Francisco Opera Ballet under the leadership of ballet master Adolph Bolm. The company is currently based in the War Memorial Opera House, San Franc ...
, and
Lew Christensen Lewellyn Farr Christensen (May 6, 1909 – October 9, 1984) was a ballet dancer, choreographer and director for many companies. He was largely associated with George Balanchine and the San Francisco Ballet, which he directed from 1952–1984. ...
made up the famed trio of brothers considered by many to have done more than anyone else to establish ballet in the United States. Born into an artistic and musical family, the three brothers studied folk dance and ballet from early ages and went on to tour the famous vaudeville Orpheum Circuit during the 1920s and 1930s, exposing many Americans to ballet for the first time with their act "The Christ Brothers". As vaudeville faded from American popular culture, Harold and Lew joined
George Balanchine George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze; ka, გიორგი მელიტონის ძე ბალანჩივაძე; January 22, 1904 (O. S. January 9) – April 30, 1983) was ...
's new company, American Ballet, in 1935. In 1932, Willam formed a ballet school in Portland, Oregon; in 1937, he was engaged as principal male soloist by San Francisco Opera Ballet. He became the company's ballet master and choreographer in 1938. With his brother Harold, he purchased the company from the Opera in 1942, renaming it San Francisco Ballet.Craine, Debra; Mackrell, Judith (2010).
The Oxford Dictionary of Dance
'. Oxford University Press, USA.
In 1951, Willam retired as director of SF Ballet and moved to Utah, where he started teaching ballet in the country's first university ballet department at the University of Utah. With a group of his students, he founded the Utah Civic Ballet (now known as Ballet West) in 1963; the company remained under Christensen's directorship until 1978. Under Balanchine's tutelage at American Ballet, Lew Christensen became the first American-born '' danseur noble''. The United States Army drafted Christensen to fight in World War II. After the war ended, he joined Balanchine's and
Lincoln Kirstein Lincoln Edward Kirstein (May 4, 1907 – January 5, 1996) was an American writer, impresario, art connoisseur, philanthropist, and cultural figure in New York City, noted especially as co-founder of the New York City Ballet. He developed and sus ...
's Ballet Society (soon to become New York City Ballet), eventually becoming ballet master; he served in the role from 1946 until 1950. In 1951, he joined his brother Willam as co-director of San Francisco Ballet. When Willam moved to Salt Lake City later that year, Lew took over as full director of SF Ballet; he held the position until 1976, when Michael Smuin joined him as co-director. Lew Christensen remained SF Ballet co-director until 1984, the year of his death. After leaving the vaudeville circuit in 1935, Harold Christensen danced with American Ballet, San Francisco Opera Ballet, Kirstein's Ballet Caravan, and San Francisco Ballet until his retirement from the stage in 1946. In 1940, his brother Willam invited him to become director of the San Francisco Ballet School, and in 1942 he and Willam purchased the SF Ballet. Harold continued to serve as the school's director until his retirement in 1975.


1938–1950

In 1938, the company's first major production was '' Coppélia'', choreographed by Willam Christensen. In 1940, it staged ''
Swan Lake ''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoye ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, link=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failur ...
'', the first time that the ballet was produced in its entirety by an American company. On Christmas Eve 1944, the company staged '' Nutcracker''—the first complete production of Tchaikovsky's most popular piece ever danced in the United States. In 1942, San Francisco Opera Ballet split into two independent companies, ballet and opera. The ballet half was sold to Willam and Harold Christensen. Willam became artistic director, while Harold took on the job of director of the San Francisco Ballet School. The San Francisco Ballet Guild was also formed as a support organization for San Francisco Ballet.


1951–1972

The year 1951 marked a significant shift in administration of San Francisco Ballet. Lew Christensen—'' premier danseur'' at the time—partnered with his brother Willam Christensen as co-directors. Then in 1952, Lew Christensen took over as sole director. Under his guidance, San Francisco Ballet began to travel and establish itself as a significant American ballet company. Until 1956, San Francisco Ballet had remained on the
West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...
, but Christensen took the company to the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in Massachusetts. In 1957, it was the first American ballet company to tour the Far East, performing in 11 Asian nations. On New Year's Day 1965, ABC-TV televised a one-hour abridgement of the Lew Christensen-choreographed production of ''Nutcracker'' featuring San Francisco Ballet. In 1972, San Francisco's War Memorial Opera House was named the official residence of San Francisco Ballet.


1973–1985

In 1973, Michael Smuin became co-artistic director of San Francisco Ballet with Lew Christensen; Smuin had danced with the Company from 1953 to 1961. Under his direction, the national and international profile of SF Ballet was raised significantly by the broad success of productions such as 1977's ''Romeo and Juliet'', which aired on the PBS series '' Great Performances: Dance in America'' in 1978. This televised performance marked the first time that a West Coast ballet company, and a full-length ballet, was shown on the PBS TV series.Upper, Nancy (2004).
Dancers in Career Transition
' McFarland and Co.
PBS televised three more of Smuin's SF Ballet productions, and his productions of '' The Tempest'' and ''A Song for Dead Warriors'' went on to win
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
s. Smuin led the company until 1985.


1985–present

Helgi Tomasson's 1985 arrival as artistic director marked the beginning of a new era for San Francisco Ballet. Under Tomasson's direction, San Francisco Ballet has been recognized as one of the most innovative ballet companies in the world due to its early and frequent commissioning of new works by aspiring choreographers around the globe, the breadth of its repertory—spanning classical ballet, neoclassical ballet, and contemporary ballet—and the diversity of its company members. The '' Financial Times'' noted in 2012, "Tomasson ... helped shatter the distinction between the US top companies and so-called 'regional companies. Over a span of more than 25 years, Tomasson has staged acclaimed full-length productions of classics including ''
Swan Lake ''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoye ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, link=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failur ...
'' (1988, 2009); '' The Sleeping Beauty'' (1990); ''
Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...
'' (1994); ''
Giselle ''Giselle'' (; ), originally titled ''Giselle, ou les Wilis'' (, ''Giselle, or The Wilis''), is a romantic ballet (" ballet-pantomime") in two acts with music by Adolphe Adam. Considered a masterwork in the classical ballet performance canon, ...
'' (1999); '' Don Quixote'', co-staged with former principal dancer and current choreographer in residence Yuri Possokhov (2003); and '' Nutcracker'' (2004). Tomasson's ''Nutcracker'', set in San Francisco during the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition, is notable for being the only uniquely San Francisco ''Nutcracker''. It features sets (including "a backdrop of San Francisco's Victorian houses known as 'painted ladies) and costumes created by, respectively, Michael Yeargan and Martin Pakledinaz, both repeat Tony Award-winning designers.Steinberg, Cobbett (1983). San Francisco Ballet: The First Fifty Years. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. . Upon its premiere, '' The New York Times'' called Tomasson's ''Nutcracker'' "striking, elegant and beautiful". Today, San Francisco Ballet presents approximately 100 performances each year. The company's diverse repertory includes works by Sir Frederick Ashton,
George Balanchine George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze; ka, გიორგი მელიტონის ძე ბალანჩივაძე; January 22, 1904 (O. S. January 9) – April 30, 1983) was ...
, David Bintley,
August Bournonville August Bournonville (21 August 1805 – 30 November 1879) was a Danish ballet master and choreographer. He was the son of Antoine Bournonville, a dancer and choreographer trained under the French choreographer, Jean Georges Noverre, and the nep ...
, Val Caniparoli,
Lew Christensen Lewellyn Farr Christensen (May 6, 1909 – October 9, 1984) was a ballet dancer, choreographer and director for many companies. He was largely associated with George Balanchine and the San Francisco Ballet, which he directed from 1952–1984. ...
, Nacho Duato,
Jorma Elo Jorma Elo is a contemporary choreographer. Early life He was born 30 August 1961 in Helsinki, Finland. His father, Jaakko Elo, is a urological surgeon, mother Ruth Elo née Carlstedt, a dentist. Jorma Elo's partner since 1994 is Nancy Euverin ...
, William Forsythe,
James Kudelka James Kudelka, OC (born September 10, 1955 at Newmarket, Ontario), is a Canadian choreographer, dancer, and director. He was the artistic director of the National Ballet of Canada from 1996 to 2005, now serving as the National Ballet's artist in ...
, Jirí Kylián, Serge Lifar, Lar Lubovitch,
Wayne McGregor Wayne McGregor, CBE (born 12 March 1970) is a multi award-winning British choreographer and director. He is the Artistic Director of Studio Wayne McGregor and Resident Choreographer of The Royal Ballet. McGregor was appointed Commander of ...
,
Agnes de Mille Agnes George de Mille (September 18, 1905 – October 7, 1993) was an American dancer and choreographer. Early years Agnes de Mille was born in New York City into a well-connected family of theater professionals. Her father William C. deMill ...
,
Sir Kenneth MacMillan Sir Kenneth MacMillan (11 December 192929 October 1992) was a British ballet dancer and choreographer who was artistic director of the Royal Ballet in London between 1970 and 1977, and its principal choreographer from 1977 until his death. Ea ...
, Hans van Manen, Peter Martins, Mark Morris, Rudolf Nureyev,
Marius Petipa Marius Ivanovich Petipa (russian: Мариус Иванович Петипа), born Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa (11 March 1818), was a French ballet dancer, pedagogue and choreographer. Petipa is one of the most influential ballet masters an ...
,
Roland Petit Roland Petit (13 January 192410 July 2011) was a French ballet company director, choreographer and dancer. He trained at the Paris Opera Ballet school, and became well known for his creative ballets. Life and work The son of shoe designer Rose ...
, Yuri Possokhov, Alexei Ratmansky, Jerome Robbins,
Liam Scarlett Liam Scarlett (8 April 198616 April 2021) was a British choreographer who was an artist in residence with The Royal Ballet and artistic associate with Queensland Ballet. He also choreographed new works for Ballet Black, Miami City Ballet, No ...
, Paul Taylor, Helgi Tomasson, Antony Tudor, and
Christopher Wheeldon Christopher Peter Wheeldon OBE (born 22 March 1973) is an English international choreographer of contemporary ballet. Life and career Born in Yeovil, Somerset, to an engineer and a physical therapist, Wheeldon began training to be a ballet dan ...
. In 2010, the Ballet's opening-night gala, ''Silver Celebration'', honored Tomasson's 25 years as artistic director.America's Oldest Professional Ballet Company Honors Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson's 25th Anniversary with a Special Gala
/ref> The Gala Opening of San Francisco Ballet's 80th Season included ''Tarantella'' pas de deux, ''L'Arlesienne'' solo, ''Flower Festival at Genzano'' pas de deux, ''In the Passerine's Clutch'', ''Raymonda''’s Act II solo, ''Trio'' second movement, ''Don Quixote'' grand pas de deux, ''Onegin'' Act 1 pas de deux, ''Stars and Stripes'' pas de deux, ''After the Rain'' pas de deux, and excerpts from ''Suite en Blanc''. San Francisco Ballet's 2013 season included ''Trio'', ''Ghost'' and ''Borderlands'' as well as ''Suite en blanc'', ''In the night'', ''Nijinsky'', ''The Rite of Spring'', ''Onegin'', ''Raymonda Act III'' and ''Cinderella''. The 2014 season included ''Giselle'', ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', ''Tears'', ''Borderlands'', ''From Foreign Lands'', ''Firebird'', ''Ghosts'', ''The Kingdom of the Shades from La Bayadère'', ''Cinderella'', ''Shostakovich Trilogy'', ''Caprice'', ''Maelstrom'', ''The Rite of Spring'', ''Hummingbird'', ''The Fifth Season'', ''Suite en Blanc'', ''Agon'', ''Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet'', and ''Glass Pieces''. The 2015 season included ''Serenade, RAkU, Lambarena, Giselle, The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude, Variations for Two Couples, Manifesto, The Kingdom of the Shades from La Bayadère, Act II, Dances at a Gathering, Hummingbird, Don Quixote, Shostakovich Trilogy, Caprice, Swimmer,'' and ''Romeo & Juliet''. The 2017 season included "Haffner Symphony," "Fragile Vessels," "
In the Countenance of Kings ''In the Countenance of Kings'' is a ballet choreographed by Justin Peck to music from Sufjan Stevens's '' The BQE''. The ballet was Peck's first ballet made for the San Francisco Ballet, and premiered in 2016 at the War Memorial Opera House. P ...
," "Seven Sonatas," "Optimistic Tragedy," "Pas/Parts 2016," "Frankenstein," "Stravinsky Violin Concerto," "Prodigal Son," "Diamonds," "Fusion," "Salome," "Fearful Symmetries," "Swan Lake," "Trio," "Ghost in the Machine," "Within the Golden Hour," and "Cinderella." In January 2021, Tomasson announced that he will retire from the company at the end of 2022. In January 2022, it was announced that
Tamara Rojo Tamara Rojo CBE (born 17 May 1974) is a Spanish ballet dancer. She is the English National Ballet's artistic director (2012–2022) and a lead principal dancer with the company. She was previously a principal dancer with The Royal Ballet. She ...
will succeed Tomasson.


Programming

San Francisco Ballet performs repertory from January through May at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. In addition, the company performs in July at the Stern Grove Festival in San Francisco, tours nationally in the summer and fall, and presents ''Nutcracker'' in December at the War Memorial Opera House.


Festivals and touring

In 1991, San Francisco Ballet performed in New York City for the first time in 26 years, returning in 1993, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2008, and 2013. Following the initial tour, ''The New York Times'' proclaimed, "Mr. Tomasson has accomplished the unprecedented: He has pulled a so-called regional company into the national ranks, and he has done so by honing the dancers into a classical style of astonishing verve and purity. San Francisco Ballet under Helgi Tomasson's leadership is one of the spectacular success stories of the arts in America." In May 1995, San Francisco Ballet hosted 12 ballet companies from around the world for UNited We Dance: An International Festival. The festival commemorated the 50th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter, which took place at the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center. In fall 2008, as part of the company's 75th anniversary celebration, San Francisco Ballet embarked on a critically acclaimed four-city American tour with engagements at Chicago's Harris Theater for Music and Dance, New York City Center, Southern California's Segerstrom Center for the Arts, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The year culminated in a New Works Festival of world premieres by 10 of the dance world's most acclaimed choreographers—Julia Adam, Val Caniparoli, Jorma Elo,
Margaret Jenkins Margaret Jenkins (born 1942) is a postmodern choreographer based in San Francisco, California. She was a Guggenheim Fellow in 1980 and in 2003, San Francisco mayor, Willie Brown, declared April 24 to be Margaret Jenkins Day. Biography Jenkins ...
, James Kudelka, Mark Morris, Yuri Possokhov, Paul Taylor, Stanton Welch, and Christopher Wheeldon. Other anniversary initiatives included a commemorative book, ''San Francisco Ballet at Seventy-Five'', and the broadcast of Tomasson's ''Nutcracker'' in December 2008 on the ''Great Performances: Dance in America'' series on PBS, produced in partnership with
KQED KQED may refer to: * KQED (TV), a PBS member station in San Francisco * KQED-FM KQED-FM (88.5 MHz) is a NPR-member radio station in San Francisco, California. Its parent organization is KQED Inc., which also owns its television partners, both ...
Public Television in San Francisco. San Francisco Ballet also performed in frequent overseas tours, including engagements at prestigious venues such as the famed Opéra de Paris-Palais Garnier in Paris (1994, 2001); London's
Sadler's Wells Theatre Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue in Clerkenwell, London, England located on Rosebery Avenue next to New River Head. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500-seat ...
(1999, 2004, 2012) and Royal Opera House in
Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...
(2002); Athens' Megaron Theatre (2002) and Herod Atticus Amphitheatre (2004); Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens (1998, 2010); and the Edinburgh International Festival at the Edinburgh Playhouse (1997, 2003). In fall 2009, San Francisco Ballet made its first trip to the People's Republic of China, with performances in Shanghai and Beijing. In 2012, San Francisco Ballet embarked on the longest tour in the company's history, with engagements in London and Washington, DC, as well as first-time visits to Hamburg, Germany; Moscow; and Sun Valley, Idaho.


Broadcast and media projects

In 1978, San Francisco Ballet's Michael Smuin-directed production of ''Romeo and Juliet'' became the first production by a West Coast ballet company, and the first full-length ballet, to be aired by the PBS ''Great Performances: Dance in America'' television series. Under the direction of Smuin, the ballet's 1981 production of ''The Tempest'' became the first ballet to be broadcast live (on PBS) from the War Memorial Opera House. Three years later, the 1984 PBS broadcast of the Ballet's performance of ''A Song for Dead Warriors'' earned Smuin an Emmy. The fruitful relationship between PBS and SF Ballet continues to this day, with regular broadcasts of the Ballet's 2007 production of ''Nutcracker'', choreographed by Helgi Tomasson. I Also in 2007, the Company had its first theatrical release with ''Nutcracker'', shown in limited theaters in Canada, Australia, and the U.S. In 2011, theatrical distributor IndieNetFilms arranged for additional screenings throughout the U.S. and Canada. In December 2011, the U.S. premiere of John Neumeier's ''The Little Mermaid'', performed by San Francisco Ballet, was broadcast nationally on PBS's ''Great Performances: Dance in America'', and also internationally. DVDs of the ''Nutcracker'' and ''The Little Mermaid'' performances were released in 2008 and 2011, respectively. CD recordings of the complete score of ''Nutcracker'' and Shinji Eshima's ''RAkU'' were released in 2010 and 2012, respectively.


Accolades and awards

The company has garnered numerous accolades and awards. In 2005, San Francisco Ballet won its first
Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...
, in the category of Outstanding Achievement in Dance, for its 2004 fall season at Sadler's Wells Theatre. Of the engagement, London's '' The Sunday Times'' proclaimed, "Helgi Tomasson's outstanding artistic direction ... has transformed a regional American troupe into one of the world's top ballet companies." In 2006, in a readers' poll conducted by ''Dance Europe'' magazine, San Francisco Ballet was the first non-European company to be voted "Company of the Year". In 2008, San Francisco Ballet received the Jerome Robbins Award for excellence in dance. In 2012, Helgi Tomasson was named recipient of the Dance/USA Honor, acknowledging individuals' contributions to dance in America and the role they play in the national dance community. Most recently, San Francisco Ballet was nominated in the category of Outstanding Company by the 2014
National Dance Awards The National Dance Awards are presented annually in the United Kingdom by The Critics' Circle, and are awarded to recognise excellence in professional dance. They are widely regarded as the most prestigious award presented for dance in the UK, a ...
, based in the U.K.


Company

The company of the San Francisco Ballet, as of September 2017.


Artistic Director

* Helgi Tomasson


Ballet Masters & Assistants to the Artistic Director

* Ricardo Bustamante * Felipe Diaz


Ballet Masters

* Tina LeBlanc * Anita Paciotti *
Katita Waldo Katita Waldo (born Kathryn Cristine Waldo Grey; April 9, 1968) is a Spanish ballet dancer and ballet master. She joined the San Francisco Ballet in 1988, was promoted to principal dancer in 1994, and retired from performing in 2010, but remains ...


Choreographer In Residence


Yuri Possokhov


Company teachers

* Helgi Tomasson *Patrick Armand *Ricardo Bustamante *Felipe Diaz


Principal dancers


Principal character dancers

*Ricardo Bustamante * Val Caniparoli *Anita Paciotti


Soloists

*Cavan Conley *Diego Cruz *Daniel Deivison-Oliveira *Isabella DeVivo *Lucas Erni *Ellen Rose Hummel *Jasmine Jimison *Madison Keesler *Norika Matsuyama *Steven Morse *Sasha Mukhamedov *Elizabeth Powell *Julia Rowe *Henry Sidford *Myles Thatcher *Lonnie Weeks *Hansuke Yamamoto


Corps de ballet

*Kamryn Baldwin *Sean Bennett *Ludmila Bizalion *Samantha Bristow *Olivia Brothers *Thamires Chuvas *Rubén Citores *Estéban Cuadrado *Megan Amanda Ehrlich *Luca Ferrò *Gabriela González *Lleyton Ho *Anatalia Hordov *Blake Johnston *Sunmin Lee *Elizabeth Mateer *Carmela Mayo *Swane Messaoudi *Davide Occhipinti *Lauren Parrott *Joshua Jack Price *Leili Rackow *Nathaniel Remez *Alexander Reneff-Olson *Jacob Seltzer *Natasha Sheehan *John-Paul Simoens *Tyla Steinbach *Mingxuan Wang *Joseph Warton *Maggie Weirich *Adrian Zeisel


Apprentices

* Alexis Aiudi * Juliana Bellissimo * Andris Kundzins * Nicole Moyer * Pemberley Ann Olson * Jamie Adele Stephens * Jonathan Teague * Alexis Valdes


Official school

San Francisco Ballet School, San Francisco Ballet's official school, is America's oldest ballet school. The program includes classes in technique,
pointe work Pointe technique ( ) is the part of classical ballet technique that concerns ''pointe work'', in which a ballet dancer supports all body weight on the tips of fully extended feet within pointe shoes. A dancer is said to be ''en pointe'' () w ...
,
pas de deux In ballet, a pas de deux (French language, French, literally "step of two") is a dance duet in which two dancers, typically a male and a female, perform ballet steps together. The pas de deux is characteristic of classical ballet and can be fo ...
, men's technique, contemporary dance, floor barre/conditioning, and character dance. Male and female students are placed in divisions according to age, experience, and ability. More than 50 percent of current San Francisco Ballet dancers received some training at San Francisco Ballet School.


History and directors

The school was founded in 1933 as part of the San Francisco Operatic and Ballet School when Gaetano Merola, the founder of the San Francisco Opera, perceived a need for an institution where dancers could be trained to perform in opera productions. The school was under the direction of ballet director Adolph Bolm from 1933 to 1938. Willam Christensen became director from 1938 to 1940, followed by his brother Harold Christensen from 1942 until 1975. Richard L. Cammack directed the school from 1975 to 1985; he oversaw the move to its current state-of-the-art facilities on Franklin Street in 1983. In 1985, new SF Ballet artistic director Helgi Tomasson appointed Nancy Johnson as school head. Lola de Avila joined as associate director from 1993 to 1999, followed by Gloria Govrin beginning in 1999. In 2006, de Avila returned to serve as associate director until 2012, when Patrick Armand stepped into the role.


School programs

Admission into the school is by audition only. Students may apply for financial aid and merit-based scholarships. Advanced students may be invited to join the SFBS Trainee Program, a one- to two-year pre-professional program established in 2004. Up to 150 students are chosen by audition to dance in the yearly SF Ballet production of ''Nutcracker''. The most advanced students may also dance with SF Ballet in the repertory season. The school also runs a pre-ballet program for children ages 4–7; after completing the program, students of age who wish to continue study must audition in order to continue at the school.


Faculty

The faculty of the San Francisco Ballet School has long been known for its excellence and diversity of background. As of January 2017, it is led by the Artistic Director Helgi Tómasson and Director Patrick Armand. The illustrious faculty includes Patrick Armand, Cecelia Beam, Sandrine Cassini, Kristi DeCaminada, Karen Gabay, Jeffrey Lyons, Rubén Martín Cintas, Ilona McHugh, Pascal Molat (Trainee Program Assistant), Anne-Sophie Rodriguez, Jaime Diaz (Strengthening), Dexandro "D" Montalvo (Contemporary), Brian Fisher (Contemporary), Dana Genshaft (Contemporary dance and conditioning), Henry Berg (Conditioning), Leonid Shagalov (Character), Jamie Narushchen (Music), and Daniel Sullivan (Music). The guest faculty for 2017 includes Sofiane Sylve (Principal Guest).


San Francisco Ballet Orchestra

Founded in 1975 to serve as San Francisco Ballet's official permanent orchestra, San Francisco Ballet Orchestra (SFBO) holds the rare position of being one of three major orchestras in a single city. The orchestra debuted at the end of 1975 with ''Nutcracker'' and has met with both audience and critical acclaim ever since, becoming known by the 1990s as one of the world's finest ballet orchestras. SFBO toured with the SF Ballet's touring company from 1978 until 1984. It has accompanied many prestigious international ballet companies that have toured to the San Francisco Bay Area, including The Royal Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet,
Stuttgart Ballet Stuttgart Ballet is a leading German ballet company. Dating back to 1609, then the court ballet of the dukes of Württemberg, the modern company was founded by John Cranko and is known for full-length narrative ballets. The company received the L ...
, Hamburg Ballet,the
Bolshoi Ballet The Bolshoi Ballet is an internationally renowned classical ballet company based at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. Founded in 1776, the Bolshoi is among the world's oldest ballet companies. In the early 20th century, it came to internatio ...
, Paul Taylor Dance Company,
American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant, it is recognized as one of the world's leading classical ballet companies. Through 2019, it had an annual ei ...
, and the Paris Opéra Ballet. In 1995, the orchestra took on the remarkable task of accompanying 13 international dance companies over the space of a single week in the UNited We Dance Festival. The 49-member orchestra accompanies SF Ballet throughout its winter and spring repertory seasons. It also performs apart from the Company; it debuted solely as an orchestra in 1979 at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco's War Memorial Veterans Building, playing a program that included works by Haydn, Ives, and Vivaldi.


Orchestra staff and musicians

The SFBO is composed of 49 members and headed by Martin West, music director and conductor. Founding Concertmaster and solo violinist Roy Malan retired in December, 2014, after serving for 40 years. After a rigorous search, Cordula Merks was appointed Concertmaster in 2016. As of October 2013, the musicians and staff included:


San Francisco Ballet Orchestra music directors

The orchestra was led by Denis de Coteau from 1975 until 1998, when de Coteau's battle with terminal cancer forced him to step down from the position. Emil de Cou, who had been serving as conductor since 1995, then assumed the role of music director, leading the Orchestra until 2001, when he left to join Washington D.C.'s
National Symphony Orchestra The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1930, its principal performing venue is the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. It also performs for the annual National Mem ...
. He was replaced by first associate conductor Jean-Louis LeRoux, who then left the interim position in 2003 and was succeeded by
Andrew Mogrelia Andrew Mogrelia is a British conductor with a varied career conducting symphonic works, ballets and a large discography for the Naxos label. Career Andrew Mogrelia was Conductor-in-Residence at Birmingham Conservatoire, United Kingdom, from 199 ...
. In 2005, Mogrelia left in order to focus on his duties as music director at San Francisco Conservatory of Music. That same year, Martin West, frequent guest conductor for the Orchestra, stepped into the position of music director. In 2018 frequent guest conductor Ming Luke was appointed Principal Guest Conductor.


San Francisco Ballet Orchestra recordings

The orchestra's repertoire includes hundreds of works spanning four centuries of musical history, many of which have been recorded and released to great critical acclaim, including works by Beethoven, Bizet, and Delibes. Four of the orchestra's recordings have been televised on PBS's ''Great Performances: Dance in America''. Recordings include: *''Othello''—Suite from the Ballet by Eliot Goldenthal (Varese Records) *''Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker'' (O'Brien Enterprises), 1988 *''Schoenberg, Spohr, Elgar, Handel: Works for String Quartet & Orchestra'' (Arabesque Records) *''Claude Debussy: Rediscovered, Premiere Orchestral Recordings'' (Arabesque Records) *''RAkU'' (San Francisco Ballet Records) *''The Tempest''—complete ballet by Paul Chihara: SF Ballet Orchestra recorded this under the name "Performing Arts Orchestra" in 1981 (Reference Recordings) *''Nutcracker Op. 71'' (Koch Int'l Classics) *''Russian Masterpieces for Cello and Orchestra'' (Shostakovich Cello Concert, Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations, etc., Zuill Bailey, Cello) (Telarc) *''Delibes— Coppélia/Sylvia Extended Suites from the Ballets'' (Reference Recordings) *''Weber—Clarinet Concerti No. 1 & 2'' (Alexander Fiterstein, Clarinet), (Bridge Records) *''Beethoven—Triple Concerto in C Major, Opus 56, Piano Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 1 No. 1'' (Claremont Piano Trio), (Bridge Records) *''Bizet—Symphony in C major; Jeux D'Enfants; Variations chromatique'' (Reference Records) *Yeston—''Tom Sawyer—A Ballet in Three Acts'' (PS Classics) *Karpman - ''Ask Your Mama'' - musical setting of Langston Hughes' ''Ask Your Mama: Twelve Moods for Jazz (Avie Records) *Winger - ''Conversations With Nijinsky, Ghosts, A Parting Grace'' (VBI Classic Recording)


Volunteer groups

San Francisco Ballet has a large network of volunteers who assist with the ongoing success of the Company and the San Francisco Ballet School. More than 200 Ballet Resource and Volunteer Organization (BRAVO) volunteers donate over 10,000 volunteer hours every year, assisting with office duties, retail work, and the ballet's Center for Dance Education, as well as helping SF Ballet staff with receptions, fundraisers, the Spring Student Showcase, and other special events. The San Francisco Ballet Auxiliary is a group of 100 dedicated women who volunteer to raise over $1 million in net contributions annually. In addition to individual fundraising, the group produces three annual productions: the Opening Night Gala, Fashion Show, and Student Showcase, with proceeds benefiting the Ballet and the San Francisco Ballet School. San Francisco Ballet's Allegro Circle is a group of professional men and women who share a passion for dance and contribute their own personal, professional, and philanthropic resources toward developing a new and diverse generation of subscribers and patrons. San Francisco Ballet's ENCORE! group offers local young professionals access to a range of social and educational events with a behind-the-scenes perspective. Staffing these events presents its 200+ members with a wide range of volunteer opportunities.


Repertory


See also

* List of productions of Swan Lake derived from its 1895 revival


References


Further reading

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Articles

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External links

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Official San Francisco Ballet School websiteSan Francisco Ballet YouTube ChannelSan Francisco Ballet Facebook PageSan Francisco Ballet on TwitterStories about San Francisco Ballet in San Francisco's 7x7 magazineArchival footage of San Francisco Ballet performing Balanchine's ''Concerto Barocco'' in 1956 at Jacob's PillowArchival footage of San Francisco Ballet performing Balanchine's ''Apollon musagète (Apollo)'' in 1956 at Jacob's Pillow
{{Authority control Ballet companies in the United States Culture of San Francisco Dance in California History of ballet Music venues in San Francisco Non-profit organizations based in San Francisco Arts organizations based in the San Francisco Bay Area Arts organizations established in 1933 Performing groups established in 1933 1933 establishments in California