Dance, Performance

Nutcracker 2023

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San Francisco Ballet “Nutcracker”
December 13, 2023 7 pm
War Memorial Opera House
San Francisco, CA

Happy Holiday!

It was delightful to see all the children – dressed up in festive wear- enjoying the opera house and the 2023 production of “Nutcracker”. Tamara Rojo, the new director of SFB has brought back Helgi Tomasson’s production of the ballet from previous 50 year seasons! SFB is credited with doing the first “Nutcracker”.

This current production is lively and notable for several individual outstanding performances. The corps performances, straightforward and clear as it is, back up these individuals and provide the live ‘decor’ needed to enhance the production. “Nutcracker” is always spectacular even to those who have seen it numerous times.

The production elements (setting, costumes, special effects, snow falling on dancers…) are the stars of the show. This year’s unique dancers deserve special attention.

“Uncle Drosselmeyer” was performed by the very competent actor/dancer Val Caniparoli.”The dancing dolls” who entertain the children in Act 1 were Joshua Jack Price, Julia Rowe and Lleyton Ho. In the battle between the mice and the Nutcracker Prince (Aaron Robinson), the “King of the Mice” Alexander Reneff Olson was particularly powerful: Olson was uproariously funny as he rolled off the stage into the orchestra pit. Act I ends with the Queen and King of the Snow, Jasmine Jimison and Mingxuan Wang leading the corps of “snowflakes”

Act II brings even more magic. We meet Sasha De Sola as the “Sugar Plum Fairy” who greets the charming Clara (the family heroine played by a modest Danielle Hilman) and “Uncle Drosslemeyer” as they travel to the enchanted kingdom in a marvelous sleigh. The sleigh is pulled by four dances costumed as horses. We, and they, travel the world to see “Spanish”, “Arabian”, “Chinese”, “French” and “Russian” dances…all producing characteristic rhythms and costumes of those dances. But the big treat of the evening, for parents and children in the audience, is the arrival of “Madame Du Cirque” (Louis Schilling) with his/her baffoons! The baffoons are all students of the San Francisco Ballet School!. With them is Lleyton Ho, a star performer. The audience is delighted!

After the “Waltzing Flowers” we are finally treated to the “Grand Pas de Deux” by the ‘star performers’, Nikisha Fogo and Aaron Robison.

It is too long a year to wait to see Nikisha Fogo’s dancing. Due to some injury she appeared in only two events last year. Most dancers have extraordinary technique; many are able to project their roles in a dramatic fashion. Fogo has the great talent of projecting her skill and her role’s “character” across the footlights. Her technique seems effortless and/but it is her dramatic skill that is amazing and fascinating.

“Nutcracker” is the “end of the year” celebration (and money earner) for the ballet.

This year audiences were given an elaborate program with not only the complete story, but within its pages, an opportunity to write to dancers, learn details of the company and the administration and see endless photographic material. However the ‘cast list’ had to be photographed to be learned. To give them the credit, due to such talented performers, the dancers deserve a page of printed listing.

Martin West conducted the brilliant San Francisco Ballet orchestra.

Dance, Performance

Urban Bush Women

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Urban Bush Women
Cal Performances
Dec. 1, 2023 8 pm
Zellerbach Playhouse

“Hair & Other Stories”

Performance as Protest/Participation

The Urban Bush Women are an outstanding group who can lecture, sing, act and dance. They are collaborators, with Mame Diaarra Speis and Chanon Judson (choreographers) in a series of staged events that bring us details of the life and emotions of the group.The event is elegantly performed: each section is narrated, sung and danced in a unique style that tells the audience of these women’s experiences. It is an unusual and amazing performance.

The event also challenges the audience to accept the narrative, examine its feelings and also! to practice breathing and some exercise in place. For this reviewer, who greatly admires skill of many sorts, the wide variety of experiences in one event was too much. The audience however seemed to ‘get into the act’ with enthusiasm.

The “Hair” episodes detailed the women’s confrontation with the nature of “black” hair and how several of them dealt with it; cutting, un’frizzing’, accepting, straightening, etc. These events were the background for the general presentation of black women’s experiences, how to describe them, how to talk about them, and how they are accepted. All narratives combined talk, song and dance. All beautifully performed.

This narratives and other statements are important, critical and contemporary…and ..but a bit too much even for a very receptive and supportive audience. Audiences receive performances and it has its right to respond with its own feelings and sensibilities.

Performers were: Courtney Jj. Cook, Ross Daniel, Kentoria Earle, Roobi Gasking, Grace Galu Kalamdbay, Mame Diarra Speis, and Mikaida Ware. Two children were with the group.

Dance, Performance

NYC Ballet – Balanchine – Oct 12,13, 2023

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New York City Ballet
Lincoln Center, Koch Auditorium
October 12, 13, 2023 7:30 PM

Celebration! History, Nostalgia, Performance Memories

The three works on this Thursday program date from early times in the development of the NYC Ballet. For the 75th Anniversary Season, the company has restaged the works of George Balanchine, director, choreographer and inspiration for what is now, ballet in America.

Balanchine’s history is best told, most recently, in Janet Holman’s “Mr. B” (George Balanchine’s 20th century) New York: Random House, 2022. In it, Holman traces Balanchine’s journey from Russia, through Germany, France and then, to wherever he could choreograph and stage ballet…to NYC where, with the help of Lincoln Kirstein the NYC Ballet was finally established.

For this reviewer. the company and Balanchine’s work is primary to my understanding of theater dance. As early as 1948, shortly after the NYCB was based at the NY City Center, I was there…along with dozens of other dance students. We begged for free and/or low price seats. With kind ushers and understanding patrons we were admitted to the performance for $2.40!

The Thursday evening event at Lincoln Center began with “Serenade”, a work Balanchine started in 1934 and has been in the repertoire ever since. It starts almost as a class in ‘porte de bras”, the carriage of the arms. One gesture is historical. Hitler’s ‘heil’ gesture (so terrible to see in those times) is turned out as if the dancers are guarded against it.The dancers, first the corps and then soloist proceed to offer a classic Balanchine American ballet, athletic, lively and complex to Tschaikovsky’s “Serenade for Strings”

Although the dance proceeds for several movements as lively lyrical activity, ultimately a scenario begins. A womaSymphony in Cn falls; a man revives her with the help of a “dark angel”. She, Psyche or perhaps another mythical creature, is ultimately carried fully erect on her feet upstage and out. “Serenade” is a ballet, class, a study in classical reference and a lyrical wonder. It is certainly Balanchine’s tribute to the ballerina. He adored his ballerinas (and married four!).

I saw ”Serenade” in 1948 and remember every gesture, posture and event. For this performance the leading dancers were: Erica Perieira, Unity Phelan, Emilie Gerrity, Adrian Danching-Waring and Christoper Grant. Yes, only one man then! At finale a group of men carry the ballerina standing, fully erect to the upstage right exit. What a tribute!

Balanchine is not usual noted as a ‘dramatic’ choreographer, but on these two programs (Oct, 12 ad 13, 2023) I found the ‘story’ ballets the most compelling.”Orpheus” was also premiered in 1948 at the NY City Center. To a Stravinsky score and with sets by Isamu Noguchi, we are led into the ‘underworld” as Orpheus searches for his lost love, Eurydice. Most audiences know the story from the Gluck opera and the myth. I see it also as the artists descent into his/her personal underworld where, ultimately artistic insight is revealed. Orpheus finds his music!

For the Oct.12 performance Adrian Danchig-Waring was Orpheus, Davide Riccardo, the Dark Angel and Brittany Pollack, Eurydice. All were accompanied by Furies, Lost Souls and Bacchantes. “Orpheus” is truly a Balanchine tribute to ballet and the ballerina!

Friday, October 13 was a Gala event. No press passes ( I paid $100. for a third ring seat.)

The dramatic work on the program was “Prodigal Son” premiered in 1929 for the Ballet Russes; then 1950 at the City Center, NYC. I must admit remembering an event when Misha Baryshnikov danced the wild young man and Balanchine himself the father!

The prodigal leaves home and falls into wild adventures particularly with The Siren. Seduced, humiliated, ego crushed and physically destroyed he crawls home, climbing into his father’s arms. Anthony Huxley danced the Prodigal; Sara Mearns the Siren and Preston Chamblee the Father in this production. The decor is by Georges Rouault; music by Sergei Prokofiev.

Another masterpiece!

Friday’s event opened with Bach’s Violin Concerto in d minor, “Concerto Barocco” beautifully played by two violinists, Kurt Nikkanen and Arturo Delmoni. The leading dancers were Isabella laFreniere, Mira Nadon and Gilbert Bolden III. The ballet was premiered in NYC in 1948. Again this work demonstrating Balanchine’s superb musical understanding, is a masterpiece.

The evening closed to unending applause for “Symphony in C” to music by George Bizet. It is in four movements, each more exciting than the one before. We were treated to the dancing of ballerina Tiler Peck, partnered by Chun Wai Chan for the first movement. Other stars were: Unity Phelan, Alec Knight, Baily Jones, Sebastian Villarini-Valez, Emilie Gerrity and Peter Walker. The Gala audience cheered, stamped and generally applauded this 75th celebration.

The resident conductor of the superb orchestra is listed as Clotilde Otranto.