All You Need to Know About Swan Lake Before You Watch! Swan Lake may be the most iconic ballet in history. But despite its success today, the creation of Swan Lake in 19th-century Russia was far from smooth-sailing. For one, Tchaikovsky bristled at the idea of being labeled a “ballet specialist” like Ludwig Minkus, who would compose bars of music to spec: 8 bars of “happy” music for an entrance, or 16 bars of “dramatic” music for a finale, depending on the choreographer’s needs. Plus, the ballet’s premiere in Moscow was deemed a critical failure. Among all the challenges associated with its de ..read more

All You Need to Know About Romeo & Juliet Before You Watch Ah, yes: star-cross’d lovers, show-stopping swordsmanship, and a tragic ending for the ages. On the surface, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet seems like an easy fit for the balletic stage. But the conception of this now-classic ballet came with a host of challenges for its composer, Sergei Prokofiev. In this episode of To The Pointe, learn about the USSR’s influence on the original ballet and how it’s morphed over time, including in 1994, when Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson put his own spin on this iconic love story. Helgi Tomasson ..read more

All You Need to Know About Program 05 Before You Watch Program 05 includes three ballets made expressly for San Francisco Ballet dancers: Helgi Tomasson’s 7 for Eight, Cathy Marston’s Snowblind, and David Dawson’s Anima Animus. You’ll learn about the role of a principal choreographer, hear from Cathy Marston and Principal Dancer Sarah Van Patten in their own words about creating the role of Zeena in Snowblind, and learn about some of the gender role play on display in Dawson’s Anima Animus. Program 05 streams through May 12. Purchase Single Stream Access Like what you heard? Subscribe to ..read more

All You Need to Know About Jewels Before You Watch George Balanchine’s Jewels comprises three ballets—Rubies, Emeralds, and Diamonds—that evoke the styles and moods of the United States, France, and Russia, respectively. Get to know a bit about Jewels, its creation in 1967, and what to look for in each ballet before this dazzling classic hits the screen on April 1 during SF Ballet’s 2021 Digital Season. George Balanchine’s Jewels is part of SF Ballet’s 2021 Digital Season. It will be performed in Program 04, streaming April 1–21. Purchase single stream access Like what you heard? Subscribe to ..read more

All You Need to Know About Program 03 Before You Watch Get a quick overview of the three ballets that make up Program 03: Ratmansky’s Symphony #9, an abstract portrait of Shostakovich; Danielle Rowe’s Wooden Dimes, a world premiere created during the COVID-19 pandemic set in the roaring ’20s; and Yuri Possokhov’s Swimmer, which turns John Cheever’s short story into a psychedelic tour of American cultural life. Alexei Ratmansky’s Symphony #9, Danielle Rowe’s Wooden Dimes world premiere, and Yuri Possokhov’s Swimmer were part of Program 03, streamed March 04–24, on SF Ballet’s 2021 Digital Seaso ..read more

All You Need to Know About the 2021 Digital Season Before You Watch! If To The Pointe is like a mini audio program note, this episode is like a mini-mini program note. Get a quick overview of the entire 2021 Season, and hear from choreographer Danielle Rowe and Artistic Director & Principal Choreographer Helgi Tomasson in their own words about their works. Tune in to later episodes for deeper dives into each program! Check out the 2021 season Header Image: Sarah Van Patten in Rowe’s Wooden Dimes // © Lindsay Gauthier ..read more

All You Need to Know About A Midsummer Night’s Dream Before You Go! George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is part of SF Ballet’s 2021 Digital Season. It will be performed in Program 01, streaming January 21–February 10. Get a quick overview of George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream: hear about the ballet’s creation in 1960s New York, revisit the story to figure out which dancer is Hermia and which one is Helena, and find out what to look for in this magical and mystical ballet! Purchase Stream Access Learn more about midsummer Header Photo: Misa Kuranaga and Angelo Greco in ..read more

All You Need to Know About Nutcracker Before You Go! Join Jennie Scholick, PhD for a deep dive into Nutcracker. Learn about this iconic ballet’s history, story, and what to look for. Like what you heard? Subscribe to our Meet the Artist podcast on Apple Podcasts to access archived episodes and have new ones delivered straight to your devices! Nutcracker has gone digital this season! Catch the holiday classic from November 27–December 31. Purchase Nutcracker Online Tickets Header Image: San Francisco Ballet in Tomasson’s Nutcracker // © Erik Tomasson ..read more

All You Need to Know About Program 03 Before You Go! Join Associate Director of Audience Development, Jennie Scholick, PhD for a deep dive into the three ballets on Program 03: Dance Innovations. Hear from Edwaard Liang, Trey McIntyre, Johnny Eliason, and Lise Lander and find out what to look for in this exciting lineup of ballets. Like what you heard? Subscribe to our To the Pointe podcast on Apple Podcasts to access archived episodes and have new ones delivered straight to your devices! Header Image: Yuan Yuan Tan and Vitor Luiz in Liang’s The Infinite Ocean // © Erik Tomasson ..read more

Gong, Chimes, Woodblocks . . . Typewriter? In this special edition of To The Pointe, David Rosenthal, SF Ballet Orchestra’s Principal Percussionist, discusses his role in “The Typewriter,” composer Leroy Anderson’s most famous novelty number and one of eleven pieces in Mark Morris’s Sandpaper Ballet, on the digital stage February 11–March 3, 2021. At the end of the podcast, David performs a snippet of the piece with help from PR & Communications Manager Kate McKinney, who “chimes” in with the carriage return. This podcast was originally published in February 2020 and has been updated to ..read more