San Francisco Ballet is ending its 2022 season on a glorious high note with Helgi Tomasson’s production of that all-time classic, Swan Lake. It also marks the end of Tomasson’s enormously successful 37 years as SFB Artistic Director. It makes perfect sense that he would want to leave audiences with this particular ballet as a last impression, as it is also the ballet with which he first truly made his mark as a choreographer in San Francisco. When his first Swan Lake debuted in 1988, he was both serving notice that SFB intended to be a major player on the international ballet scene and providing a harbinger of glories yet to come. This current production of Swan Lake is based on the 1988 version, with new designs and some additional choreography made in 2009.

Swan Lake is a towering classic for good reason. It’s got it all – spectacularly rich and varied choreography, dazzling large group numbers that fill the stage, a fiendishly difficult dual central role of Odette-Odile that is a rite of passage for any prima ballerina, and Tchaikovsky’s incomparable, soaring score, arguably the most gorgeous and dramatically compelling ever composed for a ballet. Tomasson’s version adheres to the classic plot of young Prince Siegfried who, who after being admonished by the Queen Mother to find a suitable bride posthaste, becomes entrance with Odette, a young creature who has been condemned by the wicked Von Rothbart to be a swan by day and regain her human form only at night. Siegfried and Odette quickly fall in love, and Siegfried vows his undying love before Odette disappears with the approach of dawn. At a palace ball, Voth Rothbart appears uninvited with his daughter Odile, whom he has transformed into a semblance of Odette. The ruse works and Siegfried declares his love for Odile before her true identity is revealed, thus condemning Odette to life as a Swan. This leads to a tragic ending, with the Siefgried and Odette reuniting only in the afterlife. While this all may sound preposterous on paper, in performance it can be incredibly moving as it is basically another variation of the timeless story of two lovers who are kept apart by forces beyond their control.

And it is helped enormously by choreography of unparalleled invention. The second act, where the two lovers initially meet by a moonlit lake surrounded by a flock of swans is especially transporting, and is perhaps the most perfect example of music meeting choreography. The swans shimmer in the moonlight, forming all manner of kaleidoscopic patterns, framing Siegfried and Odette as they fall in love. The music is impossibly rapturous, and the movement is slow and refined so that we can read every shifting emotion between the central couple. The third-act ball scene then allows them to let ‘er rip in the famously explosive “BLACK SWAN” pas de deux as Odile lures the prince into her net.

The cast on opening night danced beautifully throughout, aside from the odd bobble here and there which may well have been the result of first-night nerves. In the first act, Isabella Devivo, Esteban Hernandez and Julia Rowe were luxury casting in an enchanting pas de trois that presages the one man – two women plot and choreographic fireworks still to come. Rowe was crisp and playful, DeVivo serene and stylish. Hernandez provided stalwart partnering to both women, and in his big solo thrilled with his soft landings, perfectly on the beat.

DeVivo and Rowe returned (This particular pair have been dancing together so spectacularly all season that I feel we need to invent a term for their special brand of tag-team partnership.) in the Act II lakeside scene along with Ellen Rose Hummel and Norika Matsuyama for the iconic, lightning-quick, arms-interlaced Dance of the Cygnets. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it danced with such vivaciousness and precision. Every leg beat, every toe point, every head turn was right on the money. 90 seconds of sheer heaven. Also impressive in Act II were Kamryn Baldwin and Megan Amanda Ehrlich as the Swan Maidens, another perfectly matched pair. They projected elegant authority and somehow managed to dance in perfect unison while still letting their individual temperaments shine through.

The Act III ball sequence of international dances featured yet another terrific performance by Henry Sidford in the Spanish variation. I’m fairly certain Mr. Sidford does not actually hail from the Iberian peninsula, but you’d never know it from the Castilian flair and fire which colored his every move. Steven Morse and Hansuke Yamamoto in the Russian variation were another delight. They danced with such gusto and clarity that they made even these relatively minor roles sparkle. Veteran dancer Anita Paciotti made a wonderfully sophisticated Queen Mother. Paciotti has been dancing with SFB since 1968(!) and often excels at playing parts that call for down-to-earth warmth and good humor so it was fun to see her killing it in a role that requires elegance mixed with a somewhat chilly authority .

Frances Chung as Odette and Joseph Walsh as Prince Siegfried
in Helgi Tomasson’s Swan Lake

Joseph Walsh and Frances Chung made a smashing Prince and Odette/Odile. He scored early on with a searching, ruminative solo at the end of Act I that was all diffidence and changes in direction, neatly illustrating the character’s uncertainty. Walsh partnered Chung beautifully in the famous “White Swan” pas deux, lifting her off the stage and setting her back down again with such grace and dexterity that it felt like a miracle. He also had a jaw-dropping lift at the end of Act II where he held Chung high overhead, seemingly forever and with no discernible effort, in a triumphant expression of their newfound love. He dispatched his “BLACK SWAN” pyrotechnics with aplomb and provided a nice emotional grounding for the tragic denouement.

Chung was an intriguingly different Odette-Odile. Never the floatiest of dancers, her Odette was less fragile than most, but still capable of being meltingly tender. In Act II, when she raised on pointe and let go of Walsh’s hand, she swooned backwards as he moved around to catch her and it was absolutely breathtaking. Odile perhaps played more to Chung’s natural strengths, where she was all rapid-fire movement and straight lines. She whipped off the famous series of 32 fouettés like nobody’s business, emerging victorious as she exulted in her successful seduction of the prince.

The swans shimmer in the moonlight at the end of Helgi Tomasson’s Swan Lake

And then there were the amazing women of the corps de ballet. As wonderful as the principals and soloists may have been, if there ain’t no swans, then there ain’t no Swan Lake. SFB definitely comes through with the swans, dozens of them, skittering across the stage, alternately acting as protector and protectorate of Odette. The most profoundly moving sequence of the entire ballet occurs at the end of Act IV, when all of the swans rise on pointe, turn their backs to the audience in grief, and waft gently in the moonlight as their arms softly undulate and the strings ascend to the heavens in pianissimo. There’s not a more beautiful moment to be found in all of ballet, and it is performed here with such sensitivity and plasticity that it is sure to break your heart. It only makes sense that Swan Lake is closing out the season, because how could you possibly top that?

[All photos by Erik Tomasson]

Live performances of San Francisco Ballet’s Swan Lake continue through Sunday, May 8th at the War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA. Running time is approximately 2:45, including two intermissions. Proof of full COVID vaccination and the wearing of masks while in the building are required. For tickets and additional information, visit www.sfballet.org or call (415) 865-2000, MF 10am-4pm.

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Known as the Boggs-Shenson House, the grand square in City by the Bay is a local landmark – and may even have an association with celebrities.

First bought in 1906 by Angus and Mae Boggs, The original structure on the property was destroyed by the devastating earthquake and fire in the city just a month later. A second building was built in its place, and over time the two-story house originally built for the Boggs was expanded to four stories plus an elevator.

In the 1940s, Mae sold the house to brothers and doctors Ben and Jess Shensonaccording to Business Insider.

Boggs Shenson House (Realtor.com)

A quarter acre property guarded by two lion statues (Realtor.com)

Living and dining room (Realtor.com)

Kitchen (Realtor.com)

Roof terrace (Realtor.com)

Wet Bar (Realtor.com)

Bedroom with balcony (Realtor.com)

MORE FROM BROKER:

Putting green (Realtor.com)

The prospects are “no less than spectacular,” says the listing. Lookouts include the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, Coit Tower, Transamerica Pyramid, San Francisco Bay, and Grace Cathedral.

The house last changed hands in 2018 for $ 8 million, despite asking twice as much earlier in the year.

The home was bought by an LLC with ties to the billionaire’s real estate transactions Sean Parker. We’re not sure if the early Facebook manager was the buyer three years ago, but whoever it is will make a package based on the list price.

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WATCH: Everywhere you look you will be blown away by the updated ‘full house’ house

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Serious capital is required to land this one-of-a-kind find. Dubbed a “hidden gem” and luxury oasis, the five-bedroom brown clapboard residence is listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

As one of only a few single-family homes on Nob Hill, the Craftsman-style building sits on a double lot.

Modernized in the right places, it has three outdoor living rooms, an open living and dining area with a fireplace and access to a terrace with an outdoor kitchen and pizza oven.

The chef’s spacious kitchen has wooden furniture, stone counters, a breakfast bar and views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The rooftop deck has a wet bar and glass doors that open to another large deck with a gas fireplace and seating areas.

The master suite with its own balcony offers a view of the Coit Tower. It has two walk-in closets and the private bathroom is equipped with a bathtub and double vanity.

Additional facilities include a wine cellar, media room, office and a two-car garage with an electric vehicle charging station.

The grounds have fruit trees, sitting areas, and even a putting green.

Franck Costa of Vanguard Properties is holding the listing.

Historic Nob Hill Home, with ‘spectacular’ views of San Francisco asking for $ 17 million, first appeared on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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The newest program for the San Francisco Ballet’s 2021 digital season is the glorious return of George Balanchine’s jewels. This tripartite masterpiece is commonly referred to as the first full-length narrative ballet. This is a dubious claim depending on how you define “full-length” or “non-action”. It is also often described as an examination of the differences between French, American, and Russian ballet styles, or as a distillation of the intrinsic properties of emeralds, rubies, and diamonds. Personally, I find these descriptions almost annoyingly elusive and therefore not helpful at all. So – here is everything you really need to know: this whole thing is fabulous, and you really have to see it. And if you’ve seen it before, you have to see it again. It’s the kind of complex work that gets better and better with repetition, as you are bound to find new things to enjoy that you may not have noticed before.

That Jewels has stood the test of time since its premiere in 1967 is a bit of a surprise, as it was created as a “piece d’occasion” to celebrate the opening of the New York City Ballet’s new theater at Lincoln Center. It was ushered in with a level of hype unknown to City Ballet at the time, including a fashion series featuring the leading ballet flats at Van Cleef & Arpels. Our cultural landscape is littered with countless “great” new works that were commissioned for August occasions and premiered in front of a mystified gala audience, never to be seen again. Well, it turns out that Balanchine wasn’t the one to miss such a high profile opportunity and, in this case, created a ballet that is creative, quirky, and deeply engaging on an emotional level at the same time.

When I saw the SFB’s production, I was struck by the idea that the connective tissue between its three different ballets for me is that towards the end of each there is a characteristic, characteristic walking motion that crystallizes the ethos of that particular piece. At Emeralds, it’s a gentle, strolling stroll, underpinned by a weak, rhythmic pulse that creates a subtle atmosphere of romantic longing. At Rubies, it’s a brisk, arms-hunched run for the men and a lively canter with straight arms and hunched wrists for the women that capture the ancient, competitive spirit of this piece. At Diamonds, it’s a stately grand promenade with an extra kick as dozens of dancers flood the stage for the joyous finale.

(From left to right) Wona Park, Esteban Hernandez and Julia Rowe in Emeralds

Emeralds, captured in a performance here recently, are getting Jewels off to a wonderfully enigmatic start. The opening movement, set in Fauré’s beautiful suite Pelleas et Melisande, reads like a long, lazy sigh, sensitively danced by Angelo Greco, Misa Kuranaga and Sasha Mukhamedov. The pace accelerates significantly with a lively trio danced fabulously by a perfectly coordinated Esteban Hernandez, Wona Park and Julia Rowe. They are so wonderfully synchronized with one another that one moment they can move as a unit and the next break out into concise, complementary solos. The ballet ends with a slow pas de deux for Mukhamedov and Aaron Robison, which captures the overall spirit of ballet. Robison is particularly effective in this area, with his gallant manner and attention to the underlying pulse of the music.

San Francisco Ballet in Rubies

When the curtain rises again for Rubies and Stravinsky’s astringent and energetic Capriccio for piano and orchestra plays, we find ourselves in a completely different world. Suddenly everything is carefree, angular and wonderfully out of whack. The music is full of unexpectedly quirky melodies and changing rhythms that Balanchine treats like a fun house. Recorded at an SFB performance from February 2016, the dance is consistently incredibly crisp. Special greetings to the spirited 12-man corps that seem to pin down any difficult, unorthodox level. The opening section is led by Wanting Zhao, who dances with admirable clarity and speed, but may not yet feel comfortable enough with the audacity of the choreography to fully embrace it. In the years since then, Zhao has really developed as a dancer and now would probably totally crush it. The main couple are a lively and playful Mathilde Froustey and Pascal Molat. They dance well together but seem a bit miscast here. I wanted to see them dig in more, dance deeper to the ground, and really go for the more competitive, rougher, and more ready aspects of the movement.

After the idiosyncratic hijinks of Rubies, it can take a while to get used to the stately size of the final ballet Diamonds, which is based on Tchaikovsky’s gorgeous Symphony No. 3 in D major. The opening movement for the corps women is only pleasant and seems a bit indistinct. Things soon come into focus, however, as Balanchine leads us through a series of amazing sequences that inexorably lead to the bubbly finale. The second movement is an extended 10-minute adagio for Sasha De Sola and Tiit Helimets that is absolutely adorable from start to finish, though it doesn’t include a single particularly eye-catching move. While this is supposedly a nonsense ballet, it seems to me that we are watching a mature couple go through a period of uncertainty or stasis in their relationship before reconnecting. It is fascinating to me how the woman here always seems to be in control of the situation, even when she is lifted or held. It is so often that she moves away from him and it is he who runs to catch up with her.

Sasha De Sola and Tiit Helimets in diamonds

The dancing here between De Sola and Helimets is just phenomenal. They are both perfectly attuned to each other if they manage every tiny change in their relationship. I also like how they underestimate the emotions and let the movement speak for itself. When he picks her up and carries her across the stage and sets her back as gently as a caress, the effect is transcendent. The pas de deux ends with a gesture of tender indulgence, a meeting of equals. No disrespect to all of the other incredible dancers out there, but I don’t think I’ll see more glorious 10 minutes of dancing all year round.

In the Scherzo movement that follows, De Sola and Helimets finally have a chance to relax with fireworks. Helimets whips a perfect series of twists a la seconde, and De Sola shows her otherworldly ability to break up a passage of intricate, fast-moving footwork with a sudden, heartbreaking balance on one toe. Diamonds really flies when 32 dancers appear out of nowhere for the exuberant polonaise finale. How joyful it is to see so many incredibly talented dancers giving everything they have in perfect synchronicity. It’s an exciting end, and lucky for us that it has been videotaped so that we can see it all again as soon as it’s over.

(From left to right) Lauren Strongin, Wei Wang, Will Zhao, Max Cauthorn, Koto Ishihara and Daniel Deivison-Oliveira
in the joyous ending of Diamonds

(All photos by Erik Tomasson)

The San Francisco Ballet’s jewelery production can be streamed until April 21, 2021. For more information and tickets, visit www.sfballet.org or call (415) 865-2000.

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