Heart of Ballet

We take a break from our regularly scheduled green programming to highlight one of life's greatest pleasures, the ballet. The environment is my passion and my purpose. As a former dancer, the ballet is my other great love.

I am fortunate to live in San Francisco, the home of the San Francisco Ballet. Founded in 1933, the SF Ballet is remarkably the oldest ballet company in the United States. Under the expert direction of Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson and Executive Director Glenn McCoy, it is now heralded as one of the top ballet companies in the world.

On Wednesday night, I attended the San Francisco Ballet’s 75th Anniversary Diamond Opening Gala, and oh what a night it was! Soaring dancers, glittering gowns, and over 3,000 ecstatic patrons who exclaimed "Bravo" and "Brava" during the epic program’s multiple standing ovations. Never mind that I got rained on and my vintage royal blue Marchesa gown became slightly marred, it was ballet bliss and I wish I could do it all over again. This time, I would bring an unglamorous umbrella, but no matter.

The San Francisco Ballet is one of the finest places to see George Balanchine’s masterful neoclassical choreography. Serenade, Symphony in C, Apollo, Themes & Variations, The Four Temperaments, Divertimento No. 15, Jewels, and more. A Balanchine ballet set to a Tschaikovsky score is a slice of heaven.

At the San Francisco Ballet Gala on Wednesday, we were treated to a wealth of dazzling works. Here are some of my favorite moments from the program:

The finale from Balanchine’s Diamonds was an ode to sparkling glory and the perfect triumphant finale to the 75th Anniversary Gala.

Pure splendor was the La Esmeralda Pas de Deux danced with fiery Spanish spirit by Maria Kochetkova, who had mastered the tambourine with grace and power.

Moments from New York City Ballet’s guest ballerina Sofiane Sylve’s dancing of Two Pieces For Het (for Rachel) are permanently etched into my brain. Wow. Such a commanding presence. And she is returning for the first five programs of the San Francisco Ballet’s season. I will be there.

Danced gorgeously by the supreme prima ballerina Yuan Yuan Tan, Edwaard Liang’s Distant Cries delivered some of the most innovative choreography I have seen in a long time. It seemed to blend the past and the future, and Yuan Yuan Tan’s artistry was positively breathtaking. That is she dancing Firebird pictured on the right.

Tina LeBlanc made a glorious return in Adagio from Sonata to Sergei Rachmaninov (it is all about the Russian music people). My friend turned to me and said, “Now that is ballet.”

Principal dancer Gennadi Nedvigin wins my prize for best male dancing of the night. In Helgi Tomasson’s Two Bits, he owned the stage and had the confidence and control to do anything, including multiple pirouettes ending in a single leg lift. Brilliance.

SF Ballet virtuosos Pascal Molat and Nicolas Blanc tore around the stage in Excerpt from Alles Walzer. “Top this!” they seemed to be saying to one another after a magnificent grand jete sequence. It was quintessential ballet opening night fun.

And let’s not forget the imaginative The Energy Between Us work by hip-hop and pop (and clearly now lyrical) choreographer Wade Robson. I have been a fan of Wade’s for years. He got his start channeling Michael Jackson moves on Star Search. A must watch on YouTube along with Wade dancing to Sexy Back. He choreographed for Britney Spears in her heyday and then produced his own show The Wade Robson Project on MTV, a dance contest show which I will admit I was glued to at the time. In recent years, he seems to be incorporating more lyrical, ballroom, Broadway, and African dance moves into his pieces. Even signature Charlie Chaplin and Bob Fosse movements. On “So You Think You Can Dance”, he created the now-famous Hummingbird dance among others and won an Emmy for Outstanding Choreography. It was a surprise treat to see him at the Gala, and his commissioned “ballet” did not disappoint.

Let’s get to your burning question. Was there anything green about the gala?  Well, the patron dinner was served on rented (and returned) reusable fine china, glassware, and cloth napkins. I didn’t see a plastic cup in sight which was fantastic. I did see the waiters pouring water from plastic water bottles, which could be substituted with City Hall filtered water next year. I'm sure there was recycling and composting occurring back stage and post-event delivery to a food bank. Was any of the delicious food organic or sustainable?  It could be wonderful to incorporate carbon offsets, high-quality recycled paper, and hybrid car service into the night somehow. I know of at least one biodiesel taxi that zoomed up to the red carpet. Several stunning vintage couture gowns were visible including a gold Halston dress worn by Shannon Bavaro and a rare jeweled Galanos gown worn by jewelry designer Amber Marie Bently. Many guests eco-carpooled to the gala, although I didn’t see anyone taking the bus which is right there on Van Ness. Wink.

The 2008 San Francisco Ballet at 75 Season promises to be the most luminous yet. An incredible 10 New Works will be premiered, three guest companies will perform, and the SF Ballet will pull out all the stops for Giselle, Firebird, Eden/Eden (an unbelievable must see), a Jerome Robbins tribute, and a reprise of Balanchine’s Diamonds in case you missed it at the opening. The San Francisco Ballet has never been more radiant, and I hope I look that good at 75. See you at the ballet, and remember to point your toes. www.sfballet.org