San Francisco Ballet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids San Francisco Ballet |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| General information | |
| Name | San Francisco Ballet |
| Previous names | San Francisco Opera Ballet |
| Year founded | 1933 |
| Founders | Willam Christensen, Harold Christensen, Lew Christensen |
| Principal venue | War Memorial Opera House San Francisco |
| Artistic staff | |
| Artistic Director | Tamara Rojo |
| Principal Conductor | Martin West |
| Other | |
| Official school | San Francisco Ballet School http://school.sfballet.org |
The San Francisco Ballet is the oldest ballet company in the United States. It started in 1933 as the San Francisco Opera Ballet. The company is based in the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. Since December 2022, Tamara Rojo has been its artistic director.
San Francisco Ballet is one of the world's top dance groups. They perform over 100 shows each year. Their shows include both classical and contemporary ballet styles. Many people say San Francisco Ballet, along with American Ballet Theatre and the New York City Ballet, helps define the "American style" of ballet around the world.
Contents
How San Francisco Ballet Started
The Christensen Brothers
The three Christensen brothers—Willam Christensen, Harold Christensen, and Lew Christensen—were very important in bringing ballet to the United States. They grew up in a family that loved art and music. All three learned folk dance and ballet from a young age.
In the 1920s and 1930s, they toured the famous vaudeville Orpheum Circuit as "The Christ Brothers." This was how many Americans first saw ballet.
As vaudeville became less popular, Harold and Lew joined George Balanchine's new company, American Ballet, in 1935. Willam started a ballet school in Portland, Oregon, in 1932. In 1937, he became a main male dancer for the San Francisco Opera Ballet. He then became the company's ballet master and choreographer in 1938.
Willam and his brother Harold bought the company from the Opera in 1942. They renamed it San Francisco Ballet. In 1951, Willam stopped being the director of SF Ballet. He moved to Utah and started teaching ballet at the University of Utah. This was the first university ballet department in the country. With his students, he founded the Utah Civic Ballet (now Ballet West) in 1963. He led this company until 1978.
Lew Christensen became the first American-born danseur noble (a leading male dancer) while working with Balanchine. Lew fought in World War II. After the war, he joined Balanchine's Ballet Society (which later became New York City Ballet). He was the ballet master there from 1946 to 1950. In 1951, he joined Willam as co-director of San Francisco Ballet. When Willam moved to Utah, Lew became the full director. He held this job until 1976. Then, Michael Smuin became co-director with him. Lew Christensen remained co-director until he passed away in 1984.
After leaving vaudeville in 1935, Harold Christensen danced with several companies. He retired from dancing in 1946. In 1940, Willam asked him to direct the San Francisco Ballet School. In 1942, he and Willam bought SF Ballet. Harold continued to lead the school until he retired in 1975.
Early Productions (1938–1950)
In 1938, the company put on its first big show, Coppélia, choreographed by Willam Christensen. In 1940, they staged Swan Lake. This was the first time an American company performed the ballet in its entirety. On Christmas Eve 1944, the company performed Nutcracker. This was the first full production of Tchaikovsky's famous ballet ever danced in the United States.
In 1942, the San Francisco Opera Ballet split into two separate companies: ballet and opera. Willam and Harold Christensen bought the ballet part. Willam became the artistic director, and Harold became the director of the San Francisco Ballet School. The San Francisco Ballet Guild was also created to support the company.
Growing and Touring (1951–1972)
In 1951, Lew Christensen became co-director with his brother Willam. In 1952, Lew became the only director. Under his leadership, San Francisco Ballet started to travel and become a well-known American ballet company. Before 1956, the company had only performed on the West Coast. But Christensen took them to the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in Massachusetts.
In 1957, San Francisco Ballet was the first American ballet company to tour the Far East. They performed in 11 Asian countries. On New Year's Day 1965, ABC-TV showed a one-hour version of Lew Christensen's Nutcracker featuring San Francisco Ballet.
In 1972, the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco became the official home of the San Francisco Ballet.
New Directors and TV Shows (1973–1985)
In 1973, Michael Smuin became co-artistic director with Lew Christensen. Smuin had danced with the company before. Under his direction, SF Ballet became much more famous nationally and internationally. This was thanks to successful shows like Romeo and Juliet in 1977. This performance was shown on the PBS series Great Performances: Dance in America in 1978. It was the first time a West Coast ballet company and a full-length ballet were shown on this PBS series. PBS showed three more of Smuin's SF Ballet productions. His shows The Tempest and A Song for Dead Warriors even won Emmy Awards. Smuin led the company until 1985.
Modern Era (1985–Present)
When Helgi Tomasson became artistic director in 1985, it marked a new time for San Francisco Ballet. Under Tomasson, the company became known as one of the most creative ballet companies in the world. This is because they often asked new choreographers from all over the world to create new works. Their shows include classical ballet, neoclassical ballet, and contemporary ballet. Also, their dancers come from many different backgrounds.
Over more than 25 years, Tomasson staged popular full-length classical ballets. These include Swan Lake (1988, 2009), The Sleeping Beauty (1990), Romeo and Juliet (1994), Giselle (1999), Don Quixote (2003), and Nutcracker (2004).
Tomasson's Nutcracker is special because it is set in San Francisco during the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition. It has unique sets and costumes that show San Francisco's Victorian houses. The New York Times called it "striking, elegant and beautiful."
Today, San Francisco Ballet performs about 100 shows every year. They perform works by many famous choreographers.
In 2010, the Ballet's opening-night party, Silver Celebration, honored Tomasson's 25 years as artistic director.
In January 2021, Tomasson announced he would retire at the end of 2022. In January 2022, it was announced that Tamara Rojo would take over from Tomasson.
What San Francisco Ballet Performs
San Francisco Ballet performs from January to May at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. They also perform in July at the Stern Grove Festival in San Francisco. The company tours around the country in the summer and fall. In December, they present Nutcracker 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. They returned many times after that. After their first tour, The New York Times said that Helgi Tomasson had made a "regional company" into one of the top national companies.
In May 1995, San Francisco Ballet hosted 12 ballet companies from around the world for a festival called UNited We Dance. This festival celebrated the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Charter being signed in San Francisco.
In 2008, for the company's 75th anniversary, San Francisco Ballet toured four American cities. They also held a New Works Festival, showing new ballets by 10 famous choreographers. Other anniversary events included a book, San Francisco Ballet at Seventy-Five, and a TV broadcast of Tomasson's Nutcracker on PBS.
San Francisco Ballet has also toured overseas many times. They have performed in famous places like the Opéra de Paris-Palais Garnier in Paris, London's Sadler's Wells Theatre and Royal Opera House, and the Edinburgh International Festival. In 2009, San Francisco Ballet visited China for the first time, performing in Shanghai and Beijing.
In 2012, San Francisco Ballet went on its longest tour ever. They visited London, Washington, D.C., Hamburg, Germany, Moscow, and Sun Valley, Idaho.
TV and Media Projects
In 1978, San Francisco Ballet's production of Romeo and Juliet, directed by Michael Smuin, was the first show by a West Coast ballet company and the first full-length ballet to be shown on the PBS Great Performances: Dance in America TV series.
In 1981, their production of The Tempest was the first ballet to be shown live on PBS from the War Memorial Opera House. Three years later, in 1984, the PBS broadcast of A Song for Dead Warriors won Smuin an Emmy Award.
PBS and SF Ballet still work together today. They regularly show the Ballet's 2007 production of Nutcracker, choreographed by Helgi Tomasson. In 2007, Nutcracker was also shown in movie theaters in Canada, Australia, and the U.S.
In December 2011, John Neumeier's The Little Mermaid, performed by San Francisco Ballet, was shown nationally on PBS and also internationally. DVDs of Nutcracker and The Little Mermaid are available.
Awards and Recognition
The company has won many awards. In 2005, San Francisco Ballet won its first Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance. This was for their 2004 season at Sadler's Wells Theatre in London. The Sunday Times in London said that Helgi Tomasson had turned a "regional American troupe into one of the world's top ballet companies."
In 2006, in a poll 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 received the Dance/USA Honor. This award recognizes people who have greatly helped dance in America. In 2014, San Francisco Ballet was nominated for Outstanding Company by the National Dance Awards in the U.K.
The Company's Dancers and Staff
Artistic Director
- Tamara Rojo
Ballet Masters & Assistants to the Artistic Director
- Ricardo Bustamante
- Felipe Diaz
Ballet Masters
- Tina LeBlanc
- Anita Paciotti
- Katita Waldo
Choreographer In Residence
- Yuri Possokhov
Company Teachers
- Helgi Tomasson
- Patrick Armand
- Ricardo Bustamante
- Felipe Diaz
Principal Dancers
| Name | Nationality | Joined SFB | Promoted to Principal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frances Chung |  Canada |
2001 | 2009 |
| Sasha De Sola |  United States |
2007 | 2017 |
| Nikisha Fogo |  Sweden |
2020 | N/A, Joined as Principal |
| Angelo Greco |  Italy |
2016 | 2017 |
| Esteban Hernandez |  Mexico |
2013 | 2018 |
| Isaac Hernandez | 2008 | 2022 | |
| Jasmine Jimison | United States |
2018 | 2024 |
| Misa Kuranaga |  Japan |
2001 | 2019 |
| Wona Park |  South Korea |
2017 | 2020 |
| Aaron Robison |  United Kingdom |
2016, 2018 | N/A, Joined as Principal |
| Jennifer Stahl | United States |
2006 | 2017 |
| Joseph Walsh | 2014 | 2014 | |
| Wei Wang |  China |
2013 | 2018 |
| WanTing Zhao | 2011 | 2019 |
Principal Character Dancers
- Ricardo Bustamante
- Val Caniparoli
- Anita Paciotti
Soloists
| Name | Nationality | Joined SFB | Promoted to Soloist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Katherine Barkman | United States |
2022 | N/A, Joined as Soloist |
| Cavan Conley | United States |
2018 | 2019 |
| Diego Cruz |  Spain |
2006 | 2020 |
| Daniel Deivison-Oliveira |  Brazil |
2005 | 2011 |
| Isabella DeVivo | United States |
2013 | 2017 |
| Ellen Rose Hummel | 2012 | 2020 | |
| Norika Matsuyama | Japan |
2014 | 2021 |
| Steven Morse | United States |
2009 | 2017 |
| Sasha Mukhamedov | United Kingdom |
2019 | N/A, Joined as Soloist |
| Elizabeth Powell | United States |
2012 | 2018 |
| Julia Rowe | 2013 | 2016 | |
| Myles Thatcher | 2010 | 2020 | |
| Lonnie Weeks | 2010 | 2018 |
Corps de Ballet
- Kamryn Baldwin
- Juliana Bellissimo
- Sean Bennett
- Samantha Bristow
- Olivia Brothers
- Jihyun Choi
- Thamires Chuvas
- Anatalia St. Clair
- Benjamin Davidoff
- Luca Ferrò
- Parker Garrison
- Gabriela González
- Lleyton Ho
- Blake Johnston
- Andris Kundzins
- Katharine Lee
- Sunmin Lee
- Elizabeth Mateer
- Carmela Mayo
- Swane Messaoudi
- Nicole Moyer
- Rimi Nakano
- Ruben Citrus Nieto
- Davide Occhipinti
- Pemberley Ann Olson
- Hui-Wen Peng
- Joao Percale Da Silva
- Simone Pompignoli
- Joshua Jack Price
- Leili Rackow
- Nathaniel Remez
- Alexander Reneff-Olson
- Jacob Seltzer
- Jasper True Stanford
- Tyla Steinbach
- Jamie Adele Stephens
- Alexis Francisco Valdes
- Mingxuan Wang
- Angela Watson
- Maggie Weirich
- Seojeong Yun
- Adrian Zeisel
Apprentices
- Sofia Albers
- Raphael Brunais Besse
- Eduardo Cazarez
- Jacey Gailliard
- Mimi Lamar
- Dylan Pierzina
San Francisco Ballet School
The San Francisco Ballet School is the official school of the San Francisco Ballet. It is the oldest ballet school in America. Students learn different types of dance, including technique, pointe work, pas de deux, and contemporary dance.
More than half of the current San Francisco Ballet dancers trained at this school.
School History and Directors
The school started in 1933 as part of the San Francisco Operatic and Ballet School. Gaetano Merola, who founded the San Francisco Opera, saw a need to train dancers for opera shows.
Adolph Bolm directed the school from 1933 to 1938. Then Willam Christensen directed from 1938 to 1940. His brother Harold Christensen took over from 1942 until 1975. Richard L. Cammack directed from 1975 to 1985. He oversaw the move to the school's current modern building in 1983.
In 1985, Helgi Tomasson, the new SF Ballet artistic director, named Nancy Johnson as the school head. Lola de Avila was associate director from 1993 to 1999, and then Gloria Govrin started in 1999. De Avila returned from 2006 to 2012, when Patrick Armand took her place.
School Programs
You must audition to get into the school. Students can apply for financial help and scholarships. Advanced students might be invited to join the SFBS Trainee Program. This is a one- to two-year program to prepare them for a professional dance career.
Up to 150 students are chosen each year to dance in the SF Ballet's Nutcracker production. The most advanced students can also dance with SF Ballet during their regular season.
The school also has a pre-ballet program for children aged 4–7. After this program, students who want to continue must audition to stay at the school.
Faculty
The San Francisco Ballet School has excellent teachers from many different backgrounds. As of January 2017, the Artistic Director is Helgi Tómasson, and the Director is Patrick Armand.
San Francisco Ballet Orchestra
The San Francisco Ballet Orchestra (SFBO) started in 1975. It is the official orchestra for the San Francisco Ballet. It is one of only three major orchestras in San Francisco. The orchestra first performed with Nutcracker at the end of 1975. Since then, it has been praised by audiences and critics. By the 1990s, it was known as one of the best ballet orchestras in the world.
The SFBO toured with the SF Ballet from 1978 to 1984. It has also played for many famous international ballet companies that visited the San Francisco Bay Area. These include The Royal Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, and the Bolshoi Ballet. In 1995, the orchestra played for 13 international dance companies in one week during the UNited We Dance Festival.
The orchestra has 49 members. They play for SF Ballet during its winter and spring seasons. They also perform concerts on their own.
Orchestra Staff and Musicians
Martin West is the music director and conductor of the SFBO. Roy Malan was the founding Concertmaster and solo violinist for 40 years until he retired in 2014. Cordula Merks became Concertmaster in 2016.
Orchestra Music Directors
Denis de Coteau led the orchestra from 1975 to 1998. Emil de Cou then became music director until 2001. Jean-Louis LeRoux took over temporarily, followed by Andrew Mogrelia in 2003. In 2005, Martin West became the music director. In 2018, Ming Luke was named Principal Guest Conductor.
Orchestra Recordings
The orchestra has recorded many musical works from different time periods. Four of their recordings have been shown on PBS's Great Performances: Dance in America.
Some of their recordings include:
- Othello—Suite from the Ballet by Eliot Goldenthal
- Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker
- RAkU
- The Tempest—complete ballet by Paul Chihara
- Delibes— Coppélia/Sylvia Extended Suites from the Ballets
Volunteer Groups
San Francisco Ballet has many volunteers who help the company and the San Francisco Ballet School succeed.
More than 200 volunteers from the Ballet Resource and Volunteer Organization (BRAVO) help with office work, retail, and the Center for Dance Education. They also help with parties, fundraisers, and other special events.
The San Francisco Ballet Auxiliary is a group of 100 women who raise over $1 million each year. They organize three annual events: the Opening Night Gala, Fashion Show, and Student Showcase. The money raised helps the Ballet and the San Francisco Ballet School.
San Francisco Ballet's Allegro Circle is a group of professionals who love dance. They help bring in new audience members and supporters.
The ENCORE! group offers young professionals social and educational events that show them what happens behind the scenes. This group has over 200 members and offers many volunteer chances.
See also
In Spanish: Ballet de San Francisco para niños
- List of productions of Swan Lake derived from its 1895 revival
