ARTISTIC & PRODUCTION CREDITS SAN FRANCISCO BALLET 2018

War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness at Grove For tickets, call the Ticket Services Office at 415.865.2000

PROGRAM 2: Bright Fast Cool Blue

Running Time: Serenade 36 minutes Intermission 20 minutes The Chairman Dances—Quartet For Two 25 minutes Intermission 15 minutes Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes 25 minutes Total: 2 hours, 1 minute Serenade Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Choreographer: George Balanchine Staged by: Elyse Borne Costume Design: after Karinska Original Lighting Design: Ronald Bates World Premiere: March 1, 1935—American Ballet, Adelphi Theater; New York, New York San Francisco Ballet Premiere: April 18, 1952—War Memorial Opera House; San Francisco, California The Chairman Dances—Quartet For Two Composer: John Adams Choreographer: Benjamin Millepied Costume and Lighting Design: Benjamin Millepied World Premiere: January 19, 2017—San Francisco Ballet 84th Anniversary Gala, War Memorial Opera House; San Francisco, California Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes Composer: Aaron Copland Choreographer: Justin Peck Staged by: Craig Hall Costume Design: Reid Bartelme, Harriet Jung, and Justin Peck Lighting Design: Brandon Stirling Baker

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Program 2 Credits/Page 2 World Premiere: February 4, 2015—New York City Ballet, David H. Koch Theater; New York, New York San Francisco Ballet Premiere: January 18, 2018— San Francisco Ballet 85th Anniversary Gala, War Memorial Opera House; San Francisco, California Production Credits Serenade: Music: Serenade in C Major for String Orchestra, Op. 48. This performance of Serenade, a Balanchine© Ballet, is presented by arrangement with the George Balanchine Trust and has been produced in accordance with the Balanchine Style© and Balanchine Technique© service standards established and provided by the Trust. Costumes constructed by Barbara Matera, Ltd., New York, New York. The Chairman Dances—Quartet For Two: Music: The Chairman Dances by John Adams, used by arrangement with G. Schirmer, Inc. publisher and copyright owner. Christian Zeal and Activity by John Adams used by arrangement with Hendon Music, Inc., a Boosey & Hawkes company, publisher and copyright owner. Costumes constructed by Franco Martinez. Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes: Music: Four Dance Episodes from Rodeo by Aaron Copland. Copland, used by arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., publisher and copyright owner. Costumes constructed by Christopher Read, Toronto, Canada.

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CONTACT: Kyra Jablonsky, 415.865.6603 kjablonsky@sfballet.org Rena Nishijima, 415.865.6610 rnishijima@sfballet.org

2018 REPERTORY SEASON LISTING

PROGRAM 1 FULL-LENGTH PRODUCTION THE SLEEPING BEAUTY Tchaikovsky/Tomasson after Petipa/ Worsaae/Miller Jan. 23 eve, 24 eve, 25 eve, 26 eve, 27 mat & eve, 28 mat, 2 eve, 3 mat & eve, 4 mat

PROGRAM 2 BRIGHT FAST COOL BLUE SERENADE Tchaikovsky/Balanchine/after Karinska/Bates THE CHAIRMAN DANCES—QUARTET FOR TWO^ Adams/Millepied

RODEO: FOUR DANCE EPISODES+ Copland/Peck/Bartelme, Jung, Peck/Baker Feb. 13 eve, 14 eve, 16 eve, 18 mat, 22 eve, 24 mat & eve

PROGRAM 3 DISTINCTLY SF BALLET ON A THEME OF PAGANINI Rachmaninov/Tomasson/Pakledinaz/ Jampolis IBSEN’S HOUSE Dvořák/Caniparoli/Woodall/Ingalls GHOST IN THE MACHINE Nyman/Thatcher/Roemer/French Feb. 15 eve, 17 mat & eve, 20 eve, 21 eve, 23 eve, 25 mat PROGRAM 4 FULL-LENGTH PRODUCTION FRANKENSTEIN Liebermann/Scarlett/Macfarlane/Finn/Ross March 6 eve, 7 eve, 8 eve, 9 eve, 10 mat & eve, 11 mat * World Premiere + SF Ballet Premiere ^Expanded Version

2018 Repertory Season Calendar/Page 2 PROGRAM 5 ROBBINS: BALLET & BROADWAY OPUS 19/THE DREAMER Prokofiev/Robbins/Benson/Tipton after Bates

THE CAGE Stravinsky/Robbins/Rosenthal/Sobotka/ Tipton OTHER DANCES Chopin/Robbins/Loquasto/Tipton FANCY FREE Bernstein/Robbins/Smith/Love/after Bates March 20 eve, 21 eve, 22 eve, 23 eve, 24 mat & eve, 25 mat PROGRAM 6 FULL-LENGTH PRODUCTION The National Ballet of Canada (Guest Company) NIJINSKY Chopin, Schumann, Rimsky-Korsakov, Shostakovich/Neumeier April 3 eve, 4 eve, 5 eve, 6 eve, 7 mat & eve, 8 mat

NEW WORKS FESTIVAL: FESTIVAL A* THE COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT* Moran/King/Campbell/Rosenwasser/Ingalls BOUND©* Henson/Wheeldon/Puissant/Ingalls HURRY UP, WE’RE DREAMING* Gonzalez, Gonzalez, Laner, and Meldal-Johnsen/Peck/Bartelme and Jung/Ingalls April 20 eve, 22 mat, 28 eve, May 3 eve, 6 mat NEW WORKS FESTIVAL: FESTIVAL B* MYLES THATCHER WORLD PREMIERE* Adams/Thatcher/Nichols/Rood/Ingalls SNOWBLIND* Beach, Foote, and Pärt/Marston/Kinmonth/ Ingalls ANIMA ANIMUS* Bosso/Dawson/Otto/Takeshima/Ingalls April 21 eve, 25 eve, 29 mat, May 4 eve * World Premiere + SF Ballet Premiere

2018 Repertory Season Calendar/Page 3 NEW WORKS FESTIVAL: FESTIVAL C* BESPOKE* Bach/Welch/Hynes/Ingalls YOUR FLESH SHALL BE A GREAT POEM* Garneau/McIntyre/Bartelme and Jung/Ingalls GUERNICA* Andrews, Banabila, Halstead, and Valentin-Alkan/Lope Ochoa/Zappone/Ingalls April 24 eve, 27 eve, May 2 eve, 5 mat NEW WORKS FESTIVAL: FESTIVAL D* THE INFINITE OCEAN* Davis/Liang/Nichols/Zappone/Ingalls LET’S BEGIN AT THE END* Bach, Glass, and Nyman/Rhoden/Nichols/ Darch/Ingalls BJÖRK BALLET* Gudmundsdottir, Sigurdsson/Pita/Morante/Ingalls April 26 eve, 28 mat, May 1 eve, 5 eve * World Premiere + SF Ballet Premiere

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SAN FRANCISCO BALLET ARTISTS OF THE COMPANY

2017-18 SEASON

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & PRINCIPAL CHOREOGRAPHER Helgi Tomasson

PRINCIPAL DANCERS

Dores André Frances Chung

Mathilde Froustey Luke Ingham

Ana Sophia Scheller Yuan Yuan Tan

Ulrik Birkkjaer Sasha De Sola Angelo Greco

Maria Kochetkova Jennifer Stahl

Sarah Van Patten

Jaime Garcia Castilla Carlo Di Lanno Tiit Helimets

Vitor Luiz Sofiane Sylve Joseph Walsh

PRINCIPAL CHARACTER DANCERS

Ricardo Bustamante Val Caniparoli Anita Paciotti

Rubén Martín Cintas

SOLOISTS

Max Cauthorn Jahna Frantziskonis

Steven Morse Lauren Strongin

Daniel Deivison-Oliveira Esteban Hernandez

Julia Rowe Wei Wang

WanTing Zhao

Isabella DeVivo Koto Ishihara

James Sofranko Hansuke Yamamoto

CORPS DE BALLET Kamryn Baldwin

Samantha Bristow Diego Cruz

Solomon Golding Ellen Rose Hummel

Blake Kessler Norika Matsuyama

Sean Orza Elizabeth Powell Rebecca Rhodes Natasha Sheehan

John-Paul Simoens Mingxuan Wang Maggie Weirich

Sean Bennett Alexandre Cagnat

Megan Amanda Ehrlich Gabriela Gonzalez

Blake Johnston Shené Lazarus

Davide Occhipinti Wona Park

Nathaniel Remez Emma Rubinowitz

Henry Sidford Myles Thatcher Joseph Warton

Ludmila Bizalion Thamires Chuvas

Benjamin Freemantle Jillian Harvey

Madison Keesler Elizabeth Mateer

Kimberly Marie Olivier Lauren Parrott

Alexander Reneff-Olson Skyla Schreter

Miranda Silveira Isabella Walsh Lonnie Weeks

Ami Yuki

APPRENTICES Ethan Chudnow

Swane Messaoudi Anatalia Hordov

Larisa Nugent Carmela Mayo Benji Pearson

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BALLET MASTER & ASSISTANT TO THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Ricardo Bustamante

Felipe Diaz

BALLET MASTERS Betsy Erickson Anita Paciotti Katita Waldo

COMPANY TEACHERS Helgi Tomasson Patrick Armand*

Ricardo Bustamante Felipe Diaz

CHOREOGRAPHER IN RESIDENCE

Yuri Possokhov

MUSIC DIRECTOR AND PRINCIPAL CONDUCTOR Martin West

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*guest teacher

HISTORY OF SAN FRANCISCO BALLET

San Francisco Ballet, the oldest professional ballet company in America, has emerged as a world-class arts organization since it was founded as the San Francisco Opera Ballet in 1933. Initially, its primary purpose was to train dancers to appear in lavish, full-length opera productions. Willam Christensen arrived in 1938 and choreographed the Company’s first full-length production, Coppélia, the following year. In 1940, he staged the first American full-length production of Swan Lake and on Christmas Eve 1944, Christensen launched a national holiday tradition with the American premiere of Nutcracker—the first complete version of the ballet ever staged in the United States. In 1942, the Company became a completely separate entity from the opera and was renamed San Francisco Ballet. Willam Christensen was artistic director, and his brother Harold was appointed director of the San Francisco Ballet School, a position he retained for 33 years. A third brother, Lew Christensen, America’s first premier danseur, joined Willam as co-director in 1951, and took over the Company the following year. Under Lew’s direction, the Company made its East Coast debut at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in 1956 and toured 11 Asian nations the following year, marking the first performances by an American ballet company in Asia. In 1972, after performing in various San Francisco theaters, the Company settled permanently into the War Memorial Opera House for its annual residency. The following year, Michael Smuin was appointed associate artistic director and celebrated his new partnership with Lew Christensen by collaborating on a full-length production of Cinderella. In 1976, Smuin’s Romeo and Juliet became the first full-length ballet and the first performance by a West Coast company to be shown on the PBS television series Dance in America. In 1981, Smuin’s The Tempest—the first ballet broadcast live from the War Memorial Opera House—was nominated for three Emmy Awards (Willa Kim received the award for Outstanding Costume Design). Three years later, Smuin received an Emmy Award for Choreography for the Dance in America national broadcast of A Song for Dead Warriors. In 1974, SF Ballet faced bankruptcy, but its supporters and the community responded with an extraordinary grassroots effort called “Save Our Ballet,” which successfully brought the Company back from the brink. That same year, Dr. Richard E. LeBlond, Jr. was appointed president and general manager of SF Ballet. He developed the first long-range plan for an American dance company, and in 18 months the organization was in the black financially. Helgi Tomasson’s arrival as artistic director in July 1985 marked the beginning of a new era for SF Ballet. Like Lew Christensen, Tomasson was, for many years, a leading dancer for the most important ballet choreographer of the 20th century, George Balanchine.

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SF Ballet History/Page 2 Less than two years after Tomasson’s arrival, SF Ballet unveiled its fourth production of Nutcracker in December 1986. Tomasson has since staged acclaimed full-length productions of many classics, including Swan Lake (1988, 2009); The Sleeping Beauty (1990); Romeo & Juliet (1994); Giselle (1999); Don Quixote, co-staged with former Principal Dancer and current Choreographer in Residence Yuri Possokhov (2003); and Nutcracker (2004). In 1991, SF Ballet performed in New York City for the first time in 26 years, returning in 1993, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2008, and 2013. Following the initial tour, The New York Times proclaimed, “Mr. Tomasson has accomplished the unprecedented: He has pulled a so-called regional company into the national ranks, and he has done so by honing the dancers into a classical style of astonishing verve and purity. SF Ballet under Helgi Tomasson’s leadership is one of the spectacular success stories of the arts in America.” In May 1995, SF Ballet hosted 12 ballet companies from around the world for UNited We Dance: An International Festival, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter, which took place in the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center in San Francisco. Never before had a dance event brought together over 150 international artists for two weeks of creative exchange and inspiration. 2008 marked the Company’s 75th Anniversary Season, which culminated in a New Works Festival of 10 world premieres by 10 of the dance world’s most diverse and acclaimed choreographers including Julia Adam, Val Caniparoli, Jorma Elo, Margaret Jenkins, James Kudelka, Mark Morris, Yuri Possokhov, Paul Taylor, Stanton Welch, and Christopher Wheeldon. Other anniversary initiatives included a commemorative book, San Francisco Ballet at Seventy-Five; special exhibitions; an alumni reunion weekend; and the broadcast of Tomasson’s Nutcracker on PBS’s Great Performances Dance in America series, produced in partnership with KQED Public Television in San Francisco. In December 2011, the American premiere of John Neumeier’s The Little Mermaid, performed by SF Ballet, was broadcast internationally, as well as nationally on PBS’s Great Performances Dance in America. In 2015, Tomasson celebrated his 30th anniversary as artistic director of the Company, with the San Francisco Chronicle noting, “What Tomasson has done here over these three decades is to transform a respected regional American ballet company into an international-caliber organization that commands worldwide respect for the depth of its repertoire and its superb technical standards.” SF Ballet continues to enrich and expand its repertory and presents approximately 100 performances annually. The Company’s vast repertory includes works by Sir Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, David Bintley, August Bournonville, Val Caniparoli, Lew Christensen, Nacho Duato, Jorma Elo, William Forsythe, James Kudelka, Jirí Kylián, Lar Lubovitch, Benjamin Millepied, Wayne McGregor, Agnes de Mille, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Hans van Manen, Peter Martins, Mark Morris, Rudolf Nureyev, Justin Peck, Marius Petipa, Roland Petit, Yuri Possokhov, Alexei Ratmansky, Jerome Robbins, Liam Scarlett, Paul Taylor, Antony Tudor, and Christopher Wheeldon.

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SF Ballet History/Page 3 In recent years, the Company’s touring program has become increasingly ambitious. In fall 2008, as part of its year-long 75th Anniversary Celebration, SF Ballet embarked on a critically acclaimed four-city American tour with engagements at Chicago’s Harris Theater for Music and Dance, New York City Center, Southern California’s Segerstrom Center for the Arts, and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. In 2016, the Company performed at Napa Valley Performing Arts Center, Iceland’s Reykjavík Theatre, and The Kennedy Center. In addition, SF Ballet dancers participated in Celebrate Forsythe at The Music Center, honoring the choreographer’s legacy to date. After opening night, the Los Angeles Times declared that “[SF Ballet] dances Forsythe better than any other American company.” SF Ballet has also enjoyed frequent overseas tours, including engagements at prestigious venues such as the famed Opéra de Paris-Palais Garnier in Paris (1994, 2001) and Théâtre du Châtelet (2014); London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre (1999, 2004, 2012) and the Royal Opera House (2002); Athens’ Megaron Theatre (2002) and Herod Atticus Amphitheatre (2004); the Tivoli Garden Concert Hall in Copenhagen (1998, 2010); and the Edinburgh International Festival at the Edinburgh Playhouse (1997, 2003). In fall 2009, SF Ballet made its first trip to the People’s Republic of China, with performances in Shanghai and Beijing and in 2015, the Company returned to both cities as part of a two-week tour. The Company’s extensive touring program has garnered numerous accolades and awards. In 2005, SF Ballet won its first Laurence Olivier Award, for its 2004 fall season at Sadler’s Wells Theatre. Of the engagement, London’s Sunday Times proclaimed, “Helgi Tomasson’s outstanding artistic direction…has transformed a regional American troupe into one of the world’s top ballet companies.” In 2006, in a readers’ poll conducted by Dance Europe magazine, SF Ballet was the first non-European company to be voted “Company of the Year” by the publication. In 2008, SF Ballet received the Jerome Robbins Award for excellence in dance. In 2012, SF Ballet’s touring schedule included engagements in London and Washington, D.C., as well as first time visits to Hamburg, Moscow, and Sun Valley, Idaho. In fall 2013, the Company performed at New York’s David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, where The New York Times declared SF Ballet “a national treasure.” In July 2014, the Company toured to Paris as part of Les Etés de la Danse Festival, marking the 10th anniversary of its inaugural engagement with the festival. At Théâtre du Châtelet, SF Ballet presented over 20 works by 15 choreographers over a gala evening and 17 performances. Of the tour, The Financial Times remarked, “Where ballet goes from here is anyone’s guess, but as dancers and choreographers continue to flock to Tomasson, the tell-tale signs may well be found in California.”

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SF Ballet History/Page 4 Highlights of SF Ballet’s 2018 Season include Unbound: A Festival of New Works featuring 12 new works by 12 innovative, international choreographers, plus ancillary festival activities; an all-Robbins program celebrating the centennial of Jerome Robbins and Leonard Bernstein; and performances of Neumeier’s acclaimed Nijinsky by The National Ballet of Canada. San Francisco Ballet School, overseen by Tomasson and the School’s Director Patrick Armand, attracts students from around the world, training approximately 350 annually. In addition to filling the ranks of SF Ballet, graduates have gone on to join distinguished ballet companies throughout the world.

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HELGI TOMASSON

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & PRINCIPAL CHOREOGRAPHER

Helgi Tomasson has held the position of artistic director for San Francisco Ballet since July 1985. Since then, the Company has evolved from a respected regional troupe to an international company praised for its broad repertory, dancers of uncommon range and skill, and a vision that continually sets the standard for the international dance world. San Francisco Ballet is dancing better than it has at any point in its history. As a choreographer, teacher, and coach, Tomasson has fostered an uncompromising classicism that has become the bedrock of the Company’s training. The dancers are energized and inspired by this rigorous training and continue to rise to new heights with each passing year. Born in Reykjavik, Iceland, Tomasson began his early ballet training there with an Icelandic teacher and then joined the National Theatre’s affiliated school, which was led by Danish instructors Erik and Lisa Bidsted. At 15, the emerging dancer began his professional career with the celebrated Pantomime Theatre in Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens. Two years later, Jerome Robbins met Tomasson and, impressed by his dancing, arranged a scholarship for him to study at the School of American Ballet in New York City. Soon after, Tomasson began his professional career with The Joffrey Ballet and two years later joined The Harkness Ballet. Over the next six years, he became one of the company’s most celebrated principal dancers. In 1969, Tomasson entered the First International Ballet Competition in Moscow as a United States representative and returned with the Silver Medal (the Gold Medal was awarded to Mikhail Baryshnikov). The following year, Tomasson joined New York City Ballet as a principal dancer and over the course of his career became one of the finest classical dancers of his era. He was one of the foremost interpreters of George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, and both men created several roles expressly for him. In 1982, Tomasson choreographed his first ballet for the School of American Ballet Workshop, which elicited encouragement from Balanchine to continue choreographing. In 1985, Tomasson accepted the invitation from SF Ballet to become artistic director of America’s oldest professional ballet company, drawing to a close a glorious performing career. Since assuming this role, Tomasson has choreographed over 40 ballets, including stunning full-length productions of Don Quixote (co-staged by Yuri Possokhov), Giselle, Romeo & Juliet, The Sleeping Beauty, and two productions of Swan Lake (1988 and 2009). His intricate and varied works, such as 7 for Eight, Chi-Lin, Concerto Grosso, The Fifth Season, Handel—a Celebration, Meistens Mozart, Nanna’s Lied, and Sonata, showcase the unique qualities of individual dancers. Tomasson’s Prism, which debuted in 2000 at New York City Ballet, received rave reviews and was deemed a “triumph” by The New York Times. In 2004, his new production of

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Tomasson/Page 2 Nutcracker, created in collaboration with an internationally recognized design team, debuted to enthusiastic critic and audience response. The New York Times proclaimed, “This is a Nutcracker on a grand scale…striking, elegant and beautiful.” On December 17, 2008, Tomasson’s Nutcracker was broadcast nationally on Great Performances on PBS, in partnership with KQED Public Television in San Francisco. The strong classical base instilled by Tomasson enables the dancers to effortlessly navigate a myriad of styles by a range of internationally distinguished choreographers. Those invited by Tomasson to create works on the Company have included David Bintley, Val Caniparoli, Jorma Elo, William Forsythe, James Kudelka, Lar Lubovitch, Mark Morris, Justin Peck, Yuri Possokhov, Alexei Ratmansky, Paul Taylor, Stanton Welch, and Christopher Wheeldon. Tomasson has also continued to expand SF Ballet’s repertory through acquiring works by renowned choreographers such as Sir Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, August Bournonville, Michel Fokine, Hans van Manen, Wayne McGregor, Sir Kenneth McMillan, Agnes de Mille, Nacho Duato, Flemming Flindt, Roland Petit, Jerome Robbins, and Antony Tudor, among others. Tomasson’s own works have been performed by New York City Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Houston Ballet, Alberta Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, Ballet Estable del Teatro Colón, and Asami Maki Ballet. In Denmark, Tomasson’s 1993 staging of The Sleeping Beauty was the most lavish production ever produced in the Royal Danish Ballet’s history and was filmed for Danish public television in April 1995. Under Tomasson’s direction, SF Ballet has toured the world, receiving praise for its purity and verve. Engagements in China (2009, 2015), Copenhagen (1998, 2010), London (1999, 2001, 2004, 2012), Moscow (2012), New York City (1991, 1993, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2013), and Paris (1989, 1994, 2001, 2005, 2014) are among the highlights of the Company’s history. For the Company’s 2004 London engagement, SF Ballet won the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award, its first, in the category of Outstanding Achievement in Dance. Of the tour, The Guardian (UK) noted, “As director of SF Ballet, Helgi Tomasson has started to acquire an aura of infallibility, his expertise in laying down repertory, and in balancing great evenings of dance, is held in envy by the rest of the profession.” Tomasson’s vision, commitment, and dedication to the art of classical dance were demonstrated when he conceived UNited We Dance: An International Festival, produced in San Francisco in May 1995. Created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter, it included 12 international companies of the highest caliber that Tomasson had invited to present new works created by native choreographers. Never before had a dance event brought together over 150 artists for an unprecedented two weeks of creative exchange and inspiration. In spring 2008, as part of its yearlong 75th anniversary celebration, SF Ballet presented a New Works Festival of 10 world premieres by 10 of the dance world’s most diverse and acclaimed choreographers. The festival was called “ambitious and unprecedented” by The Washington Post and the San Francisco Chronicle hailed it as a “daring onslaught of fresh work… this is what the

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Tomasson/Page 3 ballet world needs now.” Tomasson’s achievements have garnered him numerous awards and honors, and he has participated as a judge for ballet competitions in Italy, Russia, France, Finland, and Japan. During the 1970s in his homeland of Iceland, he was named a Knight of the Order of the Falcon for his achievements as a dancer. In 1989, he received Dance Bay Area’s Isadora Duncan Award for his outstanding choreography of Swan Lake. In June 1990, Tomasson was named Commander of the Order of the Falcon by then-President of Iceland Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, for his continuous achievements in the arts. In recognition of his artistic excellence, Tomasson received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement in 1992. That same year, he received the Dance Magazine Award in recognition of his contributions to the dance world. In 1995, Tomasson joined the Artistic Advisory Board of The Ballet Theatre in Prague, directed by Jana Kurová. Also in 1995, Tomasson was honored with the Cultural Award of The American-Scandinavian Foundation. In 1996, he was presented with a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, from Dominican College of San Rafael, in recognition of his value as a role model, his extraordinary career, and his community-service accomplishments. That same year, he was awarded the Isadora Duncan Special Award for UNited We Dance: An International Festival. In 2012, he was named recipient of the Dance/USA Honor, acknowledging individuals’ contributions to dance in America and the role they play in the national dance community. Currently, Tomasson serves on the Board of Directors of the School of American Ballet and the Artistic Committee for the New York Choreographic Institute, and has served as a member of the National Endowment for the Arts Dance Advisory Panel. In May 2001, Tomasson was granted the rank of Officier in the French Order of Arts and Letters, established in 1957 to recognize those who have contributed significantly to furthering the arts in France and throughout the world. Hugues Gall, then director of the Opéra National de Paris, presented the award in a ceremony attended by the President of Iceland Ólafur Ragnar Grimsson, following SF Ballet’s triumphant opening at the Palais Garnier. In spring 2002, the Board of Trustees of New York’s Juilliard School unanimously voted to bestow an honorary doctoral degree upon Tomasson, as one of five doctorates given annually in different artistic disciplines. In 2005, Tomasson was awarded the prestigious Lew Christensen Medal in honor of his 20th anniversary as artistic director of SF Ballet. In spring 2007, Tomasson won a sustained achievement award from the Isadora Duncan Dance Awards, also in recognition of his distinguished, ongoing tenure as artistic director. In May of the same year, during a tour to Iceland’s Reykjavik Arts Festival, Grimsson awarded Tomasson the Grand Cross Star of the Order of the Falcon, the country’s most prestigious honor. In 2008, he was awarded the Commonwealth Club of California’s Distinguished Citizen Award. In January 2010, the Company’s Opening Night Gala, Silver Celebration, honored Tomasson’s remarkable achievements to date.

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Tomasson/Page 4 In 2015, on the occasion of his 30th anniversary as artistic director of the Company, the San Francisco Chronicle noted, “What Tomasson has done here over these three decades is to transform a respected regional American ballet company into an international-caliber organization that commands worldwide respect for the depth of its repertoire and its superb technical standards.” In addition to his role as artistic director and principal choreographer of the Company, Tomasson is the artistic director of San Francisco Ballet School. For Tomasson, the School is central to the life and development of the Company. Just as he expects the finest dancing and most meticulous attention to detail from his dancers, he demands the highest standards for training the students in the School. Tomasson lives in San Francisco with his wife, Marlene, who was dancing with The Joffrey Ballet when they met. They have two sons, Erik and Kris.

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HELGI TOMASSON ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & PRINCIPAL CHOREOGRAPHER

REPERTORY

Choreographed for San Francisco Ballet:

Caprice (2014)

Trio (2011)

Swan Lake (2009)

On a Theme of Paganini (2008)

On Common Ground (2007)

Blue Rose (2006)

The Fifth Season (2006)

Bagatelles (2005)

Nutcracker (2004)

7 for Eight (2004)

Don Quixote (2003)

Concerto Grosso (2003)

Chi-Lin (2002)

Bartok Divertimento (2002)

Chaconne for Piano and Two Dancers (1999)

Giselle (1999)

Silver Ladders (1998)

Two Bits (1998)

Twilight (1998)

Criss-Cross (1997)

Pandora Dance (1997)

Soirées Musicales (1996)

Tuning Game (1995)

Sonata (1995)

When We No Longer Touch (1995)

Quartette (1994)

Romeo & Juliet (1994)

Nanna’s Lied (1993)

Le Quattro Stagioni (The Four Seasons) (1992)

Forevermore (1992)

Two plus Two (1992)

Aurora Polaris (1991)

Meistens Mozart (1991)

“Haffner” Symphony (1991)

The Sleeping Beauty (1990)

Con Brio (1990)

Valses Poeticos (1990)

Handel—a Celebration (1989)

Swan Lake (1988)

Intimate Voices (1987)

Bizet pas de deux (1987)

Concerto in d: Poulenc (1986)

Confidencias (1986)

Additional Ballets: Prism (2000), choreographed for New York City Ballet “Much Ado…” (1999), choreographed for Alberta Ballet Simple Symphony (1996), choreographed for SF Ballet School Showcase. Beads of Memory (1985), choreographed in 1985 for Houston Ballet Little Waltz (1985), choreographed for New York City Ballet’s Gala on students of School of American Ballet Menuetto (1984), choreographed for New York City Ballet Contredanses (1984), choreographed in 1984 for Finis Jhung’s Chamber Ballet USA Ballet d’Isoline (1983), choreographed for School of American Ballet Giuliani: Variations on a Theme (1982), choreographed for School of American Ballet

GEORGE BALANCHINE

CHOREOGRAPHER

George Balanchine (1904-1983) is regarded as one of the foremost ballet choreographers and one of the great artists of the twentieth century. His influence in the worlds of ballet, music, and modernism is immense, and he had a great and lasting impact on New York’s cultural scene during a particularly creative period of the city’s history. The son of a composer, Balanchine began studying the piano at the age of five, then studied at the Imperial Ballet School in St. Petersburg from 1913 to 1921. He continued his education with three years at the state’s Conservatory of Music, where he studied piano and musical theory, including composition, harmony, and counterpoint. Balanchine made his dancing debut at the age of 10 as a cupid in the Maryinsky Theatre Ballet Company production of The Sleeping Beauty. He joined the company’s corps de ballet at age 17 and also staged one work, Enigmas. In the summer of 1924, Balanchine—along with Tamara Geva, Alexandra Danilova, and Nicholas Efimov—left the newly formed Soviet Union for a tour of Western Europe. All four dancers were invited by impresario Serge Diaghilev to join his Ballets Russes in Paris. After watching Balanchine stage a new version of the Stravinsky ballet Le Chant de Rossignol, Diaghilev hired him as ballet master to replace Bronislava Nijinska. Balanchine served as ballet master with Ballets Russes until the company was dissolved following Diaghilev’s death in 1929. After that, he spent his next few years on a variety of projects which took him all over Europe, then returned to Paris to form his own company, Les Ballets 1933. It was then that he met American dance connoisseur Lincoln Kirstein. Kirstein’s great passion for the contemporary arts included the dream to establish an American ballet school and an American ballet company that would rival those of Europe. He persuaded Balanchine to come to the United States and help him fulfill this dream, and in 1934, the pair founded the School of American Ballet. The first original ballet Balanchine choreographed in this country—Serenade, set to music by Tchaikovsky—was created for dancers from the School and had its world premiere outdoors on the estate of Kirstein’s friend, Edward Warburg, near White Plains, New York. The School remains in operation to this day, training students for companies throughout the United States and the world, but the first ballet companies founded by Balanchine and Kirstein were not as long-lived. American Ballet, Ballet Caravan, and American Ballet Caravan came and went in the years between 1936 and 1940. In 1946, following World War II, Balanchine and Kirstein joined forces again to form Ballet Society, a company which introduced New York

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Balanchine/Page 2 subscription-only audiences over the next two years to such new Balanchine works as The Four Temperaments (1946), Stravinsky’s Renard (1947), and Orpheus (1948). Morton Baum, chairman of the City Center of Music and Drama, was so impressed by the program that he invited Ballet Society to join City Center, but with a new name. On October 11, 1948, New York City Ballet was born, dancing an all-Balanchine program consisting of Concerto Barocco, Orpheus, and Symphony In C. Balanchine served as ballet master for New York City Ballet from that year until his death in 1983. An authoritative catalogue of his works lists 425 works created from 1920 to 1982, and many of these continue to be danced today, including Firebird (1949; restaged with Jerome Robbins, 1970); Bourrée Fantasque (1949); La Valse (1951); The Nutcracker, Ivesiana, and Western Symphony (1954); Allegro Brillante (1956); Agon (1957); The Seven Deadly Sins (a revival of the original Les Ballets 1933 production) and Stars and Stripes (1958); Episodes (1959); Monumentum Pro Gesualdo and Liebeslieder Walzer (1960); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1962); Movements For Piano And Orchestra and Bugaku (1963); Don Quixote and Harlequinade (1965); Jewels–his only full-length plotless ballet (1967); Who Cares? (1970); Duo Concertant, Stravinsky Violin Concerto, and Symphony In Three Movements (1972); Coppélia (1974); Pavane (1975); Union Jack (1976); Vienna Waltzes (1977); Ballo della Regina and Kammermusik No. 2 (1978); Robert Schumann’s “Davidsbündlertänze” (1980); and Mozartiana (1981). Though it is for his ballet choreography that Balanchine is most admired, he also choreographed for theater, movies, and opera. He choreographed numerous musical comedies, including On Your Toes, Cabin in the Sky, Babes in Arms, Where’s Charley?, Song of Norway, I Married an Angel, The Boys from Syracuse, The Merry Widow, and The Ziegfeld Follies of 1935. His film credits include Star Spangled Rhythm, I Was an Adventuress, and The Goldwyn Follies. Balanchine’s style has been described as neo-classic. His response to the Romantic classicism was to de-emphasize the plot in his ballets, preferring to let “dance and music be the star of the show.” Balanchine always preferred to call himself a craftsman rather than a creator, comparing himself to a cook or a cabinetmaker (both hobbies of his), and he had a reputation throughout the dance world for the calm and collected way in which he worked with his dancers and colleagues. Above all, he emphasized the primacy of music, choosing important composers and commissioning new works rather than relying on traditional ballet scores. “Choreography can only be the result of great music,” he said, and “The music is always first.” In 1970, U.S. News & World Report attempted to summarize Balanchine’s achievements:

“The greatest choreographer of our time, George Balanchine, is responsible for the successful fusion of modern concepts with older ideas of classical ballet ... often working with modern music, and simplest of themes, he has created ballets that are celebrated for their imagination and originality. He has made American dance the most advanced and richest in choreographic development in the world today.”

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Balanchine was the recipient of many honors in his lifetime, including one of the first Kennedy Center Honors; induction into Hollywood’s Entertainment Hall of Fame; a Knighthood of the Order of Dannebrog, First Class, by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark; the Gold Medal of Merit from the National Society of Arts and Letters; the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Letters, First Class; the French Legion of Honor; French Commander of the Order of Arts and Letter decoration; and National Institute of Arts and Letters award for Distinguished Service to the Arts. Shortly before his death in 1983, he received his last major award: the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor that can be conferred upon a civilian in the United States. Biography, with amendments, courtesy of New York City Ballet.

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BARBARA KARINSKA

COSTUME DESIGNER In 1930, Barbara Karinska, a widow, arrived in Paris from the Soviet Union with a young daughter and a nephew, unknown and without money. Within two years, with the costumes she made from Christian Berard’s sketches for George Balanchine's ballet Cotillon, Karinska found her niche in costume design. Thus began the long career of a remarkable woman, already in her mid-forties. In addition to Balanchine and Berard, other colleagues of her Paris years included Andre Derain, Leonide Massine, Louis Jouvet, Jean Cocteau, and Boris Kochno. In Karinska’s career the usually separate roles of artist and manufacturer were fused. For five decades, from the 1930s through the 1970s, in Paris, London, Monte Carlo, Hollywood, and New York, Karinska’s work was superb in quality, and impressive in quantity. Although at ease in a variety of theatrical media, her affinity for the design and manufacture of dance clothes was apparent early in her career. Like Rodgers and Hart, Karinska and Balanchine were a team; she designed and made costumes for 40 of his ballets and executed many others. In 1963, through a grant from the Ford Foundation arranged by W. McNeil Lowry, Karinska relinquished most other theatrical work and devoted herself to Balanchine, Lincoln Kirstein, Jerome Robbins, and New York City Ballet. By the end of her illustrious career, she had produced costumes for 14 films, 30 operas, 53 theater productions, 136 ballets, and countless miscellaneous productions, as well as gowns for admiring clients. Karinska’s honors include the first Oscar awarded in costume design, for the Ingrid Bergman film Joan of Arc in 1948, and the Capezio Dance Award in 1962. Lincoln Kirstein compared her work to that of the great Russian jeweler, Peter Carl Fabergé. John Martin, dance critic for the New York Times called her “a great artist who invented her art.”

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RONALD BATES

LIGHTING DESIGNER Ronald Bates was the production manager for New York City Ballet from 1957 until his death in August 1986. Born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Bates studied scenic design at Los Angeles City College, after completing a tour of duty in the Navy. While at college, he worked as a stage manager and built scenery to sustain himself. After two years of stage managing in California, he came to New York City and worked as a stage manager on a few operas produced by Lincoln Kirstein, who at that time was New York City Ballet’s general director. After working at Connecticut’s Mozart Festival and the Shakespeare Festival, as well as for New York City’s NBC Opera Company, Bates joined the New York City Ballet at Kirstein’s request. For over 20 years, he remained as production stage manager with New York City Ballet. Bates also worked as the company’s lighting designer, and in this capacity worked closely with George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins on numerous ballets from their inception, discussing design details with the scenic designers, overseeing the construction of sets in various scene shops, and even working with the costume designers so that he could judge the type and amount of light needed to properly illuminate the dancers. Bates was also considered an authority on dance floors and stage floor construction and often traveled abroad to help direct technical productions, and reproduce his lighting designs for New York City Ballet works staged by other companies.

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BENJAMIN MILLEPIED

CHOREOGRAPHER

Born in France, Benjamin Millepied began his dance training at the age of eight with his mother, Catherine Flori a former modern dancer. From the age of thirteen to the age of sixteen he attended the Conservatoire National de Lyon, studying with Marie France Dieulevin and Michel Rahn. In the summer of 1992, Mr. Millepied came to New York City to attend the summer program at the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet. The following year, he became a full-time student at the school, having received the “Bourse Lavoisier,” a scholarship award from the French Ministry. At SAB he studied with Stanley Williams and Adam Luders. In the 1994 SAB Spring Workshop, Mr. Millepied originated a principal role in Jerome Robbins’ 2 & 3 Part Inventions, set to music by J.S Bach. He was awarded the “Prix de Lausanne” the same year. In his last year at SAB, Mr. Millepied received the Mae L. Wien Award for Outstanding Promise and was invited to become a member of New York City Ballet. In the spring of 2001, he was promoted to the rank of Principal Dancer at NYCB, where he remained until his retirement as a dancer in 2011. With the New York City Ballet, Mr. Millepied danced a vast repertoire of works by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. Many original roles were also created for him by Jerome Robbins, Alexei Ratmansky, Christopher Wheeldon, Mauro Bigonzetti, Angelin Preljocaj, Peter Martins, among others. Mr. Millepied started choreographing in 2001, and in 2002 he founded “Danses Concertantes.” The company gathered different dancers for each tour, and for over 8 years performed new works and ballet repertory in prestigious venues all over the world. From 2006 to 2007, Mr. Millepied was choreographer-in-residence at the Baryshnikov Arts Center. During his time at BAC, Mr. Millepied created the solo “Years Later” for Mikhail Baryshnikov. In 2007, he received the United States Artists Wynn Fellowship. In 2010, he was made Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Ministry of Culture. Mr. Millepied’s many ballets are in the repertory of major dance companies around the world including the New York City Ballet, the Paris Opera Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, the Mariinsky Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Ballet de Geneve, the Lyon Opera Ballet, the Royal New Zealand Ballet, and the Dutch National Ballet. His collaborators include composers and artists such as Nico Muhly, David Lang, Thierry Escaich, Philip Glass, Daniel Buren, Christopher Wool, Barbara Kruger, Paul Cox, Rodarte, Iris Van Herpen, and Santiago Calatrava.

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Millepied/Page 2 In 2010, Mr. Millepied choreographed and starred in Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan. In 2012, Mr. Millepied moved to Los Angeles, where he conceived of and founded the new dance company L.A. Dance Project. L.A. Dance Project’s mission is to promote new collaborative work by emerging and established artists, and to revisit influential multidisciplinary dance collaborations from the past. The company creates innovative platforms for contemporary dance and expands the experience of dance and dance education to audiences of all ages. During L.A. Dance Project’s September, 2012 inaugural performances at the Los Angeles Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, the company performed Moving Parts, a collaboration between Mr. Millepied, composer Nico Muhly, and visual artist Christopher Wool. In May 2013, L.A. Dance Project presented Reflections, a new work which was the result of a collaboration between Mr. Millepied, composer David Lang, artist Barbara Kruger, and which was created with the support of the historic jewelry house Van Cleef and Arpels. In 2013, Millepied founded the Amoveo Company with composer Nicholas Britell. Amoveo is an artist collective, active in digital media, television and film. In January 2013 the Paris Opera Ballet announced Mr. Millepied’s appointment as its new Director; in February 2016, Benjamin resigned from his position. New Projects will be announced in the near future. Biography courtesy of benjaminmillepied.com.

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JUSTIN PECK

CHOREOGRAPHER

At 29 years old, Justin Peck has already been hailed as an important new voice in 21st-century choreography. He is currently the resident choreographer and a soloist with New York City Ballet. Peck, originally from San Diego, California, moved to New York at the age of 15 to attend the School of American Ballet. In 2006, he was invited by Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins to become a member of New York City Ballet. Since joining New York City Ballet, Peck has danced extensive repertoire, including principal roles in ballets by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Peter Martins, Alexei Ratmansky, Benjamin Millepied, Christopher Wheeldon, and many others. In 2013, Peck was promoted to the rank of soloist. Peck had his choreographic debut in 2009 and has been fervently creating since then. He has been commissioned to create new works for New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, The New York Choreographic Institute, School of American Ballet, Miami City Ballet, New World Symphony, L.A. Dance Project, New York City Center’s Fall for Dance, The Guggenheim Museum, and more. He has collaborated with the like sof Sufjan Stevens, Shepard Fairey, John Baldessari, Bryce Dessner, Marcel Dzama, Humberto Leon, Prabal Gurung, Sterling Ruby, Mary Katrantzou, and Karl Jensen. In 2014, Peck was appointed resident choreographer of New York City Ballet, making him the second choreographer in the history of the institution to hold this position. At New York City Ballet, he has created over 10 ballets, including Year of the Rabbit (2012), In Creases (2012), Paz de La Jolla (2013), Everywhere We Go (2014), Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes (2015), The Most Incredible Thing (2016), and others. In 2015, Peck received the Bessie Award for Outstanding Production for his work Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes. In addition to his work for stage, Peck's choreography extends into many other mediums. He has choreographed for dance in film in collaboration with Vogue, Nowness, Pitchfork, and The Guggenheim Museum; for print shoots with Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, Vogue China, Vogue Australia, New York Magazine, DuJour Magazine, and The Last Magazine; and, in 2015, for the Opening Ceremony runway show for New York Fashion Week. Un 2914, Peck was the subject of filmmaker Jody Lee Lipes’ Ballet 422. The documentary, released by Magnolia Pictures, followed Peck for two months as he created New York City Ballet’s 422nd original ballet, Paz de La Jolla.

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REID BARTELME & HARRIET JUNG

COSTUME DESIGNERS

Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung founded Reid & Harriet Design in the fall of 2011. They were classmates in the fashion design program at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Collaboratively, they have designed costumes for Justin Peck, Pontus Lidberg, Marcelo Gomes, Pam Tanowitz, Emery Lecrone, Kyle Abraham, Mauro Bigonzetti, and Doug Varone. They have costumed productions at American Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Along with Justin Peck, they are featured in the documentary Ballet 422 which premiered at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival. Biography courtesy of reidandharriet.com.

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BRANDON STIRLING BAKER

LIGHTING DESIGNER

Brandon Stirling Baker’s lighting has been commissioned by New York City Ballet, Miami City

Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Joffrey Ballet,

Houston Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, L.A. Dance Project, Los Angeles Music Center,

Guggenheim Museum, and many others. He has worked with Justin Peck since 2010, lighting

15 world premieres for the choreographer internationally.

Previous collaborations with Peck include Year of the Rabbit, Everywhere We Go, 'Rōdē,ō:

Four Dance Episodes, and The Most Incredible Thing (all for New York City Ballet); Heatscape

(Miami City Ballet); Chutes and Ladders (Pennsylvania Ballet); The Bright Motion (New York

City Center); Murder Ballades and Helix (L.A. Dance Project); and In The Countenance of Kings

(SF Ballet).

Baker’s lighting for ballet was awarded with the 2016 Lotos Foundation Prize in the Arts and

Sciences for emerging artists. He is a graduate of the California Institute of the Arts and studied

at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (formerly Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama)

in Glasgow, Scotland.

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MARTIN WEST

MUSIC DIRECTOR & PRINCIPAL CONDUCTOR

Martin West is acknowledged as one of the foremost conductors of ballet, garnering critical acclaim throughout the world. Born in Bolton, England, he studied math at St. Catharine’s College, Cambridge University, before studying at the St. Petersburg Conservatory of Music and London’s Royal Academy of Music. In fall 1997, West made his debut with English National Ballet and was immediately appointed resident conductor. There, he conducted almost half of the company’s performances throughout England and abroad. From 2004-2007 he held the position of principal conductor before relinquishing the post to allow him the flexibility to guest with other companies. West has worked with many of the top companies in North America such as New York City Ballet, Houston Ballet, and The National Ballet of Canada as well as the The Royal Ballet in England. West has worked with the Hallé Orchestra, Holland Symfonia, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and Odense Symphony Orchestra in Denmark. He made his U.S. symphonic conducting debut with Silicon Valley Symphony, resulting in an immediate re-invitation. From 1998 to July 2005, West was the music director of the Cambridge Philharmonic Society. In addition, he had a long association with Pimlico Opera, including conducting a ground-breaking performance of West Side Story inside a prison with the inmates as part of the cast. In fall 2005, West joined San Francisco Ballet, having been a frequent guest since his debut two years earlier. In his ten years as music director he has been credited with raising the standard and profile of the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra to new levels and has made a number of critically acclaimed recordings with them, including the complete scores of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, excerpts from Delibes’ Coppélia and Sylvia, and a CD of Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky cello music. He and the Orchestra have also made many world premiere recordings, including music by composers such as Bizet, Moszkowski, Shinji Eshima, Kip Winger, and Maury Yeston whose full-length ballet Tom Sawyer was recorded in 2013. In addition, he conducted on the award-winning DVD of John Neumeier’s The Little Mermaid as well as Helgi Tomasson’s productions of Nutcracker for PBS and Romeo & Juliet for Lincoln Center at the Movies: Great American Dance.

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