Was it indeed a Bella Notte? YES!
Well, the larger than life statue of David has disappeared from the cupola, the “frescos” are gone from the Rotunda dome, feet have recovered from dancing all night long and Program 1 of SF Ballet’s 79th season, John Cranko’s Onegin, just finished its run. The Opening Night Gala is an increasingly fuzzy, beautiful, happy memory. As “they” say, Bella Notte went off without a hitch – even with the rain. The valet team was prepared to shield gorgeous gowns, a trio of musicians enveloped guests in the music of the Renaissance as they entered the stunning “Palazzo” at City Hall, to sip prosecco and nibble on prosciutto. After savoring a scrumptious meal we braved the rain as we made our way to the Opera House for the Gala Performance which was as much a treat for the eyes as dinner was for the palate. Following the spectacular performance guests AND SF Ballet Company dancers hit the dance floors in the North Light Court (with the band Notorious) and South Light Court (DJ Solomon and guest DJ Dancer Sebastian Vinet), relaxed in the “Pucci Lounge” and continued enjoying Italian treats and specialty cocktails at La Dolce Vita Post Party. Great appreciation to Lee Gregory and McCall’s for the delicious dinner, Riccardo Benevides/ Ideas for the exquisite décor, and Kier LaCrosse/ Allegra Entertainment for great music.
Hard to believe that the event was three weeks ago; it feels like several months have passed between that sparkling evening and today. As event chair, I am not nearly recovered and still have much work to do. Numbers are adjusting as we continue to receive invoices and donations continue to be tallied. I have had the pleasure (and slightly overwhelming task) of writing thank you notes to a wide array of participants–from my committee to our vendors to our sponsors–it is an honor to convey my deep appreciation to every one of them.
The fact that our committee are all volunteers makes the job of chair infinitely trickier. You are essentially relying on peoples’ love for the Ballet and their integrity that they will accomplish their important roles, that make up necessary parts of the big picture. When assembling my team I looked for many qualities in my partners, but one trait stands out as the most important for me: dependability. All the creativity, intelligence and insight in the world doesn’t do the team any good if dependability is lacking. I can say with absolute joy that every member of my team could be counted on – for tasks large and small – they did it all.
Bravo, Bravo, Bravo!! These individuals are incredible and I am grateful to each of them. We grew in friendship during this shared project and it is bittersweet for me that we have come to the end of our journey as a team.
Many thanks to all who supported the Opening Night, enjoy the 2012 Season!
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Musings from a Dance Scholar: What IS Contemporary Ballet?
PhD, San Francisco Ballet Guest Lecturer
February 9, 2012
Program 2 at San Francisco Ballet prompts one of those unanswerable questions that I see bandied about occasionally on internet ballet forums. With dances by three leading contemporary choreographers – Wayne McGregor, Mark Morris, and Christopher Wheeldon – the question inevitably arises, what IS contemporary ballet?
Now this question of labels and aesthetic rubrics is, some might argue, totally beside the point. As long as the performance offers compelling choreography and astounding dancing, who cares what we call it? And yet I think it’s an important question to ponder, as we move into a “post-Balanchine” world with its many new directions in ballet choreography. (Balanchine being George Balanchine, the Russian-born choreographer who modernized ballet in the 20th century.) One frequently heard definition of contemporary ballet is that it combines both ballet and modern. This seems overly broad to me. After all, Balanchine used movement drawn from modern dance, such as the deep contractions and weighted steps of the “Melancholic” variation from The Four Temperaments (1946). Combinations of modern and ballet have been occurring since modern dance was invented in the early twentieth century.
So how do we think about this? One clue is how many contemporary choreographers have moved to emphasizing process over product. And this process is very often a scientifically informed one. McGregor, for one, has collaborated with neuroscientists, anthropologists, and dancers in examining how the body and brain register meaning in dance. By using conceptual tools borrowed from digital technology, his work aims to disrupt habitual ways of moving. It’s almost choreography as scientific experimentation, with a decided interest on the process by which movement insights are generated.
This is different from, say, the way Balanchine worked; he regarded himself as a craftsman rather than a researcher, putting together movement phrases from a variety of sources according to the demands of musical structure. The result of McGregor’s process may be equally astonishing in its beauty and daring – particularly when performed by a company like SFB, which has the artists to pull off no-holds-barred choreography – but his way of getting there marks a common new direction in the production of current work.
San Francisco Ballet in Wheeldon's Number Nine© (Photo ©Erik Tomasson)
Carrie Gaiser Casey, PhD Carrie Gaiser Casey received her PhD from the University of California, Berkeley in 2009 with a dissertation on women in early twentieth century American ballet. She teaches in the LEAP (Liberal Education for Arts Professionals) program at St. Mary’s College of California, which enables professional dancers to earn their B.A. while pursuing their careers and has presented at SF Ballet Adult Education Programs.. Prior to her academic career, Carrie danced professionally with the Fort Worth Dallas Ballet and was a full scholarship student at the Kirov Academy in Washington, DC.