Musings on ballet, classical music, the violin, and life
Exciting news just announced by San Francisco Ballet: encore performance of Swan Lake with thrilling guest artists. Details below! I know some of you, my dear readers, are classical music fans but not ballet fans. Likewise, some among you are just as happy—maybe you even prefer—to see contemporary ballet works set to jazz, soul, even electronica. … Read more
A Labor Day Weekend freebie extravaganza for you! From now through Tuesday, Sept 8th, enjoy all of the Ballet Theatre Chronicles for free! Just click on their titles below. And tell your friends and family! Off Balance,Book 1 of the Ballet Theatre Chronicles Outside the Limelight, Book 2 Ballet Orphans, Book 3 Other Stages,Book 4 A Dancer’s … Read more
San Francisco Ballet patrons love their story ballets, and the most beloved is surely Swan Lake. Whether it’s because of, or in spite of the 2010 film, Black Swan, seeing this ballet at least once seems to be on everyone’s bucket list. Next to Nutcracker, this is what draws the non-ballet-goer to the ballet. Artistic … Read more
I discovered prima ballerina Ulyana Lopatkina two years ago through Ballerina, a 2006 documentary that is a must-see for any ballet student or enthusiast. It follows the careers of five extraordinary Mariinsky* ballerinas and the teaching institution that produced them, the prestigious Vaganova Academy, which auditions 3000 children annually for sixty places. The audition process … Read more