ARTISTIC & PRODUCTION CREDITS SAN FRANCISCO BALLET 2017

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

PROGRAM 1

Running Time: Haffner Symphony 22 minutes Intermission 20 minutes Fragile Vessels 40 minutes Intermission 15 minutes In the Countenance of Kings 34 minutes Total: 2 hours, 11 minutes Haffner Symphony Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Choreographer: Helgi Tomasson Scenic and Costume Design: Santo Loquasto Lighting Design: Thomas R. Skelton World Premiere: June 25, 1991— San Francisco Ballet, Mozart & His Time Bicentennial Celebration, War Memorial Opera House; San Francisco, California World Premiere Fragile Vessels Composer: Sergei Rachmaninov Choreographer: Jiří Bubeníček Scenic Design: Otto Bubeníček Costume Design: Uroš Belantič Lighting Design: Jim French

World Premiere: January 24, 2017—San Francisco Ballet, War Memorial Opera House: San Francisco, California In the Countenance of Kings Composer and Original Orchestration by: Sufjan Stevens Orchestration for San Francisco Ballet by: Michael P. Atkinson Choreographer: Justin Peck Costume Design: Ellen Warren Lighting Design: Brandon Stirling Baker

World Premiere: April 7, 2016—San Francisco Ballet, War Memorial Opera House; San Francisco, California

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Program 1 Credits/Page 2 Production Credits Haffner Symphony: Music: Symphony No. 35 in D Major, K. 385 (Haffner Symphony) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Costumes constructed by Barbara Matera, Ltd., New York, New York. Scenery constructed by San Francisco Opera and Ballet Scene Shop. Fragile Vessels: Music: Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 18 by Sergei Rachmaninov. Costumes constructed by Žolna šport, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Scenic construction and painting by San Francisco Ballet Carpentry and Scenic Departments. In the Countenance of Kings: Music: “The BQE” by Sufjan Stevens used by arrangement with New Jerusalem Music Publishing, publisher and copyright owner. Music of Sufjan Stevens orchestrated for San Francisco Ballet by Michael P. Atkinson. Costumes constructed by Ellen Warren, Portland, Oregon.

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

2017 REPERTORY SEASON LISTING

PROGRAM 1 THE JOY OF DANCE HAFFNER SYMPHONY Mozart/Tomasson/Loquasto/Skelton FRAGILE VESSELS* Rachmaninoff/Bubeníček/Belantič/ Bubeníček/French IN THE COUNTENANCE OF KINGS Stevens/Peck/Warren/Baker

Jan. 24 eve, 25 eve, 27 eve, 29 mat, Feb. 2 eve, 4 mat & eve PROGRAM 2 MODERN MASERS SEVEN SONATAS Scarlatti/Ratmansky/Hynes/Fields OPTIMISTIC TRAGEDY* Demutsky/Possokhov/Zappone/Nichols

PAS/PARTS 2016 Willems/Forsythe/Galloway

Jan. 26 eve, 28 mat & eve, 31 eve, Feb. 1 eve, 3 eve, 5 mat

PROGRAM 3 FULL-LENGTH PRODUCTION FRANKENSTEIN^+ Liebermann/Scarlett/Macfarlane/Finn/Ross Feb. 17 eve, 18 mat & eve, 19 mat, 21 eve, 22 eve, 23 eve, 25 eve, 26 mat PROGRAM 4 MUST-SEE BALANCHINE STRAVINSKY VIOLIN CONCERTO Stravinsky/Balanchine/Pinkham after Bates PRODIGAL SON Prokofiev/Balanchine/Rouault/Rosenthal DIAMONDS Tchaikovsky/Balanchine March 7 eve, 8 eve, 10 eve, 12 mat, 16 eve, 18 mat & eve * World Premiere ^American Company Premiere +North American Premiere

2017 Repertory Season Calendar/Page 2 PROGRAM 5 CONTEMPORARY VOICES FUSION Fitkin, Burman/Possokhov/ Pierce/Woodall/Ingalls

SALOME* Moon/Pita/Seabra/French FEARFUL SYMMETRIES Adams/Scarlett/Morrell/Finn March 9 eve, 11 mat & eve, 14 eve, 15 eve, 17 eve, 19 mat PROGRAM 6 FULL-LENGTH PRODUCTION SWAN LAKE Tchaikovsky/Tomasson after Petipa, Ivanov/Fensom/Tipton/Ortel/Ward March 31 eve, April 1 mat & eve, 2 mat, 6 eve, 7 eve, 11 eve, 12 eve

PROGRAM 7 MADE FOR SF BALLET TRIO Tchaikovsky/Tomasson/Nichols/Zappone/ Dennis MYLES THATCHER WORLD PREMIERE* Nyman/Thatcher/Roemer/French WITHIN THE GOLDEN HOUR© Bosso, Vivaldi/Wheeldon/Pakledinaz/Ingalls April 5 eve, 8 mat & eve, 9 mat, 13 eve, 14 eve, 18 eve PROGRAM 8 FULL-LENGTH PRODUCTION CINDERELLA Prokofiev/Wheeldon/Lucas/Crouch/Katz/ Twist/Brodie April 28 eve, 29 mat & eve, 30 mat, May 2 eve, 3 eve, 4 eve, 6 mat & eve, 7 mat * World Premiere ^American Company Premiere +North American Premiere

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SAN FRANCISCO BALLET ARTISTS OF THE COMPANY 2017 REPERTORY SEASON

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & PRINCIPAL CHOREOGRAPHER

Helgi Tomasson

PRINCIPAL DANCERS Dores André

Carlo Di Lanno Mathilde Froustey

Luke Ingham Vitor Luiz

Sofiane Sylve Joseph Walsh

Frances Chung Taras Domitro

Jaime Garcia Castilla Davit Karapetyan Carlos Quenedit Yuan Yuan Tan

Sasha De Sola Lorena Feijoo Tiit Helimets

Maria Kochetkova Aaron Robison

Sarah Van Patten Vanessa Zahorian

PRINCIPAL CHARACTER DANCERS

Ricardo Bustamante Val Caniparoli Anita Paciotti

Rubén Martín Cintas

SOLOISTS

Daniel Deivison-Oliveira Francisco Mungamba

Jennifer Stahl Wei Wang

Angelo Greco Julia Rowe

Lauren Strongin Hansuke Yamamoto

Koto Ishihara James Sofranko Anthony Vincent WanTing Zhao

CORPS DE BALLET

Kamryn Baldwin Samantha Bristow

Diego Cruz Jahna Frantziskonis

Jillian Harvey Blake Kessler

Lee Alex Meyer-Lorey Sean Orza

Alexander Reneff-Olson Skyla Schreter

Miranda Silveira Mingxuan Wang

Sean Bennett Max Cauthorn

Isabella DeVivo Benjamin Freemantle Esteban Hernandez

Elizabeth Mateer Steven Morse

Lauren Parrott Rebecca Rhodes Natasha Sheehan

John-Paul Simoens Lonnie Weeks

Ami Yuki

Ludmila Bizalion Thamires Chuvas

Megan Amanda Ehrlich Jordan Hammond

Ellen Rose Hummel Norika Matsuyama

Kimberly Marie Olivier Elizabeth Powell

Emma Rubinowitz Henry Sidford

Myles Thatcher Maggie Weirich

APPRENTICES Alexandre Cagnat Nathaniel Remez

Shené Lazarus

Davide Occhipinti Isabella Walsh

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BALLET MASTER & ASSISTANT TO THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Ricardo Bustamante

BALLET MASTERS

Felipe Diaz 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 2017 Season include the North American premiere of Scarlett’s Frankenstein, a co-production with The Royal Ballet; four world premieres by Jiří Bubeníček, Arthur Pita, Yuri Possokhov, and Myles Thatcher; and the return of Tomasson’s Swan Lake and Wheeldon’s Cinderella©. The San Francisco Ballet School, overseen by Tomasson and the School’s Associate 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 director of the 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

SANTO LOQUASTO

SET & COSTUME DESIGNER

Santo Loquasto, Principal Set and Costume Designer, is known as a designer for theater, film, dance, and opera. His work in New York theater won him Tony and Drama Desk awards for his set design of Cafe Crown in 1989, as well as his costume design for The Cherry Orchard in 1977 and Grand Hotel in 1990; along with an additional 15 Tony nominations. He has collaborated with Woody Allen on two films. He received Academy Award nominations for production design for Radio Days and Bullets over Broadway, as well as costume design for Zelig. Mr. Loquasto has worked with most major international dance companies and has collaborated with Mark Morris, Jerome Robbins, Glen Tetley, Helgi Tomasson, Agnes de Mille, James Kudelka, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Dana Reitz, Lila York, Alexei Ratmansky, Paul Taylor, and Twyla Tharp. Recent New York designs include Fences, Waiting for Godot, Wit, The Assembled Parties, Bullets over Broadway, and A Delicate Balance. He received the Merritt Award for Excellence in Design and Collaboration in 2002, was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame in 2004, received the Pennsylvania Governor’s Award for the Arts in 2006, the Robert L.B. Tobin Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2007, and the Breukelein Institute Gaudium Award in 2013.

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THOMAS R. SKELTON

LIGHTING DESIGNER Thomas R. Skelton was associated with the Ohio Ballet since its debut performance in 1968, and was instrumental in forming the Company's Board of Trustees and moving the Company to professional status in 1974. One of the most distinguished lighting designers in America, Skelton had a rich background in theater and dance and a lengthy list of professional credits. For San Francisco Ballet's all-Mozart program in 1991, Skelton designed the lighting for three world premieres -- Val Caniparoli's Tryst and Helgi Tomasson's "Haffner" Symphony and Meistens Mozart. In 1994, Skelton created the lighting designs for Tomasson's new staging of Romeo & Juliet. Broadway credits include Death of a Salesman (both the Dustin Hoffman and George C. Scott revivals), Lynne Redgrave's Shakespeare For My Father, A Few Good Men, Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music, The Kingfisher, A Matter of Gravity, Westside Waltz, Absurd Person Singular, Purlie, Coco starring Katherine Hepburn, Sandy Duncan's Peter Pan, Mame, Lillian, Jimmy Shine, Shenandoah, Oklahoma!, Brigadoon, The King and I, Carousel, and many other productions at Circle in the Square, Yale Repertory, and the American Shakespeare Festival. He received Tony nominations for The Iceman Cometh, Indians and All God's Chillun Got Wings, and was awarded the Carbonelle Award for Peter Pan. His ballet works included Romeo and Juliet (MacMillan), Tiller of the Fields (Tudor), The Moor's Pavane (Limón), Aureole (Taylor), Dances at a Gathering (Robbins), Astarte (Joffrey), Rite of Spring (Graham), The Green Table (Jooss), Kettentanz (Arpino), Parade (Massine), and numerous ballets for the Joffrey Ballet, Boston Ballet, Feld Ballet, New York City Ballet, Paul Taylor Dance Company, and Nureyev and Friends -- as well as Ohio Ballet's complete repertory. Skelton was a frequent lecturer at the graduate school of Yale University, and he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Akron. Mr. Skelton passed away on August 9, 1994.

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JIŘÍ BUBENÍČEK

CHOREOGRAPHER A Czech citizen, Bubeníček studied dance at the Prague Dance Conservatory. In 1992, he received an award at the Prix de Lausanne, and a year later, made his professional debut with John Neumeier’s Hamburg Ballet. There, he was promoted to soloist in 1995 and then principal dancer in 1997. At Hamburg Ballet, Bubeníček created many roles for Neumeier’s ballets, including the title role in Nijinsky, which has toured all over the world. In August of 2006, Bubeníček joined the Semperoper Ballet in Dresden, Germany as a principal dancer. Bubeníček has been honored with many awards and was named Best Dancer at the Prix Benois de la Danse in 2002. He also received a second place award at the 20th International Ballet Competition in Varna for choreographing Made on Earth, as well as the Public’s Choice Award for Prisoners of Feelings at the 18th International Competition for Choreographers in Hanover. As a dancer, he has performed with many of Europe’s leading dance companies including performances at Paris Opéra Ballet with Aurélie Dupont and Agnès Letestu as Armand Duval in La Dame aux Camélias. In addition, Bubeníček is an accomplished choreographer who has created new works for companies around the world: Toccata for New York City Ballet, Le Souffle de l’Esprit for Zurich Ballet and Manuel Legris’ Vienna State Ballet, L’heure Bleue for North Carolina Dance Theater, Unerreichbare Orte for Hamburg Ballet, Die Innere Stimme for Dresden Semperoper Ballet, Outrenoir for China National Ballet, Graffity for Laterna Magika in Prague, and several others. A number of his choreographic works have been presented in Japan (Tokyo and Sapporo) and throughout Europe. In May 2009, Bubeníček created Bubeníček and Friends with his twin brother, Otto, and presented two evening performances at Prague’s National Theatre, receiving standing ovations both nights. Two years later, he collaborated with his brother again in Bubeníček Ballet World, showcasing his own choreography and his brother’s stage and costume designs, as well as music. In January 2013, Bubeníček choreographed five new works for Les Ballets Bubeníček, consisting of 16 dancers from Semperoper Dresden, Hamburg Ballet, and Paris Opéra Ballet. Bubeníček has also danced in Donna Feuer’s documentary, The Work of Utopia, as well as the leading role in Aaron Watkin’s The Nutcracker and The King in Neumeier’s Illusions—like Swan Lake. In 2005, he was the subject of a TV Arte documentary titled Die Ballett-Zwillinge (“The Ballet Twins”) alongside his twin brother. Biography courtesy of Bubenicek.eu.

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OTTO BUBENÍČEK

DESIGNER Otto Bubeníček is a Czech citizen. He spent most of his childhood traveling around Europe with the circus, where his parents worked as acrobats. He studied and trained at the Conservatory for Dance and Music in Prague, and in 1992, he received the Prix Espèces Award along with The Television Viewers Prize at Prix de Lausanne, an international competition for young dancers. In 1993, he was invited to join The Hamburg Ballet. He became principal dancer in 1997. Throughout his career, Bubeníček has been a sought-after guest artist, performing with renowned companies worldwide and featured in many gala performances. Aside from his role as a dancer, Bubeníček has been involved in other creative fields such as composing, designing, creating websites, and producing short films. He composed classical and electronic music for film and dance, some of which has been performed by the Hamburg State Opera, l'Opéra de Paris, the Semperoper in Dresden, New York City Ballet, Wiener Staatsballett, and in Sapporo, Japan. ARTE, a television network celebrated for its interest and focus on the arts, produced a documentary about Bubeníček and his twin brother, Jiří, titled The Ballet Twins. The short film, Nachtrausch (Nocturnal Ecstasy) marks his debut as director and film editor. Enlightened, his short dance film, was a finalist in the online video competition in SideBySide Art Center E.V.

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UROŠ BELANTIČ

FASHION & COSTUME DESIGNER

After finishing High School of Design and Photography in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Uroš Belantič continued to study fashion design at the Academy of Applied Arts in Vienna, under the mentorship of Helmut Lang and J. C. de Castelbajac. As a costume designer, he collaborated with contemporary dance groups, such as Betontanc, Flota, and En-Knap. He designed collections for the brand, Vodeb, and in 2003 introduced the first collection of his own brand, Oktober. After the first successful presentation in Paris in 2004, Oktober became the only Slovenian fashion brand to have found a place on the global fashion map. Aside from designing collections, Belantič is dedicated to participating as a costume designer in theater, film, and advertising. Since 2008, he has lived in Paris, where he designs for the fashion brand, Plein Sud. For the 2014 and 2015 seasons, he collaborated intensively with Slovenian National Opera, specializing in costumes for ballets.

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JIM FRENCH

LIGHTING DESIGNER

Jim French is a lighting designer working broadly in the performing arts and live events. Selected dance credits include: Amy Seiwert’s Imagery, BANDALOOP, Ballett Basel, Carte Blanche (Norway), Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Dancers Responding to AIDS, Introdans (Netherlands), Joe Goode Performance Group, RAW Dance, Richmond Ballet, Rioult Dance NY, San Francisco Ballet, Texas Ballet Theater, and Twyla Tharp Dance. Designs for theater and opera include: City Theatre, Just Theater, Marin Theatre Company, Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, Primary Stages, Shotgun Players, St. Louis Repertory, and West Edge Opera. Raised here in the Bay Area, French has toured the globe extensively as a lighting supervisor with a diverse range of dance companies.

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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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ELLEN WARREN

COSTUME DESIGNER Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Ellen Warren grew up dancing at the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre. At the age of 15 she was accepted into the School of American Ballet and soon went on to join New York City Ballet (NYCB) as a corps de ballet member in 2003. After nine reverent seasons with NYCB, she returned to the West Coast as a freelance dancer, where she also began honing her sewing skills. Years of constructing leotards for herself evolved into creating custom pieces for fellow dancers, catching the eye of NYCB Resident Choreographer and Soloist Justin Peck. In the summer of 2015 the two collaborated on Peck’s Osso Duet, which premiered at the Nantucket Atheneum Dance Festival. Soon after Warren was invited to design and ultimately construct the costumes for Peck’s first commission with San Francisco Ballet, In the Countenance of Kings.

Currently, Warren can be found back in Portland, Oregon where she is preparing to perform Balanchine’s Serenade with Oregon Ballet Theatre, while also launching her custom leotard and swimsuit brand, Louise Apparel.

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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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