San Francisco Ballet

"Rojo and the company have been rehearsing for an eight-performance engagement in Madrid at the Teatro Real, from October 15 to 22, to present Tómasson’s Swan Lake. 'I love that theater and the company will enjoy performing there for the first time,” she says of her hometown’s most famous opera house. “It’s a beautiful time of year to be there, and ballet audiences in Spain are always eager for high-quality performances, so they’ll embrace the company. It’ll be nice to go home to San Francisco.'" - Tamara Rojo in conversation with C California Style & Culture magazine https://bit.ly/46Xlrc2

A slice of dance history is coming to life: Betsy Erickson is working with the Trainees reviving a beloved Lew Christensen ballet, Vivaldi Concerto Grosso. "It's wonderful to see it come alive again because it hasn’t been performed for probably 30 years. Just in teaching it, to be able to pass down to another generation the information, the style, the idea. To see it come alive is rewarding." Read up on the experience: https://bit.ly/3Tnvbqw #discoversfballet #dancenews #balletnews

We're so happy to welcome this familiar face back into the SF Ballet community as a #SFBalletSchool faculty member! You know Hansuke Yamamoto as a Soloist for 20+ years before his retirement last year. We're thrilled to have him back guiding our students this school year. Yamamoto joined San Francisco Ballet in 2001 and was promoted to soloist in 2005. In 2011, he received the Isadora Duncan Dance Award for the lead role in Classical Symphony in the Performance Ensemble category. Yamamoto retired from San Francisco Ballet in 2023. Yamamoto performed as a soloist and lead in many works by world-renowned choreographers such as Helgi Tomasson, Jerome Robbins, Sir Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, John Neumeier, David Bintley, Hans van Manen, Mark Morris, Yuri Possokhov, Alexei Ratmansky, Liam Scarlett, Justin Peck, James Kudelka, Stanton Welch, Christopher Wheeldon, Caniparoli, Forkin, Harald Lander, Serge Lifar, Cathy Marston, Rudolf Nureyev, Arthur Pita, Myles Thatcher, and Renato Zanella. During his 22-year tenure at San Francisco Ballet, he danced nearly 100 repertoire pieces. In July 2023, he was appointed head of the boys' program at EleNobele - The Finest Ballet Training Program, based in Tokyo. #discoversfballet #sfballetschool #balletnews #dancenews ?? : Hansuke Yamamoto // ? San Francisco Ballet, photo by Lindsey Rallo San Francisco Ballet in Peck's Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes // ? Erik Tomasson?? : Hansuke Yamamoto // ? San Francisco Ballet, photo by Lindsey Rallo San Francisco Ballet in Peck's Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes // ? Erik Tomasson - Isabella DeVivo and Hansuke Yamamoto in Wheeldon's Cinderella? // ? Erik Tomasson - Hansuke Yamamoto in Tomasson's Prism // ? Erik Tomasson- Norika Matsuyama and Hansuke Yamamoto in Tomasson's 7 For Eight // ? Erik Tomasson

Back to school with our incredible SF. Ballet School faculty & Dance in Schools and Communities teaching artists. This year marks our 45th year in partnership with San Francisco Unified School District serving 2500+ students in 40 public schools! Plus this marks new School Director, Grace Holmes' first start to the school year! #sfballet #sfballetschool #backtoschool

Meet Manny Vouse and Armando Atanda the students selected for the SF Ballet x San Francisco Conservatory of Music Denis de Coteau Fellowship. Both musicians will receive tuition, housing, and a stipend for SFCM’s one-year Professional Studies Certificate in Instrumental Performance. In addition to practicing and performing with the ballet orchestra in select SF Ballet’s 24/25 season productions, each fellow will participate in chamber concerts, leadership training, and activities with local schools. They will be invited to mock auditions and will receive financial support for professional auditions. As part of the SFCM certificate program, each fellow will participate in advanced, focused studies that emphasize individual instruction and preparation for a performance career. SF Ballet Music Director Martin West shared, “These young artists are lifelong learners who are making great contributions to their communities and who exemplify De Coteau's commitment to music and collaboration." (Photo: ? SFCM, by Matthew Washburn)

Single tickets on sale now for our 24/25 Season: https://bit.ly/3XxXOnC With a nod to innovation and a reverence for tradition, this season you can expect the best in classical and contemporary ballet. Meet us at the intersection of fashion, music, and visual art as we celebrate the legacies of ballet’s visionaries, foster the voices of today’s most inventive dancemakers, and expand on our classical lexicon. #discoversfballet #sfballet #balletnews #balletinfo #sanfranciscoballet

Our Raising Leaders initiative will support these two dancers as they explore beyond the boundaries of the ballet studio. “I think that one of the issues of the ballet world is that it demands a lot of focus on developing the skill set to become a ballet dancer, so you have to really unilaterally or singularly focus on that skill set as you grow,...I’m an advocate for having experiences outside of ballet that can bring new perspective into ballet.” - Tamara Rojo for San Francisco Chronicle https://bit.ly/3yLKh2b

To prepare for the audition season, Bay Area ballet students are invited to join us for our Mock Audition Workshop. This 90-minute mock audition class taught by School Director Grace Holmes will recreate the environment of an audition without the pressure of an outcome. Intermediate through advanced students ages 12-18 are welcome to register. Observers also welcome: https://bit.ly/3wfCMPj

“I love the spirit of innovation at the company and also of San Francisco...it was a good match — given my own interest in making ballet relevant, and diverse, it fit with the geographical position of the company and the city.” - Tamara Rojo for C California Style & Culture magazine https://bit.ly/46OsNyo

This season we've welcomed a familiar face into the role of Associate Artistic Director. Antonio Castilla danced with us from 1988-1995, including three years as Principal Dancer, and he began his teaching career in the School under the guidance of Lola de Avila and Aurora Bosch. He comes back to the Bay Area by way of English National Ballet where he served as a repetiteur. #discoversfballet #companynews #balletnews