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The SF Ballet has just announced some company changes for next year, and amongst those joining and rejoining are Ulrik Birkkjaer, who joins as a Principal from the Royal Danish ballet, Madison Keesler from ENB and Solomon Golding from the RB, both to the corps de ballet. (so that's why Golding was helping Yanowsky to cut the Taglioni cake!)

San Francisco Ballet's season of four mixed bills begins at Sadler's Wells tonight. All thoughts here, please. The bills are: 1. Ratmansky's Shostakovich Trilogy: "In a triptych of works, world renowned choreographer Alexei Ratmansky pays homage to Dmitri Shostakovich. Attracted by the theatricality of his music, Ratmansky has returned time and time again to the work of the Russian composer. The three works, Symphony #9, Chamber Symphony and Piano Concerto #1 reflect Shostakovich’s life and experiences in abstract form." 2. Liang / Marston / Pita: "In The Infinite Ocean, Taiwanese-born American choreographer Edwaard Liang interprets loss and letting go. Cathy Marston adapts Edith Wharton’s haunting tale of adultery, Ethan Frome, in Snowblind. And, in a match made in Wonderland, the fantastically surreal choreographer Arthur Pita is inspired by the music of the Icelandic icon, Björk Guðmundsdóttir for his Björk Ballet." 3. Welch / Scarlett / Peck: "Set to the violin concertos of Johann Sebastian Bach, Stanton Welch’s Bespoke explores dance itself in a love letter to ballet. The critically acclaimed Hummingbird by British choreographer Liam Scarlett is accompanied by Philip Glass’ Tirol Concerto, with shadowy designs by regular collaborator John Macfarlane. “Virtuoso of the form” (New York Times) Justin Peck uses the electronic music of M83 for Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming." 4. McIntyre / Wheeldon / Dawson: "With the title lifted from the work of Walt Whitman, Your Flesh Shall Be a Great Poem inhabits the eccentric world of Trey McIntyre’s grandfather. Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Christopher Wheeldon joins forces once again with the composer Keaton Henson to take on the modern world in Bound To. And, in his first work for the company, David Dawson’s Anima Animus is ballet technique stretched to its outer limit, set to Ezio Bosso’s Esoconcerto."

Sadler's Wells Wednesday, May 29, 2019 – 7:30 pm Program A Shostakovich Trilogy Choreography: Alexei Ratmansky Music: Dmitri Shostakovich Conductor: Martin West Symphony #9 Jennifer Stahl, Aaron Robison Dores Andre, Joseph Walsh Wei Wang Chamber Symphony Ulrik Birkkjer Sasha De Sola Mathilde Froustey Yuan Yuan Tan Piano Concerto No. 1 Sofiane Sylve, Carlo Di Lanno Wona Park, Angelo Greco Learn More Buy Tickets Thursday, May 30, 2019 – 7:30 pm Program A Shostakovich Trilogy Choreography: Alexei Ratmansky Music: Dmitri Shostakovich Conductor: Martin West Symphony #9 Mathilde Froustey, Luke Ingham Sasha De Sola, Esteban Hernandez Hansuke Yamamoto Chamber Symphony Aaron Robison Jahna Frantziskonis Dores Andre Jennifer Stahl Piano Concerto No. 1 Yuan Yuan Tan, Tiit Helimets Isabella DeVivo, Vitor Luiz Learn More Buy Tickets Friday, May 31, 2019 – 7:30 pm Program B Conductor: Martin West The Infinite Ocean Choreography: Edwaard Liang Music: Oliver Davis Violinist: Cordula Merks Sofiane Sylve, Tiit Helimets Yuan Yuan Tan, Vitor Luiz Snowblind Choreography: Cathy Marston Music: Amy Beach, Philip Feeney, Arthur Foote, and Arvo Pärt Piano: Mungunchimeg Buriad Ethan Frome: Ulrik Birkkjaer Zeena Frome: Jennifer Stahl Mattie Silver: Mathilde Froustey Björk Ballet Choreography: Arthur Pita Music: Björk Gudmundsdottir, Alejandro Ghersi, and Sjón Carmela Mayo Dores Andre Elizabeth Powell Joseph Walsh Luke Ingham Ulrik Birkkjaer Learn More Buy Tickets Saturday, June 1, 2019 – 2:30 pm Program B The Infinite Ocean Choreography: Edwaard Liang Music: Oliver Davis Conductor: Martin West Violinist: Cordula Merks Sofiane Sylve, Tiit Helimets Yuan Yuan Tan, Vitor Luiz Snowblind Choreography: Cathy Marston Music: Amy Beach, Philip Feeney, Arthur Foote, and Arvo Pärt Conductor: Ming Luke Piano: Mungunchimeg Buriad Ethan Frome: Ulrik Birkkjaer Zeena Frome: Jennifer Stahl Mattie Silver: Mathilde Froustey Björk Ballet Choreography: Arthur Pita Music: Björk Gudmundsdottir, Alejandro Ghersi, and Sjón Conductor: Ming Luke Miranda Silveira Dores Andre Elizabeth Powell Joseph Walsh Luke Ingham Ulrik Birkkjaer Learn More Buy Tickets Saturday, June 1, 2019 – 7:30 pm Program B Conductor: Martin West The Infinite Ocean Choreography: Edwaard Liang Music: Oliver Davis Violinist: Cordula Merks Sofiane Sylve, Tiit Helimets Yuan Yuan Tan, Vitor Luiz Snowblind Choreography: Cathy Marston Music: Amy Beach, Philip Feeney, Arthur Foote, and Arvo Pärt Piano: Mungunchimeg Buriad Ethan Frome: Ulrik Birkkjaer Zeena Frome: Jennifer Stahl Mattie Silver: Mathilde Froustey Björk Ballet Choreography: Arthur Pita Music: Björk Gudmundsdottir, Alejandro Ghersi, and Sjón Carmela Mayo Dores Andre Elizabeth Powell Wei Wang Luke Ingham Ulrik Birkkjaer Learn More Buy Tickets Sunday, June 2, 2019 – 4:00 pm Program A Shostakovich Trilogy Choreography: Alexei Ratmansky Music: Dmitri Shostakovich Conductor: Martin West Symphony #9 Jennifer Stahl, Aaron Robison Dores Andre, Max Cauthorn Lonnie Weeks Chamber Symphony Joseph Walsh Isabella DeVivo Elizabeth Powell Sasha De Sola Piano Concerto No. 1 WanTing Zhao, Vladislav Kozlov Wona Park, Angelo Greco Learn More Buy Tickets Wednesday, June 5, 2019 – 7:30 pm Program C Bespoke Choreography: Stanton Welch Music: J.S. Bach Conductor: Martin West Violinist: Cordula Merks Mathilde Froustey, Sasha De Sola, Jennifer Stahl Wona Park, Isabella DeVivo, Ellen Rose Hummel Angelo Greco, Carlo Di Lanno, Jaime Garcia Castilla Esteban Hernandez, Alexandre Cagnat, Lonnie Weeks Hummingbird Choreography: Liam Scarlett Music: Philip Glass Conductor: Martin West Piano: Natasha Feygina Sasha De Sola, Angelo Greco Yuan Yuan Tan, Luke Ingham Dores Andre, Joseph Walsh Hurry Up, We're Dreaming Choreography: Justin Peck Music: M83 Dores Andre, Joseph Walsh Elizabeth Powell, Luke Ingham Gabriela Gonzalez, Ulrik Birkkjaer Learn More Buy Tickets Thursday, June 6, 2019 – 7:30 pm Program D Your Flesh Shall Be a Great Poem Choreography: Trey McIntyre Music: Chris Garneau Benjamin Freemantle Isabella DeVivo, Sasha De Sola, Jennifer Stahl Steven Morse, Jaime Garcia Castilla, Alexandre Cagnat, Esteban Hernandez, Lonnie Weeks Bound To Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon Music: Keaton Henson Conductor: Martin West Dores Andre, Jennifer Stahl, Yuan Yuan Tan, Sasha De Sola, Isabella DeVivo Jaime Garcia Castilla, Lonnie Weeks, Carlo Di Lanno, Angelo Greco, Benjamin Freemantle Anima Animus Choreography: David Dawson Music: Ezio Bosso Conductor: Martin West Violinist: Cordula Merks Wona Park, Sofiane Sylve Joseph Walsh, Carlo Di Lanno, Luke Ingham, Wei Wang Elizabeth Powell, Skyla Schreter, Kamryn Baldwin, Elizabeth Mateer Learn More Buy Tickets Friday, June 7, 2019 – 7:30 pm Program D Your Flesh Shall Be a Great Poem Choreography: Trey McIntyre Music: Chris Garneau Benjamin Freemantle Isabella DeVivo, Sasha De Sola, Jennifer Stahl Steven Morse, Jaime Garcia Castilla, Alexandre Cagnat, Esteban Hernandez, Lonnie Weeks Bound To Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon Music: Keaton Henson Conductor: Martin West Dores Andre, Jennifer Stahl, Yuan Yuan Tan, Sasha De Sola, Isabella DeVivo Jaime Garcia Castilla, Lonnie Weeks, Carlo Di Lanno, Angelo Greco, Benjamin Freemantle Anima Animus Choreography: David Dawson Music: Ezio Bosso Conductor: Martin West Violinist: Cordula Merks Wona Park, Sofiane Sylve Joseph Walsh, Carlo Di Lanno, Luke Ingham, Wei Wang Elizabeth Powell, Skyla Schreter, Kamryn Baldwin, Elizabeth Mateer Learn More Buy Tickets Saturday, June 8, 2019 – 2:00 pm Program C Bespoke Choreography: Stanton Welch Music: J.S. Bach Conductor: Ming Luke Violinist: Cordula Merks WanTing Zhao, Sasha De Sola, Jennifer Stahl Wona Park, Thamires Chuvas, Ellen Rose Hummel Esteban Hernandez, Steven Morse, Jaime Garcia Castilla Wei Wang, Alexandre Cagnat, Lonnie Weeks Hummingbird Choreography: Liam Scarlett Music: Philip Glass Conductor: Ming Luke Piano: Natasha Feygina Jasmine Jimison, Steven Morse Lauren Strongin,Vitor Luiz Isabella DeVivo, Jaime Garcia Castilla Hurry Up, We're Dreaming Choreography: Justin Peck Music: M83 Ellen Rose Hummel, Wei Wang Isabella DeVivo, Henry Sidford Norika Matsuyama, Hansuke Yamamoto Learn More Buy Tickets Saturday, June 8, 2019 – 7:30 pm Program C Bespoke Choreography: Stanton Welch Music: J.S. Bach Conductor: Ming Luke Violinist: Cordula Merks Mathilde Froustey, Sasha De Sola, Jennifer Stahl Wona Park, Isabella DeVivo, Ellen Rose Hummel Angelo Greco, Carlo Di Lanno, Jaime Garcia Castilla Esteban Hernandez, Alexandre Cagnat, Lonnie Weeks Hummingbird Choreography: Liam Scarlett Music: Philip Glass Conductor: Ming Luke Piano: Natasha Feygina Sasha De Sola, Angelo Greco Yuan Yuan Tan, Luke Ingham Dores Andre, Joseph Walsh Hurry Up, We're Dreaming Choreography: Justin Peck Music: M83 Dores Andre, Joseph Walsh Elizabeth Powell, Luke Ingham Gabriela Gonzalez, Ulrik Birkkjaer

Just to note that Esteban Hernandez is a RBS grad and brother to Issac Hernandez of ENB fame and Madison Keesler was herself formerly with ENB. Look forward to seeing them at Sadler's Wells. Congratulations to all.

Hello! Anyone else out there in the Washington, DC area who has seen San Francisco Ballet at The Kennedy Center? I reviewed the opening night performance and look forward to seeing the other three pieces on Friday evening. Would love to hear your feedback...is it as positive as mine?

Sitting in Hamburg Airport I took the time to catch up on the much valued links section. In an Arts Desk review of San Francisco Ballet's Unbound Festival it stated: 'But when San Francisco Ballet makes one of its rare visits to London next year, .... ' Does anyone know when and where this will be? Any advice would be much appreciated

Just catching up with the Links page, and it seems that a lot of change is afoot at SFB: http://www.sfchronicle.com/performance/article/Feijoo-taking-her-final-steps-at-SF-Ballet-11065862.php "Feijoo arrived here 18 years ago, and her retirement is yet another indication that the San Francisco Ballet is evolving rather dramatically these days. Consider that Vanessa Zahorian and husband Davit Karapetyan are also leaving this spring, while at least a half-dozen other principals and soloists, for various reasons, are rumored to be packing their bags. Last year’s retirement of three stellar males — Joan Boada, Pascal Molat, Gennadi Nedvigin — has left a gap." I've not kept up that well with SFB in recent years, but it does seem rather sad that so many of the dancers whose names I recognise will be - or have already - gone from the roster

https://www.sfballet.org/explore/articles/Unbound-D-Program-Notes As a huge Bjork fan, this is pretty much my dream project. Please, please bring it over here!

https://www.sfballet.org/season/2019-season Includes a premiere by Scarlett.

One of the Irish cinema chains is showing the Paris Opera Ballet's Balanchine/Millepied/Robbins evening live from Paris on 1st October so it clashes with the World Ballet Day livestream. Cinema details: http://moviesatdundrum.admit-one.eu/index.php?s=M-DUNDRUM&p=details&eventCode=20163 Performance Details: https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/season-15-16/ballet/balanchine-millepied-robbins Casting: https://www.operadeparis.fr/saison-15-16/ballet/balanchine-millepied-robbins/distribution It's also being shown in European cinemas (1 Oct.) and in US cinemas in January 2016.

GLOBAL FIRST: FIVE WORLD-CLASS BALLET COMPANIES, ONE DAY OF LIVE STREAMING ON WEDNESDAY 1 OCTOBER www.roh.org.uk/worldballetday Australian Ballet | Bolshoi Ballet | The Royal Ballet | The National Ballet of Canada | San Francisco Ballet The first ever World Ballet Day will see an unprecedented collaboration between five of the world’s leading ballet companies. This online event will take place on Wednesday 1 October when each of the companies will stream live behind the scenes action from their rehearsal studios. Starting at the beginning of the dancers’ day, each of the five ballet companies – Australian Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, The Royal Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada and San Francisco Ballet – will take the lead for a four hour period streaming live from their headquarters starting with the Australian Ballet in Melbourne. The live link then passes across time zones and cultures from Melbourne to Moscow to London to Toronto to San Francisco. The live streaming will take viewers on a journey into the rarely seen backstage lives of ballet dancers. This unusual access will throw a spot light on the differences in style between the five companies as they follow a very similar routine but approach choreography and performance in the ways that have made them unique on the world stage. Starting with morning class to warm up the body with different exercises, moving on to rehearsals for their upcoming performances the day will be a celebration of dance; the athleticism and unparalleled dedication of all those involved in creating a world-class ballet company. Viewers will be able to engage and interact with dancers, choreographers and coaches who live and breathe ballet every day of their working lives, asking questions throughout the day as well as having the opportunity to contribute by submitting a film of themselves doing a pirouette wherever they are in the world. These will be edited into a film celebrating the worldwide appeal of dance. The day’s streaming will be repeated on YouTube in full so that viewers around the world can catch up on any parts of the day they missed. Edited highlights will then be made available for further viewing. World Ballet Day is a development from Royal Ballet Live which was a nine-hour live streaming via YouTube and The Guardian website in March 2012. This unique event achieved 200,000 views of the live stream and repeat broadcast and a total of 2.5 million views of YouTube Royal Ballet Live material to date. It is, however, the first time that four of the five ballet companies are taking the cameras backstage to reveal the sweat and determination of these talented dancers. In another first, this collaboration is the first time that YouTube has streamed live more than nine hours of content. Full details of the unique day’s activities will be available in due course. Highlights from The Royal Ballet will include Principals Marianela Nuñez and Federico Bonelli rehearsing for their performances of Kenneth MacMillan’s masterpiece ballet Manon which opens at Covent Garden on Friday 26 September and is screened live into cinemas across the world on Thursday 16 October. --- ENDS--- NOTES TO EDITORS: Bolshoi Ballet Bolshoi Ballet is a magic word for many ballet lovers all around the world. It is the largest company in the world consisting of 220 dancers, most of who have graduated from the Moscow Academy of Classic Ballet - one of the oldest and most prominent ballet schools in Russia. The Bolshoi is renowned for its unique style which combines true virtuosity with incredible stage presence. It has an illustrious heritage with dancers such as Galina Ulanova, Vladimir Vassiliev and Maya Plisetskaya, Ekaterina Maximova and Nikolay Fadeechev, Natalia Bessmertnova, Maris Liepa, Liudmila Semeniaka and Irek Mukhamedov playing a vital role in its history and position on the world stage. For more the 30 years Yury Grigorovitch was a powerful leader of the Bolshoi ballet company. As a repertory company, each year Giselle, The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Don Quixote and La Bayadère are performed alongside new work, keeping a fine balance between the historic legacy and new creations. Aleksey Ratmansky has created works including Bright stream, Bolt, Flames of Paris and Lost illusions. Under the leadership of Sergei Filin, the Bolshoi Ballet now has among its stars Svetlana Zakharova, David Hallberg, Maria Alexandrova, Semion Chudin, Olga Smirnova, Michail Lobukhin, Evgenia Obraztsova. In its 239th Season, the Bolshoi will perform two world premieres, Hamlet with music by Shostakovich and choreography by Radu Poklitaru, and a new ballet based on the Lermontov novel Hero of our time choreographed by Yury Posokhov and directed by Kirill Serebrianikov, with a new score commissioned from Ilya Demutski. The Royal Ballet Based at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, The Royal Ballet is Great Britain’s most prestigious ballet company and one of the great classical ballet companies of the world. Led by Director Kevin O’Hare, the Company has a wide-ranging repertory that showcases the great 19th century classics alongside heritage works including those of its two great 20th century choreographers Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan. In addition, The Royal Ballet performs new works by Royal Ballet Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor and Royal Ballet Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon, two of the foremost international choreographers of today. The Royal Ballet continues to create and encourage new choreography and appointed Liam Scarlett as Royal Ballet Artist in Residence in 2012. The National Ballet of CanadaOne of the top international ballet companies, The National Ballet of Canada was founded in 1951 by Celia Franca. A company of 70 dancers with its own orchestra, the National Ballet has been led by Artistic Director Karen Kain, one of the greatest ballerinas of her generation, since 2005. Renowned for its diverse repertoire, the company performs traditional full-length classics, embraces contemporary work and encourages the creation of new ballets as well as the development of Canadian choreographers. The company’s repertoire includes works by Sir Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, John Cranko, Rudolf Nureyev, Glen Tetley, John Neumeier, William Forsythe, James Kudelka, Jiří Kylián, Wayne McGregor, Alexei Ratmansky, Christopher Wheeldon, Crystal Pite and Aszure Barton. The National Ballet has toured in Canada, the US and internationally with recent appearances at Sadler’s Wells in London, England, The Music Center in Los Angeles and Lincoln Centre's David H. Koch Theater in New York City. San Francisco Ballet As America’s oldest professional ballet company, San Francisco Ballet has enjoyed a long and rich tradition of artistic “firsts” since its founding in 1933, including performing the first American productions of Swan Lake and Nutcracker, as well as the first 20th-century American Coppélia. San Francisco Ballet is one of the three largest ballet companies in the United States. Guided in its early years by American dance pioneers and brothers Lew, Willam and Harold Christensen, San Francisco Ballet currently presents more than 100 performances annually, both locally and internationally. Under the direction of Helgi Tomasson, the Company has achieved an international reputation as one of the pre-eminent ballet companies in the world. In 2005, San Francisco Ballet won the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award in the category of “Outstanding Achievement in Dance” and in 2006, it was the first non-European company elected “Company of the Year” in Dance Europe magazine’s annual readers’ poll. In 2008, the Company marked its 75th anniversary with a host of initiatives including an ambitious New Works Festival. In 2012, SF Ballet’s ambitious tour schedule included London and Washington, D.C., plus first-time visits to Hamburg, Moscow, and Sun Valley, Idaho. In October 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. 2015 marks the 30th anniversary of Helgi Tomasson’s tenure as artistic director of San Francisco Ballet.