Lighting Designer

CARMEN // WORLD PREMIERE
Cuban-born choreographer Arielle Smith guides us into the story of Carmen, a strong and feisty woman who craves love and independence without the traps of obsession or jealousy. Smith, an Olivier Award winner, is carving out her space as a forward-thinking creator known for pushing the boundaries of dance, theater, and film. Together with a score from Grammy Award–winning Arturo O’Farrill bringing the story to life.

BROKEN WINGS // NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Enter the colorful and creative world of Frida Kahlo with Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s critically acclaimed Broken Wings. This mini masterpiece explores the life and art of the celebrated Mexican painter. An experience unto itself, it’s a unique opportunity to enter into the realms of the paintings themselves through the lens
of Kahlo’s wildly creative spirit.

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Dos mujeres

War Memorial Opera House

VIOLIN CONCERTO
Originally commissioned and created for our 90th Anniversary, Possokhov’s Violin Concerto reimagines Stravinsky’s celebrated score with a fresh and bold interpretation. Steeped in classical vocabulary that shows off the steely technique of our dancers, it was met with standing ovations and rave reviews as a standout piece of the next@90 festival.

MADCAP
A crowd-pleaser from our next@90 festival, Rowe’s MADCAP was decidedly dubbed a “triumph” by the San Francisco Chronicle. It features Rowe’s love of storytelling and theatrics as she masterfully dissects the anatomy of a clown. Hagström’s eerie, carnival-inspired score transports us into Rowe’s sinister world of the clown after the circus lights go dark.

GATEWAY TO THE SUN
Former SF Ballet Principal Dancer Nicolas Blanc returned to our studios to create this poetic and moving ballet in five movements, set to celebrated contemporary composer Anna Clyne’s exquisite score for cello and orchestra. Blanc models Gateway to the Sun after a poem by 13th-century Sufi mystic Rumi.

Next@90 Curtain Call

Experience the story of a forlorn prince, an evil wizard, and an enchanted maiden who can only become human by the light of the moon. Swan Lake is brought to life by gorgeous costumes that Taylor Swift rented for her Shake it Off Music video! Swan Lake is the epitome of ballet with elegant ballerinas, chivalrous princes, and heart-wrenching music by Tchaikovsky, performed live by the Ballet West Orchestra.

Swam Lake

Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre

Artistic Director Tamara Rojo launches the 2024 season with an immersive sensory experience where music and dance converge in a singular environment of mesmerizing light and video. The new work with music by Floating Points and choreography from Aszure Barton contextualizes the ancient parable of Pandora’s Box for our current technological world.

Mere Mortals’ evening performances will include an afterparty in the price of the ticket, featuring a Bay Area DJ and a cash bar located in the lobby areas.

Mere Mortals

Single Eye is a subtle entreaty for peace and natural harmony during trying times. Visually stunning and surprising, this ballet is like no other.

Single Eye

Lincoln Center

Three short works that highlight the brilliant range of possibilities blossoming from ballet’s vocabulary. A love letter to Bach, Helgi Tomasson’s poetic 7 for Eight, is elegant and nuanced, with an undercurrent of deep emotion flowing through excerpts from seven keyboard concertos for eight dancers. Myles Thatcher’s COLORFORMS, the break-out hit of the 2021 Digital Season that was filmed during the pandemic at SFMOMA and Golden Gate Park, finally has its stage debut! William Forsythe’s Blake Works I, set to songs from James Blake’s album The Colour in Anything, starts with ballet’s precision, speeds it up, pushes it to the limit of physicality, then refracts it like a kaleidoscope as 21 dancers are driven by pop music and joy.

Program 5

The future of ballet is coming Next. We’ve celebrated maker culture here in the Bay Area for decades, so to celebrate San Francisco’s 90th anniversary we’re looking forward. The next@90 festival presents 9 world premiere ballets by 9 innovative, international choreographers, centering the innovation of the dance world right here in San Francisco. next@90 festival features new works by Nicolas Blanc, Bridget Breiner, Val Caniparoli, Robert Garland, Yuka Oishi, Yuri Possokhov, Jamar Roberts, Danielle Rowe, and Claudia Schreier.

Blanc / Schreier / Possokhov Premieres

Caniparoli / Breiner / Oishi Premieres

Garland / Roberts / Rowe Premieres

For their Spring appearance at Segerstrom Center, America’s National Ballet Company® arrives with three dazzling short programs highlighting not only their incredible artistry and athleticism, but also the inspiring visions of three of today’s most exciting choreographers.

ZigZag celebrates the legendary career of Tony Bennett, using both his songs and his visual artwork to highlight the authentic humanity of his vocal performances.

Bernstein in a Bubble is an exciting reflection of artistic creativity in these challenging times, inspired by the variety, charm, and quintessentially American spirit of Leonard Bernstein’s Divertimento.

Jim French

Lighting Designer

Events

4 - 14 Apr, 2024

Dos mujeres · San Francisco Ballet

2 - 13 Apr, 2024

Next@90 Curtain Call · San Francisco Ballet

9 - 17 Feb, 2024

Swam Lake · Ballet West

Jan 26 - Feb 1, 2024

Mere Mortals · San Francisco Ballet

27 - 29 Oct, 2023

Single Eye · American Ballet Theatre

About

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