On a rather chilly winter night, we all gathered at the War Memorial Opera House to celebrate Tamara Rojo’s inaugural season as artistic director of San Francisco Ballet. The theme of the evening was Pandora: Curiosity Unveiled, a nod to both the long anticipated changing of guard within the ballet as well as the technological reverberations in the city itself.
The energy inside was absolutely electric. Everyone was dressed to the nines, sipping on flutes of champagne while draped in silks in sequins. I noticed an evident diversity of both ages and backgrounds throughout the patronage, and not one seat was left unsold for as far as my eye could see. If this is the future of ballet in San Francisco, it sure does look bright!
Fitting its Pandora theme, the gala did not feel so much like a trip down memory lane, but rather a bold statement into the future unknown. Tamara Rojo took the stage to introduce the evening, draped in an ethereal lamé gown that flowed with her movements onstage like molten gold.
Prior to taking the helm in San Francisco, Tamara has a lustrous history as artistic director at the English National Ballet, where she also came up the ranks as a lead principal dancer for many years.
She spoke of “the outstanding diversity of this beautiful company” during her speech, and certainly produced an evening that showcased just that. The evening that followed a tremendous artistic breadth, ranging from hyper-contemporary pieces to soviet-era classics.
The overwhelming highlight of the evening for everyone I spoke to was the swansong performance of dancer Yuan Yuan Tan in a pas de deux from Helgi Tomasson’s 7 for Eight. She is set to retire this year after a nearly three decade long career with San Francisco Ballet, and Tiit Helimets came out of retirement just to partner her for this evening. It was an exquisite, emotional performance that well warranted its standing ovation.
Another crowd favourite was the pas de deux from Swan Lake, performed by Sasha de Sola and Isaac Hernández – who coincidentally is also the husband of Tamara Rojo!
There was also a stunning excerpt from Broken Wings, a story based on lives of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, in which the ballerinas shared the stage with singer Geo Menses and acoustic guitar duo Los Macarinos for a live folk ballad.
Once the curtains closed, the party continued just across the street at City Hall, which was decked out in electric blue lighting for the occasion. The normally somber halls were filled with live music, champagne, and red carpet poses.
We danced the night away – perhaps a little less gracefully that what we had just witnessed on stage – and returned home dreaming of the season ahead.
The Upcoming Season at a Glance
- Mere Mortals | January 28 – February 1
- British Icons | February 9-15
- Swan Lake | February 23 – March 3
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream | March 12-23
- Next@90 Curtain Call | April 2-13
- Dos Mujeres | April 4-14
- Swan Lake (Encore) | April 30 – May 5
Check out their website for individual tickets and season packages. I can’t wait to see you there!
