Listen Now

All You Need to Know About Swan Lake Before You Watch! Swan Lake may be the most iconic ballet in history. But despite its success today, the creation of Swan Lake in 19th-century Russia was far from smooth-sailing. For one, Tchaikovsky bristled at the idea of being labeled a “ballet specialist” like Ludwig Minkus, who would compose bars of music to spec: 8 bars of “happy” music for an entrance, or 16 bars of “dramatic” music for a finale, depending on the choreographer’s needs. Plus, the ballet’s premiere in Moscow was deemed a critical failure. Among all the challenges associated with its debut, how did this ballet find its wings and soar to success? Helgi Tomasson’s Swan Lake is part of SF Ballet’s 2022 Repertory Season. It will be performed in Program 7, from April 29–May 8, 2022. Check out the 2022 season Like what you heard? Subscribe to our Meet the Artist podcast on Apple Podcasts to access archived episodes and have new ones delivered straight to your devices! Header Photo: San Francisco Ballet backstage during a performance of Tomasson’s Swan Lake // © Erik Tomasson

All You Need to Know About Romeo & Juliet Before You Watch Ah, yes: star-cross’d lovers, show-stopping swordsmanship, and a tragic ending for the ages. On the surface, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet seems like an easy fit for the balletic stage. But the conception of this now-classic ballet came with a host of challenges for its composer, Sergei Prokofiev. In this episode of To The Pointe, learn about the USSR’s influence on the original ballet and how it’s morphed over time, including in 1994, when Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson put his own spin on this iconic love story. Helgi Tomasson’s Romeo & Juliet was part of SF Ballet’s 2021 Digital Season. Like what you heard? Subscribe to our Meet the Artist podcast on Apple Podcasts to access archived episodes and have new ones delivered straight to your devices! Header Photo: Misa Kuranaga and Angelo Greco in Tomasson’s Romeo & Juliet // © Erik Tomasson

All You Need to Know About Program 05 Before You Watch Program 05 includes three ballets made expressly for San Francisco Ballet dancers: Helgi Tomasson’s 7 for Eight, Cathy Marston’s Snowblind, and David Dawson’s Anima Animus. In this episode of To The Pointe, learn about the job of a principal choreographer, hear from Cathy Marston and Principal Dancer Sarah Van Patten in their own words about creating Zeena in Snowblind, and discover more about the gender role play on display in Dawson’s Anima Animus. Like what you heard? Subscribe to our Meet the Artist podcast on Apple Podcasts to access archived episodes and have new ones delivered straight to your devices! Header Photo: San Francisco Ballet in Marston’s Snowblind // © Erik Tomasson

All You Need to Know About Jewels Before You Watch George Balanchine’s Jewels comprises three ballets—Rubies, Emeralds, and Diamonds—that evoke the styles and moods of the United States, France, and Russia, respectively. Get to know a bit about Jewels, its creation in 1967, and what to look for in each ballet before this dazzling classic hits the screen during SF Ballet’s 2021 Digital Season. Like what you heard? Subscribe to our Meet the Artist podcast on Apple Podcasts to access archived episodes and have new ones delivered straight to your devices! Header Photo: Sasha Mukhamedov and Aaron Robison in Balanchine’s Emeralds // Choreography by George Balanchine © The Balanchine Trust; Photo © Erik Tomasson

All You Need to Know About Program 03 Before You Watch Get a quick overview of the three ballets that make up Program 03: Ratmansky’s Symphony #9, an abstract portrait of Shostakovich; Danielle Rowe’s Wooden Dimes, a world premiere created during the COVID-19 pandemic set in the roaring ’20s; and Yuri Possokhov’s Swimmer, which turns John Cheever’s short story into a psychedelic tour of American cultural life. Alexei Ratmansky’s Symphony #9, Danielle Rowe’s Wooden Dimes world premiere, and Yuri Possokhov’s Swimmer were part of Program 03, streamed March 04–24, on SF Ballet’s 2021 Digital Season. Header Photo: Sarah Van Patten in Rowe’s Wooden Dimes // © San Francisco Ballet

All You Need to Know About the 2021 Digital Season Before You Watch! If To The Pointe is like a mini audio program note, this episode is like a mini-mini program note. Get a quick overview of the entire 2021 Season, and hear from choreographer Danielle Rowe and Artistic Director & Principal Choreographer Helgi Tomasson in their own words about their works. Tune in to later episodes for deeper dives into each program! Check out the 2021 season Header Image: Sarah Van Patten in Rowe’s Wooden Dimes // © Lindsay Gauthier

All You Need to Know About A Midsummer Night’s Dream Before You Go! George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is part of SF Ballet’s 2021 Digital Season. It will be performed in Program 01, streaming January 21–February 10. Get a quick overview of George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream: hear about the ballet’s creation in 1960s New York, revisit the story to figure out which dancer is Hermia and which one is Helena, and find out what to look for in this magical and mystical ballet! Purchase Stream Access Learn more about midsummer Header Photo: Misa Kuranaga and Angelo Greco in Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream // Choreography by George Balanchine © The Balanchine Trust; Photo © Erik Tomasson

All You Need to Know About Nutcracker Before You Go! Join Jennie Scholick, PhD for a deep dive into Nutcracker. Learn about this iconic ballet’s history, story, and what to look for. Like what you heard? Subscribe to our Meet the Artist podcast on Apple Podcasts to access archived episodes and have new ones delivered straight to your devices! Nutcracker returns to the War Memorial Opera House this season! Catch the holiday classic from December 10–30, 2021. Tickets on sale now! purchase Nutcracker Tickets Header Image: San Francisco Ballet in Tomasson’s Nutcracker // © Erik Tomasson

All You Need to Know About Program 03 Before You Go! Join Associate Director of Audience Development, Jennie Scholick, PhD for a deep dive into the three ballets on Program 03: Dance Innovations. Hear from Edwaard Liang, Trey McIntyre, Johnny Eliason, and Lise Lander and find out what to look for in this exciting lineup of ballets. Like what you heard? Subscribe to our To the Pointe podcast on Apple Podcasts to access archived episodes and have new ones delivered straight to your devices! Header Image: Yuan Yuan Tan and Vitor Luiz in Liang’s The Infinite Ocean // © Erik Tomasson

Gong, Chimes, Woodblocks . . . Typewriter? In this special edition of To The Pointe, David Rosenthal, SF Ballet Orchestra’s Principal Percussionist, discusses his role in “The Typewriter,” composer Leroy Anderson’s most famous novelty number and one of eleven pieces in Mark Morris’s Sandpaper Ballet, on the digital stage February 11–March 3, 2021. At the end of the podcast, David performs a snippet of the piece with help from PR & Communications Manager Kate McKinney, who “chimes” in with the carriage return. This podcast was originally published in February 2020 and has been updated to reflect the 2021 Digital Season. Mark Morris’s Sandpaper Ballet is part of SF Ballet’s 2021 Digital Season. It will be performed as part of Program 02, streaming February 11–March 3. Purchase Single Stream Access

All you need to know about Program 02 before you go!

All You Need To Know About Program 01 Before You Go!

A surprise summer Season preview

All You Need to Know About Program 08 Before You Go!

All You Need to Know About Program 07 Before You Go!

All you need to know about Program 05 before you go!

All you need to know about Program 06 before you go!

All you need to know about Program 04 before you go!

All you need to know about Program 03 before you go!

Everything you need to know about Program 02 before you go!