Helgi Tomasson's SWAN LAKE Closes SF Ballet's 2021 Digital Season, May 20- June 9

San Francisco Ballet streams Artistic Director and Principal Choreographer Helgi Tomasson's Swan Lake from May 20 to June 9, 2021, closing SF Ballet's 2021 Digital Season.

The archival capture from 2016 stars Principal Dancers Yuan Yuan Tan as Odette-Odile and Tiit Helimets as Prince Siegfried. Called "a runaway box office hit" (San Francisco Chronicle) at its premiere in 2009, Tomasson's Swan Lake includes set and costume designs by Tony Award-winner Jonathan Fensom and is performed to the score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, conducted in the stream by Music Director Martin West. Swan Lake offers standout roles for the corps of 30 swans and Odette-Odile, whose story is introduced in the prologue.

In his 2009 production, Tomasson also notably showcases male dancers in the first act, retains Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov's original second act, and adds a divertissement in the third.

San Francisco Ballet presented America's first full-length production of Swan Lake in 1940, and this production of Swan Lake is Tomasson's second; the ballet is not only a classic of the repertory, but also an integral part of San Francisco Ballet's history. It was last seen on stage in the 2017 Repertory Season and will return for live performance in 2022, closing Helgi Tomasson's farewell season. Single tickets to the digital stream of Swan Lake begin at $29. Casting is available at this link.

Exploring Ballet: Swan Lake takes place live and online Tuesday, May 18, 2021 from 6-7:30 pm PDT, featuring former New York Times chief dance critic Alastair Macaulay in presentation about the history and interpretations of Swan Lake. Macaulay's talk is followed by Principal Dancer Jennifer Stahl and Soloist Julia Rowe sharing what it takes to bring this iconic ballet to life. Exploring Ballet: Swan Lake is available for $30; donors or subscribers can view the program for a reduced rate or for free. Pointes of View, a lecture series that takes a deeper dive into performance, will be held online Wednesday, May 26 from 2-2:45 pm PDT, featuring a free, pre-recorded discussion with Helgi Tomasson and Principal Dancers Yuan Yuan Tan and Tiit Helimets about Tomasson's production of Swan Lake.

SF Ballet has partnered with San Francisco flower company Matilda's Bloombox for the duration of Swan Lake, offering a $59 package for Bay Area purchasers that includes the Swan Lake stream and a delivered Bloombox, featuring water-based white orchid, white ranunculus, white 'Tibet' roses, and California-grown stock. More information can be found at this link.

Single Swan Lake streams are on sale now and priced at $29 for 72-hour access. The duo package offering Romeo & Juliet and Swan Lake, priced at $48, is available now. Tickets and packages may be purchased online at sfballet.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.