Our last report from the San Francisco Ballet came on March 11th as the City announced at intermission that this would be the last performance before “lockdown.” The audience emitted an audible moan, but most were reconciled to the sacrifice that would have to be made in the face of this horrible pandemic.
We carried an exclusive interview with Esteban Hernandez on the eve of his starring role in George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which was to be the company’s final performance of 2020. (He was sensational).
Now comes the good news:
Artistic Director and Principal Choreographer Helgi Tomasson announces programming for the 2021 Repertory Season, scheduled to open January 19 and run through June 27.
The theme of the season is “Leap of Faith,” an invitation to the community amid the uncertainty of the months ahead, and a commitment by the Company to present a complete season, whether it is offered in the War Memorial Opera House, online, or a combination of both.
The seven-program season features four world premieres and one West Coast premiere over the first three programs between January 19 and February 22, followed by Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream March 5–14 and Jewels March 25–31, and closing with Helgi Tomasson’s Swan Lake May 28–June 6 and Romeo & Juliet June 18–27. A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo & Juliet return after being curtailed last season due to the health pandemic.