San Francisco Ballet

Over Thanksgiving week, the renowned company celebrates its 75th anniversary with Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson's full-length Giselle and a mixed repertory program.

• Nov 25 - 30, 2008
• Opera House
• 2 hrs. 15 min.
• $29.00 - $99.00

About the Program | Watch and Listen | Additional Resources | Related Events

About the Program

Artists:

• Helgi Tomasson , artistic director
• Adolphe Adam , music

San Francisco Ballet
Helgi Tomasson, Artistic Director
 
"Tomasson's finest achievement…a breathtaking contribution to the Giselle tradition"
--San Francisco Chronicle
 
America's oldest professional ballet company returns to the Kennedy Center for the first time in six years to celebrate its landmark 75th season with two exhilarating programs. The first is Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson's staging of the two-act Giselle, first brought to the Kennedy Center in 1999 and based on the original 1841 production. This timeless ballet follows a beautiful young peasant girl driven to madness and an untimely death upon discovering that her true love, the dashing prince Albrecht, has deceived her. Transcending to an otherworldly forest of scorned female spirits, Giselle protects her remorseful lover from their wicked vengeance, despite his betrayal. San Francisco Ballet's critically acclaimed production is replete with lavish scenery and costumes, lyrical music, and dance epitomizing the pure classicism that defines the romantic ballets.
 
The Company's engagement will also feature a mixed repertory program that includes select ballets from the company's spring 2008 New Works Festival: D.C. premieres of Morris's Joyride and Wheeldon's Within the Golden Hour, plus Balanchine's The Four Temperaments.  Peformed with live music.
 
Nov. 28–30
Giselle
Choreography by Helgi Tomasson after Marius Petipa, Jules Perrot, and Jean Coralli
Music by Adolphe Adam
--Program Timing:  Act I - 57 min.; Intermission - 20 min.; Act II - 55 min.
 
Nov. 25 & 26
Mixed repertory program
--Joyride  (Morris/John Adams)  Washington, DC premiere  (Timing: 26 min.)
--Intermission - 20 min.
--Within the Golden Hour  (Wheeldon/Ezio Bosso)  Washington, DC premiere (Timing: 36 min.)
--Intermission - 15 min.
--The Four Temperaments  (Balanchine/Hindemith)  (Timing: 35 min.)  


All events and artists subject to change without prior notice.

Group of 20 or more? Group Sales offers special terms and discounts for most performances.

Watch and Listen

• Watch the trailer for San Francisco Ballet.

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Additional Resources

About the Kennedy Center Ballet Series

Cast and Company

Company:
San Francisco Ballet

Related Events

Ballet 360: The Great Ballets: Giselle  Oct 19, 2008 at 2:00 PM 

Open Rehearsal: San Francisco Ballet  Nov 25, 2008 at 1:30 PM 

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