The Blake Works
Casting
Thursday, March 05, 2026 AT 7:30 pm
CHOREOGRAPHY AND COSTUME DESIGN
William Forsythe
COMPOSER
James Blake
Prologue (SF Ballet Premiere)
Lighting Design: Tanja Ruehl
Staged by: Jodie Gates and Noah Gelber
World Premiere: May 10, 2023—Ballet Company Teatro alla Scala; Teatro alla Scala; Milan, Italy
SF Ballet Premiere: February 27, 2026—War Memorial Opera House; San Francisco, California
The Barre Project (SF Ballet Premiere)
Scenic Design: William Forsythe
Lighting Design: Tanja Ruehl, based on the original design by Brandon Stirling Baker
Staged by: Jodie Gates and Noah Gelber
Originating from The Barre Project (Blake Works II), created and filmed in 2020 for its broadcast on March 25, 2021 on the CLI Studio Digital Platform www.clistudio.com
SF Ballet Premiere: February 27, 2026—War Memorial Opera House; San Francisco, California
Blake Works I
Costume Design: Dorothee Merg and William Forsythe
Lighting Design: Tanja Ruehl
Staged by: Jodie Gates, Felipe Diaz, and Katita Waldo
Original staging (2022): Ayman Harper
World Premiere: July 4, 2016—Paris Opera Ballet, Palais Garnier; Paris, France
SF Ballet Premiere: February 3, 2022—War Memorial Opera House; San Francisco, California
Sound Supervisor for The Blake Works: Niels Lanz. Music: Prologue — “Lindisfarne I” from James Blake (2011); The Barre Project — “Buzzard & Kestrel” from The Bells Sketch (2010), “Lullaby for My Insomniac” from Assume Form (2019), and “200 Press” from 200 Press (2014). Blake Works I — Songs from The Colour in Anything (2016): “I Need a Forest Fire,” “Put That Away and Talk to Me,” “The Colour in Anything,” “I Hope My Life (1-800 Mix),” “Waves Know Shores,” “Two Men Down,” and “f.o.r.e.v.e.r.” Costumes constructed by San Francisco Ballet Costume Shop. Scenic Curtain Design by William Forsythe, after Carlus Dyer, realized by David Dunn and Scott Whitten. Smiley, names, characters and all related indicia are owned by The Smiley Company ©1971-2026. All rights reserved. www.smiley.com
The Blake Works
Casting & Credits
Thursday, March 05 AT 7:30 pm
CHOREOGRAPHY AND COSTUME DESIGN
William Forsythe
COMPOSER
James Blake
Prologue (SF Ballet Premiere)
Lighting Design: Tanja Ruehl
Staged by: Jodie Gates and Noah Gelber
World Premiere: May 10, 2023—Ballet Company Teatro alla Scala; Teatro alla Scala; Milan, Italy
SF Ballet Premiere: February 27, 2026—War Memorial Opera House; San Francisco, California
The Barre Project (SF Ballet Premiere)
Scenic Design: William Forsythe
Lighting Design: Tanja Ruehl, based on the original design by Brandon Stirling Baker
Staged by: Jodie Gates and Noah Gelber
Originating from The Barre Project (Blake Works II), created and filmed in 2020 for its broadcast on March 25, 2021 on the CLI Studio Digital Platform www.clistudio.com
SF Ballet Premiere: February 27, 2026—War Memorial Opera House; San Francisco, California
Blake Works I
Costume Design: Dorothee Merg and William Forsythe
Lighting Design: Tanja Ruehl
Staged by: Jodie Gates, Felipe Diaz, and Katita Waldo
Original staging (2022): Ayman Harper
World Premiere: July 4, 2016—Paris Opera Ballet, Palais Garnier; Paris, France
SF Ballet Premiere: February 3, 2022—War Memorial Opera House; San Francisco, California
Sound Supervisor for The Blake Works: Niels Lanz. Music: Prologue — “Lindisfarne I” from James Blake (2011); The Barre Project — “Buzzard & Kestrel” from The Bells Sketch (2010), “Lullaby for My Insomniac” from Assume Form (2019), and “200 Press” from 200 Press (2014). Blake Works I — Songs from The Colour in Anything (2016): “I Need a Forest Fire,” “Put That Away and Talk to Me,” “The Colour in Anything,” “I Hope My Life (1-800 Mix),” “Waves Know Shores,” “Two Men Down,” and “f.o.r.e.v.e.r.” Costumes constructed by San Francisco Ballet Costume Shop. Scenic Curtain Design by William Forsythe, after Carlus Dyer, realized by David Dunn and Scott Whitten. Smiley, names, characters and all related indicia are owned by The Smiley Company ©1971-2026. All rights reserved. www.smiley.com
PROLOGUE
Alexis Francisco Valdes Lucas López
Esteban Hernández Fernando Carratalá Coloma Jihyun Choi
Francesco Gabriele Frola Jasmine Jimison
Wei Wang
THE BARRE PROJECT
BUZZARD & KESTREL
Sasha De Sola, Luca Ferrò, Jacey Gailliard, Alexis Francisco Valdes, Fernando Carratalá Coloma
LULABY FOR MY INSOMNIAC
Seojeong Yun
200 PRESS
Jihyun Choi, Fernando Carratalá Coloma, Sasha De Sola, Luca Ferrò, Francesco Gabriele Frola, Jacey Gailliard, Esteban Hernández, Jasmine Jimison, Lucas López, Alexis Francisco Valdes, Wei Wang, Seojeong Yun
BLAKE WORKS I
I NEED A FORREST FIRE
Frances Chung, Wona Park, Elizabeth Powell
Maya Chandrashekaran, Ruben Citores Nieto, Gabriela Gonzalez, Lleyton Ho, Harrison James, Lucas López, Carmela Mayo, Rimi Nakano, Pemberly Ann Olson, Simone Pompignoli, Victor Prigent, Julia Rowe, Leili Rackow, Anatalia St. Clair, Joseph Walsh, Alexis Francisco Valdes, Juliana Wilder
PUT THAT AWAY AND TALK TO ME
Elizabeth Powell, Alexis Francisco Valdes, Julia Rowe
THE COLOUR IN ANYTHING
Frances Chung, Fernando Carratalá Coloma
I HOPE MY LIFE
Frances Chung, Wona Park, Harrison James, Joseph Walsh
Ensemble
WAVES KNOW SHORES
Elizabeth Powell, Victor Prigent, Simone Pompignoli
Ensemble
TWO MEN DOWN
Ruben Citores Nieto, Luca Ferrò, Lleyton Ho, Harrison James, Lucas López, Simone Pompignoli, Victor Prigent, Joseph Walsh
F.O.R.E.V.E.R
Wona Park, Harrison James
*CASTING IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE