Crossroads: Meet Subscriber Jazz Tigan

“SF Ballet is my favorite sports team.”

Entrepreneur Jazz Tigan, a Principal-8 Series subscriber, sat down to discuss what fascinates him about ballet and why he subscribes.

How did you first encounter ballet?
When I was a kid, I saw Cyd Charisse in the “Red Blues” [in the film Silk Stockings]. When I moved to California a decade ago, I started out going to Nutcracker and Romeo & Juliet. Then I discovered the mixed bill programs and thought, “Wow! There’s so much to this that a lot of people don’t think of when they think of ballet.”

What’s special about SF Ballet for you?
It’s one of those questions like ‘What’s your favorite sports team?’ For me, it’s SF Ballet. There is a comfort in watching something being danced by people you are familiar with as artists. And there’s a seasonality to SF Ballet’s performances that has a nice quality as well.

Why do you subscribe?
Ballet is a rabbit hole that I’ve fallen down because the art form is so rich and varied. There’s so much that choreographers can explore and so many stories to be told. And while there is a learning curve associated with having a true appreciation of ballet, it’s also true that ballet is immediately stunning and breathtaking. Then the more you learn, the richer and deeper it becomes at every level. And even when you become really familiar with a work, it evolves over time, you evolve over time, and you find you will understand it differently.

It’s the end of a long week. What motivates you to get to evening at SF Ballet?
So much craft goes into creating this one moment in time—it’s a living tradition. Being in the theater in that instant, you’re witnessing a moment in artistic history that doesn’t come around again. Or when it does, it’ll be different. Being in the theater is interesting in a way that’s so different than just going to a movie. I’ve never regretted it. Ever.

Header Image: Jazz Tigan © DROdio