What SF Ballet Dancers Did This Summer

Two months filled with travel, teaching, and dog cuddles.

July is an exciting time at SF Ballet, as Company members return to the studios after a two month hiatus. In addition to preparing for local performances at Festival Napa Valley (July 27) and Stern Grove Festival (July 29), they worked with choreographers Yuri Possokhov and Liam Scarlett on their upcoming world premieres. They also started rehearsing story ballets like Don Quixote, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Little Mermaid for the 2019 Season. We caught up with a few of the dancers to find out what they did during their time off—and which ballets they are particularly excited about performing during the 2019 Season.

SF Ballet in Neumeier's *The Little Mermaid* // © Erik Tomasson

What did you do during your summer break? I choreographed my second ballet for the Estonian National Ballet. It will premiere on November 8, 2019 and I am looking forward to seeing it come to life on the stage.

What are you looking forward to in SF Ballet’s 2019 Season? I’m glad that [John Neumeier’s] The Little Mermaid is coming back. This was a great ballet to dance. Also [Alexei Ratmansky’s] Shostakovich Trilogy brings back good memories—and challenges.

Sasha De Sola teaching at Ballet West Academy // © Beau Pearson

What did you do during your summer break? Summer is a time for rest and rejuvenation—and travel! This year, Yuan Yuan Tan invited Vitor Luiz and me to her hometown of Shanghai, China. We worked with Netherlands Dance Theater–based choreographer Medhi Walerski in a choreographic workshop for students from Shanghai. I also traveled to Salt Lake City, to teach at Ballet West Academy's summer intensive. My downtime between trips has been filled with lots of cuddle time with my dog.

What are you looking forward to in SF Ballet’s 2019 Season? I'm looking forward to being back at work in the SF Ballet studios! It's hard to pick just one ballet in the upcoming season, but I really enjoy the process of working on the full-length ballets.

Gabriela Gonzalez at Chichén Itzá in Mexico

What did you do during your summer break? I spent time in the in the Yucatán peninsula at Puerto Progreso and Chichén Itzá. My summer motto was "Free your spirit, love all around... and dance!"

What are you looking forward to in SF Ballet’s 2019 Season? I am really looking forward to Divertimento No. 15. When I graduated from Miami City Ballet School, I danced two of the five lead parts (in different casts). That ballet is so very special to me. And also Don Quixote. I love the Spanish flair.

2019 Season Community dancers Don Quixote Festival Napa Valley Gabriela Gonzalez Lauren strongin Sasha de sola stern grove Thamires Chuvas The Little Mermaid The Sleeping Beauty Tiit Helimets

What SF Ballet Dancers Did This Summer