JEWELS
A ballet in three parts. George Balanchine’s full-length masterpiece, inspired by displays at New York City jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels, is made up of three separate ballets—Emeralds, Rubies, and Diamonds. Emeralds, set to music by Fauré, is a forest green meditation in long, Romantic-style skirts, influenced by the French style of ballet—decorous, restrained, pristine. Rubies, set to Stravinsky, is more like Times Square at midnight: bright lights, rushing crowds, and a touch of jazz. Diamonds, set to Tchaikovsky, is a glittering homage to Imperial Russia and the grand style of Marius Petipa, the father of classical ballet.
*Note: Rubies and Diamonds will be archival captures.
April 1 – April 21, 2021
Composers: Gabriel Fauré, Igor Stravinsky, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreographer: George Balanchine
Streaming access available beginning 6 pm on Apr 1.
Programming subject to change.
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BEHIND THE SCENES
Delve into the magic and glamour of Jewels by George Balanchine—one of the most famous and prolific choreographers of the 20th century.
Your Ultimate Guide to Balanchine's Jewels – Read | Listen
About George Balanchine's Jewels – Read
Jewels Casting
Composer: Gabriel Fauré
Choreographer: George Balanchine
Misa Kuranaga*†, Angelo Greco*†
Sasha Mukhamedov*†, Aaron Robison*†
Composer: Igor Stravinsky
Choreographer: George Balanchine
Conductor: Martin West
Piano: Roy Bogas
Mathilde Froustey, Pascal Molat◊
Wanting Zhao
Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreographer: George Balanchine
Conductor: Ming Luke
Sasha De Sola, Tiit Helimets
Music Director and Principal Conductor
Martin West
Violin I
Cordula Merks, Concertmaster
Wenyi Shih, Associate Concertmaster**
Beni Shinohara, Assistant Concertmaster
Heidi Wilcox
Mia Kim
Robin Hansen
Brian Lee
Mariya Borozina
Minsun Choi
Lev Rankov*
Carla Picchi*
Karen Shinozaki*
Violin II
Ani Bukujian, Principal
Craig Reiss, Associate Principal
Rebecca Jackson, Assistant Principal**
Marianne Wagner
Patricia Van Winkle
Clifton Foster
Elbert Tsai
Laura Keller
Jeremy Preston
Katherine Button*
Julie Kim*
Emma Votapek*
Viola
Yi Zhou, Principal
Anna Kruger, Associate Principal
Joy Fellows, Assistant Principal
Caroline Lee
Paul Ehrlich
Elizabeth Prior*
Cello
Eric Sung, Principal
Jonah Kim, Associate Principal
Victor Fierro, Assistant Principal
Thalia Moore
Nora Pirquet
Mariko Wyrick
Ruth Lane*
Contrabass
Steve D’Amico, Principal
Shinji Eshima, Associate Principal
Jonathan Lancelle, Assistant Principal
Mark Drury
Flute
Barbara Chaffe, Principal
Julie McKenzie
Patricia Farrell*
Stephanie McNab*
piccolo
Julie McKenzie
Oboe
Laura Griffiths, Principal
Marilyn Coyne
James Moore*
english horn
Marilyn Coyne
Clarinet
Natalie Parker, Principal
Andrew Sandwick
Ginger Kroft*
Jerome Simas*
Steve Sanchez*
e-flat clarinet
Ginger Kroft*
bass clarinet
Andrew Sandwick
Bassoon
Rufus Olivier, Principal
Patrick Johnson-Whitty
Shawn Jones*
Horn
Kevin Rivard, Principal
Keith Green
Brian McCarty, Associate Principal
William Klingelhoffer
Trumpet/cornet
Adam Luftman, Principal
Conrad Jones**
John Pearson*
Scott Macomber*
Trombone
Jeffrey Budin, Principal
Hall Goff
Matthew Cox
Bass Trombone
Scott Thornton, Principal
Tuba
Peter Wahrhaftig, Principal
Timpani
James Gott, Principal
John Burgardt**
Percussion
David Rosenthal, Principal
Harp
Annabelle Taubl, Principal
Sophie Baird Daniel*
Orchestra Personnel Manager and Music Administrator
Tracy Davis
Music Librarian
Matthew Naughtin
**Season Substitute
*Extra player
*Denotes role debut in current production
‡Denotes role debut at San Francisco Ballet
†Denotes debut in current production
◊Denotes a dancer who is no longer part of the Company
JEWELS
A Ballet in Three Parts
Staged by: Elyse Borne Judith Fugate, Sandra Jennings
Additional Coaching by: Helgi Tomasson
World Premiere: April 13, 1967—New York City Ballet, New York State Theater; New York, New York
San Francisco Ballet Premiere: March 12, 2002—War Memorial Opera House; San Francisco, California
© The George Balanchine Trust
EMERALDS
Staged by: Elyse Borne and Sandra Jennings
Additional Decor for Emeralds: Susan Touhy
Costume Design: Karinska, Recreated by Haydee Morales
Rehearsal Assistants: Ricardo Bustamante, Tina LeBlanc
RUBIES
Staged by: Elyse Borne
Costume Design: Karinska
Original “Rubies” Lighting Design: Ronald Bates
Rehearsal Assistant: Tina LeBlanc
San Francisco Ballet Premiere: January 30, 1987—War Memorial Opera House; San Francisco, California
DIAMONDS
Staged by: Judith Fugate
Costume Design: Karinska
Rehearsal Assistants: Felipe Diaz, Betsy Erickson
Music: Emeralds: Fauré—Extracts from Pelléas et Mélisande Suite, Op. 29 and incidental music to Shylock, Op. 57. Used by arrangements with TBA. Rubies: Stravinsky—Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra (1949 version) by Igor Stravinsky, used by arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., publisher and copyright owner. Diamonds: Tchaikovsky—Symphony No. 3 in D major, Op. 29, movements 2, 3, 4 & 5. Emeralds costumes courtesy of Miami City Ballet. Rubies costumes constructed by Barbara Matera, Ltd., New York, New York. Additional costumes constructed by Nancy Endy. Diamonds costumes courtesy of The National Ballet of Canada. This performance of Jewels, a Balanchine© Ballet, is presented by arrangement with the George Balanchine Trust and has been produced in accordance with the Balanchine Style© and Balanchine Technique© service standards established and provided by the Trust.