SWAN LAKE
Ballet’s greatest love story returns. Deeply moving and visually stunning, Swan Lake is the quintessential classical ballet. Helgi Tomasson’s strikingly modern production updates this tale of love and betrayal for the 21st century, featuring sets and costumes by Tony Award–winning designer Jonathan Fensom.
The 2009 world premiere of Helgi Tomasson's Swan Lake was made possible by Exclusive Sponsor Mrs. Jeannik Méquet Littlefield. The 2016 redesign of Act I was underwritten by Denise Littlefield Sobel.
Please Note: This ballet contains scenes depicting suicide.
May 20 – Jun 9, 2021
Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreographer: Helgi Tomasson
Programming subject to change.
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Swan Lake Casting
Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreographer: Helgi Tomasson
Conductor: Martin West
Violin: Cordula Merks
Cello: Eric Sung
Odette-Odile: Yuan Yuan Tan
Prince Siegfried: Tiit Helimets
Von Rothbart: Alexander Reneff-Olson
Pas de Trois: Dores André, Taras Domitro◊, Sasha De Sola
Music Director and Principal Conductor
Martin West
Guest Conductor
Ming Luke
Violin I
Cordula Merks, Concertmaster
Wenyi Shih, Associate Concertmaster**
Beni Shinohara, Assistant Concertmaster
Heidi Wilcox
Mia Kim
Robin Hansen
Brian Lee
Mariya Borozina
Lev Rankov*
Carla Picchi*
Barbara Riccardi*
Violin II
Marianne Wagner, Principal
Craig Reiss, Associate Principal
Rebecca Jackson, Assistant Principal**
Patricia Van Winkle
Clifton Foster
Elbert Tsai
Katherine Button*
Julie Kim*
Jeremy Preston*
Viola
Yi Zhou, Principal
Anna Kruger, Associate Principal
Joy Fellows, Assistant Principal
Caroline Lee
Paul Ehrlich
Elizabeth Prior*
Katherine Johnk*
Cello
Eric Sung, Principal
Jonah Kim, Associate Principal
Victor Fierro, Assistant Principal
Thalia Moore
Nora Pirquet
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*
Piccolo
Julie McKenzie
Oboe
Laura Griffiths, Principal
Marilyn Coyne
English Horn
Marilyn Coyne
Clarinet
Natalie Parker, Principal
Andrew Sandwick
Bass Clarinet
Andrew Sandwick
Bassoon
Rufus Olivier, Principal
Patrick Johnson-Whitty
Horn
Kevin Rivard, Principal
Keith Green
Brian McCarty, Associate Principal
William Klingelhoffer
Cornet
Adam Luftman, Principal
Scott Macomber*
Trumpet
Conrad Jones, Principal**
John Pearson*
Trombone
Jeffrey Budin, Principal
Hall Goff
Bass Trombone
Scott Thornton, Principal
Tuba
Peter Wahrhaftig, Principal
Timpani
James Gott, Principal
Percussion
David Rosenthal, Principal
Todd Manley*
Peter Thielen*
Tyler Mack*
Harp
Annabelle Taubl, Principal
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
Black Swan Pas de Deux and Act II Choreography: after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov
Scenery and Costume Design: Jonathan Fensom
Lighting Design: Jennifer Tipton
Projection Design: Sven Ortel
Hair, Wig and Make-Up Design: Michael Ward
Assistant to the Choreographer: Lola de Avila
Rehearsal Assistants: Anita Paciotti, Betsy Erickson, Ricardo Bustamante, Felipe Diaz
World Premiere: March 4, 1877—Bolshoi Theatre; Moscow, Russia
Choreography by Julius Reisinger
Petipa-Ivanov Production Premiere: February 8, 1895—Mariinsky Theatre; St. Petersburg, Russia
San Francisco Ballet Premiere: September 27, 1940—War Memorial Opera House; San Francisco, California
Choreography by Willam Christensen
Current San Francisco Ballet Production Premiere: February 21, 2009—War Memorial Opera House; San Francisco, California
The 2009 world premiere of Helgi Tomasson’s Swan Lake was made possible by Exclusive Sponsor Mrs. Jeannik Méquet Littlefield. The 2016 redesign of Act I was underwritten by Denise Littlefield Sobel.
Music: Swan Lake, Op. 20. Costume Design Associate, Yvonne Milnes. Design Assistant to Mr. Ward, Carole Hancock. Tutus constructed by Yoshi Terashima, London, England. Costumes constructed by Phil Reynolds, Sasha Keir, Jane Johnson, Charles Hanrahan, Robert Gordon, Sue Kay, Karen Shannon, Mark Wheeler, London, England. Additional costumes constructed by the San Francisco Opera Costume Shop, Danielle McCartan, Costume Director. Wigs and Feather Headdresses constructed and dressed by Christine Sterritt at the Wig Workshop of London. Further wig dressing by Melanie Birch and the Wig Boys, San Francisco, California. Boots by Pluma, Portland, Oregon. Specialty shoes by John Hiatt, Salt Lake City, Utah. Scenic Design Associate, Chad Owens, San Francisco, California. Scenic Design Assistants, Alasdair Oliver, Alistair Turner, Jason Southgate, London, England. Video Design Associate, S. Katy Tucker, New York, New York. Video Design Assistant, Peter Vincent Acken, New York, New York. Scenic construction and painting by San Francisco Ballet Carpentry and Scenic Departments at the San Francisco Opera Scenic Studios.