San Francisco Ballet to Stage Major International Festival in 2018

Earlier this week, it was announced that the San Francisco Ballet would be staging a major international ballet festival in 2018. The announcement was made by SFB Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson, who said that the festival would be comprised of 12 new ballets by choreographers from around the world.

“I’ve planned and conceived this festival over the past year because I believe deeply in the importance of supporting new work,” Tomasson told San Francisco Classical Voice. “Indeed, S.F. Ballet has long been recognized for pushing the boundaries of dance, and we understand that our art from must continue to evolve in order to keep it vital and relevant.”

As noted by San Francisco Classical Voice, the festival, which will be forming four programs from April 20 to May 6, 2018, will be the highlight of the repertory season. The report also points out that in 1995, a similar endeavor, where 13 ballet companies from five continents, was presented by the San Francisco Ballet to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the United Nations.

According to Pointe, the list of choreographers include David Dawson, Alonzo King, Edward Liang, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Cathy Marston, Trey McIntyre, Justin Peck, Arthur Pita, Yuri Posskhov, Dwight Rhoden, Stanton Welch and Christopher Wheeldon. The report notes that King, who has been the artistic director of San Francisco-based Alonzo King LINES Ballet since 1982, will be making his first ballet for the San Francisco Ballet.

Tomasson said that the festival aims to support and showcase innovative choreographers in order to ensure that ballet as an art form continues to evolve. The festival, according to him, affords fans of the art a chance to see where the future of ballet is headed, noting that with the group of choreographers headlining the festival, “the future of ballet looks very bright.”

Tagssan francisco ballet, international ballet festival, Ballet