Artistic Administrator Caroline Giese interviews Principal Dancer Joan Boada.

Henry Sidford discusses his training in the SF Ballet School, his experience at Prix de Lausanne when he was a SF Ballet School Trainee, and his journey as a dancer in the Company. He also talks about the process of learning and performing works in Program 6 and Program 7 during the 2016 Season.

Alexei Ratmansky’s Seven Sonatas joins the SF Ballet rep this season. Carrie Gaiser Casey, SF Ballet resident scholar, places this work in the arc of Ratmansky’s career and discusses the choreographic features of this ballet.

Cheryl A. Ossola, SF Ballet writer and Dance Studio Life magazine editor in chief, interviews Principal Dancer Pascal Molat. Principal Dancer Pascal Molat, who is retiring this season, discusses his role in Yuri Possokhov’s Swimmer and his years of working with the choreographer; his philosophy about work and being an artist; his role as a teacher at the San Francisco Ballet School and other community dance schools; and his career transition plans.

The audience is given the opportunity to “Meet” the artist, soloist Lauren Strongin, who is enjoying her first season with the Company. Lauren describes her training and early career, emphasizing the value of receiving a firm classical background at the Kirov Academy in Washington, DC, before completing her studies at the John Cranko Schule in Stuttgart, where she was exposed to a more contemporary style. She explains her move to San Francisco Ballet in order to join her husband, Principal Dancer Joseph Walsh, and how she has enjoyed the roles she has performed here beginning with Nutcracker.

Video Designer Kate Duhamel joins Ballet Master Anita Paciotti in a discussion of Swimmer, created by choreographer in residence, Yuri Possokhov for the 2015 season. Kate provides background to illustrate her career, and she explains the process while using clips from the creation of Swimmer to illustrate the collaboration between Possokhov and his design team. Anita describes Yuri’s work-style in the studio, and offers insights into some of the problem solving required in developing such a complex work.

Director of Education and Training Andrea Yannone in conversation with Principal Dancer Frances Chung. Frances is reprising the role of Swanilda in these performances of Coppélia, and the conversation centers around her early training, career at SF Ballet, and of course her portrayal of Swanilda.

Principal Dancer, Dores André, begins by describing her classically based training and her years spent in the corps de ballet, which she declares “harder than being a principal dancer”. She points to dancing Juliet in Tomasson’s full-length production of Romeo & Juliet, which was her first full-length principal role, as a career highlight; then compares that role to that of Swanhilda in Coppélia and its completely different challenges.

San Francisco Ballet Company and School share the same building, just across the street from the Opera House. There, our students train in the same studios as our professional dancers, and they have the wonderful opportunity to see the professional dancers whom they aspire to become one day. As many ballets in our repertory include roles for children, the conversation revolves around preparing children for roles in Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Swimmer, and Coppélia.

San Francisco Ballet Company and School share the same building, just across the street from the Opera House. There, our students train in the same studios as our professional dancers, and they have the wonderful opportunity to see the professional dancers whom they aspire to become one day. As many ballets in our repertory include roles for children, the conversation revolves around preparing children for roles in Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Swimmer, and Coppélia.