War Memorial Opera House

While San Francisco Ballet frequently performs new renditions of old classics, the company transported audiences back to the streets of Renaissance Italy for the opening night “Romeo & Juliet” on April 21 at the War Memorial Opera House. 

English choreographer Christopher Wheeldon continued this tradition of crafting a classic ballet to be timeless with “Cinderella” at the War Memorial Opera House on April 4

On the night of March 14, the tapered golden curtains of the War Memorial Opera House slowly gave rise to the first of three running bill programs presented by SF Ballet.

All of San Francisco’s mercurial chill was forgotten on Feb. 25 as crowds gathered at the War Memorial Opera House to witness "Giselle," one of classical ballet’s most infamous romantic works.

Tchaikovsky’s opera, forged in the fiery throes of Romanticism, sympathizes with sentimentalism more so than Pushkin’s masterful novel.

Oozing with an intangible, irresistible glamor, the San Francisco Ballet’s “Swan Lake” took opulence as an opportunity.

The immersive three piece set boasted an eclectic and dazzling bill that spanned genre, style and theme, keeping audience members — as well as the dancers — on their toes.

As her final performance following a 20-year tenure at the San Francisco Ballet, the production was a celebration of Van Patten’s venerable career, encompassing a medley of her most exemplary roles.

The triple bill program pushed the limits of ballet, highlighting the talent of its Company with intricate choreography that thrived in its poignant display of three distinct narratives.

The grand spectacle of “The Nutcracker” — of the glittering costumes, lavish production design, impossibly difficult yet effortlessly executed movements — kindles a rare sense of pathos. One that lingers long after the intermission and settles in on the drive along the Bay Bridge.