(SAN FRANCISCO, CA) April 4, 2024 — San Francisco Ballet announces an 8-performance engagement at the Teatro Real in Madrid from October 15–22, featuring Helgi Tomasson’s Swan Lake. The tour marks SF Ballet’s debut tour to Madrid and debut international tour under the direction of Artistic Director Tamara Rojo.
“Returning to my home country of Spain with San Francisco Ballet is a dream come true, and I am simply thrilled to present Swan Lake in Madrid, and at the beautiful Teatro Real. I am especially excited and proud to present the extraordinary dancers of this great company in this fantastic production of Swan Lake to the discerning audiences of Spain” said Rojo.
The most well-known of the classical ballets, Swan Lake made its U.S. premiere at SF Ballet in 1940. Tomasson’s Swan Lake includes set and costume designs by Tony Award–winner Jonathan Fensom and is danced to the score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, performed in Madrid by the Orquesta Titular del Teatro Real under the direction of SF Ballet Music Director and Principal Conductor Martin West. Swan Lake offers a dramatic and choreographic challenge for the dancer in the dual role of Odette/Odile, who encompasses both the innocence of Odette and the flashy malevolence of Odile. This production also showcases male dancers in the first act, offers standout moments for the corps of 30 swans, retains Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov’s original second act, and adds a divertissement in the third. It has remained one of the most popular productions in the company’s repertory since its premiere in 2009.
SF Ballet’s most recent international engagements include tours to Sadler’s Wells Theater in London and The Royal Danish Opera House in Copenhagen, both in 2019.
For Swan Lake press images visit the online press photos page.
Tickets & Performance Dates
Tuesday, October 15, 2024 – Performance #1
Wednesday, October 16, 2024 – Performance #2
Thursday, October 17, 2024 – Performance #3
Friday, October 18, 2024 – Performance #4
Saturday, October 19, 2024 – Performances #5 and #6
Monday, October 21, 2024 – Performance #7
Tuesday, October 22, 2024 Performance #8
Performance times to be announced. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit teatroreal.es
Swan Lake
Composer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreographer: Helgi Tomasson
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
Additional Principal Coaching: Julio Bocca
World Premiere (Choreography by Julius Reisinger): March 4, 1877—Bolshoi Theatre; Moscow, Russia
Petipa-Ivanov Production Premiere: February 8, 1895—Mariinsky Theatre; St. Petersburg, Russia
SF Ballet Premiere (Choreography by Willam Christensen): September 27, 1940—War Memorial Opera House; San Francisco, California
Current Production Premiere: February 21, 2009—War Memorial Opera House; San Francisco, California
Run time: 2 hours and 33 minutes with two intermissions
Casting to be announced this fall via sfballet.org/casting
ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO BALLET
San Francisco Ballet is a leading ballet company and trailblazer in dance locally, nationally, and internationally. Performing, commissioning, and collaborating with exceptional artists in dance and across disciplines, SF Ballet balances an innovative focus on new and contemporary choreography with a deeply held dedication to the classics. SF Ballet is a catalyst for the future of ballet by cultivating creativity, bringing dance of the highest caliber to a wide audience, and providing exceptional training opportunities for the next generation of professional dancers in its world-renowned School.
Since its founding in 1933 and as the oldest professional ballet company in the United States, the Ballet has been an innovator in the art form and an originator of beloved cultural traditions, from staging the first American production of Swan Lake to bringing an annual holiday Nutcracker to U.S. audiences.
ABOUT THE TEATRO REAL
Located in one of the most important historical quarters of Madrid, the Teatro Real is at the hub of the Spanish capital’s most ambitious 19th-century town planning project: next to the Austrias district and facing the Royal Palace. The inside space of 78,210 square meters in the Teatro Real make this iconic building unique. The main auditorium, which seats 1746 (depending on the size of the orchestra pit), is a copy of the 1850 original when the theatre was inaugurated. Behind its curtain, this landmark building conceals one of the most advanced theatre stages in Europe, with innovative technology permitting various sets to be used and replaced at record speed thanks to a system of overlapping platforms.
MEDIA CONTACTS
International and national media:
Josh Balber / Emma Gold / Aliyah Armstrong
Resnicow and Associates
212-671-5175 / 212-671-5186 / 212-671-5179
jbalber@resnicow.com / egold@resnicow.com / aarmstrong@resnicow.com
San Francisco media:
Kate McKinney
San Francisco Ballet
415-865-6610
kmckinney@sfballet.org
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