Commentary, Dance

San Francisco Ballet: Don Quixote

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Don Quixote
Saturday Matinee March 21,2026 2 PM
San Francisco Opera House

A delightful Old (and brilliantly revived) SF Ballet Performance

This remarkable ballet has been “on the boards “at the SF Opera House (in my memory) for over fifty years and more. I saw it, as an usher, in SF in the 1950’s. It is a masterpiece! First presented by San Francisco Ballet in 2003 with staging by Helgi Tómasson and then-principal dancer Yuri Possokhov, Don Quixote has been revived by San Francisco Ballet now in March 2026. The ballet is pure fun combining legend, folk dance, and masterpiece staging. It demands a huge cast, several styles of dance theater, (classical ballet, folk dance, mime) and superb acting by the major characters

This production, Inspired by Cervantes’ famous (and very long) novel,  Don Quixote (first choreographed in 1869 by Marius Petipa to music by Ludwig Minkus) takes a few short episodes from the three chapters in the second half of the book to craft a charming story that has become known for its sassy heroine, Spanish setting, and an entance of a real donkey (and a horse!) onstage. As with SF Ballet’s earlier version, (created by Artistic Director and Principal Choreographer Helgi Tomasson and Choreographer in Residence Yuri Possokhov) it now features beautiful sets and costumes by Martin Pakledinaz.

For this Saturday matinee’ the cast was particularly brilliant featuring the extraordinary ballerina Nikisha Fogo as Kitri partnered by Joshua Jack Price (who was promoted to ‘first soloist” in 2025). Price partnered Fogo with extraordinary skill, stealing the spotlight, so to speak, with his wonderful jumping and turning skills, and his dramatic ability to project character and action.

Audiences are encouraged to ‘study’ the plot which takes one from Act 1 (A square in Barcelona) to Act II (The Spanish Countryside) and on through Act II/2 Don Quixote’s dream. The ballet proceeds to narrate and perform extraordinary episodes including a (pretend) suicide, which finally wins consent to the marriage. Until the ‘wedding’ in Act III, the lovers move to and through various taverns. We are also treated to the unique dances (toreos and dagger dances) of Mercedes and Espada.

The afternoon’s performance was a wonder of skill, joy and a delightful celebration of the programming, performing and presenting abilities we have been so delighted to know with the SF Ballet. (The recent announcement that it will NOT perform in Washington, DC added to the audience’s pride and joy with the SF Ballet.)

 

Dance, Performance

Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre: Gathering

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“Gathering”
Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre
Friday, February 27, 2026 8PM
Zellerbach Playhouse

Extraordinary! Exciting! Exhausting! Excellent…

…and not always easy to watch and absorb all the many events and movement patterns and skills that this Dance Theatre (from Palestine!) brought to the Zellerbach Playhouse this past week.

The eleven dancers are all remarkable skilled. Director, text editor and major choreographer Sama Haddad King brought her many talents to this dance/drama/group celebration performance. Very many acts were presented: group and solo choreography, text and visual projections and…to the audience’s delight, a stage full of oranges!

After an hour (8:15-9:30) the work moved into a narrative drama told on mike and on screen, by the women in the group (who came to visit individuals in the audience In white costumes). Fascinating and challenging as this was, it was an “over the top” expectation after witnessing an hour of dance. One supposes that the narrative was King’s personal story.

The evening concluded (some audience participating) with the return to the group circle activity, including some extraordinary “climb and fall” acts on and off what one can only guess was a 25 foot ladder! As amazing as this is, after the hour, the narrative, the skills become expectation, not excitement.

Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre is an exciting, amazingly skilled group. It would be wonderful to see them again in an edited version of the show.

See Cal Performance’s web site for additional cast listings.

Commentary, Dance, Performance

Martha Graham Dance Company

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Martha Graham Dance Company
Saturday, February 14, 2026
Zellerbach Hall UC Berkeley

“Remembrance of things past”

Cal Performances brought the Martha Graham Dance Company to Berkeley on February 14, 2026. For those of us (probably few left) who studied with Graham years ago, and all who had never seen the work, it was a very memorable event.

Artistic Director Jane Eilber, (former company member), conversed with press people at intermission. She cited the challenge to bring works, premiered decade ago, to new audiences. The audience on the evening of February 14, (to my view) were primarily an “older” group, those who had seen or remembered the Graham dance works from earlier times.

To extend this program, a dance “Cortege” was also presented by Baye & Asa, a 2023 New York premiere.

Graham’s works are essential dramatic: “Night Journey” employes dramatic gesture and “extended’ dance movement. The major characters are Jocasta (danced by Anne Snider), Oedipus (Lloyd Knight) and Tiresias (Ethan Palma). These three interact the “Daughters of the Night” who compose the chorus.

For audiences who are familiar with Greek drama, this event is rewarding and ecstatic, bringing the ancient story alive on stage. This audience greeted the event with extended applause. I was delighted to see “Night Journey” again after many “New York” years of performances and study with Graham, for a short time at her 63rd Street studio.

The style of her time, particularly in dramatic story telling Is essential mimetic, although Graham’s choreography extends gesture to its widest and most dramatic possibilities. The major cast, Ann Souder (Jocasta), Lloyd Knight (Oedipus), and Ethan Palma (Theseus) are accompanied by the chorus led by Marzia Memoli. The event is “dance drama”, its ultimate presentation. The work was superbly performed: the chorus marvelous.

For audiences who have seen “modern” dance beyond Graham this style may appear limited; yet it is perfect for its dramatic content. After Graham, choreographers (particularly Cunningham) employed less mimetic gesture and left story- telling to the ‘musical theater’.

The other work “Cortege,” choreographed by Baye & Asa was a long and extended exploration of group movement interspersed with remarkable solos and duets. It “draws inspiration of Graham’s “Cortege of Eagles” which dramatizes a version of the “crumbling of the Trojan Empire.” Program note cites, “Baye & Asa’s “Cortege” places the burden of fate on the ensemble.” It was extraordinarily performed by eight dancers.

See Cal Performances program notes on line for full information.)

It was inspiring and moving to see these works and remember the genius that Graham brought to the dance. She challenged the ballet world, engaged new audiences, and brought the future of the ‘modern dance’ into reality.