Helgi Tomasson, noted for Gala program savvy and whipping together a piece d’occasion proving inspired, pays particular note to the dancers selected for his and other pieces. We had some honeys on Wednesday night - from Petipa to Possokhov, Ashton to Arpino, Garnier to Wheeldon.

Part of the Tomasson touch, the opening trio in Jacques Garnier Aunis, introduced into the repertoire in 1995,were three principal dancers from France dancing to accordion folk music from the Auvergne. Nicolas Blanc, Pascal Molat and Pierre-Francois Vilanoba in white shirts, punctuated by suspenders, rose as if from a mountain meadow, dancing with frequent spins, fluid jetes and heisted arms, lost in a spring or summer day in elevated space. In initial performances the ensemble rose from downstage left; here upstage right, either a switch or a memory trick. Aunis evoked the memorable trio to be seen later in the season, dissimilar in setting or ambiance, still admirable and evocative.

From mountain air to monarchy, Vanessa Zahorian and Gonzalo Garcia provided a well articulated Act III pas de deux from Sleeping Beauty, Garcia with a tidy queue added to his chestnut hair. Zahorian danced with a radiance and correctness reminiscent of Fonteyn, taller, hands in port de bras more inflected swaying to the music, at home with her assignment. Prince Florimund’s variation did not display the Garcia fireworks, though framing his nonchalant secure technique, the elevation, the locked in finish of his variation Yanni Varda labeled as, “A Nureyev fifth!” Uncertainly marked the fish dives, but the partnering will settle in.

Davit Karapetyan used music by Ben Watkins and Don Davis for “Last Breath”, a solo he created for the 2002 International Varna Competition. His beautiful physique accented by bared chest, the Karapetyan fluidity subordinated to movements related to the battle hunted even to a downward faced jump, literally, the floor upwards, fully stretched. A display in the romantic heroic tradition, his strength and invention were further enhanced by full stage use and brevity.

Tomasson’s pas de deux from 7 for Eight received an intimate interpretation by Nutnuaree Pipit-Suksun partnered by Pierre Francois Vilanoba. The harmony of their dancing and Vilanoba’s attentive partnering illuminated Pipit-Suksun’s liquid extensions and port de bras with their delicate sensual correctness, perhaps the beginning of a notable partnership which Tomasson can foster.

Sir Frederick Ashton’s Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan, created by Lynn Seymour in 1976, provided San Francisco audiences a glimpse of Molly Smolen’s dramatic acumen. With arched bare feet and mauve-rose layers of chiffon, Smolen captured San Francisco’s own free spirit with the abandon and extravagance of port de corps and bras, while her feet traced the sophisticated simplicity of patterns and lushness of the phrases, sensitively rendered by Roy Bogas at the on-stage piano.

Tomasson’s Soirees Musicales to Benjamin Britten, premiered at Davies Symphony Hall in 1996, may have been first danced by Tina Le Blanc and David Palmer when the company wandered around town during the Opera House renovation. The sort of bravura they danced well, here was revived for Kristin Long and Joan Boada. Crisp, intricate bravura, both dancers left the audience entranced and upbeat at intermission.

With her pizazz, notably in Don Quixote, Lorena Feijoo in the Act II Giselle pas de deux with Tiit Helimets was a revelation. One never doubts Helimets’ capacity to dance princely roles, but Feijoo’s sense of period, floating port de bras, sighing quality in extensions and port de corps were breathtaking. There is little doubt Alonso has coached her fledglings well.

Yuri Possokhov choreographed for Muriel Maffre for his first US ballet, now Choreographer in Residence for San Francisco Ballet. Doubtless honoring her forthcoming departure, Possokhov engaged counter tenor Mark Crayton to sing George Frederick Handel’s music for the work he called Bitter Tears . With Crayton on stage as focus, support and guide, Possokhov exploited Maffre’s capacity for angularity. She arrived on stage in a panier-like skirt later shed for a transparent stiffened circle as tutu, hair powdered, a cropped hair version from the women in The Mad Woman of Chaillot. Extraordinary was Possokhov’s requiring Maffre to accent the separation of lower and upper arm at the elbow, upper thigh from hip bone, lower leg from upper leg at the knee. After an eye-popping display of joint articulation, Maffre lowered herself to the floor and disjointedly collapsing at the end.

Delicacy resumed in Gerard Arpino’s L’Air d’Esprit, a tribute to Olga Spessivtzeva shortly following her death. Tina LeBlanc, former Joffrey dancer, Gennadi Nedviguin her partner. A local choreographer calls Nedviguin a blonde Nureyev,. He cut a suave figure in white for his minimal assignment, bearing LeBlanc on his back more than twice or three times. I’d love to see him in Soiree Musicale. Designed to honor Spessivtzeva’s ethereal qualities, the essay suited LeBlanc’s ability to pour herself into the spirit of a role.

Wheeldon’s After The Rain Pas de Deux, premiered with New York City Ballet in 2005,debuted with Yuan Yuan Tan and Damian Smith January 24, 2007. Arvo Part wrote enormously legato, semi-meditative music going on endlessly with minor variations, requiring extended exposition by the choreographer. Wheeldon accomplished a major feat in the prolonged weaving and intertwining of Tan and Smith, both dancing with cool panache.

Symphony in C’s Fourth movement provided a burst of energy for the finale, led off by an ebullient Frances Chung and Garrett Anderson. First danced by San Francisco Ballet at the Alcazar in 1961, this movement opener was brilliantly rendered by Fiona Fuerstner and
Michael Smuin, their swiftness setting a benchmark. Chung and Anderson were ably supported by Joseph Phillips, Jonathan Mangosing, Maureen Choi and Joanna Mednick. Notable were Sara Van Patten with Moises Martin, following Alana Altman and Ruben Martin. Elizabeth Miner and Jaime Garcia Castilla also danced.

Gala described the evening succinctly.

In order of appearance: Blanc, Molat, Vilanoba, Zahorian, Garcia, Karapetyan, Pipit-Suksun, Vilanoba, Smolen, Long, Boada, Feijoo, Helimets, Maffre, LeBlanc, Nedviguin, Tan, Smith, Chung, Anderson, Phillips, Mangosing, Choi, Mednick, Altman, Martin, Van Patten, Martin, Miner, Castilla.

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