Lew Christensen’s Filling Station, 1938, marked the first really all- American ballet, from the iconic Lincoln Kirstein as librettist to Virgil Thomson as composer, Kirstein’s brother-in-law Paul Cadmus as designer and the young, exciting Lew Christensen as choreographer and the principal character, Mac, the filling station attendant.

There were more iconic names in the original Ballet Caravan production; Gisella Caccialanza as the Rich Girl; Fred Danieli as the Rich Boy; Harold Christensen as the Motorist; Eugene Loring and Erick Hawkins as Ray and Roy. I’ve seen a parade of characters in these roles:, all with San Francisco Ballet; Michael Smuin and Kent Stowell as the truck drivers; Richard Carter, Robert Gladstein, David Anderson, David Palmer as Mac; Paula Tracy, Jocelyn Vollmar as the Rich Girl; Vane Vest as the Rich Boy. Each provided intense enjoyment in their roles.

Opening night Rory Hohenstein danced Mac with considerable panache, his flexible frame making easy work of pirouettes both ways, hopping over one leg, then shrugging from left to right with a low a la seconde developpe. Matthew Stewart and Aaron Orza are plausible beer-guzzling drivers; Steven Norman’s Motorist is the acme of dead pan endurance with golf club as his chief diversion. Margaret Karl effective as a bratty child while Courtney Clarkson wiggles her buttocks convincingly as the shrewish, dominating wife; Christopher Mondoux’ State Trouper lordly in his legality. Then came the veterans Katita Waldo and Val Caniparoli as the Rich kids, yards beyond the legal alcoholic limit, sophisticated souses, their tipsy balances and tilted arabesques evoking ripples of chuckles in the audience, off kilter skill at its acme.

This remarkably well-crafted tribute to Americana uses flashlights in the hunt scene for the Gangster Caetano Amico; it remains thrilling fun seventy years later.

Helgi Tomasson’s Seven for Eight, created in 2004, does well by and for its artists. Nutnaree Pipit-Suksun poured herself in around and against Tiit Helimets in the first and sixth movements, her elegant legs and arched feet only surpassed by a fluid torso and the firm musical phrasing of her port de bras. Tina LeBlanc and Gennadi Nedvigin wrapped up their allegro demands with the flourish and dash characteristic, their constancy of approach. Nicolas Blanc and Joan Boada were not far behind, Boada tossing off the male solo with effortless clarity. Frances Chung and Elizabeth Miner were well matched with Nedvigin and Blanc; I wished evidence of torso flexibility in Miner, movement growing from her shoulder blades rather than just correct placement above her steely pointes.

Whatever, Seven for Eight is a consistent pleasure in the hands of such competent dancers.

Diamonds, the 1967 showcase George Balanchine created for Suzanne Farrell, received a glowing interpretation by Yuan Yuan Tan, solidly supported by Ruben Martin. As bone thin as I remember her when she arrived in San Francisco in 1995, her classicism has matured. Apparently coached by Suzanne Farrell, Tan brought intense pleasure to every phrase, hitting each squarely, and occasionally beaming with pleasure.

The corps de ballet tidied up their formations between the Gala and January 29, the pageant quality given its impressive due, formations coherent, delivery on the beat. In the corps Ashley Mauangmaithong danced with pleasure; Lily Rogers and Jennifer Stahl distinguished themself as the supporting four women, as did Brett Bauer, Anthony Spaulding and Aaron Orza for the men. Agreeable David Arce seemed a bit sluggish.

Additional principals scheduled for Diamonds are Vanessa Zahorian and Sarah Van Patten. James Sofranko is scheduled to dance Mac in Filling Station, Pauli Magierek and Erin McNulty will share the Rich Girl and David Arce the Rich Boy.

Hohenstein, Stewart, Orza, Norman, Karl, Clarkson, Mondoux, Waldo, Caniparoli, Amico, Pipit-Suksun, Helimets, LeBlanc, Nedvigin, Chung, Miner, Blanc, Boada, Tan, Martin, Rogers, Stahl, Bauer, Spauling, Arce,
Muangmaithong

Given that Lew Christensen and Gisella Caccialanza were dating at the
time, I am inclined to believe Grace Roberts. Others will cite the
various Dance Encyclopedias - Chujoy and Oxford, both of which possess
some factual flaws according to several reviews.

It's a matter of choice.