SFB 'Emeralds' reviews SFB 'Rubies' reviews SFB 'Diamonds' reviews 'Rubies' reviews Feijoo in reviews Maffre in reviews recent SFB reviews more Renee Renouf reviews

Emeralds
Lorena Feijoo, Yuri Possokhov; Julia Diana, Damian Smith; Catherine Winfield, Leslie Young, Parrish Maynard

The nice thing about seeing Emeralds was to watch the complimentary qualities of the Feijoo and Possokhov techniques, and their complimentary quality in body mass. Theirs are not the spiky, shadowy variety, and this particular part of the trio of Balanchine's ballets one rejoices in it, just as later one rejoices in the slender ease of Yuan Yuan Tan. Feijoo’s shoulder line and port de bras lends a fin de siecle allure to the role, and Possokhov’s slight smile manages to hide the heap of breathing required in Balanchine’s complexity.

Julie Diana does well in her secondary role, far more La Sylphide than La Bernhardt. Damian Smith couldn't lack gallantry and propriety in classicism if he tried. When the men joined in their pas de trios segments they looked stylish and danced that way. Maynard, who retires this season, possesses an extension which some women dancers must surely envy. This facility was balanced by Catherine Winfield and Leslie Young’s warmth.

Choreographically, Balanchine seemed to hit his stride in the final groupings; all six dancers seemed to melt from one intriguing structure to the next, and I found my interest piqued by the variety and the difference from the earlier corps de ballet formations.

Rubies
Vanessa Zahorian, Gonzalo Garcia, Muriel Maffre

The Stravinsky piece was set earliest on San Francisco Ballet and is periodically revived. The Zahorian-Garcia pairing works well in this piece. Garcia seems to have caught the raffish tone of the piece quite well, if he does not quite punctuate with the same bite I bet Villella brought to the male role. Zahorian dances very well, but seems to draw more satisfaction from her technical ease than romping across the stage with some cheek and mischief.

It was left to Maffre to deliver the crackle and wit of the music and Mr. Balanchine’s delight in sprinkling Broadway onto his classical endeavors. She quite cavorts in places; in others, where she is engaged with four men – here Jaime Garcia Castilla, Rory Hohenstein, Jonathan Mangosing and Hansuke Yamamoto – I suddenly found myself exclaiming under my breath, ‘She’s pure Dietrich!’ As she slinked with her developpes off stage, I’d swear she had been mentored by Marlene.Hail Maffre!

Diamonds
Yuan Yuan Tan, Zachary Hench

Yuan Yuan Tan enjoyed a great success in this role last season, and Roman Rykine, now recovered from the problem with his Achilles and with Boston Ballet, made an equal impression as her partner. His precise, clear technique and his elegant legs added to the excitement. The pair were breathtaking.

So Zachary Hench followed a special act. While he did well and partnered attentively, his is a bulkier silhouette, so one’s memory inevitably compares. As for Yuan Yuan, she was in her element. In the final pas de deux her head tossed with excitement and she clearly enjoyed every demand made upon her, rising to the challenge of the Suzanne Farrell stamp on the choreography and very much making it her own.