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Join Jennie Scholick, PhD for a quick overview of George Balanchine's& A Midsummer Night's Dream. Hear about the ballet's creation in 1960s New York, revisit the story to figure out which dancer is Hermia and which one is Helena, and find out what to look for in this magical and mystical ballet!

Swan Lake may be the most iconic ballet in history. But despite its success today, the creation of Swan Lake in 19th-century Russia was far from smooth-sailing. For one, Tchaikovsky bristled at the idea of being labeled a “ballet specialist” like Ludwig Minkus, who would compose bars of music to spec: 8 bars of “happy” music for an entrance, or 16 bars of “dramatic” music for a finale, depending on the choreographer’s needs. Plus, the premiere of the ballet in Moscow was deemed a critical failure. Among all the challenges associated with its debut, how did this ballet find its wings and soar to success?

Join Jennie Scholick, PhD for a quick overview of Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella©. Hear about the ballet’s creation, both in Soviet Russia and in San Francisco, revisit the story, and find out what to look for in this delightfully charming ballet! Header Photo: Frances Chung and Joseph Walsh in Wheeldon’s Cinderella // © Erik Tomasson

Ah, yes: star-crossed lovers, show-stopping swordsmanship, and a tragic ending for the ages. On the surface, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet seems like a natural and easy fit for the balletic stage. But the conception of this now-classic ballet, which has only been around for about 80 years, came with a host of challenges for its composer, Sergei Prokofiev. In this episode of To The Pointe, learn about the USSR’s influence on the original ballet and how it’s morphed over time, landing at SF Ballet in 1994 when Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson put his own spin on the classic love story.

Join Jennie Scholick, PhD for a deep dive into Nutcracker. Learn about this iconic ballet’s history, story, and what to look for.  Purchase Nutcracker Tickets

All You Need to Know About Program 05 Before You Watch Program 05 includes three ballets made expressly for San Francisco Ballet dancers: Helgi Tomasson’s 7 for Eight, Cathy Marston’s Snowblind, and David Dawson’s Anima Animus. In this episode of To The Pointe, learn about the job of a principal choreographer, hear from Cathy Marston and Principal Dancer Sarah Van Patten in their own words about creating Zeena in Snowblind, and discover more about the gender role play on display in Dawson’s Anima Animus. Like what you heard? Subscribe to our Meet the Artist podcast on Apple Podcasts to access archived episodes and have new ones delivered straight to your devices! This production was part of the 2021 Season Header Photo: San Francisco Ballet in Marston’s Snowblind // © Erik Tomasson

George Balanchine's Jewels comprises three ballets—Rubies, Emeralds, and Diamonds—that evoke the styles and moods of the United States, France, and Russia, respectively. Get to know a bit about Jewels, its creation in 1967, and what to look for in each ballet before this dazzling classic hits the screen on April 1 during SF Ballet's 2021 Digital Season. 

Get a quick overview of the three ballets that make up Program 03: Ratmansky’s Symphony #9, Danielle Rowe’s Wooden Dimes, and Yuri Possokhov’s Swimmer.

All You Need to Know About the 2021 Digital Season Before You Watch! If To The Pointe is like a mini audio program note, this episode is like a mini-mini program note. Get a quick overview of the entire 2021 Season, and hear from choreographer Danielle Rowe and Artistic Director & Principal Choreographer Helgi Tomasson in their own words about their works. Tune in to later episodes for deeper dives into each program! Check out the 2021 season Header Image: Sarah Van Patten in Rowe’s Wooden Dimes // © Lindsay Gauthier

Join Associate Director of Audience Development, Jennie Scholick, PhD for a deep dive into the three ballets on Program 3: Dance Innovations. Hear from Edwaard Liang, Trey McIntyre, Johnny Eliason, and Lise Lander and find out what to look for in this exciting lineup of ballets. Like what you heard? Subscribe to our To the Pointe podcast on Apple Podcasts to access archived episodes and have new ones delivered straight to your devices! Header Image: Yuan Yuan Tan and Vitor Luiz in Liang’s The Infinite Ocean // © Erik Tomasson

Gong, chimes, woodblocks…. typewriter? In this special edition of To The Pointe, David Rosenthal, SF Ballet Orchestra’s Principal Percussionist, discusses his role in “The Typewriter,”  composer Leroy Anderson’s most famous novelty number and one of eleven pieces in Mark Morris’s Sandpaper Ballet, onstage February 11–22. At the end of the podcast, David performs a snippet of the piece with help from PR & Communications Manager Kate McKinney, who “chimes” in with the carriage return. 

Join Associate Director of Audience Development, Jennie Scholick, PhD for an exploration of the ballets on Program 2: Classical (Re)Vision. Hear from choreographer Stanton Welch and find out what to look for in his Bespoke, the rotating Director’s Choice ballets, and Mark Morris’s Sandpaper Ballet. Like what you heard? Subscribe to our To the Pointe podcast on Apple Podcasts to access archived episodes and have new ones delivered straight to your devices! Header Image: Jennifer Stahl and Carlo Di Lanno in Welch’s Bespoke // © Erik Tomasson