To stay in shape, San Francisco Ballet’s Sofiane Sylve takes class with the trainees, taught by SFB School associate director Patrick Armand. Why? Because it’s 30 minutes longer than company class. “You have to floss deep,” quips the 41-year-old principal. She also gets massage, physical therapy and plenty of sleep, eschews alcohol and follows a […]

Sofiane Sylve doesn’t mince words. “If you are just going through the motions,” she says to her trainee class at the San Francisco Ballet School, “we might as well stay home.” The veteran SFB principal is famed as much for her directness as for her exquisite technique, astonishing interpretive range and captivating stage presence. “I […]

When we heard rumors earlier this summer that World Ballet Day LIVE might get cancelled this year, we thought our hearts might break. But we needn’t have worried! The happy news came out yesterday that our favorite day of the year is back: World Ballet Day LIVE 2017 is officially scheduled for October 5. Clear […]

When San Francisco Ballet announced that the highlight of its 2017–18 season would be Unbound, a festival of brand new works by no less than 12 phenomenal choreographers, we got pretty excited. And after wistfully wondering whether it might be possible to escape to the West Coast for a few weeks to catch some of […]

Sometimes it feels like you can’t go to a ballet company’s website, check Facebook, or research a new ballet without coming across one of Ezra Hurwitz‘s stylish dance shorts. In just a couple of years, this former Miami City Ballet dancer has become the king of the dance teaser. Already, he’s worked with San Francisco […]

Show week can take a lot out of you. You might have early company classes, long tech rehearsals and late-night cast parties—not to mention the actual time you spend performing. But developing the right post-show routine can help you recover before the next time you hit the stage. Fight Inflammation Fast Start battling inflammation within […]

With her delicate movement quality and a silken jump, at age 17 Natasha Sheehan became the youngest winner of the International Competition for the Erik Bruhn Prize this past November. The rookie San Francisco Ballet corps dancer flawlessly embodied the ghostly Giselle, and her emotional performance stood out in an arena typically showcasing athletic prowess. […]

Top ballet companies have earned a reputation for being a bit safe and predictable in their programming in recent years. Which may be why San Francisco Ballet’s 2018 lineup is making bunheads’ jaws drop. Artistic director Helgi Tomasson just announced a New Works festival that will include 12—yes, 12!—world premieres by a range of today’s “most inspired” classical and contemporary […]