The following is a guest blog by San Francisco Ballet principal Yuan Yuan Tan, currently on tour with the company in Copenhagen, Denmark. Stay tuned for more posts from Yuan Yuan!
Things are going very well here on our tour to Copenhagen, but there was a bit of drama on our way to the residence of Laurie Fulton, US ambassador to Denmark, for a reception Monday night. As one of our two buses left the hotel, the second bus got a flat tire. Luckily, I was able to fit into one of four extra seats on the first bus—which I was very happy about, especially since it was raining pretty hard!
By the time we got the reception, the rain had stopped, and we had a lovely time. Ambassador Fulton gave a very warm speech and Helgi [Tomasson] presented her with our 75th anniversary book. Since I was performing for the opening night of our second program on Tuesday, I stayed in my room and rested once I got back from the event.
Yesterday was a long day with the dress rehearsal and opening of Program 2. The opening proved how warm and gracious the Copenhagen audiences really are. On stage, we could 100% feel their energy and we were very appreciative of all the curtain calls! I also saw an old colleague from SFB, Peter Brandenhoff, and it was really nice to catch up with him. We're in the home stretch now, with only three shows to go!
Latest Posts
Mar 23, 2020
Jayme Thornton
Roman Mejia Is Carving His Own Path at New York City Ballet
In a brightly lit studio high above the busy Manhattan streets, Roman Mejia rehearses George Balanchine's Allegro Brillante. Though just 20, the New York City Ballet corps dancer exudes an easy confidence. Practicing a tricky sequence of triple pirouettes into double tours his breathing becomes labored, but his focus doesn't waver. He works until he finds the music's inherent rhythm, timing his turns evenly and finally landing them with a satisfied smile.
Since joining NYCB in 2017, Mejia has had the chance to take on ballets ranging from Romeo + Juliet to Fancy Free to Kyle Abraham's hip-hop–infused The Runaway. Though he often finds himself the youngest person in the room, Mejia is rarely intimidated. He's been immersed in ballet since birth. His father, Paul Mejia, danced with NYCB in the 1960s, and his mother, Maria Terezia Balogh, danced for Chicago City Ballet and Fort Worth-Dallas Ballet. Both of Mejia's parents and his grandmother attended the School of American Ballet. Now, Mejia is quickly building on his family's legacy, creating buzz with his shot-from-a-cannon energy, rapid-fire footwork and charismatic charm.
Keep reading
SHOW LESS
Mar 25, 2020
Getty Images
A Letter from the Editor in Chief
Hi Everyone,
These are challenging times. The social distancing measures brought about by COVID-19 has likely meant that your regular ballet training has been interrupted, while your performances, competitions—even auditions—have been cancelled. You may be feeling anxious about what the future holds, not only for you but for the dance industry. And that's perfectly understandable.
As you adjust to taking virtual ballet class from your living rooms, we here at Pointe are adjusting to working remotely from our living rooms. We've had to get a little creative, especially as we put our Summer Issue together, but like you we're taking full advantage of modern technology. Sure, it's a little inconvenient sometimes, but we're finding our groove.
And we know that you will, too. We've been utterly inspired by how the dance community has rallied together, from ballet stars giving online classes to companies streaming their performances to the flood of artist resources popping up. We've loved watching you dance from your kitchens. And we want to help keep this spirit alive. That's why Pointe and all of our Dance Media sister publications are working nonstop to produce and cross-post stories to help you navigate this crisis. We're all in this together.
We also want to hear from you! Send us a message on social media, or email me directly at abrandt@dancemedia.com. Tell us how you're doing, send us your ideas and show us your dance moves. Let the collective love we share for our beloved art form spark the light at the end of the tunnel—we will come out the other side soon enough.
Best wishes,
Amy
Mar 31, 2020
Tulsa Ballet in Ma Cong's Tchaikovsky: The Man Behind the Music. Kate Luber Photography, Courtesy Tulsa Ballet.
Mark Your Calendars for These Online Ballet Performances
As COVID-19 has forced ballet companies around the world to cancel performances—and even the remainder of their seasons—many are keeping their audiences engaged by streaming or posting pre-recorded performances onto their websites or social media channels. To help keep you inspired during these challenging times, we've put together a list of upcoming streaming events and digital performances.
Keep reading
SHOW LESS
