San Francisco Ballet Unveils All-New Swan Lake

San Francisco Ballet Unveils All-New Swan Lake

First New Staging of the Classic Full-Length Ballet in Over 20 Years

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On February 21, San Francisco Ballet -- America's oldest professional ballet company and the first in the nation to perform Swan Lake in 1940 -- unveils a spectacular all-new production.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090210/DC68758)

Choreographed by San Francisco Ballet Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson, Swan Lake, which runs February 21-March 1 at San Francisco's War Memorial Opera House, will feature new scenery and costume design by critically acclaimed European designer Jonathan Fensom. Set to Tchaikovsky's famous score, the production will also include lighting design by Jennifer Tipton; projection and video design by Sven Ortel; and hair, wig, and make-up design by Michael Ward.

Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased online at sfballet.org or by calling 415.865.2000. For more information, visit sfballet.org.

The world premiere of Helgi Tomasson's Swan Lake is made possible by the exceptional generosity of Exclusive Sponsor Mrs. Jeannik Mequet Littlefield.

About San Francisco Ballet

As America's oldest professional ballet company and one of the three largest ballet companies in the United States, San Francisco Ballet has enjoyed a long and rich tradition of artistic "firsts" since its founding in 1933. It performed the first American productions of Swan Lake and Nutcracker, as well as the first production of Coppelia choreographed by an American choreographer. Guided in its early years by American dance pioneers and brothers Lew, Willam, and Harold Christensen, San Francisco Ballet currently presents more than 100 performances a year locally, nationally, and abroad. Under the direction of Helgi Tomasson for more than two decades, the Company has achieved an international reputation as one of the preeminent ballet companies in the world. In 2005, San Francisco Ballet won the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award, its first, in the category of "Outstanding Achievement in Dance," for its 2004 London tour. In 2006, San Francisco Ballet was the first non-European company elected "Company of the Year" in Dance Europe magazine's annual readers' poll. In 2008, San Francisco Ballet celebrated its 75th anniversary.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090210/DC68758
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN4
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: San Francisco Ballet

CONTACT: Kyra Jablonsky, +1-415-865-6603, kjablonsky@sfballet.org, or
Meredith Nonnenberg, +1-415-865-6607, mnonnenberg@sfballet.org, both of San
Francisco Ballet

Web Site: http://www.sfballet.org/

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