San Francisco Ballet is riding high this season, cruising onward from a new works festival that yielded some real keepers; a “Giselle” freshly energized by new artistic director Tamara Rojo’s coaching; and a mixed bill that scored a hit with the stage premiere of Myles Thatcher’s youthful “Colorforms.” Recently retired artistic director Helgi Tomasson handled all this programming before he stepped down, and it was surely smart of him, box-office-wise, to schedule Christopher Wheeldon’s family friendly “Cinderella” to coincide with spring break. A packed Wednesday night house was clearly delighted by the whole spectacle. I regret, then, to confess an unpopular opinion: I find this “Cinderella” truly boring. But I saw it again to witness soloist Isabella DeVivo’s first chance at a star full-length role, and I’m glad I did.
It’s an interesting time to talent-watch at SF Ballet with Rojo so new in command: How much will the roster shake up when hires and departures are announced later this month, and who will benefit? (Already the changes have begun: Dores André, an MVP-level principal, just announced that she and Max Cauthorn, a greener principal with exquisite technique, are decamping to Ballett Zürich.)
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