Last modified on Thu 6 May 2021 18.01 EDT
Itâs fair to say dance on screen is getting more ambitious when New York City Ballet go and hire Sofia Coppola to direct their latest film. But the heavyweight director isnât heavy-handed in this beautifully judged reimagining of a gala for the screen, telling the story of the companyâs return to the theatre, from first steps in the rehearsal room to on-stage finale.
The filmâs establishing shots capture the stillness of this time in limbo: huge stacks of unworn pointe shoes, tutus on their hangers, the deserted auditorium. Gonzalo Garcia walks tentatively through an empty studio, but soon the movement (from Jerome Robbinsâ Dances at a Gathering) takes over, like memory flooding through his limbs. The camera moves backstage, with Ashley Bouder and Russell Janzen dancing part of Balanchineâs Duo Concertant in front of a shuttered loading dock. Amid the controlled repetitions of movement, Bouderâs pleasure i
Sofia Coppolaâs Challenge: To Convey the Feeling of Live Dance
Coppola and Justin Peck talk about how they approached making a film for New York City Balletâs digital spring gala.
A segment from Balanchineâs âDivertimento No. 15â concludes Coppolaâs film for the gala. She wanted to convey a âkind of old Hollywood glamourâ for this finale.Credit.Erin Baiano
May 4, 2021
Though she likes ballet, Sofia Coppola doesnât consider herself an aficionado. Still, when she received an email from the New York City Ballet asking if she would direct a film for the companyâs virtual spring gala on May 5, she didnât hesitate. âI was so thrilled,â she said in a video interview last week. âIt was so cool to get a note from City Ballet.â
FAIRFIELD-SUISUN, CALIFORNIA
Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen leads the SF Symphony in live indoor performances for medical professionals and community partners beginning Thursday. (Andrew Eccles/Courtesy of the San Francisco Symphony)
San Francisco Symphony kicks off live performances
Performances will continue each Thursday and Friday throughout June.
Three pairs of concerts will be conducted by Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen, with five additional concert sets led by Jeremy Denk, James Gaffigan, Ken-David Masur, Joseph Young and Joshua Weilerstein.
All tickets for the first two concerts, and a portion of tickets for the remaining performances, will be reserved for Bay Area hospital and medical professionals and representatives from community centers and cultural districts who have been at the front lines supporting people in critical ways throughout the novel coronavirus pandemic.