San Francisco Ballet at 90

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San Francisco Ballet at 90
New exhibition celebrates San Francisco Ballet’s ninetieth season showing the breadth of repertoire and design created in San Francisco over the past four decades—from futuristic costumes designed by Marco Morante for Arthur Pita’s Björk Ballet (2018) to dark and edgy costumes designed by Christine Darch for Dwight Rhoden’s The Promised Land (2022).

SAN FRANCISCO—Celebrating its ninetieth season in 2023, and its first under artistic director Tamara Rojo (b. 1974), San Francisco Ballet is one of the most influential ballet companies in the world. Founded as the San Francisco Opera Ballet in 1933, the Company separated from the Opera in 1942 and was renamed San Francisco Ballet. Headed by brothers Willam, Harold, and Lew Christensen, San Francisco Ballet made its mark early by staging the first full-length American productions of Swan Lake (1940) and Nutcracker (1944). In 1985, Helgi Tomasson became the artistic director and principal choreographer, marking the beginning of a new era. Tomasson’s emphasis on both classical style and emerging choreographic trends has made San Francisco Ballet a calling card for the city—a ballet company suited to both the old-world grandeur of the War Memorial Opera House and the 21^st­­–century innovation of San Francisco’s tech scene. This is largely due to Tomasson’s keen eye for emerging choreographers and his innovative programming of unexpected works, especially in the five choreographic festivals he curated during his tenure. These festivals have introduced emerging and established choreographers to San Francisco and have made San Francisco Ballet one of the premier centers for new ballet choreography in the United States and around the globe.

This exhibition features eighteen unique costumes from ballets created by choreographers who were commissioned for these festivals. A striking Art Deco sheath dress and coat, designed by Emma Kingsbury for Danielle Rowe’s Wooden Dimes, and a ’60s mod bathing suit designed by Mark Zappone for Yuri Possokhov’s Swimmer, are among the many intriguing ensembles on view.

San Francisco Ballet at 90 is located pre-security in the Mayor Edwin M. Lee International Departures Hall, San Francisco International Airport. This exhibition is accessible to ticketed passengers and the general public from February 25, 2023–January 7, 2024.

Visit www.sfomuseum.org/exhibitions/san-francisco-ballet-90 for more information.

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About SFO Museum

Established in 1980 by the Airport Commission, SFO Museum’s mission is to delight, engage, and inspire a global audience with programming on a broad range of subjects; to collect, preserve, interpret, and share the history of commercial aviation; and to enrich the public experience at San Francisco International Airport. The Museum has been accredited by the American Alliance of Museums since 1999 and retains the distinction of being the only accredited museum in an airport.

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