War Memorial House: Home of the San Francisco Ballet

Last Saturday, my friend Dyan and I went to go see the San Francisco Ballet. I am a HUGE ballet fan and I saw nearly every performance of the Boston Ballet while I was there. I LOVED the Wang Theater there- it is truly so spectacular that it truly is an event in and of itself to go there to see the beautiful architecture and enjoy the magical ambiance of the place. William was great to go with me to a few of these concerts, and I actually think he liked a few of them :-)

Unfortunately, I can't find where I put some of the photos of the Wang interior (they might be on actual film) but here are a few photos of me and a few friends enjoying some time in the gorgeous lobby (this photo really doesn't do it justice). Carmen, Amy, me, and Julia at the ballet.
William and I while we were just dating inside a portico trying to look like the donors behind us (hopefully, not quite as "distinguished")

But, have no fear- the good times at the ballet are continuing here in San Francisco! The only sad thing is that their season is only from Jan-May so they cram in a lot of ballets in a short period of time. I really enjoyed their "Program #2" where they did 3 choreographed shorter works. I LOVED choreographed by George Balanchine- a piece in the more classical style but with really unique and intricate formations that I was able to appreciate from the balcony :-) I also enjoyed the more contemporary piece by Mark Morris where the piano player was at the back of the stage and they danced around him- the pianist was kind of an organic part of the experience. It was fun because Morris added elements of surprise, like having the dancers make a grand entrance, only to then quickly exit off. I did not like the 3rd piece. It was based on a Russian fairy tale called the Firebird and the music is INCREDIBLE! Its by Strativinsky and is so moving and the story is really great too, but I felt that this modern choreographer did ok, but really didn't capture the full essence of the piece. It really could have been so much more powerful.

And just like the Wang, the War Memorial Theater is quite beautiful as well. Although, we had quite the hike up 5 flights of stairs to get to our balcony seats, but it was still a great view

I really love the designs on the ceilings

And this is the entrance to the theater with all of the patrons after the show.

Thanks so much Dyan for coming with me! And if anyone else is interested in seeing any of the remaining performances, just let me know because I will definitely be going some more