“Swan Bay?”

courtesy of Post:ballet

By way of what may be called a “rite of spring,” Post:ballet will begin next month with an innovative rethinking of the Russian ballet classic Swan Lake. In a performance that will be co-hosted by the San Francisco Dance Film Festival, choreographer Robert Dekkers has partnered with cinematographer Ben Tarquin to create an abbreviated account of the traditional narrative in settings along the shorelines of the San Francisco Bay. Instead of a full evening of four acts, the entire video will be reduced to five scenes with an overall duration of about fifteen minutes.

Each of the scenes will take place in a different outdoor venue as follows:

1. Baker Beach in San Francisco
2. Torpedo Wharf in San Francisco
3. Hawk Hill in Sausalito
4. Treasure Island in San Francisco
5. Moore Road Pier in Sausalito

The music will remain traditional. The choreography will be set to a recording of Tchaikovsky’s score performed by the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal.

The premiere performance will be presented on YouTube beginning at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 1. Admission will be by donation. However, the donation level will be pay-what-you-can. Any amount will go directly to supporting future creative endeavors and will be tax-deductible. The Web page for processing donations will provide the information on how to link to the YouTube video of the performance.