Company Life

On the Road: Inside San Francisco Ballet’s Tour to Madrid

November 13, 2024

Going on tour can be one of the most exciting aspects of a dancer’s career—it’s not only an opportunity to visit new cities and perform for new audiences, it’s a wonderful way to make lasting memories with colleagues. In October, San Francisco Ballet made its first trip overseas in five years. The destination: Spain, home country of SFB artistic director Tamara Rojo, for performances of Helgi Tomasson’s Swan Lake at Madrid’s Teatro Real.

SFB principal dancer Sasha De Sola and soloist Julia Rowe documented their trip, from the San Francisco airport to the wings of the Teatro Real. —Amy Brandt

On Our Way!

A young woman with long blonde hair props her right foot on top of her reen suitcase while waiting in line at airport security. She wears a black long-sleeved t-shirt and leggings and smiles towards the camera.
Photo courtesy San Francisco Ballet.

“After two weeks of Swan Lake rehearsal at our studios, we headed out to embark on our company’s first international tour since 2019,” says De Sola. “Here we are at the San Francisco International Airport gearing up for the flight to Madrid.”

Four friends in casual clothing sit at a crowded airport, their suitcases nearby, and smile towards the camera.
Photo courtesy San Francisco Ballet.

“Here’s a snapshot of some of our company members (Rebecca Blenkinsop, Swane Messaoudi, Ben Taber, and Jacey Gailliard) keeping us in good spirits while we waited to board the plane to Madrid,” says Rowe.

Settling Into Madrid

A photo of a theater in a city square made of stone and with pillars and archways at its entrance.
Photo courtesy San Francisco Ballet.

“Our first glimpse of the historic Teatro Real, which hosted us for eight performances,” Rowe adds. “This tour is also special for us because it’s our first with artistic director Tamara Rojo, who is from Madrid!”

A young woman takes a selfie at her dressing room mirror, showing several pairs of darned pointe shoes and a small framed photo of her dog on the counter.
Photo by Sasha De Sola, courtesy SFB.

“Getting my dressing room station set up with my pointe shoes, of course, and a reminder from home: a portrait of my dog, Tilly, who I missed dearly on tour,” says De Sola, who rotated casts in the principal role of Odette/Odile.

Eight young ballerinas in white tutus, tights and pointe shoes are shown from behind, standing onstage as a female rehearsal director gives notes.
Photo courtesy San Francisco Ballet.

“We headed straight into rehearsals after our arrival at the theater,” says Rowe, who danced in the swan corps, the cygnets dance, the Neapolitan dance, and the Act I pas de trois, depending on the night. “I always love watching the corps of swans rehearse together, and this time I got to take in the beauty of the Teatro Real.”

Taking In the Sights

A young woman with blonde hair wears a black long-sleeved shirt, leggings and sneakers and stands in the middle of a busy cobblestone square in Spain. She crosses her right foot over her left and looks up towards her right, smiling slightly.
Photo courtesy San Francisco Ballet.

“During our downtime, we got to do a bit of sightseeing in Madrid,” says De Sola. “Our tour coincided with Hispanidad, a festival celebrating Hispanic heritage and culture. Here I am in Plaza Mayor for the festivities.”

A young woman in a brown turtleneck and camel-colored coat takes a selfie in front of a large, black and white cubist mural while visiting an art museum.
Photo by Julia Rowe, courtesy San Francisco Ballet

“I was particularly excited to take in Madrid’s incredible art museums,” says Rowe. “I snagged a selfie with Picasso’s Guernica at the Museo [Nacional Centro de Arte] Reina Sofia.”

A young man slices jamón at a meat counter while another young man stands behind him and watches.
Photo courtesy San Francisco Ballet.

“We also made sure to find time to indulge in the local cuisine, like this classic Spanish jamón at the Mercado de San Miguel,” De Sola notes.

Showtime

On a dark stage, two dancers in a white tutu and pointe shoes stand casually in a line just off the wings. Across the stage, ballerinas in the same costume also stand in a long line near the opposite wing.
Photo courtesy San Francisco Ballet.

“More tutus as we took a moment to prepare before the performance,” Rowe says.

A female ballet dancer applies lipstick at her dressing room mirror. She wears a white feathered headpiece and a brown peasant dress costume.
Photo courtesy San Francisco Ballet.

Rowe applies lipstick in between acts (and costume changes).

Four female dancers in white tutus, pink tights, pointe shoes and white feathered headpieces sit on the floor backstage and stretch.
Photo courtesy San Francisco Ballet.

“Performing in Swan Lake is no easy task, but these swans kept a smile on their face after a successful performance for the incredible audiences in Madrid,” says De Sola. “Until next time!”

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