New Sleep (Duet)

Premiere 30 January, 1987, San Francisco Ballet, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco

Choreography, stage, light and costume designs William Forsythe
Staged by Noah Gelber
Music New Sleep (pas de deux) by Thom Willems

William Forsythe’s New Sleep (Duet) (1987) — a neoclassical master work scored by composer Thom Willems – demonstrates Forsythe’s ability to deconstruct classical vocabulary and maintain a strict precision without confining the physical expression within the movement. His work was long admired by Ballet Hispánico founder Tina Ramirez who, for many years, sought an opportunity for the Company to present one of his pieces. In honor of Tina, two members of the Company will perform an excerpt from New Sleep (Duet) at each performance. This production of New Sleep (Duet) was made possible by the generous contributions of Gaily and John Beinecke, and Dhuanne and Douglas Tansill.