(111) Sarah Van Patten, San Francisco Ballet Principal Dancer

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This week we are joined by Sarah Van Patten, Principal with  San Francisco Ballet.  Sarah trained at Ballet Workshop of New England, and danced with Massachusetts Youth Ballet. In 2000 at age 15, she joined the Royal Danish Ballet as an apprentice where John Neumeier cast her as Juliet in his Romeo and Juliet. Soon after, she was promoted to the rank of corps dancer, one of the youngest corps dancer ever invited to the Royal Danish Ballet in its 200-year history.  Van Patten joined San Francisco Ballet as a soloist dancer in 2002 and was promoted to the rank of principal dancer in 2007.  We talk with Sarah about her training, traveling so far from home at such a young age to join Royal Danish Ballet, what brought her to San Francisco Ballet, and about returning to dancing after the birth of her son.  This episode was recorded in April during our time at San Francisco Ballet’s “Unbound Festival.”

This episode is supported by San Francisco Ballet, Yumiko, and The Kennedy Center.  Get information about our live podcast recording with guest Helgi Tomasson, Artistic Director of San Francisco Ballet, on October 22, 2018 at 4pm.