San Francisco Ballet Announces Company Changes for 2023-2024

San Francisco Ballet's roster for the upcoming 2023-2024 season includes eight new members of the corps de ballet, and new and returning character artists, formerly called character dancers. This is the first season roster comprised by new Artistic Director Tamara Rojo and is unusual for SF Ballet in not including new principal dancers.

New character artists include former Principal Dancers Joanna Berman, who is also a rehearsal director, Pascal Molat, and Tiit Helimets, and SF Ballet School faculty members Kristi DeCaminada and Jeffrey Lyons.

New members of the corps de ballet include Katharine Lee, currently at Northern Ballet, Hui-Wen Peng, formerly of Atlanta Ballet II, and Simone Pompignoli of the Tulsa Ballet. Lee studied with The Washington School of Ballet and graduated from the English National Ballet School. Peng studied at the National Conservatory Dance School of Lisbon and The Harid Conservatory, and was a trainee with the Washington Ballet. Pompignoli began his ballet training at the Ateneo Danza and completed training at John Cranko School in 2018.

Apprentices Jihyun Choi, Benjamin Davidoff, Jasper True Stanford, Angela Watson, and Seojeong Yun have been promoted to the corps de ballet. Apprentice Parker Garrison was promoted to the corps de ballet in January. Further additions to the corps de ballet will be announced this summer.

Six new apprentices are SF Ballet School trainees: Sofia Albers, Raphaël Brunais Besse, Eduardo Cazarez, Jacey Gailliard, Mimi Lamar, and Dylan Pierzina. Apprentices take company class and perform corps de ballet roles.