{{Italic title}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2020}} {{Infobox ballet | name = The Swimmer | image = | image_size = | caption = | choreographer = Yuri Possokhov | composer = Shinji Eshima<br/>Kathleen Brennan<br/>Gavin Bryars<br/>Tom Waits | based_on = {{based on|"The Swimmer"|John Cheever}} | premiere = {{Start date|2015|04|10}} | place = War Memorial Opera House | ballet_company = San Francisco Ballet | designer = Alexander V. Nichols<br/>Mark Zappone<br/>David Finn<br/>Kate Duhamel | setting = | created_for = | genre = | type = | url = }} '''''Swimmer''''' is a ballet choreographed by Yuri Possokhov, to commissioned music by Shinji Eshima, along with music by Kathleen Brennan, Gavin Bryars and Tom Waits. The ballet is inspired by the short story of the same name by John Cheever. The ballet was created for the San Francisco Ballet premiered on April 10, 2015 at the War Memorial Opera House.
==Synopsis== After attending a party, an unnamed man decide to go home by swimming in various pools, only to discover his home is gone.<ref name=Tabs/> At the end of the ballet, a projection shows a man in the ocean.<ref name=Tabs/>
==Production== San Francisco Ballet choreographer in residence Yuri Possokhov's ''Swimmer'' is based on the short story of the same name by John Cheever.<ref name=SFG/> The ballet is inspired by 1960s United States from Soviet-born Possokhov's point of view,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2015/04/11/review-sf-ballets-multimedia-swimmer-employs-music-by-tom-waits/|title=Review: SF Ballet's multimedia 'Swimmer' employs music by Tom Waits|newspaper=Mercury News|last=Murphy|first=Ann|date=April 11, 2015}}</ref> and has various cultural references, such as Vladimir Nabokov's novel ''Lolita'', J. D. Salinger's novel ''The Catcher in the Rye'', Jack London's novel ''Martin Eden'', Edward Hopper's painting ''Nighthawks'',<ref name=Tabs>{{cite news|url=https://dancetabs.com/2015/04/san-francisco-ballet-caprice-the-four-temperaments-swimmer-san-francisco/|title=San Francisco Ballet – Caprice, The Four Temperaments, Swimmer – San Francisco|work=DanceTabs|last=Tsao|first=Aimee|date=April 29, 2015}}</ref> and Mike Nichols's film ''The Graduate''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://bachtrack.com/review-san-francisco-ballet-program-seven-war-memorial-opera-house-san-francisco-april-2015|title=San Francisco Ballet's Program 7 : Caprice, The Four Temperaments and Swimmer|work=Bachtrack|last=Robles|first=Jaime|date=April 13, 2015}}</ref>
The ballet uses a commissioned score by San Francisco Ballet Orchestra member Shinji Eshima, and other music by Kathleen Brennan, Gavin Bryars and Tom Waits.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sfcv.org/reviews/san-francisco-ballet/swimmer-a-splash-hit-at-s-f-ballet|title=Swimmer a Splash Hit at S.F. Ballet|work=San Francisco Classical Voice|last=Berman|first=Janice|date=March 21, 2016}}</ref> The sets, costumes, lighting and video were designed by Alexander V. Nichols, Mark Zappone, David Finn and Kate Duhamel respectively.<ref name=SFG/> Throughout the ballet, the swimming pools are shown on stage through animations. Possokhov himself appeared in the final projection.<ref name=Tabs/>
==Original cast== The original cast consists of:<ref name=SFG>{{cite news|url=https://www.sfgate.com/performance/article/Dance-Possokhov-s-Swimmer-adds-a-jolt-to-6193573.php|title=Yuri Possokhov's 'Swimmer' adds a jolt to S.F. Ballet season|work=SFGate|last=Ulrich|first=Allan|date=April 11, 2015}}</ref> *Taras Domitro *Maria Kochetkova *Lorena Feijoo *Yuan Yuan Tan *Tiit Helimets *Vitor Luiz
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.sfballet.org/about-possokhovs-swimmer/ About Possokhov's ''Swimmer''] on San Francisco Ballet's website
Category:2015 ballets