Mere Mortals
Mere Mortals
Open Pandora’s Box and come face to face with the perils of our tech-obsessed age. San Francisco Ballet takes on eternal philosophical questions about the quest for knowledge through the contemporary lens of artificial intelligence.
Returning to the Festival for the first time in over 20 years, this forward-looking company brings its ‘unmatched creative ambition’ (The Washington Post) to the Edinburgh Playhouse stage. San Francisco Ballet’s bold approach is a perfect match for visionary choreographer Aszure Barton, whose works ‘offer an entire world’ (New York Times).
Composer and electronic musician Floating Points (Sam Shepherd) performs his original score live with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. With cutting-edge visuals, the full power of the orchestra in the pit and 40 of the world’s best dancers commanding the stage, this European premiere promises to be a breathtaking spectacle.
A stunning integration of movement, sound, and visualsSan Francisco Chronicle
A work that is spot‑on with the times, edginess, musical synthesis, AI and all.
Supported by Dunard Fund
With additional support from
Programme
Cast & Credits
PerformersCloseOpen
- San Francisco Ballet
- Floating PointsComposer
- Royal Scottish National Orchestra
- Martin WestConductor
- Catrin Pryce-JonesVocalist
San Francisco Ballet Principal DancersCloseOpen
- Friday 28 August, 8pmPandora – Jennifer Stahl
Prometheus – Joseph Walsh
Epimetheus – Harrison James
Hope – Wei Wang - Saturday 29 August, 3pmPandora – Nikisha Fogo
Prometheus – Fernando Carratalá Coloma
Epimetheus – Parker Garrison
Hope – Luca Ferrò - Saturday 29 August, 8pmPandora – Jennifer Stahl
Prometheus – Joseph Walsh
Epimetheus – Harrison James
Hope – Wei Wang - Sunday 30 August, 8pmPandora – Nikisha Fogo
Prometheus – Fernando Carratalá Coloma
Epimetheus – Parker Garrison
Hope – Mingxuan Wang
San Francisco Ballet Ensemble DancersCloseOpen
- Friday 28 August, 8pmSofia Albers, Kamryn Baldwin, Katherine Barkman, Rebecca Blenkinsop, Maya Chandrashekaran, Anna Chaziroglou, Jihyun Choi, Thamires Chuvas, Rubén Cítores Nieto, Carlota Cruz, Benjamin Davidoff, Luca Ferrò, Jacey Gailliard, Lleyton Ho, Andris Kundzins, Katharine Lee, SunMin Lee, Lucas López, Carmela Mayo, Nicole Moyer, Rimi Nakano, Davide Occhipinti, Pemberley Ann Olson, João Percilio, Dylan Pierzina, Simone Pompignoli, Victor Prigent, Leili Rackow, Nathaniel Remez, Amelia Soh, Jasper True Stanford, Anatalia St. Clair, Tyla Steinbach, Myles Thatcher, Alexis Francisco Valdes, Mingxuan Wang, Maggie Weirich, Juliana Wilder, Juliette Windey, Seojeong Yun
- Saturday 29 August, 3pmSofia Albers, Kamryn Baldwin, Katherine Barkman, Rebecca Blenkinsop, Maya Chandrashekaran, Anna Chaziroglou, Jihyun Choi, Thamires Chuvas, Carlota Cruz, Benjamin Davidoff, Jacey Gailliard, Jakub Groot, Logi Gudmundsson, Lleyton Ho, Andris Kundzins, Katharine Lee, SunMin Lee, Lucas López, Elizabeth Mateer, Carmela Mayo, Nicole Moyer, Ángel García Molinero, Rimi Nakano, Davide Occhipinti, Pemberley Ann Olson, Dylan Pierzina, Joshua Jack Price, Leili Rackow, Logan Shaw, Amelia Soh, Jasper True Stanford, Anatalia St. Clair, Archie Sullivan, Benjamin Taber, Myles Thatcher, Maggie Weirich, Juliana Wilder, Juliette Windey, Seojeong Yun, Adrian Zeisel
- Saturday 29 August, 8pmSofia Albers, Kamryn Baldwin, Katherine Barkman, Rebecca Blenkinsop, Maya Chandrashekaran, Anna Chaziroglou, Jihyun Choi, Thamires Chuvas, Rubén Cítores Nieto, Carlota Cruz, Benjamin Davidoff, Jacey Gailliard, Lleyton Ho, Andris Kundzins, Katharine Lee, SunMin Lee, Lucas López, Carmela Mayo, Nicole Moyer, Rimi Nakano, Davide Occhipinti, Pemberley Ann Olson, Dylan Pierzina, Simone Pompignoli, Victor Prigent, Leili Rackow, Nathaniel Remez, Amelia Soh, Jasper True Stanford, Anatalia St. Clair, Tyla Steinbach, Archie Sullivan, Benjamin Taber, Myles Thatcher, Alexis Francisco Valdes, Mingxuan Wang, Maggie Weirich, Juliana Wilder, Juliette Windey, Seojeong Yun
- Sunday 30 August, 8pmSofia Albers, Kamryn Baldwin, Katherine Barkman, Rebecca Blenkinsop, Maya Chandrashekaran, Anna Chaziroglou, Jihyun Choi, Thamires Chuvas, Carlota Cruz, Benjamin Davidoff, Luca Ferrò, Jacey Gailliard, Jakub Groot, Logi Gudmundsson, Lleyton Ho, Andris Kundzins, Katharine Lee, SunMin Lee, Lucas López, Elizabeth Mateer, Carmela Mayo, Nicole Moyer, Ángel García Molinero, Rimi Nakano, Davide Occhipinti, Pemberley Ann Olson, João Percillio, Dylan Pierzina, Leili Rackow, Logan Shaw, Amelia Soh, Jasper True Stanford, Anatalia St. Clair, Archie Sullivan, Myles Thatcher, Maggie Weirich, Juliana Wilder, Juliette Windey, Seojeong Yun, Adrian Zeisel
Creative & Production TeamsCloseOpen
- Aszure BartonChoreographer
- Tamara RojoArtistic Director
- Branislav HenselmannExecutive Director
- Juliette LeblancExecutive Producer & Tour Manager
- Hamill IndustriesProduction Design & Visuals
- Michelle JankCostume Designer
- Jim FrenchLighting Designer
- Carmen KovacsDramaturg
- James GreggCollaborative Assistant
Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO)CloseOpen
- 1st ViolinCordula Merks, (SF) Guest Leader
Shloimy Dobrinsky, Associate Leader
Tamás Fejes, Assistant Leader
Elizabeth Bamping
Lorna Rough
Susannah Lowdon
Alan Manson
Liam Lynch
Veronica Marziano
Joana Rodriguez - 2nd ViolinGongbo Jiang, Guest Principal
Marion Wilson
Paul Medd
Sophie Lang
Kirstin Drew
Colin McKee
John Robinson
Elana Eisen - ViolaJane Atkins, Guest Principal
Felix Tanner
Susan Buchan
Beth Woodford
Maria Trittinger
Claire Dunn - CelloBetsy Taylor, Associate Principal
Kennedy Leitch
Yuuki Bouterey-Ishido
Sarah Digger
Robert Anderson
Gunda Baranauskaitė - Double BassMichael Rae, Assistant Principal
Yat Hei Lee
Moray Jones
Alexandre Cruz dos Santos - FluteOliver Roberts, Associate Principal
Adam Richardson
Janet Richardson, Principal Piccolo - OboeAdrian Wilson, Principal
Henry Clay, Principal Cor Anglais - ClarinetTimothy Orpen, Principal
Duncan Swindells, Principal Bass Clarinet - BassoonMatt Kitteringham, Guest Principal
Paolo Dutto, Principal Contrabassoon - HornAmadea Dazeley-Gaist, Principal
Alison Murray
Andrew McLean
David McClenaghan
Jamie Shield - TrumpetChristopher Hart Principal
Robert Baxter - TromboneDávur Juul Magnussen, Principal
Cillian Ó Ceallacháin
Alastair Sinclair, Principal Bass Trombone - TubaJude Smith, Guest Principal
- TimpaniSimón Gómez Gallego, (SF) Guest Principal
- PercussionSimon Lowdon, Principal
Stuart Semple
Philip Hague - HarpMiriam Adefris, (SF) Guest Principal
- Celeste/SynthSam Shepherd, (SF) Guest Principal
- CelesteBritton Day
CreditsCloseOpen
- Mere Mortals was commissioned by San Francisco Ballet and had its world premiere on January 26, 2024, at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, California.
- For A Complete Staff Listing, go to sfballet.org
Dive Deeper
Listen to The Warm Up: your audio introduction to the performance.