Wendy Whelan, Brian Brooks, and Brooklyn Ryder Dance Performance

Former New York City Ballet star ballerina Wendy Whelan's post pointe-shoe career has embraced collaborations with contemporary artists and musicians who themselves re-draw the blueprints for what makes art. This season with San Francisco Performances she teams up with dancer-choreographer Brian Brooks to reprise their duet, First Fall which is part of the larger piece, Some of a Thousand Words.

Brooks has recently been appointed as the inaugural Choreographer in Residence at Chicago's Harris Theater for Music and Dance. This innovative three-year fellowship supports several commissions for Brooks each season with the first year featuring Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Miami City Ballet, as well as his own New York-based group.

The program presented by San Francisco Performances also features string quartet Brooklyn Rider, who will perform live, serving as equal partners in both shaping and being shaped by the evolution of Brooks' choreography. Hailed as "the future of chamber music" (Strings), Brooklyn Rider offers eclectic repertoire in gripping performances that continue to attract legions of fans and draw rave reviews from classical, world, and rock critics alike.

The music that will be a part of Some of a Thousand Words will include works by John Luther Adams, Tyondai Braxton, Philip Glass, and a new work from Brooklyn Rider's own Colin Jacobsen.