with ballerina and longtime partner Patricia McBride. When reviewing this last performance, the New York Times wrote, “With his outstanding technique and elegance, Mr. Tomasson was the epitome of the classical male dancer. As the quintessential Robbins dancer, he knew how to filter the emotional through a crystal-clear classical prism. As the model of a Balanchine dancer, he enabled Balanchine, who had never before had dancers of Mr. Tomasson's caliber, to show off his own choreography for men at its most classical." In 1982, with the encouragement of Balanchine, Tomasson choreographed his first ballet for the School of American Ballet Workshop, Introduction, Theme with Variations Polonnaise, Op. 65, which was very well received and elicited encouragement for him to continue choreographing. In 1983, his Ballet d'Isoline, was taken into the repertory of the New York City Ballet. Artistic Director and Principal Choreographer, San Francisco Ballet Following his retirement from New York City Ballet in 1985, Tomasson joined the San Francisco Ballet as artistic director. During his time with the company, he has staged many full-length ballets, including Swan Lake in 1988, The Sleeping Beauty in 1990, Romeo and Juliet in 1994, Giselle in 1999, Don Quixote (in collaboration with principal dancer Yuri Possokhov) in 2003, and Nutcracker in 2004. Tomasson’s Nutcracker is notable for being the only uniquely San Francisco Nutcracker; it is set in San Francisco during the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition. Tony Award-winning designers Michael Yeargan and Martin Pakledinaz designed the sets and costumes, respectively. Upon its premiere, the New York Times called Tomasson’s Nutcracker “striking, elegant and beautiful.” In 1995, Tomasson conceived the UNited We Dance International Festival to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter. During this event, twelve ballet companies from around the world joined San Francisco Ballet to present world premiere dances over a span of two weeks. In 2010, the Ballet’s opening night gala, Silver Celebration, honored Tomasson’s 25 years as artistic director of San Francisco Ballet. In 2012, Helgi Tomasson was named recipient of the Dance/USA Honor, acknowledging individuals’ contributions to dance in America and the role they play in the national dance community. In January 2021, it was announced that Tomasson will step down from the San Francisco Ballet the following year. Personal life Tomasson lives in San Francisco with his wife, Marlene, who was dancing with The Joffrey Ballet when they met. They have two