Smuin Ballet
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Smuin Contemporary Ballet, formerly known as Smuin Ballet,[1] is a touring ballet company based in San Francisco, California.[2] Smuin Ballet performs its season in multiple venues: the Dean Lesher Center in Walnut Creek,[3][4] the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts in Mountain View, the Sunset Center in Carmel, the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and The Palace of Fine Arts Theater[5] in San Francisco.[6]
History
[edit | edit source]Founding
[edit | edit source]Michael Smuin, a former dancer, choreographer[7] and co-artistic director[8] with the San Francisco Ballet and an award-winning choreographer,[9] founded Smuin Contemporary Ballet in 1994.[10]
Then known as Smuin Ballet,[1] the "American ballet company with a distinctly American accent… infused ballet with the rhythm, speed, and syncopation of American popular culture.”[11] Michael Smuin created about 40 ballets for the Smuin Ballet company.[12] After his sudden passing in 2007, Smuin's longtime “muse and mainstay,”[13] Celia Fushille, was named Artistic Director of Smuin.[14][15][16] As a founding member of the company, Fushille created roles in some of Michael Smuin's most memorable ballets, from the romantic Roxane in Cyrano to the lusty Lola-Lola in The Blue Angel. In addition to maintaining Michael Smuin’s legacy, as Artistic Director, she commissioned more than 20 premieres and added the work of 15 choreographers new to the Smuin audience. From 2008-2014, Fushille also served as Executive Director of the Company.[17]
Company
[edit | edit source]Artistic Director
[edit | edit source]- Amy Seiwert[18][circular reference]
Rehearsal Director
[edit | edit source]- Amy London
Rehearsal Assistant
[edit | edit source]- Benjamin Warner
Company Artists
[edit | edit source]- AL Abraham
- Tessa Barbour
- Dominic Barrett
- Isabel Borges
- Jacopo Calvo
- Maggie Carey
- Cameron Cofrancesco
- Gabrielle Collins
- Ricardo Dyer
- Cassidy Isaacson
- Tess Lane
- Marc LaPierre
- Shania Rasmussen
- Yuri Rogers
- João Sampaio
- Brennan Wall
Touring and performing
[edit | edit source]Smuin performs over 60 shows per season in theaters throughout San Francisco, Walnut Creek, Mountain View, and Carmel. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Smuin also tours across the country to venues including the Joyce Theater in New York; Montana, Michael Smuin's home state; southern California; Colorado; and Alaska,[20] as well as throughout Europe and Australia.[20]
Smuin has launched over 50 new works into the American dance repertoire, including many choreographed by Michael Smuin, as well as over 10 ballets created by Amy Seiwert, Smuin's Choreographer in Residence.[21] Many notable choreographers such as Trey McIntyre, Helen Pickett, Ma Cong, Adam Houghland, and Val Caniparoli have premiered works with Smuin. Many of the choreographers have also given Smuin the opportunity to perform their works, including Jiří Kylián, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Matthew Neenan, and more.[21]
Recognitions
[edit | edit source]In February 2023, Dance Data Project announced the results from its first Gender Equity Index for the 50 largest U.S. ballet companies. Smuin Ballet was ranked "Best of Leadership" and “Exceptional.”[22][23]
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b "Smuin company shows growing pains in season opener" San Francisco Chronicle. 2016
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- ^ "A world-class dance company in the neighborhood: Smuin Ballet a frequent visitor to Walnut Creek". By Janice De Jesus. San Jose Mercury News.
- ^ "Snow and Sharks". Contra Costs Times.
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- ^ "SF Dance Pioneer Michael Smuin Collapses, Dies." SF Chronicle. 2007.
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- ^ "Review: New take on 'Serenade’ for Smuin Ballet". By Rachel Howard. SF Gate, October 4, 2014
- ^ "Dance review: Smuin Ballet kicks off holiday performance season". SF Gate, Allan Ulrich, November 22, 2014
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- ^ Amy Seiwert
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Further reading
[edit | edit source]- Ballet News. Metropolitan Opera Guild. 1981.
- The New Yorker. F-R Publishing Corporation. 2006.
External links
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