Michael Smuin
October 13, 1938 – April 23, 2007
Internationally Acclaimed Dancer & Choreographer Passes
23 April 2007 – San Francisco, CA: Michael Smuin – founder and Artistic Director of the Internationally acclaimed Smuin Ballet ( www.smuinballet.org ) passed away this morning in San Francisco after collapsing in the midst of a rehearsal for his next season. Smuin was 68.
“We are all deeply saddened and shocked,” said Dwight Hutton, Smuin Managing Director. “However, he died doing precisely what he loved to do. Our sympathy and condolences go out to Michael’s son, Shane, his brothers Stephen and Douglas and his former wife Paula Tracy during this difficult time.”
“In the midst of our grief, we celebrate this great artist,” said Patti Hume, Board Chair for Smuin Ballet. “Michael was as much a San Francisco icon as the Golden Gate Bridge or the theatres of this City he graced for some many years with his artistry.”
Smuin made the San Francisco Bay Area his home since he was a Principal Dancer with San Francisco Ballet, before going on to dance on Broadway, and appearing in film and television. He was Principal Dancer and Resident Choreographer for American Ballet Theatre before returning to San Francisco as Co-Director of San Francisco Ballet (1973-1985), and was instrumental in raising that company's profile in the international arts community, including many “Dance in America” programs on PBS. He directed ABT's 50th Anniversary Gala. Broadway credits include Sophisticated Ladies, Anything Goes (Tony Award for Choreography), Shogun and Canciones de Mi Padre. Feature film credits include Rumble Fish, A Walk In the Clouds, Cotton Club, Star Wars, and The Fantasticks. Television credits include Ira Gershwin at 100: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall. He has won Emmy Awards for Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest, and A Song for Dead Warriors. His ballets are currently in the repertories of major dance companies around the country.
Plans for a memorial service are pending. The Smuin family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations and remembrances be made to Smuin Ballet.
Media Contacts: David Perry & Associates, Inc. / David Perry (415) 693-0583 / news@davidperry.com
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