Season Continues for Smuin Ballet
San Francisco Season: May 11 – 19
(Yerba Buena Center for the Arts)
Annual Gala -- May 20
(San Francisco, YBCA & The Four Seasons Hotel)
Walnut Creek: May 25 & 26
(Lesher Center for the Performing Arts)
Mountain View: May 30 – June 3
(Mountain View Center for the Arts)
Carmel: June 8 & 9
(The Sunset Center)
New York City Season: August 13 – 18
(Joyce Theatre)
Tributes Pour in for Internationally Acclaimed Dancer & Choreographer Michael Smuin
October 13, 1938 – April 23, 2007
25 April 2007 – San Francisco, CA: As tributes from artists, audience members and dignitaries continue to pour in following the death two days ago of its visionary dancer / choreographer Michael Smuin, his namesake company -- Smuin Ballet www.smuinballet.org -- continues to move forward with its season, opening May 11 in San Francisco and August in New York City. Coming soon will be the announcement of Smuin Ballet’s 2007-2008 season, starting in October at the Palace of Fine Arts.
“The show will go on,” said Dwight Hutton, Smuin Managing Director. “Michael had recently finished choreographing his new work for Program 2 – the Spring Season, and had already completed the programming for the New York performances as well as next season. Each and every performance will now be a celebration of this great artist. ”
“It was Michael’s wish that his company continue and we intend to do so.” said Smuin Associate Director Celia Fushille. “When I retired as a dancer in May 2006 it was to devote myself more fully to working with Michael. The best way we can pay tribute to him is to continue his vision.”
The upcoming season for Smuin Ballet features Carmina Burana plus two World Premieres on May 11 at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, a stage that Michael Smuin helped launch as an internationally-recognized dance venue. The popular, richly theatrical ballet Carmina Burana returns as the headliner, taking one to a savage, sleek and sensual world where the laws of ballet take fresh, mysterious turns. In addition to this powerful ballet are two world premieres: one choreographed by Michael to Schubert and an original ballet Falling Up, to Brahms by Smuin Company member Amy Seiwert and a reprise of Michael’s pas de deux from his Emmy Award winning Romeo and Juliet. On Sunday, May 20th, the Company will host its annual gala at San Francisco’s Four Seasons Hotel, preceded by a special performance at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. The season will continue with Bay Area performances in Walnut Creek (May 25 & 26 at the Lesher Center for the Performing Arts), Mountain View (May 30 – June 3 at the Mountain View Center for the Arts) and in Carmel ( June 8 & 9 at The Sunset Center). August 13 – 18, the company returns to the New York City’s Joyce Theatre with performances of Schubert Scherzo, Bells of Dublin, Shinju, and Obrigado, Brazil.
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 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. Smuin passed away on the morning of April 23 from an apparent heart attack in his San Francisco dance studios while he was leading a rehearsal. Smuin was 68.
Plans for a memorial service are pending. The Smuin family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations and remembrances be made to Smuin Ballet. For more information, please call (415) 495-2234, ext.0
Following is a full schedule of the 2007 Season of performances by Smuin Ballet:
San Francisco at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Friday, May 11 at 8pm
Saturday, May 12 at 8pm
Sunday, May 13 at 2 pm & 7pm
Tuesday, May 15 at 8 pm
Wednesday, May 16 at 8 pm
Thursday, May 17 at 8 pm
Friday, May 18 at 8 pm
Saturday, May 19 at 2 pm & 8pm
Sunday, May 20 at 4pm – Dancin’ with Smuin Gala
Walnut Creek at Lesher Center for the Arts
Friday, May 25 at 8 pm
Saturday, May 26 at 2 pm & 8pm
Mountain View at the Mountain View Center for the Arts
Wednesday, May 30 at 8 pm
Thursday, May 31 at 8 pm
Friday, June 1 at 8 pm
Saturday, June 2 at 2 pm & 8pm
Sunday, June 3 at 2 pm
Carmel at the Sunset Center
Friday, June 8 at 8 pm
Saturday, June 9 at 2 pm & 8pm
New York City’s Joyce Theatre:
Monday, August 13 at 7:30pm
Tuesday, August 14 at 7:30pm
Wednesday, August 15 at 2pm & 7:30pm
Thursday, August 16 at 8pm
Friday, August 17 at 8pm
Saturday, August 18 at 2pm & 8pm
Media Contacts: David Perry & Associates, Inc. / David Perry (415) 693-0583 / news@davidperry.com
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