Smuin Contemporary Ballet | San Francisco’s Contemporary Ballet

Never Standing Still

Curated collaboratively by Artistic Director Amy Seiwert and Artistic Director Emerita Celia Fushille, our 24/25 Season honors the past with a masterpiece from our founder, Michael Smuin, while embracing the future. We continue to innovate with Company and world premieres from Jennifer Archibald, Trey McIntyre, Matthew Neenan, and Amy Seiwert. Remarkable storytellers, these choreographic visionaries inspire by continually pushing the boundaries of what contemporary ballet can be.

Showcase - Portrait Image - 800x880

Choreography Showcase

February 14-23

Portrait Images - 800x880

Digital Replay: Choreography Showcase

February 19 - March 2

Gala 2025

March 22, 2025

Dance Series 2 - Portrait Image - 800x880

Dance Series 2

April 25 - June 8

smuinballet

It’s opening night!!! We’ll be wearing berets

It’s opening night!!! We’ll be wearing berets tonight in honor of Harvey Lynch, Smuin patron extraordinaire and wonderful friend to us all, who passed away in late January. It’s going to be a great show. See you all soon! 🧑‍🎨

Smuin Contemporary Ballet Company Artist, AL Abrah

Smuin Contemporary Ballet Company Artist, AL Abraham, talks about the piece he has choreographed Smuin’s upcoming “Choreography Showcase”, February 14 - 23 at Smuin Center for Dance in Potrero Hill.

Tickets are SOLD OUT, but you can get access to the virtual version. LINK in our bio!

Video Credit:
Smuin Contemporary Ballet Company Artists AL Abraham, Tessa Barbour, Julia Gundzik, Cassidy Isaacson, Tess Lane, and Brennan Wall rehearsing for “Choreography Showcase” at Smuin Center for Dance. Video by Ben Estabrook. Edited by Amy Seiwert.

Happy, happy birthday to Smuin Contemporary Ballet

Happy, happy birthday to Smuin Contemporary Ballet Company Artist, Shania Rasmussen. 💕Shania is a simply beautiful dancer and person, and we love getting to work with her every day. We hope her day is as wonderful as she is!

Originally from Denver, CO, Shania Rasmussen received her dance training at Colorado Ballet Academy and the School of American Ballet. She began her professional career with Sacramento Ballet in 2014, and toured to The Joyce Theater and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival with Amy Seiwert’s Imagery. In addition to performing, Shania enjoys choreographing. She presented several works for Sacramento Ballet’s choreographic showcase and created unique works for stage and film for Capital Dance Project. Outside of dance, Shania is passionate about theater acting, writing, and composing music.

📸Photo Credits:
1. Shania and Marc LaPierre in Smuin’s “The Christmas Ballet”. Photo by Maximillian Tortoriello.
2. Shania and AL Abraham in Matthew Neenan’s “The Last Glass”. Photo by Chris Hardy.

Wishing a very happy birthday to Smuin Contemporar

Wishing a very happy birthday to Smuin Contemporary Ballet Company Artist, Julia Gundzik. Julia is someone you fall in love with the moment you meet her. She’s earnest and brilliant, and it all shows up when she performs.

Originally from Oxford, OH, Julia began her pre-professional training at the Washington School of Ballet and Cincinnati Ballet Academy. From 2021 to 2023, she danced with Cincinnati Ballet II. In 2023, she danced with Moving Arts, performing soloist roles in two world premieres, Intra by Christian Denice and Yin Yang by Gabriel Lorena. In 2023, Julia was promoted to New Dancer at Cincinnati Ballet, skipping a rank in the company. Julia is also a passionate dance educator and choreographer, and ran many of the children’s rehearsals for Cincinnati Ballet’s “The Nutcracker”. This is Julia’s first season with Smuin.

Photo Credits:
1. Julia in Amy Seiwert’s “Please Come Home”. Photo by Maximillian Tortoriello.
2. Julia and Dominic Barrett in Matthew Neenan’s “The Last Glass”. Photo by Chris Hardy.

Happiest of birthdays to Smuin Contemporary Ballet

Happiest of birthdays to Smuin Contemporary Ballet Company Artist, Gabrielle Collins! She’s a technical powerhouse who almost literally sparkles when she hits the stage. She’s like the dancing version of a diamond, and we’re so pleased she was born! 🎉

Gabrielle Collins is from West Hartford, Connecticut and began her pre-professional training at the Hartt School. In 2014, she was a New York City finalist at the Youth America Grand Prix and won the gold medal at the Connecticut Classic for both the senior female and pas de deux categories. From 2014-2017, she danced with Atlanta Ballet II. Gabrielle is an alumnus of the Ballet Program at Jacob’s Pillow where she was featured in Yury Yanowsky’s World Premiere at the opening gala in 2016. She joined Tulsa Ballet II in 2017. In February 2020, Gabrielle performed the title role in Septime Webre’s Carmen with Dayton Ballet. In 2020, Gabrielle joined Cincinnati Ballet under the direction of Victoria Morgan. Gabrielle is thrilled to continue her career with Smuin Ballet.

📸Photo Credits:
1. Gabrielle in Rex Wheeler’s “Excelsis.” Photo by Maximillian Tortoriello.
2. Gabrielle in Val Caniparoli’s “Tutto Eccetto Il Lavandino.” Photo by Chris Hardy.
3. Gabrielle with Jacopo Calvo, rehearsing for Jennifer Archibald’s “ByCHANCE.” Photo by Maggie Carey.

Smuin’s Choreography Showcase opens this week, F

Smuin’s Choreography Showcase opens this week, February 14, at the Smuin Center for Dance in Potrero Hill. We are so grateful to our audiences and patrons already, as nearly all of the performances are sold out! We can’t wait to share this program both in person and virtually! To tune in virtually, check out the ticket link in our bio!

🎥 Smuin Contemporary Ballet in rehearsals for the Choreography Showcase, featuring 10 new works by 10 of our company artists. Videography by Ben Estabrook. #smuinballet

Calling all Young Professionals! Join us for Smuin

Calling all Young Professionals! Join us for Smuin’s Choreography Showcase, an intimate performance series featuring new works by ten incredible Company Artists.

🕰️ February 20 @ 7:00pm
📍 Smuin Center for Dance, Potrero Hill.

🍸 Post-Show Drinks, 9:15pm onward at Blooms Saloon in Potrero Hill.
After the performance, join us at @bloomssaloon to unwind and connect with your fellow YPC members and some of the artists of Smuin. Enjoy complimentary drinks on us!

🎟 Reserve Your Spot Now, and purchase a ticket to the 2/20 performance! No tickets are needed for Post-Show Drinks, but please RSVP — link in bio!

📸 Photo of Company Artist Yuri Rogers, by Chris Hardy.

Smuin Contemporary Ballet Company Artist, Julia Gu

Smuin Contemporary Ballet Company Artist, Julia Gundzik, shares some insights about her experience choreographing for Smuin’s upcoming “Choreography Showcase”, February 14 - 23 at Smuin Center for Dance in Potrero Hill.

🔗LINK in our bio to get your tickets. (They’re selling FAST!)

Featured Smuin Contemporary Ballet Artists:

Julia Gundzik
Gabrielle Collins
Tess Lane
Maggie Carey
Tessa Barbour
Yuri Rogers

Videography by Ben Estabrook. Filmed at Smuin Center for Dance.

The inner mind of a choreographer 🧠✏️ There

The inner mind of a choreographer 🧠✏️ There are many different ways to go about creating and organizing choreography, and it is so fun to see the inner workings of a piece come to life! Check out these sketches drawn by company artist Marc LaPierre in preparation for his piece for the Choreography Showcase!

See Marc’s premiere on stage, February 14-23 at the @smuincenterfordance! Tickets on sale today, link in bio!

🎂Wishing a very happy birthday to the kind, cou

🎂Wishing a very happy birthday to the kind, courageous, talented, and hilarious Mengjun Chen. 🤩

You are proof that a person’s beautiful personality can change an entire company’s performance. Our classes, rehearsals, and performances, are all better because you’re in them.

Mengjun, a native of Wenzhou, China, trained at the Beijing Dance Academy and Joffrey Ballet Academy of Dance. After receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Beijing Dance Academy, he joined Milwaukee Ballet where he performed major roles in Giselle, Swan Lake, Romeo & Juliet, The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Cinderella, Dracula and La Boheme. Chen also performed contemporary works by Matthew Neenan, Gabrielle Lamb, Ma Cong, Amy Seiwert and Val Caniparoli. In 2014, he was a finalist in the USA International Ballet Competition. Chen joined Smuin in 2015.

📸Photo Credits
1. Mengjun in Amy Seiwert’s “French Kiss”.
2. Mengjun with Gabrielle Collins in Michael Smuin’s “Fly Me to the Moon”.
3. Mengjun in Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s “Requiem of a Rose”
All photos by Chris Hardy
.
.
.
.
.
#ballet #dancer #dancerlife #birthday #balletcompany

Creativity is flowing as our dancers prepare for t

Creativity is flowing as our dancers prepare for the Choreography Showcase! This popular, in-studio series features 10 new works choreographed entirely by our Company Artists. Join us February 14-23 for nine performances at the Smuin Center for Dance in Potrero Hill. Tickets on sale today, link in bio!

🎥 Smuin Contemporary Ballet company artists in rehearsals for the Choreography Showcase. Video by Ben Estabrook. #smuinballet

Join us and become a part of the vibrant San Franc

Join us and become a part of the vibrant San Francisco Bay Area dance scene! Smuin Contemporary Ballet is now accepting applications for the 2025-26 season, under Artistic Director Amy Seiwert.

Presenting 60+ performances each season, Smuin’s repertory includes works by our founder Michael Smuin, as well as world-renowned choreographers such as Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Trey McIntrye, Jennifer Archibald, Val Caniparoli, Helen Pickett, and more. A creative hub, the company is committed to the exploration of contemporary work from a classical ballet base, with a mission to shatter preconceptions of what ballet is and can be.

🌟 Contract benefits include year-round health insurance, shoes supplied for all dancers, plus personal training and physical therapy stipends!

Auditions are in person and by invitation only. Please, only serious candidates who are prepared to move to San Francisco should apply. For more information on our scheduled auditions in San Francisco and New York City, visit the link in our bio! #smuinballet

📸 Company Artist Maggie Carey, photo by Chris Hardy.

Join us and become a part of the vibrant San Franc

Join us and become a part of the vibrant San Francisco Bay Area dance scene! Smuin Contemporary Ballet is now accepting applications for the 2025-26 season, under Artistic Director Amy Seiwert.

Presenting 60+ performances each season, Smuin’s repertory includes works by our founder Michael Smuin, as well as world-renowned choreographers such as Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Trey McIntrye, Jennifer Archibald, Val Caniparoli, Helen Pickett, and more. A creative hub, the company is committed to the exploration of contemporary work from a classical ballet base, with a mission to shatter preconceptions of what ballet is and can be.

Auditions are in person and by invitation only. Please, only serious candidates who are prepared to move to San Francisco should apply. For more information on our scheduled auditions in San Francisco and New York City, visit the link in our bio! #smuinballet

Wishing a very, very happy birthday to Smuin Conte

Wishing a very, very happy birthday to Smuin Contemporary Ballet Company Artist, Jacopo Calvo, whose beautiful artistry inspires us every day!

Jacopo began his training at 11 at his hometown school, Ritmo Danza in Asti, Italy. He moved to New York City to attend The Ailey School on scholarship at 18, where he performed alongside the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for its 60th anniversary season. Jacopo then joined Complexions Contemporary Ballet, under the co-direction of Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson. This is Jacopo’s first season with Smuin.

Come and see Jacopo perform in
Choreography Showcase
February 14-23
at our Potrero Hill home.

Photo Credit:
1. Jacopo performing in Matthew Neenan’s “The Last Glass”
2. Jacopo performing with Gabrielle Collins in Jennifer Archibald’s “ByCHANCE”
3. Jacopo performing with Gabrielle Collins in Neenan’s “The Last Glass”
All photos by Chris Harvey

One final bow to 2024 ⭐️ This year has proven

One final bow to 2024 ⭐️ This year has proven to be a special one for Smuin Contemporary Ballet!

• We shared over 60 performances with our audiences across the Bay Area and celebrated 30 years of Smuin.
• We continued to celebrate the legacy of Michael Smuin by performing works of his such as Fly Me to the Moon, Zorro!, Starshadows, and Smuin’s The Christmas Ballet
• Our artists worked alongside choreographers like Amy Seiwert, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Jennifer Archibald, Brennan Wall, Rex Wheeler, and Matthew Neenan.
• World premieres were created by both Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Jennifer Archibald for Smuin.
• For the first time in 12 years, Smuin had the opportunity to tour and perform at @thejoycetheater in New York City in July 2024.
• We celebrated artists as they took their final bows on the Smuin stage, including company artists Brandon Alexander, Ian Buchanan and Terez Dean Orr, and our longtime company manager JoEllen Arntz.
• Our position of Artistic Director shifted gracefully from Celia Fushille to Amy Seiwert, in an endless celebration of Smuin’s past, present, and future.
• We welcomed new dancers to the stage including AL Abraham, Dominic Barrett, Jacopo Calvo, Julia Gundzik and Shania Rasmussen.
• We shared 3 world premieres in this year’s edition of Smuin’s The Christmas Ballet, choreographed by Amy Seiwert, Brennan Wall, and Rex Wheeler.
• We used our art to make a difference, supporting organizations like Project Open Hand, The Imperial Council of San Francisco, The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and the Queer Cultural Center.

🎉 Happy New Year to all! We hope that you are celebrating with loved ones, and that 2025 brings you the best.

Thank you to all who shared Smuin’s The Christma

Thank you to all who shared Smuin’s The Christmas Ballet with us this holiday season! Our audiences mean so much to us, and we would not be where we are as an organization without the consistent & generous support of our audiences near and far!

🎁 All donations made to Smuin Contemporary Ballet are tax deductible and greatly support our nonprofit organization from season to season! Thank you for being a part of the Smuin Contemporary Ballet family and we look forward to seeing you in the new year!

You can donate today — link in bio!

📷 Smuin Contemporary Ballet company artists Cassidy Isaacson, Ricardo Dyer, and Tess Lane, during the curtain call for Smuin’s The Christmas Ballet. Photo by @maxtphoto.

Wishing a very happy birthday to a fearless perfor

Wishing a very happy birthday to a fearless performer, choreographer, and Company Artist Cassidy Isaacson (@cassidy_isaacson)

Cassidy, originally from Redmond, Washington, trained at Pacific Northwest Ballet before joining Grand Rapids Ballet Company at age 16. Some favorite works performed during her eight years at Grand Rapids Ballet include Trey McIntyre’s Wild Sweet Love, Alejandro Cerrudo’s Extremely Close, Penny Saunders’ In Frame and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Written and Forgotten. Isaacson joined Smuin in 2019.

📷 1. Cassidy Isaacson and Smuin Company Artists in Smuin’s The Christmas Ballet. Photo by @maxtphoto
📷 2. Cassidy Isaacson and Ricardo Dyer in The Last Glass, choreographed by Matthew Neenan. Photo by @chrishardyphotos
📷 3. Cassidy Isaacson in ByCHANCE choreographed by Jennifer Archibald. Photo by @chrishardyphotos
📷 4. Cassidy Isaacson and Brandon Alexander in Untwine, choreographed by Brennan Wall. Photo by @chrishardyphotos

Join us and become a part of the vibrant San Franc

Join us and become a part of the vibrant San Francisco Bay Area dance scene! Smuin Contemporary Ballet is now accepting applications for the 2025-26 season, under Artistic Director Amy Seiwert.

Presenting 60+ performances each season, Smuin’s repertory includes works by our founder Michael Smuin, as well as world-renowned choreographers such as Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Trey McIntrye, Jennifer Archibald, Val Caniparoli, Helen Pickett, and more. A creative hub, the company is committed to the exploration of contemporary work from a classical ballet base, with a mission to shatter preconceptions of what ballet is and can be.

Auditions are in person and by invitation only. Please, only serious candidates who are prepared to move to San Francisco should apply. For more information on our scheduled auditions in San Francisco and New York City, visit the link in our bio! #smuinballet

📸 Company Artist Yuri Rogers, photo by Chris Hardy.

❄️ Extending our deepest gratitude to our frie

❄️ Extending our deepest gratitude to our friends and family this holiday season. Merry Christmas to all who celebrate, thank you for spending your holidays with us!

📷 Smuin Contemporary Ballet backstage before our final performance of Smuin’s The Christmas Ballet.

Cheers to 20 performances of Smuin’s The Christm

Cheers to 20 performances of Smuin’s The Christmas Ballet! ❄️ We are so grateful to our audiences in Walnut Creek, Mountain View and San Francisco for sharing the holidays with us this year! Your support means everything to us — we can’t do what we do without you!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all!
🎥 Smuin Contemporary Ballet company artists from the wings during Smuin’s The Christmas Ballet
🌟 Special shoutout to our fabulous stage crew who cleans up after every performance!

Load More... Follow on Instagram

We thank all our generous sponsors for their support. Sponsored in part by SF Grants for the Arts, General Fund Portion of the San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund and National Endowment for the Arts.

Foulke Correa

Beverly M. Folger Foundation

Connect with Us

Sign up for email news from Smuin. We'll keep in touch about our performances, offers, classes, and events.