Audio Description & ASL for Smuin’s fall program, Extremely Close

A trio of Smuin premieres by three award-winning choreographers featuring the music of Caroline Shaw, Phillip Glass, a Tom Waits cover, and more.

 

Audio Description for Extremely Close – Sunday, October 5, at 2:00 pm

There will be Audio Description, as well as a pre-show Haptic Access Tour, at the performance on Sunday, October 5, at 2:00 pm.

 

ASL for Extremely Close – Friday, October 3, at 7:30 pm

There will be ASL interpretation at the performance on Friday, October 3, at 7:30 pm.

 

Purchase Tickets

Smuin Box Office a 415-912-1899

Or email at boxoffice@smuinballet.org

 

Short Show Description

Haptic Access Tour

Arrive by 12:30 pm on Sunday, October 5, for a 15 minute live pre-show tour that allows patrons to experience—through touch and their own movement— the space, performers, costumes, and objects in addition to key movement elements in the performance. Patrons should gather in the lobby of the Blue Shield of California Theater at YBCA at 12:30 pm. The haptic access tour will begin at 12:45 pm.

About the Program

Smuin’s Season 32 kicks off with a trio of Smuin premieres. Making its first appearance outside of New York City Ballet is Partita, choreographed by three-time Tony Award-winner and NYCB Resident Choreographer Justin Peck. Set to Caroline Shaw’s haunting, Pulitzer Prize-winning score for eight voices, Partita is an exploration of movement and an expression of hope. Artistic Director Amy Seiwert’s A Long Night, set to a medley of songs by Patsy Cline, Pink Martini, and Tom Waits, brings to life the mischievous Puck and hapless lovers of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Extremely Close, Alejandro Cerrudo’s contemporary classic, is a work of exceptional beauty and theatricality—including a feather-strewn stage—that will be a superb showcase for Smuin’s Artists. Don’t miss this spectacular program!

For more information, to book a spot in a Haptic Access Tour, or to reserve a headset please call:  415-912-1899

Note to group organizers: We currently have a total of 20 headsets available. We recommend that you ask people to reserve them. To date we have not had more AD users than we could accommodate. If you believe that you will have more AD users than this (i.e. you are working with a school group or organization) please let us know ASAP. We can purchase more receivers and headsets, but it takes up to a week for us to receive shipment.

 

Date and Time

For Audio Description:  10/05/2025 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

For ASL:  10/03/2025 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM

Show Length

The show is 2 hours long and 3 and a half hours long if you join for the Haptic Access Tour on Sunday, October 5.

Location of event

Blue Shield of California Theater at YBCA

700 Howard Street, San Francisco, California 94103

Contact

For more information, please contact the Smuin Box Office at 415-912-1899.

Gravity Access Service

The audio described performance is possible through a partnership with Gravity Access Services.

Your Gravity Audio Describer is

Ian Buchanan

About Audio Described Performances

For audience members who are blind or visually impaired, Smuin Contemporary Ballet partners with Gravity Access Services to offer live audio description and haptic access tours for selected performances. Audio description is a live audio track spoken by a professional audio describer to audience members with visual impairments through a wireless headset system. It provides clear and engaging descriptions of the meaningful visual details of a performance. Haptic access tours (20-30 minutes) are a live pre-show tour that allows patrons to experience—through touch and their own movement— the space, performers, costumes and objects in addition to key movement elements in the performance.

Your ASL Interpreters is

Pilar Marsh