Smuin Contemporary Ballet | San Francisco’s Contemporary Ballet

Celebrate 30 years of Smuin!

Favorites by founder Michael Smuin, iconic creations by world-class dancemakers, and two world premieres.

Digital Replay Break Fake Rules - Portrait Image - 800x880

Digital Replay: Break Fake Rules

February 7 - June 30, 2024

Digital Replay Zorro - Portrait Image - 800x880

Digital Replay: Zorro!

April 12 - 22

Dance Series 2

May 3 - May 31

Smuin returns to New York!

Join us at the Joyce Theater, July 2024.

smuinballet

💫 Michael Smuin’s Starshadows, a dreamy piece

💫 Michael Smuin’s Starshadows, a dreamy piece for three couples set to a Ravel score and one of his earliest works for the Company, is featured in our Dance Series 2 program this spring. Tickets for Dance Series 2 are on sale now — link in bio!

Company Artists Dominic Barrett, Ricardo Dyer, Terez Dean Orr, Jace Pauly, Shania Rasmussen, and Brennan Wall in rehearsal for Starshadows, choreographed by Michael Smuin. #smuinballet

📝The creation process for Broken Open involved

📝The creation process for Broken Open involved the dancers manipulating a solo by Amy Seiwert, with very specific manipulation parameters. You see the results from this in two places: the women’s solos at the beginning of the 2nd movement and the men’s trio at the beginning of the 5th. Seiwert gratefully acknowledges the brilliant work of Ben Needham-Wood, Wes Krukow, and Mengjun Chen in the creation of the men’s trio.

Dance Series 2 opens May 3 at @ybca! Tickets available today — link in bio!

🎥 Ben Needham-Wood, Mengjun Chen, and Jonathan Powell in Broken Open, choreographed by Amy Seiwert. #smuinballet

“Seiwert profoundly understands how much drama c

“Seiwert profoundly understands how much drama can be derived from movement counterpoint. The ensemble vanishes and the six sections abound in rapid exchanges for small groups that enter and exit from the wings and the back of the stage with relentless inevitability. Combinations return in new surroundings and reverberate in the consciousness.“ -Allan Ulrich, @sfgate

Choreographed by Amy Seiwert in 2015, Broken Open returns to the stage during Dance Series 2, May 3-31! Join us for our opening weekend at @ybca! Tickets on sale today, link in bio!

Company Artists Terez Dean Orr and Mengjun Chen in Broken Open, photo by Chris Hardy. #smuinballet

🎶Join us in welcoming Julia Kent to the Smuin s

🎶Join us in welcoming Julia Kent to the Smuin stage for our opening weekend of Dance Series 2, May 3-5, at @ybca! Kent will be playing her original compositions alongside our dancers during Broken Open, choreographed by Amy Seiwert.

Cellist and composer Julia Kent was born in Vancouver, Canada, and lives in New York City. She makes music using layered and processed cello, electronics, and found sounds, creating haunting and evocative soundscapes that range from hushed intimacy to cinematic expansiveness. She has released five solo records, the most recent being Temporal on UK label Leaf, and has toured throughout North America and Europe, including appearances at Primavera Sound, Mutek Montreal, Meltdown, and Unsound.

She also composes for film, television, theatre, and dance, including award-winning film scores and music for productions at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, BAM Fishman Space in New York City, Ballett Nationaltheater Mannheim, and Balletto Teatro di Torino.

Photo of Julia Kent by @mikiodo

🍷Join the Friends of Smuin on Sunday, April 14t

🍷Join the Friends of Smuin on Sunday, April 14th, for an afternoon with Smuin Contemporary Ballet at the Roche Winery in beautiful Sonoma!

🩰 The event begins with an outdoor performance by the Company Artists of Smuin Contemporary Ballet, and then you’ll enjoy a catered lunch by the @girlandthefigsonoma with wines by @rochewinery. Get your tickets today — link in bio! #smuinballet

Company Artists Cassidy Isaacson and Brandon Alexander, photo by Chris Hardy.

Amy Seiwert’s Broken Open, which the San Franc

Amy Seiwert’s Broken Open, which the San Francisco Chronicle called “fresh, challenging, and relevant” at its 2015 premiere, returns to the Smuin Contemporary Ballet stage during Dance Series 2 this spring. Broken Open is set to an innovative score from internationally acclaimed cellist and composer Julia Kent, featuring costumes designed by Sandra Woodall, and luminous lighting by Bring Jones.

Join us May 3-31 across the Bay Area for Dance Series 2, featuring works by Amy Seiwert, Brennan Wall, Michael Smuin, and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. Tickets on sale today, link in bio! #smuinballet

🩷 As Women’s History Month comes to a close,

🩷 As Women’s History Month comes to a close, we salute our Artistic Director, Celia Fushille. Celia has been a part of Smuin since the very beginning, the first dancer Michael Smuin hired 30 years ago. Since Michael’s death 17 years ago, she has steered the Company. Her unique curatorial point of view has expanded our reportory to include works by Jiri Kylian, Val Caniparoli, Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa, Trey McIntrye, and other contemporary masters. She has commissioned more than 20 world premieres in her tenure, as well as spearheaded the purchase of our company’s home, the Smuin Center for Dance in Potrero Hill.

➡️ Swipe through to see highlights from her journey at Smuin! #smuinballet #womenshistorymonth

🎬 In the Studio with Annabelle Lopez Ochoa —

🎬 In the Studio with Annabelle Lopez Ochoa — Join us for Dance Series 2 across the Bay Area, May 3-31 — tickets available today for performances in San Francisco, Mountain View, Walnut Creek, and Carmel! Link in bio!

Company Artists in rehearsal for Tupelo Tornado, a World premiere by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. Photos by Chris Hardy. #smuinballet

🎙️A massive thank you to Annabelle Lopez Ocho

🎙️A massive thank you to Annabelle Lopez Ochoa for creating her latest work ‘Tupelo Tornado’ with the artists of Smuin Contemporary Ballet! We are so grateful to the entire creative team involved in this process, and can’t wait to share this work with you during our Dance Series 2 program this spring! 
Join us in theaters across the Bay Area, May 3-31 — tickets available today! Link in bio!

📸 Annabelle Lopez Ochoa with her creative team, and the Company Artists and Artistic Staff of Smuin Contemporary Ballet. Photo by Chris Hardy. #smuinballet

✨𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝟮 finishes out our 30th anniversary season, celebrating where we’ve been and where we’re going!

Annabelle Lopez Ochoa takes inspiration from the life of Elvis in her first creation for Smuin. Amy Seiwert’s 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘯, which the San Francisco Chronicle called “fresh, challenging, and relevant” at its 2015 premiere, returns, as well as Smuin Artist Brennan Wall’s 𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘦, with its inventive and swirling lifts. Michael Smuin’s 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘴, a dreamy piece for three couples to a Ravel score and one of his earliest works for the Company, completes the program.

Celebrate 30 years of Smuin Ballet, and join us in the theater as we close out our season! Tickets available today, link in bio!

✨Company Artist Terez Dean Orr
📸 Photo by Chris Hardy
📢 Creative Direction by Ben Warner

We are so grateful to our audiences who joined us

We are so grateful to our audiences who joined us in Celebrating Michael Smuin just two weeks ago! We were thrilled to honor Michael by bringing two of his ballets to the stage once again. ‘Fly Me to The Moon’ and ‘Zorro!’ filled the theater with joy, adventure and magic! 30 years later, thank you for continuing to celebrate Smuin Ballet!

📸 Photos by Chris Hardy, featuring Smuin Ballet company artists in ‘Fly Me to The Moon’ and ‘Zorro!’, choreographed by Michael Smuin. #smuinballet

💞A heartfelt thank you to all of the incredible

💞A heartfelt thank you to all of the incredible people who made Smuin Ballet’s 30th Anniversary Gala on March 3rd an unforgettable night! We were grateful to honor our company, our Artists, and our Artistic Director Celia Fushille!

Smuin Ballet is more than a dance company; it’s a family. Through individual support, anything is possible! Our supporters help to create a beacon of hope & inspiration, keeping us moving and grooving for years to come!

Photos by Maximillian Tortoriello Photography (@maxtphoto) #smuinballet

We are honored to welcome Annabelle Lopez Ochoa ba

We are honored to welcome Annabelle Lopez Ochoa back to Smuin Ballet as she begins creating a World Premiere for Dance Series 2!

Dance Series 2 runs May 3-31 across the Bay Area! To learn more about this program, visit the link in our bio!

Photo by @chrishardyphotos

🎂 On March 7, 1994, Michael Smuin and his new c

🎂 On March 7, 1994, Michael Smuin and his new company presented their first performances @ybca. Thirty years later, we continue to and celebrate his legacy. Cheers to Smuin Contemporary Ballet!

Tune in to “Break Fake Rules”, a short documentary directed and produced by Emily Packer (@marginalgapgirl). The film looks at how Smuin has not only pushed the boundaries of how “ballet” is defined, but also has fostered female choreographic talent within the Company. This is a wonderful introduction to Smuin, and includes some archival interview footage from Michael himself! Streaming now on @stellartickets — link in bio! #smuinballet

That’s a wrap on our ‘Celebrating Michael Smui

That’s a wrap on our ‘Celebrating Michael Smuin’ program! This past weekend was truly electric as we felt the love from our long time supporters, our newer audience members, past Smuin alumni, and everyone who has helped to make Smuin Contemporary Ballet what it is over the past 30 years! Thank you for all that you do — now on to Dance Series 2!

Company Artist Ian Buchanan in ‘Fly Me to The Moon’ choreographed by Michael Smuin.
📸 Photo by Maggie Carey
💡 Light Design by Mike Oesch
🪡 Costume Design by Ann Beck

Our final performance of ‘Celebrating Michael Sm

Our final performance of ‘Celebrating Michael Smuin’ is today, followed by our 30th anniversary gala at the @stregissf — so many reasons to celebrate! Thank you to all who have helped to make Smuin Contemporary Ballet what it is today over these past 30 years!

Company Artists Terez Dean Orr and Anthony Cannarella in Zorro! choreographed by Michael Smuin.
🎥 Videography by @raptproductions
🪡 Costuming by Ann Beck
🎵 Original Musical Score by Charles Fox

✨It’s a 2 show day at @ybca! Join us in the th

✨It’s a 2 show day at @ybca! Join us in the theater for ‘Celebrating Michael Smuin’ — a program that is adventurous, action packed, and is sure to bring a smile to your face! Reserve your seats today, link in bio!

📸 1.) Company Artists Terez Dean Orr and Ricardo Dyer in ‘Zorro!’ choreographed by Michael Smuin. Lighting Design by Sara Linnie Slocum.

📸 2.) Company Artists Tessa Barbour and Anthony Cannarella in ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ choreographed by Michael Smuin. Lighting Design by Mike Oesch.

📸 Photos by Chris Hardy
#smuinballet

⚔️ “Zorro! is very entertaining, with flashi

⚔️ “Zorro! is very entertaining, with flashing swords, pirouettes, and cartwheels.“ - Bay Dance

‘Celebrating Michael Smuin’ continues through the weekend until March 3 at @ybca! Join us in the theater for a program filled with humor, adventure, and magic! Tickets on sale today — link in bio! #smuinballet

Company Artists Marc LaPierre and Anthony Cannarella in Zorro! choreographed by Michael Smuin
🎶 Music by Charles Fox
⚔️ Fight Choreography by Richard Lane
🎥 Video by @raptproductions
📸 Cover photo by Chris Hardy

🌙 Flying into our opening night of Celebrating

🌙 Flying into our opening night of Celebrating Michael Smuin! Join us this weekend at @ybca as we continue to celebrate 30 years of Smuin Contemporary Ballet! Tickets on sale today for 5 performances only! Link in bio!

Company Artist Yuri Rogers in Michael Smuin’s ‘Fly Me to The Moon’
🎶 Music by Frank Sinatra
💡 Lighting Design by Mike Oesch

⚔️ We’re heading into the theater this week,

⚔️ We’re heading into the theater this week, continuing Smuin Contemporary Ballet’s 30th anniversary season celebration! Join us February 29 - March 3 at @ybca for Celebrating Michael Smuin! This program includes 2 of his beloved ballets, ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ and ‘Zorro!’ — we can’t wait to share this program with you!Tickets on sale today, link in bio!

Company Artists in rehearsal for Zorro!
💃🏻Choreography by Michael Smuin
🎥 Video footage by @jettison_creative
🎶 Original Score by Charles Fox
⚔️ Fight Coaching by Richard Lane

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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

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