Tessa Barbour News

Smuin Contemporary Ballet announces Amy Seiwert's Renaissance as the next installment of its Hump Day Ballets series, which aims to brighten mid-week spirits with free video streaming of a ballet from the Company's archives.

Smuin Contemporary Ballet announced the expansion of its hit Virtual Class Program, featuring a brand new schedule packed with exclusive behind-the-scenes tutorials, lessons in all-new styles including tap and soft-shoe, and expanded offerings of its most popular classes.

Following a landmark year in which Smuin Contemporary Ballet officially unveiled its first permanent home, the company launched its first-ever virtual gala. As Smuin's only yearly fundraiser, the company was forced to make a quick decision regarding its gala, originally scheduled for March 15 at The Galleria at the San Francisco Design Center.

 Smuin Contemporary Ballet christens its new home, the Smuin Center for Dance, with public performances of its Choreography Showcase. Eight Smuin dancers will step into the spotlight as choreographers, utilizing fellow company members to bring their original ideas to life on stage. Audiences will enjoy a first look at ten fresh new works created by Smuin dancers testing their choreographic wings, performed in Smuin's new studio.

Smuin kicks off the holidays with the welcome return of The Christmas Ballet, a program featuring two acts packed to the brim with both breathtaking classical ballet and festive contemporary numbers. The beloved Bay Area tradition will bring back time-honored favorites and unveil brand new surprises set to holiday tunes and incorporating ballet, tap, jazz, and swing.

Smuin kicks off the holidays with the welcome return of The Christmas Ballet, a program featuring two acts packed to the brim with both breathtaking classical ballet and festive contemporary numbers. The beloved Bay Area tradition will bring back time-honored favorites and unveil brand new surprises set to holiday tunes and incorporating ballet, tap, jazz, and swing. The first act, Classical Christmas, features dancers costumed in snow-white ensembles performing flawless ballets celebrating the holiday season. The Cool Christmas second act brings a red-hot costume change along with a medley of lively modern numbers, including the iconic a?oeSanta Babya?? featuring a 42-foot long feather boa. a?oeSheer joya??the finest toast to the season,a?? declared the San Francisco Chronicle. The Christmas Ballet will tour the Bay Area, beginning with shows in Walnut Creek (November 22-23), continuing in Mountain View (November 29-December 1), San Francisco (December 12-23), and finishing up after Christmas in Carmel (December 28-29). Tickets ($25-$97) are available by calling the individual venues (see below for details) or visiting www.smuinballet.org.

Smuin concludes its quarter-century celebration with a tribute to founder Michael Smuin and his vibrant works set to the music of George and Ira Gershwin, Peggy Lee, Nat King Cole, and others. The Best of Smuin will feature the return of timeless favorites such as the red-hot chair solo "Fever," along with highlights from Dancin' With Gershwin and more. Sharing the bill is the smashing world premiere of "Renaissance" by master dancemaker Amy Seiwert, honoring Michael's legacy as an innovator in ballet, dance, and beyond.

Leaders in the arts and civic communities came together at The Galleria in San Francisco for the spectacular silver anniversary celebration of Smuin Contemporary Ballet, one of the nation's preeminent dance companies.

Smuin makes the holidays sizzle with its annual yuletide celebration of dance, The Christmas Ballet. With a stunning and original array of ballet, tap, and jazz, this joyous showcase of styles offers both sugar and spice, with the surprise unwrapping of new treats every year. The 2017 edition of The Christmas Ballet features three saucy world premieres one by acclaimed Choreographer-in-Residence Amy Seiwert, another created by Smuin dancer Rex Wheeler, and a debut number choreographed by dancer Erica Felsch. An exuberant holiday treat that was declared the finest toast to the season by the San Francisco Chronicle last year, The Christmas Ballet will tour the Bay Area, beginning with shows in Walnut Creek (November 17-18), continuing in Carmel (December 1-2) and Mountain View (December 6-10), and wrapping up with its annual holiday run at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco (December 14-24). Tickets ($25-$89) are available by calling the individual venues (see below for details) or visiting www.smuinballet.org.

Admired for their versatility on stage, Smuin dancers invite audiences to experience their talents as choreographers when Smuin presents its 2017 Choreography Showcase. This rare opportunity allows patrons to join Smuin dancers Tessa Barbour, Erica Felsch, Nicole Haskins, Dustin James, Robert Kretz, Ben Needham-Wood, Rex Wheeler, and Smuin alumnus Matthew Linzer in the intimate ODC Theater, to view a showcase of their own choreography set on fellow company members. Audiences will witness a bright and lively performance with a variety of works, often with a dash of humor. Patrons are invited to hear the dancers and choreographers discuss their artistic processes in a Q&A session following each performance. This seventh edition of Smuin's Choreography Showcase will be presented 7:30pm March 10, and 2pm & 7:30pm March 11 at ODC Theater, 3153 17th St., San Francisco. Tickets ($30-$45) and information are available at www.odcdance.org or by calling (415) 863-9834.