Smuin Ballet's Fall Program Includes Two World Premieres
SMUIN BALLET KICKS OFF 2006-07 SEASON
WITH TWO WORLD PREMIERES AND A REVIVAL OF SHINJŪ
OCTOBER 6TH -15TH AT SAN FRANCISCO’S PALACE OF FINE ARTS THEATRE
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (September 1, 2006) – The Bay Area’s own internationally acclaimed dance company, Smuin Ballet begins its 2006-07 season with the world premiere of Michael Smuin’s Obrigado, Brazil; a new piece by Protégé Program artist Amy Seiwert, entitled Revealing the Bridge; and the reprise of Smuin favorite Shinjū. The Obrigado, Brazil program premieres at San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts Theatre October 6-15, 2006. For single tickets ($40-$55), the public may call (415) 978-2787. For subscriptions, group sales, or more information, the public may call (415) 495-2234 or visit www.smuinballet.org.
This program will be repeated at the Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, (February 9-10, 2007); at the Sunset Center, Carmel, (February 16-17, 2007); and at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, (February 21-25, 2007).
Rhythm reigns supreme in Michael Smuin’s first world premiere ballet of the season Obrigado, Brazil. This joyous and exotic journey utilizes classical, samba, and bossa nova dance vocabulary, set to a recording of vibrant South American music performed by Yo-Yo Ma and an all-star ensemble of Brazilian musicians. The one-act ballet, set on the entire Smuin Ballet company, will feature costumes by Ann Beck and lighting design by Mike Oesch.
The bossa nova, a less percussive, more melodically complex derivation of samba, was created by João Gilberto in Brazil in the late 1950s. This music style originated within the small clubs, cafes, and upper-middle class neighborhoods along the beachfront districts of Rio de Janeiro. Indeed, bossa nova compositions portray a carefree way of life, most often speaking of love, the beach, and beautiful women. Michael Smuin’s thrilling take on this sultry dance form brings relationships to the fore, offering audiences a feel for the swaying rhythms of a steamy night in Ipanema.
On the same program, Amy Seiwert will introduce the world premiere of Revealing the Bridge, set to a Balenscu Quartet recording of Michael Nyman's String Quartet No. 2. A leading dancer in Smuin Ballet, Seiwert is also a rising choreographic star who has premiered acclaimed works such as The Melting, Ruhig, and Short Ride with the company as part of Smuin Ballet’s Protégé Program. This summer, she was also honored with an invitation to participate in the prestigious New York Choreographic Institute.
Seiwert’s inspiration for her new work comes from Claude Monet’s “The Japanese Bridge.” Painted in 1922, Monet’s work depicts a bridge, located in his garden at Giverny, which he painted several times. In this particular work, however, the bridge is strikingly abstract, painted in reds, yellows, and blues. Lighting designer Mike Oeash, derived the color scheme from the painting, creating a vibrant canvas for Seiwert to set her work. Demonstrating “an increasing structural mastery” (Contra Costa Times) the award winning Seiwert consistently offers musically challenging works with intense energy.
Frequently drawing comparisons to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Michael Smuin’s Shinjū. is based on an 18th century Japanese play by Chikamatsu Monzaemon. The play itself was derived from a centuries-old legend of two star-crossed lovers whose passion is maliciously thwarted by mysterious forces. Paul Seiko Chihara’s eerie score and Willa Kim’s exquisite décor and costumes combine with Smuin’s clever mix of kabuki and ballet to create an ethereal tale.
Michael Smuin is at once an established name and a vital force in dance today. He made the San Francisco Bay Area his home when he was a Principal Dancer with San Francisco Ballet (which is also when he began choreographing). He has danced and choreographed for Broadway (Anything Goes, Choreographer: Tony, Drama Desk and Fred Astaire Awards; Sophisticated Ladies, Director/Choreographer: two Tony nominations; Canciones de mi Padre Director/Choreographer); toured internationally with Paula Tracy; appeared on television (Ira Gershwin at 100: a Celebration at Carnegie Hall); contributed to the films Rumble Fish, Cotton Club, Dracula, Fletch, Wolf, Angie, The Joy Luck Club, Golden Gate, A Walk in the Clouds, and Return of the Jedi, Special Edition; and served as Principal Dancer and Resident Choreographer for American Ballet Theatre. He returned to San Francisco in 1973 as Co-Director of San Francisco Ballet until 1985, and was instrumental in raising that company’s profile in the international arts community, including staging a performance at the White House and many “Dance in America” programs on PBS. Mr. Smuin’s ballets are currently in the repertories of major dance companies around the country.
Debuting in San Francisco in 1994, Smuin Ballet quickly established itself not only as one of the Bay Area’s most fervently watched performing arts companies, but also as “one of this country’s most entertaining, original ballet troupes” (Dance Magazine). The New York Times recently lauded the company’s Joyce Theatre program, proclaiming “Michael Smuin sends people out of the theater humming tunes and filled with images of pretty young women and handsome young men spinning and leaping up a storm. A veteran Broadway and ballet choreographer with a strong sense of craft, he has no qualms about entertaining audiences.” International audiences have responded with equal ardor, welcoming Smuin Ballet in multiple summer engagements with sold-out performances throughout Italy. Michael Smuin’s singular philosophy to create pieces which merge the diverse vocabularies of classical ballet and contemporary dance has served as the company’s touchstone since the beginning. “Smuin Ballet…blends classic ballet and modern dance forms more successfully than any other company on the national dance scene,” proclaimed a recent UPI review. “Michael Smuin is not only an important influence on dance in America today but is also an important factor in shaping dance of the future.”
FOR CALENDAR EDITORS:
WHAT: The Bay Area’s own internationally acclaimed dance company, Smuin Ballet begins its 2006-07 season with the world premiere of Michael Smuin’s Obrigado, Brazil; Revealing the Bridge, a new piece by Protégé Program artist Amy Seiwert; and the reprise of Smuin favorite Shinjū.
WHERE: Palace of Fine Arts Theatre (at Bay and Lyon Streets), San Francisco
WHEN: October 6-15, 2006
Friday, October 6 & Saturday, October 7 at 8pm
(Friday, October 6 is also press opening)
Sunday, October 8 at 7pm
Tuesday, October 10 - Friday, October 13 at 8pm
Saturday, October 14 at 2pm & 8pm
Sunday, October 15 at 2pm
TICKETS: For single tickets ($40 - $55), the public may call (415) 978-2787. Discounts are available for seniors, students, and groups of 15 or more. Pay-What-You-Can performance: October 8 at 7pm and October 11 at 8pm. For information the public may call (415) 495-2234 or visit www.smuinballet.org.