Smuin Contemporary Ballet is pleased to open its 32nd season this fall with an eclectic program of works by award-winning choreographers, and single tickets are now on sale. The fall season runs September 12 – October 5 at venues in Mountain View, Walnut Creek and San Francisco.
Under the direction of Artistic Director Amy Seiwert, this season takes its name from Alejandro Cerrudo’s much celebrated art installation-cum-movement drama Extremely Close, set to music by Philip Glass and Dustin O’Halloran. Next is Justin Peck’s Partita, set to Caroline Shaw’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “Partita for 8 Voices,” and featuring eight dancers in sneakers. Partita is a West Coast premiere, and Smuin is proud to be the first company outside of New York City Ballet to perform the work since it premiered in 2022. The final piece on the program is A Long Night choreographed by Seiwert. Subverting the language of classical ballet with contemporary movement, A Long Night reimagines Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with humor and heartfelt storytelling.
Born in Madrid, Cerrudo is the artistic director of Charlotte Ballet, and an internationally acclaimed choreographer who made history as Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s first-ever resident choreographer, a role he held from 2008 to 2018. Cerrudo choreographed Extremely Close for Hubbard Street in 2007, and the work has taken on a life of its own, having been performed countless times by companies around the world. This fall’s presentation marks Smuin’s first time performing a work by Cerrudo, and the company is thrilled to have as stager Pablo Piantino, who originated one of the roles in Extremely Close.
Peck is resident choreographer and artistic advisor at New York City Ballet. In the Bay Area, he may be best remembered for his collaborations with San Francisco Ballet which presented In the Countenance of Kings (2016) set to pop music by Sufjan Stevens, and Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming (2018), two works which earned praise for their fluid and emotionally resonant choreography. Peck is a three-time Tony Award winner for Best Choreography. He has also choreographed for feature films including Steven Spielberg’s musical adaptation of West Side Story (2021) and Bradley Cooper’s biographical drama Maestro (2023).
This season is Smuin’s first curated solely by Seiwert, and the company is proud to present Seiwert’s A Long Night, which premiered in 2023 for BalletX in Philadelphia. Set to a medley of songs by Patsy Cline, Pink Martini, Harry Nilsson, and others – all songs incorporating the word “dream” in their lyrics – A Long Night brings to life the mischievous Puck and hapless lovers of Shakespeare’s classic comedy. “Delightful!” exclaimed The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“To have Justin’s and Alejandro’s work in my first curated season is an honor and a thrill,” said Seiwert. “Justin’s creative path reminds me a bit of our founder Michael Smuin’s. His work in film and on Broadway informs the distinctive style he brings to his creations for the concert dance stage. And Alejandro’s work exemplifies how extraordinary contemporary dance can be: musical and theatrical, with a mystery that will take your breath away.”
Smuin’s fall season opens at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts September 12 – 14: Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with two additional matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. From Mountain View, the company moves to the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek with two performances September 19 – 20: Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. Smuin’s fall season concludes at the Blue Shield of California Theater at YBCA in San Francisco September 26 – October 5 with eight performances scheduled: Friday, September 26 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, September 27 and 28 at 2 p.m.; Thursday, October 2 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, October 3 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, October 4 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, October 5 at 2 p.m.
Single tickets range from $25 to $125, and subscriptions are $110 to $255. For reservations visit smuinballet.org.
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