Smuin Ballet Brings UNTAMED to Harris Center Tonight

Vibrant, expressive, brassy; agile bodies moving with astonishing gravity-defying grace. That's Smuin Ballet, considered to be in the top tier of America's ballet companies. It is this excellence they bring to Harris Center for the Arts audiences in Folsom as Smuin Ballet "breaks the boundaries of ballet" with a trilogy of unforgettable pieces.

In Serenade for Strings, we see choreographer Garrett Ammon unleash his own take on Tchaikovsky's iconic score. Next, Frankie & Johnny* is Michael Smuin's passionate tribute to the legendary Gene Kelly. UNTAMED rounds out the evening with Objects of Curiosity, choreographed by Smuin's choreographer-in-residence, Amy Seiwert.

Smuin Ballet's UNTAMED: Breaking the Boundaries of Ballet will be performed tonight, October 17, 2014 at 7:30 pm. Ticket prices are $25-$45; Premium $55 and students with ID $12. Tickets are available online at www.harriscenter.net or from Harris Center Ticket Office at 916-608-6888 from 10 am to 6 pm, Monday through Saturday, and two hours before show time. Parking is included in the price of the ticket. Harris Center is located on the west side of Folsom Lake College campus in Folsom, CA, facing East Bidwell Street.

From the front lines of dance, Michael Smuin set out in 1994 to build an American ballet company with a distinctly American accent. In his own words, "...to infuse ballet with the rhythm, speed, and syncopation of American popular culture." Since this charismatic leader's sudden passing in 2007, Smuin Ballet has continued to thrive, to prosper, to grow. While still following the path carved by Smuin, Artistic and Executive Director Celia Fushille has led the company into striking new territory. She has alloyed her vision with Michael's to build Smuin into one of Northern California's leading performing arts organizations. Celia believes dancers need new and challenging choreography in order to grow artistically. With her finger on the pulse of what's hot in the international dance world, she is ever on the lookout for works that challenge. UNTAMED fits this bill perfectly!

UNTAMED opens with Serenade for Strings, choreographed by Garrett Ammon, and set to Tchaikovsky's breathtaking score. It uses movement to reflect the intensity and precision evident in the composer's composition. A prolific dancemaker, serial collaborator, and self-professed tech geek, Ammon has created more than 40 dance works over the past fourteen years. He has conspired with artists across an array of disciplines and developed a trademark aesthetic that blends tradition with adventurous new ideas. Most recently, Ammon worked with digital artist Kristopher Collins to create the multimedia experience Love in the Digital Age (2012); Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado to produce A Dangerous Liaison (2012); and Central City Opera, The Colorado Symphony, Newman Center Presents, Mizel Arts & Culture Center and composer Ofer Ben-Amots to produce A Journey of the Human Spirit (2013).

The tempestuous story ballet Frankie & Johnny* follows in this trio of performances. Often thought of as a sinister Latin saga, Choreographer Michael Smuin has combined authentic mambo with traditional ballet to tell the story of Frankie and her faithless lover, Johnny. Accompanied by music from some of the biggest names in Latin and Mambo music, Frankie's desires run wild in a dance that melds American Jazz idiom and Smuin's trademark storytelling in a piece Michael Smuin dedicated to the legendary dancer/choreographer Gene Kelly.

The final performance piece of UNTAMED is Objects of Curiosity, an evocative ballet by Choreographer-in-Residence Amy Seiwert, set to a delicate score by Philip Glass and Foday Muso Suso. Objects of Curiosity examines the tensions between desire and restraint, mirroring the tension of the music in an exploration of shape and form. A former Smuin dancer, Seiwert has been choreographing since 1999 and has won numerous awards and critical accolades. Bay Area Reporter declares her to be "the most talented and prolific young choreographer working from a ballet base around here" and the San Francisco Chronicle has called her "sharply innovative" and "one of the country's most exciting young dance makers."

*This ballet contains material that is intended for mature audiences.