Patsy Cline Meets Ballet In Smuin's DANCE SERIES 1

Smuin Contemporary Ballet launches the new year with Dance Series 1: Love Smuin, a diverse program featuring the Company Premiere of internationally acclaimed choreographer Gina Patterson's poignant You Are Here, plus two lauded works by former Smuin Choreographer-in-Residence Amy Seiwert: a charming tribute to country legend Patsy Cline in Dear Miss Cline, and Been Through Diamonds, a neo-classical look at relationships between four couples showcasing Seiwert's geometrically inventive movement.

This program will also be offered as a virtual on-demand streaming option in March, following the conclusion of live performances. Dance Series 1: Love, Smuin will tour the Bay Area beginning with shows in San Francisco (February 4-13), continuing in Walnut Creek (February 18-19) and Mountain View (February 24-27). Tickets ($25-$99) are available by calling the individual venues (see below for details) or visiting www.smuinballet.org.

Gina Patterson's You Are Here is a moving work inspired by loss and perseverance set to the music of Italian pianist Ludovico Einaudi. It received its world premiere with Cincinnati Ballet, where it was called "forceful and swirling...an endless series of surprises" by the Cincinnati Enquirer. Patterson has been hailed as a choreographer of "startling originality" by Backstage Magazine. Dance Magazine raved of her work, "Patterson has a voice, that ever-elusive thing, and whatever the future of ballet may be, choreographers like her will always have a place in it." She has created more than 100 choreographies for companies, universities, and international audiences including thirteen full-evening productions, such as the Emmy Award-winning "Liquid Roads" for MADCO, an original adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet" for CoDa21 in Puerto Rico, and a unique "Hansel and Gretel" created for the Ballet of The Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc in Rijeka. Patterson's work encompasses concept and direction, collaborating across disciplines with creations that are non-linear and interactive, employing multi-sensory triggers and innovations in use of story, space, and venue. A recently awarded Bogliasco Fellowship in Italy follows accolades that include a Choo San Goh Award and a nomination for an Isadora Duncan Dance Award.

Two favorites from Amy Seiwert, Smuin's former Choreographer-in-Residence, will also be revived for Dance Series 1. The charming Dear Miss Cline, a suite of lighthearted works in tribute to the celebrated country singer Patsy Cline, was praised by the San Francisco Examiner for its "playful but challenging partnering," describing the dancers as "effortless: men and women tumble, somersault and swing with acrobatic aplomb." Seiwert's Been Through Diamonds, her debut work as Smuin's Choreographer-in-Residence, also returns. Set to Mozart's "String Quintet in C Minor," geometrically inspired movement is showcased in this neo-classical look at relationships between four couples. Seiwert was mentored by Michael Smuin for eight of her nine years as a dancer at the company. Artistic Director Celia Fushille named her Smuin's first Choreographer-in-Residence upon her retirement from dancing in 2008. As a choreographer, Seiwert has pushed the boundaries of dance, collaborating with artists of other disciplines and experimenting with all of its various forms and expressions from a classical base, making her an invaluable voice in the Bay Area dance community. Her signature choreography has been described by the San Francisco Chronicle as "keeping founder Michael Smuin's legacy of unabashed showmanship alive!"

Following the live performances, this program will be offered as a virtual on-demand streaming option, available during the month of March.