Smuin Ballet Unveils Two New Works This Spring

For its spring program, Smuin Ballet is thrilled to present the West Coast premiere of Swipe by Val Caniparoli, internationally renowned choreographer and principal character dancer at San Francisco Ballet. Smuin audiences will also be treated to the World Premiere of Through by Ma Cong (French Twist), an uplifting work set to music by Academy Award-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. The bill will also include Michael Smuin’s elegant Symphony of Psalms, a breathtaking classical piece set to Stravinsky’s score. Smuin’s spring program will play at San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts April 27-May 6, Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts May 18-19, and the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts May 23-27. Single tickets ($25-$62) are on sale now at www.smuinballet.org. 

A highly-technical piece for four men and three women, Caniparoli’s Swipe is set to a remix of String Quartet No. 2 by London composer Gabriel Prokofiev, grandson of Sergei Prokofiev. A classically-trained composer known for electro club and hip-hop music, Prokofiev’s music compliments the pulsing energy of Caniparoli’s choreography as well as the choreographer’s penchant for mixing classical and contemporary styles. Costumes are designed by Sandra Woodall, who has costumed for companies all over the world, including the Stuttgart Ballet, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and the San Francisco Ballet.

Val Caniparoli’s versatility has made him one of the most sought-after American choreographers in the United States and abroad. He has contributed to the repertories of more than thirty-five dance companies, including Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boston Ballet, Northern Ballet Theatre, Pennsylvania Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Ballet West (Resident Choreographer 1993-97), Washington Ballet, Israel Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Singapore Dance Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, State Theatre Ballet of South Africa and Tulsa Ballet. Caniparoli is most closely associated with San Francisco Ballet, his artistic home for over thirty years. He began his career under the co-artistic directorship of Lew Christensen and Michael Smuin, and in the 1980s was appointed resident choreographer of San Francisco Ballet. He continues to choreograph for the company and perform as a principal character dancer.

After the smash success French Twist from Smuin Ballet’s 2009-2010 season, choreographer Ma Cong returns to create the world premiere Through on the spirited San Francisco company. Set to four tracks from Academy Award-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto’s album 1996, Through is an optimistic musing on relationships and life, and what we are willing to go through in order to arrive at fulfillment. Composer Sakamoto broke into the music scene first as a member of the electro-pop trio Yellow Magic Orchestra before gaining success as a film composer. He won an Oscar for composing the soundtrack for The Last Emperor and his work was described as “undeniably beautiful” by The New York Times.

Currently a resident choreographer and principal dancer at Tulsa Ballet, Ma Cong studied at the Beijing Dance Academy, where he received a full scholarship and graduated with honors. He is the recipient of several awards, including the Silver Medal at the All China Dance Competition and was a finalist at the prestigious Paris International Dance Competition as well as the 2000 New York International Ballet Competition. In January 2006, Cong was named one of the “25 to Watch” by Dance Magazine for both dancing and choreography. As a choreographer, Cong has created many works for Tulsa Ballet as well as works for other companies such as Ballet Met Columbus, Ballet Florida, Ballet Nouveau Colorado, Richmond Ballet, Houston Ballet and many others.

Rounding out the program is Smuin’s Symphony of Psalms, called “a varied and inspiring collection of stunning choreography” by the SF Bay Times. This full company work blends Stravinsky’s powerful and mesmerizing score with Smuin’s dynamic choreography. Stravinsky composed the piece to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1930.

Debuting in San Francisco in 1994, Smuin Ballet immediately established itself as one of the Bay Area’s most eagerly watched performing arts companies, as “one of this country’s most entertaining, original ballet troupes” (Dance Magazine), and as a dance company of international acclaim, performing to sold-out houses on European tours. 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 its beginning.

Now at the helm of Smuin Ballet is Artistic and Executive Director Celia Fushille, whose vision includes maintaining and increasing the company’s reputation for presenting accessible and innovative repertoire, as well as attracting new audiences of all ages to the medium. The company has continued to highlight works created by Smuin, both for his own and for other ballet companies, but Fushille also enriches its impressive repertoire with newer choreographic voices, bringing the Bay Area its first look at works by exciting choreographers from around the world, as well as developing world premieres by company members.