Smuin Contemporary Ballet Unveils FUTURE FORWARD Spring Season
Works by Andrea Schermoly, Amy Seiwert, Katarzyna Skarpetowska and Michael Smuin to tour San Francisco, Walnut Creek and Mountain View.
Smuin Contemporary Ballet will present its annual spring season, FUTURE FORWARD, running April 17–May 17 in San Francisco, Walnut Creek and Mountain View. The program features newly commissioned works by Andrea Schermoly and Artistic Director Amy Seiwert, alongside repertory by Katarzyna Skarpetowska and the late founder Michael Smuin.
Performances will take place April 17–26 in San Francisco, May 1–2 in Walnut Creek and May 14–17 in Mountain View. Tickets start at $25 and are available at smuinballet.org.
FUTURE FORWARD marks South African-born choreographer Andrea Schermoly’s debut with Smuin. A former dancer with Boston Ballet and Nederlands Dans Theater, Schermoly has created works for companies including the Royal New Zealand Ballet and Kansas City Ballet. She previously served as the first female resident choreographer at Louisville Ballet.
The season also includes the company’s 15th world premiere by Seiwert, set to Grammy-winning artist Lucy Dacus’ debut solo album Forever is a Feeling. Seiwert described the album as offering a sense of “spaciousness and mystery” that allows choreography to exist in dialogue with the music.
Returning to the Smuin stage is Skarpetowska’s Sextette, originally commissioned by the National Choreographers Initiative for Smuin and premiered in 2021. The six-dancer work is set to music by Johann Sebastian Bach and emphasizes musicality and human connection.
The program concludes with an excerpt from Hearts (Le Ballet des Coeurs) by Michael Smuin. Originally created for San Francisco Ballet in 1986, the ballet is set to the music of Edith Piaf and inspired by the film Les Enfants du Paradis. FUTURE FORWARD will highlight the relationship between Garance and Baptiste.
Gala
Smuin’s annual Gala will take place Sunday, March 15 at the San Francisco Design Center Galleria. Co-chaired by Smuin Board Trustees Lee D. Baxter and John Konstin, the evening begins with a cocktail reception at 5 p.m., followed by dinner, a performance by Smuin Company Artists, a live auction and an after-party. Gala tickets begin at $500, with after-party tickets available for $99.
Proceeds support Smuin’s artistic and educational programs.
About Smuin
Founded in 1994 by Michael Smuin, Smuin Contemporary Ballet is dedicated to advancing ballet through a blend of classical and contemporary forms. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Amy Seiwert, the company commissions new works, supports emerging choreographers and presents performances throughout the Bay Area and beyond.
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